Established in 1964 with the support of the Christ Child Society, we opened for services in the Merrick Community Center (named after the Christ Child Society founder Mary Virginia Merrick) on the East Side of St. Paul; and began serving 15 young adults with a developmental disability (DD) that lived at home and could not secure adequate services from the public schools.

For many years to come, the common perception of our society was that people with DD needed to be "cared for and kept busy." As a result, our services were originally designed to be mostly recreational in nature and this was reflected in our original name Merrick Daytime Activity Center (DAC).

With advocates demanding that people with DD return to their communities from the state hospitals and receive a public education, the need for appropriate activities during the day for graduates and adults grew and we expanded to include a location on Payne Avenue. During this timeframe, it was recognized that persons in DAC programs had an interest in, and were capable of, working. Initially this interest was met by bringing assembling, sorting, and packaging work, which was out-sourced by businesses, on-site to be finished by clients at the DAC program (when not using the person's name we use the term "client" to affirm that they have chosen us as their provider).

Now, Merrick, Inc., is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable corporation, licensed by DHS as an Adult Day Services (ADS), Day Training & Habilitation (DT&H), and Supported Employment Services (SES) provider; and also offers the Ticket-To-Work (TTW) option. We are located in Vadnais Heights and provide support to over 355 adults with DD, employing more than 145 professional staff, and maintaining a fleet of over 65 vehicles.

Merrick offers a variety of workforce solutions that are cost effective, meet or exceed a company's service or production standards, and includes the support necessary to make the partnership work. Capabilities include:

• Packaging and assembly
• Plastic recycling
• Paper sales
• Document destruction
• Digital imaging
• Office support, retail, food service, and more.

We also offer life enrichment and therapeutic programs for clients that have retired, cannot work because of health concerns, or have chosen not to work. All of our services are coordinated through our beautifully renovated and very energy efficient building located at 3210 Labore Road in Vadnais Heights; and rides can usually be arranged to and from the client's home through our transportation division.

Surveying the possibilities, we have chosen a montage of old compasses as our logo to demonstrate that we are an experienced company that continues to be a pathfinder for those seeking to explore new horizons. Through our business partnerships, employees, and the reliable, loyal, and enthusiastic characteristics of our client workforce, we are helping to change society's perception of the clients we serve not as persons with disabilities, but rather persons with abilities. Likewise, we encourage you to find the best in each person you encounter today.