The Achievement Center

By 7017444915 December 23, 2025
For the entire beginning of his life, Luke lived life on the floor. We met him on our fourth distribution day in Kenya. His arrival at the site was quiet, but his story spoke volumes. Luke, 11, lives with cerebral palsy. Before he was brought to a children’s home for the disabled, he had endured years of neglect. He was tied up, unable to move around, and kept inside his home so his disability would remain hidden. When they found him, he was emaciated, in constant pain, and X-rays revealed a broken hip that had gone untreated for years. His caregiver, Don, brought Luke to our distribution site for the first wheelchair he has ever owned. Fitting his chair took more than two hours, but Luke smiled through every moment of it. He seemed to understand that his world was opening up for the first time. During the fitting, one of our team members stayed by Luke’s side, comforting him. She shared, “I spent a lot of time with him, praying and singing and just stroking the side of his face. And I think that’s one of the things that really got me, I don’t think he’s had much human contact. He would just lean into me, wanting me to keep going, and he grabbed at my hands like he didn’t want to let go.” Every wheelchair you help provide becomes a turning point - a chance for a child to sit upright for the first time, attend school, join their peers, or simply experience life beyond the walls where they were once hidden. For Luke, it meant being seen, supported, and cared for in ways he had never known. This Christmas season, you can give the gift of mobility and change a life forever. Your support ensures that the most vulnerable are not forgotten and brings dignity and hope to children who have endured far too much. Luke is not alone — children like him are waiting across the world. “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” — Matthew 25:40 You can change a life today. Every gift brings light into the darkness and gives children like Luke a future filled with possibility. Thank you for giving children like Luke, and so many others, a chance at dignity and hope. If you wish to contribute, please CLICK HERE to donate today. We are deeply grateful for your support and prayers as we continue our mission to serve and uplift those in need.
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Have you heard of The Achievement Center (TAC)? TAC provides a variety of employment services and supports for individuals with disabilities in and around Worthington MN. TAC was formed in the 1960s and became a division of Hope Haven in 2010. In fiscal year 2019 TAC provided services for 117 individuals.  

The past year has been ripe with change for employment services. When facility based employment in Iowa transitioned to community based services in 2019 due to the federal site rules mandate a portion of existing contracts shifted their working partnerships over to TAC. Today workers at TAC are busier than ever packaging candy for Foreign Candy Company counting and collating ElastiTags for Bedford Industries producing wooden survey stakes among many other tasks. “It’s gone really smoothly ” says TAC Work Services Manager Michael Dempster about the influx of work.  

In addition to services that are offered on-site at TAC employment opportunities in Minnesota also exist in the form of Community Employment Supported Employment and Individual Placement & Support (IPS). IPS is unique because an individual’s employment services are integrated with their mental health treatment. In Minnesota Hope Haven began implementing IPS in 2014 through a state grant program and has helped more than 125 individuals obtain employment. 

In 2018 Hope Haven’s Minnesota IPS program received an “Exemplary” rating a high fidelity feat that only six other Minnesota IPS partnerships have achieved in the past 12 years and the possibilities only continue to grow for the program. “We are in a strong position to continue assisting people with mental illness in achieving employment ” confirms Scott Witte Director of Employment Services.  

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