Polus Center for Social & Economic Development

The Polus Center for Social & Economic Development, Inc. supports community-based programs that promote social and economic opportunities for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Founded in 1979, The Polus Center began by contributing to the development of innovative alternative service models to support people with disabilities. Our individualized shared living programs throughout Massachusetts, USA, help establish and support households where people with and without disabilities live in mutually beneficial relationships, enabling people with disabilities to live and work within the community. Because of this innovative alternative service model, many individuals who would have spent years in institutional care are now competitively employed and have homes in the communities of their choice.

In 1997, the Polus Center entered into the international arena by coordinating humanitarian efforts in Central America aimed at addressing the long-term needs of people with disabilities, particularly those individuals who lost limbs due to acts of war, landmines and diseases. Several prosthetic outreach programs and clinics have been established, and access, mobility projects and economic reintegration efforts have now been implemented in various countries in Latin America and Africa, and the Polus Center has recently begun victim assistance efforts in Jordan.

Over the years, The Polus Center has broadened the scope of its mission beyond the provision of direct care services, to include planning and development consultation services on the national and international level. By collaborating with other non-governmental organizations plus local business and humanitarian groups, the Polus Center has been able to provide key financial and strategic aid that result in long-term, self-sustaining solutions.