Established in 1953 as the Lima and Allen County Clinic, the center has undergone several name changes before officially becoming the Lima Children’s Developmental Center in 1996. It remains the only private, non-profit early intervention and preschool program for special needs children in Allen County.
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“It’s actually a lot safer because we had potholes in the other lot that were becoming a significant problem, and it makes it easier for staff, volunteers, customers to wheel items out and load them,” said Benji Bergstrand, ReStore manager. “It’s just safer, more efficient, more attractive all around — a good thing.”
Speaking recently to the Lima Rotary Club, the founders of Warriors Way shared updates on their program’s progress. In 2024 alone, the organization served 780 individuals through various therapeutic activities designed to support veterans’ transition back into civilian life.
“We're still fighting the battle of screens, whether that be a phone, tablet or a computer,” said Fred Miller Jr., president of the Wapakoneta Breakfast Optimist Club. “So we're trying to encourage the kids to stay involved in reading books. We know how much reading is a part of their education. Also, working at the library, we encourage those kids to come up and stop at the local library and also get books for the Summer Reading Challenge.”
“These printers use a plastic called PLA, and the students create 3D models in an online program called Onshape,” said Justyn Rex, technician for the E-Tech classroom. “They print anything from small decorations to desk ornaments. I actually have a student right now who is 3D printing a cosplay they designed themselves.”
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“We're approaching 1,000 fuel tanks erected as we speak,” said Everett "Butch" Kirk, president of International Tank. “So it's been a great run. We're a family business. I'm third generation. My children are fourth generation and glad to be part of Lima, Ohio.”
“We're very supportive of the Allen County Children's Services Board and the assistance that they provide not only to the children, but to the families that are in need,” Kohlrieser said. “We're hoping to help combat any issues of neglect or dependency, to help these families that are in crisis, to show a little support and hopefully benefit them in some way.”
The “Love Luggage” project, the brainchild of the Allen Lima Leadership Class of 2006, has been making a difference for the past 19 years. With the help of the Lima Rotary Club, volunteers continue to fill backpacks with essential items for children who are removed from their homes due to circumstances beyond their control.
Volunteers packed boxes of food and loaded them into vehicles as dozens of families came through the Elm Street Church of the Nazarene on West Elm Street to receive holiday provisions. The event was a collaborative effort between the church and several partner organizations.
The organizations donated $1,500 to Allen County Children Services (ACCS) to assist with the purchase of diapers — a critical need when children are removed from their homes or when families served by the agency cannot afford basic necessities.