Jane McCormick, the founder of Ottawa Friendship Village, to turn 100

Friendship House founder Jane McCormick has done more than anyone in Ottawa’s history in changing how children with disabilities are viewed and treated.

McCormick turns 100 on Sunday, and reaches this milestone having made a difference in the lives of hundreds of families.

“Jane McCormick was so ahead of her time,” said Tony Barrett, the executive director of Friendship Village. “Back 50 years ago, the general consensus was that if you had a child with a disability, Down syndrome or autism, you institutionalize them. I know from speaking with Jane and meeting her several times that she said and still says, ‘No, every child has a right to live in society, free to work and learn, be educated and contribute to the community.’ ”

McCormick told doctors that her son, Bobby, could learn and be a productive member of society,. Then, she proved the fallacies were indeed incorrect. She worked tirelessly to support Bobby’s education and growth, with her initial efforts beginning with homeschooling before meeting with other families through a counselor, according to a biography passed along from Pamela Beckett of the Starved Rock Country Community Foundation.

“She knew her son and other children with disabilities would benefit from daily structured program taught by living teachers,” the bio reads. “Jane organized a group of mothers whose children had special needs and, in 1953, founded the Mother’s Club for Exceptional Children.”

From there, the families contacted the Myers family, who operated the local AFL-CIO on Ottawa’s south side, which allowed the Mother’s Club for Exceptional Children to use a building that was being used for storage. That building became home to the Echo school, which stands for Every Child’s Hope and Opportunity.

In 1966, the Echo school became Friendship after McCormick learned about the Chicago Jaycees and its focus on fundraising for children with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities. She got in contact with the Ottawa Jaycees to see if the club could do something similar. The Jaycees agreed, and the proceeding fundraiser led to the creation of Friendship Village.

“To this date, Friendship House is thriving,” Barrett said. “It’s meant everything to many guardians and many folks with developmental disabilities because they’re contributing. They’re working. We have tons of folks out there in the community working jobs. We have folks in programs, and we have people in forever homes.”

Barrett said by “forever homes” he means places people with developmental disabilities can live and be independent in the community. He said that 55 years ago, they would not be able to have the quality of life they have now because of the work Friendship does.

“It’s trickled into the entire community, and what she did was remarkable,” Barrett said. “Jane is a very, very strong person. Without her, I wouldn’t be here right now working with all these wonderful people, and many people with disabilities wouldn’t have this wonderful life.”

The Ottawa City Council wished McCormick a happy birthday during its meeting Tuesday, thanking her for her years of dedication and caring.

McCormick may not live in Ottawa anymore, having moved to California to be closer to her family, but what she built lives on. Friendship House serves more than 100 people from Ottawa and the surrounding community.