Two Bay Area nonprofits join forces to become one of the largest providers of services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Redwood City, CA – AbilityPath, headquartered in Redwood City, and Via Services of Santa Clara, are pleased to announce the signing of an Affiliation Agreement effective July 1, 2022. These two nonprofits combined will be the largest provider with the most comprehensive portfolio of services to children, youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families on the Peninsula and South Bay.

“Our two organizations proactively pursued this affiliation opportunity as strategic action to first mitigate some of the challenges posed by the pandemic, and second to expand and add new, innovative programs to better serve the community,” said Bryan Neider, AbilityPath’s Chief Executive Officer. “This strategic alliance will better position us to invest in our incredible staff and the programs we deliver to the individuals and families we serve.”

The board of directors and the leadership teams of both organizations agree that the affiliation will be advantageous for Bay Area children and adults with developmental disabilities and ensure that their vital services continue to grow.

Two decades of chronic underfunding of California’s disability services system, coupled with the rising cost of doing business in the Bay Area, have created a systemwide crisis seriously impacting some of California’s most vulnerable residents. By joining forces and pooling resources, the combined organization will be better positioned to address the current economic challenges, and ultimately thrive in the future.

AbilityPath and Via Services have provided a lifespan of support services to thousands of children, youth and adults with developmental disabilities and their families in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties collectively for nearly 180 years.  Together, they will offer services at 15 program sites that span from Daly City to Santa Clara.

“Our organizations are very much aligned in terms of the services we provide to the disability community and our vision for creating a future of opportunity and inclusion for all.  It made the decision to join forces very easy,” said Matt Bell, Via Services Executive Director. “This merger will allow us to achieve our collective goal of ensuring that the individuals and families we currently serve can count on us for the support they need, and also help meet the needs of hundreds of additional individuals who join the disability community each year.”

This is the fifth merger for AbilityPath since 2019 under Neider’s leadership.

Linda Leao, Chair of AbilityPath Board of Directors, said the board has been very supportive of Neider’s priorities and innovative business sense that has positioned AbilityPath to seamlessly and effectively assume the services of the nonprofits they have merged with since he became CEO in 2015. “Neider is a true visionary who has transformed disability services on the Peninsula by building a scalable infrastructure and strong team that can easily adapt to growth,” Leao added.

“This affiliation has been very smooth,” said Marc McGeever, Chair of Via Services Board of Directors. “There is so much synergy between the two organizations, and our services really complement one another. We seized this incredible opportunity to ensure that our programs – including our critically important respite, therapy and early start services – are strengthened as we emerge from the pandemic and become more sustainable in the long term.”

Neider said the combined organization is in a better position to make its vision a reality for the community’s most vulnerable citizens. “We will be thriving together on this exciting journey,” Neider said.

###

ABOUT ABILITYPATH:
AbilityPath has been a cornerstone of our community for 102 years, providing a lifespan of opportunities to individuals with special needs and developmental disabilities in the greater Bay Area. Our mission is to empower people with special needs to achieve their full potential through innovative, inclusive programs and community partnerships. With educational, therapeutic, vocational, and family support services, we are distinctive in providing support to an individual throughout their lifetime. We collaborate with businesses, third-party providers, local nonprofits, and various organizations to bring the highest quality services to the children, youth, and adults in our programs. Together, we are creating a world where people of all abilities are fully accepted, respected, and included in all aspects of life – in the classroom, the workplace, and in our communities. For more information visit abilitypath.org

ABOUT VIA SERVICES:
Formerly the Crippled Children’s Society, Via Services has been serving the Bay Area and beyond since 1945. We are a private, independent non-profit dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities and special needs achieve greater self-sufficiency and lead richer lives. In doing so, we ultimately support the entire family. Our diverse programs offer something for everyone. Via Services is made up of a team of dedicated, hard-working individuals and is led by a wonderful management team with diverse backgrounds in special needs, business, and therapy. We are directly supported by our Board of Directors. Every member of the Via organization is committed to our mission of helping individuals with disabilities and special needs achieve greater self-sufficiency and lead richer lives. For more information, visit viaservices.org

Contact: Julia Ballantyne, AbilityPath
cell 916-390-4671
Julia@ballantynemediaconsulting.com