Violet Woodhouse

Founder 

Helping people who have disabilities to be all they can be.

Violet Woodhouse recognized the need to be independent in her son Irving, who was born with Cerebral Palsy.  This formed her simple and direct philosophy of helping people who have disabilities to be all they can be.  She was the driven and determined woman who put the people and events into motion that would ultimately result in the establishment of the facilities known as Woodhouse and the Truman Worden Training Center.

Violet quickly learned that services or facilities to assist families of people who have Developmentally Disabilities were practically non-existent in her community at that time. Instead of accepting this lack of social services, she decided to mount a campaign for Irving, others like him, and their families. Her first small step was to run a newspaper ad. “Adults with cerebral palsy need help. If you can help, please attend a meeting at First Presbyterian Church”. This short ad led to the formation of a small, but determined group who became the force behind the fundraising, property acquisition and renovation work which would result in the opening of Cerebral Palsy Adult Home. Six residents were welcomed into their new home on February 24th, 1975. Violet’s original dream of providing a comfortable home for her son Irving has been expanded over the years to help many more adults who have developmental disabilities and their families.

In 1983 Violet Woodhouse opened a residential facility in Pompano Beach for people with intellectual disabilities, known simply as Woodhouse. 24 people were removed from a state institution where they were victims of abuse and starvation and they got to come to their first real home. In fact they thrive so well that some of them still live here today. In 1994 the Truman Worden Training Center (TWTC) was opened in Pompano Beach as an adult day training center designed to teach self-care and survival skills. Here, the residents of Woodhouse have a place where they can spend their days engaged in mental activities.