Posted on May 11, 2026
– New 7,500-Square-Foot Westminster Building Will Greatly Expand Services in Carroll County-
May 11, 2026
Baltimore – Penn-Mar Human Services, the region’s leading provider of services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), is proud to announce the official grand opening of its new Penn-Mar West facility at 216 Washington Heights Medical Center, in Westminster, Maryland on May 13, 2026. The 7,500-square-foot, two-story, multi-purpose space was purchased by Penn-Mar in 2024 and has undergone an extensive renovation. It will serve as a vibrant hub for day learning and community activities for Carroll County’s IDD community and consolidate Penn-Mar West’s entire support team under one roof.
Centralizing Penn-Mar West’s staff in one location will promote greater connections between the teams and the people Penn-Mar supports, while providing a vital home-base for gathering, socializing, and participating in activities that supplement the group’s extensive community-based programming. The interior features a vibrant, flexible environment specifically designed to foster growth and belonging with bright, open rooms dedicated to art, life skills, and various enrichment activities, and quiet spaces for rest and therapeutic activities. The entire building is equipped with ADA-accessible features to offer safe, inclusive care for everyone.
Perhaps most importantly, the new building can reduce service waitlists and expand support hours for underserved families in Carroll County, where nearly 80 people receive services. There are currently 15 families on a waitlist, and 45 people receive fewer than 20 hours of support per week. The new building will dramatically improve these statistics by offering the necessary infrastructure to expand care and allow Penn-Mar to support more than 50 additional families in the years ahead. It also provides a dedicated environment for local IDD students exiting the Carroll County school system and transitioning into adult services, ensuring they have the resources and choices necessary to Live Courageously.
“We are always looking for new ways to deliver more support and services and our new home-base in Westminster is a direct answer to how we can meet the growing needs of our community,” says Penn-Mar CEO Greg Miller. “This building allows us to fulfill our mission more deeply by reaching those on our waitlists, expanding current support, and providing the flexible, tech-forward options that Carroll County families deserve, ensuring we are always moving forward in pursuit of helping more and more people to live their best lives.”
One of the most transformative features of the new center is the Smart Kitchen, funded by Civitan and The Foundation for Children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (FCIDD). This fully accessible, tech-enabled learning environment utilizes voice-activated appliances and advanced safety sensors to empower users to build life skills and cook with independence. Beyond its use as a teaching tool, the kitchen serves as a test center for assistive technologies that Penn-Mar intends to scale into community residential homes.
The completion of the Washington Heights project is made possible in part by the overwhelming support of the community and nearly 300 donors. A significant milestone in fundraising was a $200,000 dollar-for-dollar challenge match from The Kahlert Foundation during the Special Appeal of Penn-Mar’s Gala fundraiser in March 2026. The match resulted in record-breaking generosity, ultimately raising $450,000 for the renovation.
The building’s location is well-known in the area as it was formally home to the Washington Heights Medical Complex. The scheme and construction phase of the project took three years of meticulous planning and design, supported by Warehaus Architects and Engineers and construction by Kinsley Construction.
For more information, please contact Roger Mecca at roger@vitaminisgood.com.
About Penn-Mar Human Services
Penn-Mar Human Services is a nonprofit that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to Live Courageously, whether that’s securing a job, being an active member of their community, building independence, or developing new relationships. Penn-Mar accomplishes this by supporting people on their own unique personal journeys. Founded in 1981, Penn-Mar operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in northern Maryland and southern Pennsylvania. They support 400 adults with disabilities daily through an array of customizable services. www.penn-mar.org.
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