BY KEELIN EVERLY-LANG for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 10/16/2026
A new hub for adults with disabilities in Pierce County opened in 2026 and offers not only activities focused on personal development, social inclusion, and career readiness, but also a space for individuals and families to build community.
Opportunity Circle and A Place for Me are two programs at a new dedicated facility aimed at expanding services to adults with special needs in Pierce County and is located at 1918 112th St. E., Tacoma.
A Place for Me is an all ages, free space for community members with Down Syndrome and their families to connect and build community, while Opportunity Circle offers classes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
Finding a place to belong and space for personal development and skill-building can be hard for any young adult. But for adults with I/DD, these barriers can feel especially difficult.
The community hub is sponsored by the local nonprofit 321 Buddy, a Pierce County-based group which had the original focus of “working to help bring together people in the Down syndrome community alongside other local organizations in the community through events and resource sharing.”
Rather than being a place just for programming for those with I/DD, founder Alisha Vilela said “our biggest focus was that we wanted somewhere that was free to attend, that was safe and was a place where it was focused on the entire family, not just the individual with unique needs. We want a place where our kids and adults can make friends. We want a place where our kids can communicate the way they do and it makes sense and is appreciated. A place where they see people that look like them.”
She also wanted somewhere that families can come in and find support on both good days and bad days from people who understand.
321 Buddy was originally founded in 2021 after a Buddy Walk was held by Alisha Vilela, Andrea Graham and other parents. After this event was a success, the team worked to raise money to open A Place for Me, in 2024, which is a free resource center for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. This program is open three days a week and provides age appropriate meetups, resource presentations, literacy development, and so much more. During the adult meet ups it became clear that adults with I/DD have dwindling services as they graduate from their educational systems, and this is how The Opportunity Circle began. Graham is also the founder of Emma’s Exceptional Equipment Exchange and is active in advocating for people with disabilities in a variety of ways.
When Vilela first got her son’s Down syndrome diagnosis, she at first felt a lot of fear. Her thoughts at the time sounded something like this: “How is my kid going to be treated like in school? My kid’s going to be isolated. My kid might not have opportunities.” Connecting with other families helped her gain new positive visions of the future, but also exposed what was missing in the system. 321 Buddy, A Place for Me and the Opportunity Circle are just three pieces of a large vision for the future.
“The community center is great, but more than anything, we want opportunities for our kids, and there’s power in numbers, and as families, we are building a presence in Pierce County,” Vilela said.
Opportunity Circle hosts three-hour-long classes that center on the interests and needs of their participants. For fall quarter, class options include Rec Room – Nintendo Switch Interactive, Improv, Book Club, Karaoke and Dance, Disney Fun with Friends, Intro to Cooking, and Music and Crafts.
For each session, the experience starts with a half-hour of community sharing time, then participation in a recreational activity for a half-hour, then participation in a specific activity related to the session that was chosen.
The courses qualify for respite hours through the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) and can also be paid through personal pay at $25.08 per hour.
If a family is not currently signed up for DDA and doesn’t have a case worker, Pierce County actually hosts monthly free signup sessions to help answer questions and complete registration.
The next one is coming up on Tuesday, Nov.. 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Kessler Center, located at 1501 39th Ave. SW in Puyallup.
For more support in connecting to resources for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, Pierce County’s Community Information, Outreach and Referral program is another source of support. To learn more reach out to Outreach and Education Program Specialist Monique Patel at 253-281-3369 or monique.patel@piercecountywa.gov.
