ESCC - Our Local History

Easterseals Central California (ESCC) has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives since 1947. From child development centers to autism services and job training for people with disabilities, Easterseals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life's challenges and achieve personal goals.

  • 1948 Crippled Children’s Society of Santa Cruz joined the National Easter Seals Society for Crippled Children.
  • 1954 Changed name to Easter Seals Society for Crippled Children and Adults expanding services to serve adults.
  • 1964 Property was donated to Easter Seals by the Harmon sisters of Boulder Creek, which is now known as Easter Seals Camp Harmon.
  • 1987 Easter Seal Society of Monterey County joined the Santa Cruz affiliate.
  • 1995 Easter Seal Society of the Central Valley joined the Easter Seal Society of the Monterey Bay Region.
  • 2003 In partnership with Children’s Hospital Central California, ESCC opened the Child Development Center child care for children of differing abilities.
  • 2014 The organization is known as Easter Seals Central California.
  • 2016 The organization changed its name to Easterseals Central California.

National Easterseals - Across the Country

Tragedy Leads to Inspiration
In 1907, Ohio-businessman Edgar Allen lost his son in a streetcar accident. The lack of adequate medical services available to save his son prompted Allen to sell his business and begin a fund-raising campaign to build a hospital in his hometown of Elyria, Ohio. Through this new hospital, Allen was surprised to learn that children with disabilities were often hidden from public view. Inspired by this discovery, in 1919 Allen founded what became known as the National Society for Crippled Children, the first organization of its kind.

The Birth of the Seal
In the spring of 1934, the organization launched its first Easter "seals" campaign to raise money for its services. To show their support, donors placed the seals on envelopes and letters. Cleveland Plain Dealer cartoonist J.H. Donahey designed the first seal. Donahey based the design on a concept of simplicity because those served by the charity asked "simply for the right to live a normal life."

The lily - a symbol of spring - was officially incorporated as Easterseals' logo in 1952 for its association with resurrection and new life and has appeared on each seal since.

Easter Seals Emerges
The overwhelming public support for the Easter "seals" campaign triggered a nationwide expansion of the organization and a swell of grassroots efforts on behalf of people with disabilities. By 1967, the Easter "seal" was so well recognized, the organization formally adopted the name "Easter Seals."

Easterseals Today
Easterseals offers help, hope and answers to more than a million children and adults living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other disabilities or special needs and their families each year. Services and support are provided through a network of more than 550 sites in the U.S. and through Ability First Australia. Each center provides exceptional services that are individualized, innovative, family-focused and tailored to meet specific needs of the particular community served.

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