Journey 21’s 2025 “Don’t Stop Believin'” gala and celebration was a sell out success, showing how eager the community was to come together to support a good cause.
Held on Thursday, October 2, 2025 at The Valerie in Oconomowoc, the evening allowed individuals to come together to raise money for Journey 21’s programs.
The event had a silent online auction whose proceeds went towards benefitting the organization’s goals.It reached it’s goal of fundraising $350,000 through the help of over 270 different donors.
Journey 21 was founded in 2021 by a group of local families who were seeking to find ways to give their intellectually or developmentally disabled children valuable opportunities.
Since then, they’ve been on a mission to bring “safe, supportive, and enriching learning and living” spaces to Waukesha County and other nearby communities.
Currently the group primarily focuses on residential opportunities, creating programs and fun outings, and sustaining an outstanding enrichment center.
The Enrichment Center opened in April 2023 as a 10,000 square foot venue. Journey 21 uses the space to host numerous fun events for their intellectually or developmentally disabled (IDD) community.
The indoor space allows them to have a year round fitness center, art classes, a music room, a technology lab, a teaching kitchen, a cedar cafe, and other flexible space that can open up for patio use.
Their programs and outings club has also allowed for the organization to build relationships for members of the IDD community.
The club participates in many fun, safe, and engaging events like baking classes, movie nights, board game nights, line dancing, and even a retreat to Camp Whitcomb.
The next step for Journey 21 is an ambitious one: To build and manage a for sale residential community for IDD individuals.
Journey 21 currently owns 12 acres of land at Pabst Farms in Oconomowoc, and hopes to use that space to build one and two bedroom condominiums for IDD residents. They hope to have space for between 60 and 80 IDD individuals.
The site has begun preparation for operation as improvements such as adding storm sewers, roads, and walking paths have already been added.
The property hopes to open sometime in the next three to five years, providing an incredible opportunities for IDD individuals with a range of skills and abilities.
