Momentum
A quarterly newsletter of the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities
Summer 2026 edition
Help us plan for the next three years!
Every three years, LCBDD is required to create a strategic plan which guides the priorities and outcomes of our agency. As our current strategic plan comes to a close at the end of 2026, our Leadership Team will spend the next few months working on the plan for 2027 through 2029. Feedback from community stakeholders will help us create a plan that is relevant to our mission and meaningful to our community. So, we want to hear from YOU — people we support, their families, community partners, providers and caregivers and Licking County residents.
Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts by clicking this link to view our survey. Or join us for a a listening session with our Superintendent/CEO Alex Corwin from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday July 29 at LCBDD, 116 N. 22nd St. in Newark. Light refreshments will be provided!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us!
A message from LCBDD Superintendent/CEO Alex Corwin:
See you at the Hartford Fair!
We are excited to have so many opportunities to connect with our community at the 2026 Hartford Fair!
Join us at 6 p.m. on Aug. 9 for our fourth Animal Adventures show and cheer on our great group of exhibitors, who will be showing animals alongside mentors from 4-H and FFA. Our LCBDD Family Resource Center will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 9 so that anyone attending the show can access the sensory room or accessible restroom/universal changing table.
The Family Resource Center (located between the Commerce and Arts and Crafts buildings, near the Centerburg food stand) will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 10 to 14, with different programming every day. Here is our daily schedule of activities:
- Monday, Aug. 10: Assistive Tech Fair
- Tuesday, Aug. 11: Ready for the Future with Transition Supports
- Wednesday, Aug. 12: Early Childhood Family Fun
- Thursday, Aug. 13: Meet the Providers
- Friday, Aug. 14: Community Partner Day!
We are also offering extended hours from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wed. Aug. 12 so families coming to see the Monster Trucks at the Grandstand can use the sensory room and accessible restroom. Lastly, LCBDD staff members will be under the Grandstand from noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 10-14. We can’t wait to see everyone!
LCBDD News
See you at the Tomato Festival!
For the first time, LCBDD will be at the Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival during their Sensory Friendly Time on Aug. 14 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Huber Park, 1520 Davidson Drive. There will be opportunities to learn about resources, snacks, a touch-a-truck experience and activities. All carnival rides will be free during the time period without lights or music.
Save the date for our Family Fall Festival!
Join us from 3 to 6 p.m. Sept 19 at Freedom Park in Pataskala for family friendly fun, a petting zoo, food trucks, games and giveaways. The festival is FREE and open to all! Momentum Refresh will be there — providing an accessible restroom with a universal changing table.
See you at Blendon Woods!
Join us for popsicles and playground fun at the the inclusive playground at Blendon Wood Metro Park. All LCBDD families are welcome to join us from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 3 at 4265 Dublin-Granville Road, Westerville.
Save the date for our final Tech Tuesday!
Join us at noon on Oct. 13 on Zoom for our final Lunch and Learn of 2026! This session will focus on tech for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Sign up information will be shared closer to the date.
Momentum Refresh is BACK!
Mark your calendars for these upcoming events and make plans knowing that there will be a fully accessible restroom — with a universal changing table with a hoist, and accessible toilet and sink — that will be available for anyone who wants to attend!
You can find our most current list of events below or by clicking this link for the schedule on our website.
Please help us share this far and wide, because we know that accessible restrooms makes a huge difference that goes far beyond the DD community. When events are more inclusive, our entire community benefits!
6 to 10 p.m. August 19, 12 to 10 p.m. August 20-22: Pataskala Street Fair, Main Street in Pataskala.
3 to 6 p.m. Sept. 19: LCBDD’s Family Fall Festival, Freedom Park, 5000 Taylor Road SW in Pataskala.
12 to 5 p.m. Oct. 3: Harvest Moon Festival, Infirmary Mound Park, 4309 Lancaster Road in Granville.
We can’t do our job without the support of the community! LCBDD staff members are using this space to express our gratitude to providers and members of the community who have gone above and beyond.
Our staff members have a lot to say about the amazing partners and providers in our community. We invite you to take a look at the Shout Outs below!
Shout out to Tamara Frye from the Woodlands for presenting on self-care at our Provider Steering Committee meeting. Shout out to Pennie Chappell from MEORC for her amazing support to providers to help them prepare for their compliance reviews Shout out to all of our Agency and Independent Providers who have attended our new Provider Steering Committee meetings so far in 2026. We appreciate the time you are taking out of your day to join us and all of the great feedback we have received so far.
—Shanay Nye
Provider Support Coordinator
Shout out to Tess Wigginton of the Licking County Board of Elections and Emily Vermillion from DU Votes for presenting to our recent Self Advocacy Assembly.
—Anna Jeffries
Public Information Officer
Shout-out to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Licking and Perry Counties for partnering with us to incorporate self-advocacy education into their current activities in the schools and the community.
Congratulations to Life Bridge LLC for being awarded the contract to provide technology and remote supports services at a new tech apartment, which should be constructed by August 2026. The tech apartment will be available for tours and short-term stays in order for families to explore home technology and remote support services. A big thanks to Red Heart Homes LLC for providing us with the apartment for this exciting project.. I’d also like to recognize the four other remote support provider agencies that submitted bids for this project. We are very fortunate to have such a strong provider base and a growing number of remote support providers in Licking County.
—Angie Finck
Chief Operations Officer
Shout out to BrittCo for being such a great partner and doing great work to make sure we have IT efficiencies in place.
—Abby Spear
Chief Administrative Officer
Shout out to St. Vincent de Paul who assisted with getting utilities set up for two people we support for their move next week. Without their support, none of this would be possible!
—Julia Schworm
Service Coordinator
Please give a shout out to the staff over at Prime Care Solutions! They have been working with someone who is going through a major life change and have been an incredible support to him. Big shout outs to their staff, especially Asha and EJ. Shout out to Julius Michael and his staff at Empathy Care Services including Adama, who helped a person attend a few trial days at an ADS program to see if it could be an additional support to her.
—Kennedy Wood
Service Coordinator
When LCBDD put out a call to local artists who we support to brighten up the walls of our building with original creations, twenty different artists supplied pieces of art! Thank you to these creative folks and to PALS and their Outside the Lines program for helping facilitate the delivery of many of the pieces. Enjoy just a few examples below:
Calendar of Events
- 4 to 6 p.m. July 29: Strategic Planning Listening Session, LCBDD, 116 N. 22nd St. Newark.
- 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 10 to Aug. 14: LCBDD’s Family Resource Center will be open during the Hartford Fair at the Hartford Fairgrounds. Extended hours for the sensory room and accessible restroom are from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 9 and 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 12. LCBDD will also have a table from noon to 6 p.m. under the Grandstand from Aug. 10-14.
- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 14: Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival Sensory Time, Huber Park, 1520 Davidson Drive, Reynoldsburg.
- 3 to 6 p.m. Sept. 19: LCBDD’s Family Fall Festival, Freedom Park, 5000 Taylor Road SW in Pataskala.
- 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Oct 3: Popsicles and Play with LCBDD, Blendon Woods Inclusive Playground, 4265 Dublin-Granville Road, Westerville.
- Noon Oct. 13: Tech Tuesday Lunch and Learn: Tech for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. This will be held on Zoom. Sign up information will be shared closer to the date.
The Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities' Board of Directors meet monthly on the third Wednesday of each month. Here is the information for the next few meetings.
4:45 to 6 p.m. Aug. 19, Sept. 16 and Oct. 21: LCBDD Board meetings, 116 N. 22nd St. Newark.