Nonprofit groups Easterseals and Redwood announced Tuesday they will be combining agencies to help meet the needs of veterans, individuals with disabilities, and people facing economic challenges in the region.
Easterseals specializes in working with people with disabilities, those facing economic disadvantages and veterans. Redwood specializes in educational, therapeutic, and vocational services for children and adults with severe and multiple disabilities.
The combined organization will serve more than 7,000 individuals and families in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky, an announcement said.
Redwood CEO Sharon Fusco said the combination of the two organizations will help eliminate the barrier of state lines when advocating for services their clients need.
“We lived in Ohio, but there were no services there to meet the needs of our daughter,” said Kris Jones, the parent of a Redwood client and a member of its board of directors. “We moved to Kentucky so that she could have access to the programs and services she needed. As a board member, I’m excited about Easterseals Redwood and its ability to bridge the two states and leverage the resources of both organizations so that families don’t have to move to receive the services their loved one needs to grow and succeed.”
Jim Salters, who will serve as chair of the Easterseals Redwood Board, said the unified organizations allow them to share resources which will help in expanding services and programs in the future.
The combination goes into effect on August 1. Pam Green will serve as the CEO of Easterseals Redwood, and Fusco will retain CEO status of Redwood through the end of the year, focusing on strategic planning and execution throughout the transition period.
Green said the organizations have been working to ensure the combination will help serve the community for years to come.
Day-to-day operations will continue uninterrupted with clients receiving the same services they are used to, with the same staff, and in their current locations, the announcement said.