Stories
Below are a few stories of our children in our Infant Toddler Program and adults supported in our Adult Employment Services Program. We are thankful for our families and clients that are willing to share their stories. These stories help prospective families and the community learn more about the services Holly Ridge Center provides. If you would like to share your story with us, please contact edelma@hollyridge.org.
Celebrating 16 Years of Dedication: Way To Go, Mike!
Holly Ridge Center is proud to celebrate Mike, an Adult Employment Services client, employed at Mike’s Auto Repair in Bremerton for the past 16 years! Mike keeps the Body Shop running smoothly with sweeping, mopping, organizing, and other essential duties. He says his...
Three Cheers for 10+ Years!
Congratulations on over a decade of employment to three Holly Ridge Center clients-- Jacob, Arnell, and James! --working for Northwest Center at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, part of the U.S. Navy’s Naval Base Kitsap. “We thoroughly enjoy having each...
Congratulations to Cavan at Crooked Spoon Ice Cream (formerly ACME Valley)
Congratulations to Cavan, an Acme Valley Ice Cream employee. In 2023, Holly Ridge Center contracted with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) to perform job placement activities for Cavan and assist him in obtaining meaningful employment of his choice....
Holly Ridge’s Joel Oviedo Visits Armin Jahr Elementary
As the 2025-2026 school year kicked off, Joel Oviedo, a Holly Ridge Center Employment Consultant, was asked to participate in Career Day at Armin Jahr Elementary PTO School in Bremerton. Career Day was a part of the school’s College & Career Spirit Week, which...
Celebrating David, 10 Years at Ballast Books!
Congrats to David, an Adult Employment Services client at Holly Ridge Center! August 19th is his 10th Anniversary working at Ballast Book Company in Bremerton! David’s job coach, Christina*, wrote the following message in celebration: It’s a dark, gloomy Friday as the...
Keeping Up With Zoe: Infant Toddler Program Graduate
Zoe Turning 17, an update by Shannin Strom (Zoe's Mom) Zoe will be 17 in August. It’s hard to believe it has been almost 14 years since she graduated from Holly Ridge and transferred to her local elementary school for early intervention preschool (early supports...
Welcome Haskit! Holly Ridge Center’s New Infant Toddler Program Director
Please join us in welcoming Cynthia “Haskit” Hall, M.Ed. as our new Infant Toddler Program Director at Holly Ridge Center! Haskit (pronounced HOS-KIT), her given Makah tribal name, joined us in March and spent meaningful time with our outgoing director, Alicia Skelly,...
Impact Story: Emma at Animal Magnetizm
Meet Emma, a Holly Ridge Center Adult Employment Services Client employed by Animal Magnetizm, an inclusive employer on Bainbridge Island. “Emma is a pleasure to work with and surprises me with her will daily. Daniel and Demetria are some of the most supportive and...
Partnering Together to Better Serve our Community
In 2021, Holly Ridge staff distributed over $40,000 in diapers, baby equipment, and other necessary items to families in Kitsap and North Mason counties. This was accomplished in partnership with Eastside Baby Corner (EBC), a local nonprofit that provides children,...
Meet Tony!
Whether at work, with family and friends, dancing away at an ARC dance, or competing in soccer or tee-ball at the Special Olympics, Anthony (Tony) makes everything fun! With ever-changing brightly colored hair and nails to match, he truly exuberates joy. In November...