History:

The celebrated history of The Kennedy Center is an inspirational story of how a small group of individuals, with a new idea, were able to enact significant change in our society. The organization was founded in 1951, when Evelyn Kennedy and twelve parents decided to take matters into their own hands and established an educational and support system for their children with disabilities. In her own words, “We were going to get what was a God given right for our children.”

The fifties was an era in American society when no such educational supports existed. Nevertheless, Evelyn led this band of determined parents, with cigar boxes in hand to collect donations, walked through local neighborhoods recruiting participants and educating the public on the needs of local families who had children with disabilities. The convention of the time, held by medical experts and society as a whole, was to simply institutionalize children with cognitive disabilities. Unthwarted by the standard beliefs of the day, this group of founders envisioned a better world, where their children would have the same opportunities in life as every other child. Together, Evelyn Kennedy and this core of visionary parents created an organization with a rich tradition of grassroots innovation, staunch advocacy and expansive volunteerism.

On April 11th of that same year, the group filed for incorporation under the Connecticut General Statutes as Parents and Friends of Mentally Retarded Children of Bridgeport, Inc. Bound and determined to provide educational classes for their children, this courageous group of parents remained united in their effort to help their children. Before 1951 ended, they would be responsible for the first classes for children with cognitive disabilities in public schools in New England. Furthermore, as a result of their efforts, the Connecticut Board of Education accepted that it had a moral obligation to help, and provided a classroom and teacher at Columbus School for 11 pupils who were between the ages of 8 and 17.

Soon after, their groundbreaking accomplishments resulted in the creation of New England’s first parent sponsored, public school facility for children with cognitive disabilities. The school opened its doors in 1956, in a small house on Williams Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The first building took 18 months to complete with 80% of the construction being accomplished by the organization’s parents and friends. What is more, in the short time from the organization's humble beginnings, the founders became responsible for writing Connecticut legislation that made it mandatory for school systems to provide educational services for children with cognitive disabilities. It also became instrumental in the establishment of the Connecticut Council for Retarded Children, and later Connecticut’s Division of Developmental Service (DDS).

In 1957, Parents and Friends of Mentally Retarded Children of Bridgeport, Inc. began receiving national recognition for its efforts by entities such as the Reader’s Digest periodical, as well as from the Today television show. It was also the founding year of the first “Workshop” for individuals with cognitive disabilities. The organization understood that employment is one way to enhance and improve the way one feels about themselves, and that people with disabilities also had a desire to work. As a result, 14 young adults and 2 vocational counselors began employment services in the basement of St. Patrick’s school in Bridgeport. Throughout its history, the organization’s tradition has always been to provide practical solutions and service supports for individuals with disabilities. So it was not surprising that as new needs were identified, the organization sought innovative measures to ensure that the individuals being served were included in every aspect of community life.

The 60’s issued in an era of significant expansion, progress and innovation. A marked increase in the number of children being served necessitated that the growing organization move to a larger facility. Once again the expanding parent and friend network became involved in raising money for a new facility on Virginia Avenue. Fortuitously, Mayor Samuel Tedesco of Bridgeport made it possible for the organization to lease the 4.5-acre site at a cost of one-dollar per year. In 1964, Parents and Friends of Mentally Retarded Children of Bridgeport, Inc. moved into the larger facility that they were responsible for constructing. During the building’s dedication ceremony it was acclaimed to be the largest and most advanced in the country. This year also included the opening of Faust Hall, as the first residential group home for men in the state and the northeast. In 1965, the organization was awarded the Lane Bryant Award for its incredible volunteer service to the community. Then in 1966, two years after opening the first residential group home for men, the organization opened the first residential group home for women at Maridot Manor.