They Skipped the Raffle and Raised $53,000

Research shows that only 24% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities have a say in choosing where they live. When a home is personal, accessible, and built around who they are, they are 3.6 times more likely to say their services help them live a good life.

About 25 people came to Mize Hall in Burr Ridge on a Friday evening in June. There was no ticket price, no raffle, no entertainment to soften the ask. Just a real conversation and a room full of people who came to do one thing: make every Ray Graham Association home what it should be. Accessible. Dignified. Warm. A place that belongs to the person living in it.

A challenge accepted

The goal for June 13 was $50,000. The room blew past it.

"Your early commitments and last night's gifts pushed us past our challenge," said Laura M. Milewski, Senior Director of Development. "A board member's $100,000 gift made this possible, but YOU made it happen."

For those who couldn't attend, Milewski made clear their gifts landed just as hard: "You weren't there in body, but you were there in spirit. We raised a glass to every one of you."

Why it matters

Research shows that only 24% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities had a say in choosing where they live. When a home is personal, accessible, and built around who they are, they are 3.6 times more likely to say their services help them live a good life.

(Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 2023; Human Services Research Institute, NCI-IDD Survey, 2022–23.)

"At home, I feel safe," said Theresa A., who lives in an RGA home. Asked what every person in an RGA home deserves, she didn't hesitate: "A spacious, comfortable place you actually want to be."

That personal pride, and the dignity that comes with it, is exactly what these donors protect and extend to every person RGA supports, regardless of what their family can afford.

What comes next

The funds raised through this campaign will go directly toward accessible equipment, quality furnishings, reliable appliances, and personalized spaces across RGA's 40+ community homes and community learning centers in the Chicago suburbs. Every dollar is part of a one-time effort to close the gap between the homes some people supported by RGA have and the homes every person they support deserves.

As Milewski wrote to attendees and supporters after the evening: "This community continues to amaze me."

Want to be part of it?

It's not too late. Investments in personalized homes are still being accepted and will go directly toward this work.

Donate online and add "Make a House a Home" in the comments field to make sure your gift is tracked and applied correctly.

Prefer to send a check? Make it payable to Ray Graham Association and mail to:

Ray Graham Association
901 Warrenville Road, Suite 500
Lisle, IL 60532.

Please include "Make a House a Home" in the memo line.

Questions? Contact Maddie Loper at mloper@raygraham.org.