Former Executive Director and Board Member Jerome “Jerry” Manuel passed away on Saturday, February 12, 2022. He had been a part of the OVI team since David Green recruited him as a Board member following a Knights of Columbus meeting shortly after he and his wife Corliss moved to Hilton Head Plantation in 2013. David recalls tapping him on the shoulder after he introduced himself to the Council and saying, “You might be interested in a project that we are working on …” The rest is history, as Corliss encouraged him to get involved with OVI (along with golfing and bocce, of course).
Jerry served on the Board, including serving as Board Chair for several years, then stepped into the Executive Director role in early 2017 when our previous E.D. moved to Florida to care for ill parents. Jerry played a critical role for the next 5 years in stabilizing our programs and formulating our housing development plans. He also was able to work with our local legislators to get special state funding to help move our project forward.
Jerry had over 40 years of experience in working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Ohio, serving as superintendent of the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities. In 1992 Governor George Voinovich chose him to serve in his state cabinet as the Director of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. He served in this capacity for the eight years prior to his retirement and subsequent move to Hilton Head Island.
Our Osprey Village family has greatly benefitted from his experience and wise direction and will be forever grateful for his service to our organization. His full obituary is available online here.
Osprey Village is a client-centered service model and future inclusive neighborhood designed to empower adults with developmental disabilities through the creation of new and broader resources. Residents of the Osprey Village development will have an array of safe and attractive lifestyle housing options as well as access to life skills training, job coaching and placement, recreation, and a variety of social opportunities.
At our current pace of progress, it is possible we will be able to start the first residential services for one to two dozen adults in about two years. We are currently working with architects, engineers, and land developers in pursuit of this goal. We are also developing a capital campaign to raise the first million toward a $14 million project. We encourage bold community leaders with vision to invest in this life-changing and community-transforming mission.
While the overriding purpose of our neighborhood will be to accommodate adults with developmental disabilities, anyone may apply to live there and applications will be evaluated much as they would be in any other rental community. Our current projections estimate the average rent for Osprey Village housing will be about $500 per month. Waivers, private pay, and possible scholarship-type awards are among the payment options for housing and services at Osprey Village.
Osprey Village will remain dedicated to creating empowering resources to make it possible for many deserving adults to build lives of freedom and happiness.
Our Okatie regular store hours are Tuesday thru Friday 10:00am-4:30pm and Saturday 10:00am-3:00pm.
Thrift on Main in Hilton Head regular hours are 10:00am-4:00pm Tuesday thru Friday and Saturday 10:00-1:00pm.
When Willaim Dennington thinks about the future, he can almost taste the Dutch soup. "I love cooking, and Dutch soup is my specialty; it has potatoes, hamburger meat ... of it's great," the 24-year-old said. Of course, creating his signature soup will require a kitchen. And that kitchen will require a house. And Dennington is counting the days ...
It's official! Our new sign is posted at the entrance to our parcel just off Rt. 170 in Hardeeville, S.C.
Even through the pandemic emergency, we have continued to work remotely toward the goal of establishing our residential neighborhood in Hardeeville as part of the East Argent development.
Hilton Head
2600 Main Street, Unit 101
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Okatie
2797 North Okatie Highway,
Okatie, SC 29936