Help Create an Accessible Wehrlen House

A Home Where Residents Can Continue to Thrive

For more than 35 years, Wehrlen House has been much more than a residence. It has been a home. In this warm and supportive environment, women with intellectual and developmental disabilities have built lifelong friendships, shared countless experiences, and created a family of their own. It is where they find friendship, belonging, independence, and support.

Today, many of these women are aging, and the home's split-level design and multiple stairways are becoming increasingly difficult and unsafe to navigate. To ensure they can continue living together safely, comfortably, and with dignity, Catholic Charities Department for Persons with Disabilities (DPD) has purchased a single-story home in Randolph, New Jersey in 2025. 

Once renovated, the new home will provide an accessible, welcoming environment designed to meet the evolving needs of aging adults while preserving the close-knit community the residents cherish.

The women who call Wehrlen House home range in age from 39 to 64, and many have lived together for decades. Remaining together is critical to their emotional well-being, independence, and quality of life. This project will allow them to continue living in a familiar, supportive community while receiving the care and accommodations they need as they age.

Honoring Fr. Jack Wehrlen's Legacy




Help Create a More Accessible Home for the Women of Wehrlen House

Built in the 1950s, the Randolph property requires significant renovations to become fully accessible. Through this $600,000 transformation, the home will be converted from a two-bedroom, one-bath residence into a five-bedroom, fully accessible home featuring:

• Two fully accessible bathrooms
• ADA-compliant entrances and pathways
• An accessible kitchen
• First-floor laundry facilities
• A dedicated medication room
• Wheelchair lifts and mobility enhancements
• On-site staff accommodations

This project is about far more than renovating a building. It is about preserving dignity, independence, and a lifetime of relationships. With your support, the women of Wehrlen House will have a safe, accessible home where they can continue to thrive, age with grace, and remain surrounded by the people who have become family.

Your Gift Creates Lasting Impact

Catholic Charities' Department for Persons with Disabilities is launching a fundraising campaign to renovate and transform the newly acquired Randolph home into a safe, accessible residence that will meet the needs of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities for years to come.
Your generosity will help provide:

• Safe, accessible living spaces designed for aging residents
• Enhanced mobility and accessibility throughout the home
• Updated facilities that promote independence and well-being
• A comfortable, supportive environment where residents can continue to flourish

By supporting this project, you are helping ensure that adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities can continue living with dignity, comfort, and security in a home designed for their future.

Together, we can preserve a cherished community, strengthen quality of life, and create a place where residents can continue to grow, thrive, and age in place.

Be Part of Their Next Chapter

Every gift regardless of size, brings us closer to providing the women of Wehrlen House with the accessible home they deserve. Please make your gift today. 

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Donate by Mail:
Catholic Charities Diocese of Paterson
Wehrlen House Renovation
50 US Highway 46
Parsippany, NJ 07054-2392

For More Information Please Contact:
Hazel Yaptangco
Development Director
551-766-1723