State Representative Timothy Whelan with the plaque that will be placed at FORWARD at the Rock once it is finished next spring.
When FORWARD at the Rock is completed next spring, a plaque will be hung in the new home in honor of the support that State Representative Timothy Whelan has given the project over the past four years.
Since being sworn into office, Whelan has helped FORWARD, a nonprofit started by Kathy and John Ohman of Dennis, navigate the maze of regulatory hurdles at the state level needed to make the project a reality. That included helping FORWARD attain a state certification that was necessary for it to receive $1 million in federal and state funding last year.
The plaque was presented to Whelan in recognition of his efforts at the recent groundbreaking for the project. At the top are the words, “Richard’s Path” in reference to a boy Whelan grew up with as a kid in Worcester.
During the groundbreaking, Whelan noted that Richard had a developmental disability. “It was my father and my mother who taught me the kindness and understanding in looking after Richard,” Whelan said. “It was the understanding that he was climbing a hill in life that was steeper than most and to try and do whatever we could to make things better for him.”
It is that kindness and understanding that FORWARD at the Rock will bring to the 8 adults who end up living there once it is finished.
Learn more about FORWARD at the Rock and the recent groundbreaking ceremony by clicking this link.
