What is Bethesda?

  Bethesda Lutheran Home was founded in 1904 as both home and school for the mentally retarded where they could receive love and Christian care and training. Since it's founding, care has expanded to include services for individuals with a variety of developmental disabilities.

  Bethesda’s purpose is to minister to the spiritual needs of people with developmental disabilities, to provide habilitation service for such individuals, and to assist others in caring for them.

  A developmental disability is a severe, chronic disability that is attributable to mental and/or physical impairments that manifest before age 22. Developmental disabilities affect everyone differently. People with developmental disabilities have a varied range of abilities. They have the capacity to learn and grow, it just happens at a slower rate. They may have difficulties with basic concepts, and with learning and retaining information that pertains to all aspects of life. Often, they have a limited learning capacity, short memory and attention span, and are unable to generalize information.

  Bethesda provides a variety of services including a volunteer services program, thrift stores, pharmacy, laboratory, therapies, electronic media, community living services, outreach workshops, the National Christian Resource Center and the production of professional materials.