8th Annual Depot Music Festival Online Auction

While we are still hosting our event in person, we have decided to have the auction online again this year. The Music Festival is our largest fundraising event of the year, and all the funds go directly to The After 26 Project.

In Michigan, at the age of 26, adults with developmental disabilities and cognitive impairment can no longer attend public schools; they age out of the system. For these individuals, this is a challenging and confusing time, suddenly, there is a huge void in their life, and they have nothing to do. It also adversely affects the family as they see their loved one struggle with what to do next. So in 2007, a group of like-minded people set out to open a restaurant to help fill that void and provide jobs in the greater Cadillac community. The original board was made up of retired school teachers, municipal workers, and private business people. When given a chance, adults with disabilities can perform effectively in the workplace. One other critical aspect of the mission is that our 'Project Workers' work and are seen in the public eye, not off in a corner doing piece work in a sheltered workshop. Not that sheltered workshops are bad, because a job is certainly better than no job at all and sitting at home. Part of our mission is also to inform and educate the public that developmentally disabled adults have the aptitude and the ability to perform in the workplace; they just need a chance. This need exists in Cadillac, throughout Michigan, and across the country.