A Full-Life

Dear Friends of Lifehouse,

It’s hard to know where to begin in our praise of Lifehouse. There’s much good to share.

Our 33-year-old daughter Tamsin has been supported by Lifehouse for 8 years. After false starts at a Supported Living Services (SLS) program in Napa and a return home for a year, Tamsin became a resident at Sweetwater Spectrum, a community in Sonoma for young adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Tamsin was one of the first of sixteen residents. Our family was lucky that Tamsin’s house was managed by Lifehouse from the start. On seeing the extraordinary care Tamsin was receiving, Lifehouse soon became the sole service provider for all residents at Sweetwater.

Living in a house with three roommates, Tamsin thrived at Sweetwater. Though there were certainly tough times, Lifehouse was always there to support Tamsin, and us. After five years at Sweetwater, Tamsin sought more independence and moved to her own apartment nearby and she continues to receive SLS through Lifehouse. Some of her same Lifehouse staff have been with her since the beginning 8 years ago. They are like a second family. Prior to the pandemic, Tamsin volunteered a day a week in the kindergarten class at Sonoma’s Sassarini Elementary School, and has since been taking online classes in child development at Santa Rosa Junior College. Her goal is to work with children with I/DD.

Tamsin has come a long way and Lifehouse has been an important part of that journey. We can’t imagine life without Lifehouse.

The pandemic has been a challenge for all direct care professionals. More than ever they need our help in these tough times. Please join us in making a gift to Lifehouse so they can continue their exceptional work in supporting those with developmental disabilities.

Thank you,

Bo & Patric Kearns

Parents

Everyone has a story to share. A Full Life is a collection of inspirational videos featuring the individuals supported by Lifehouse telling their own stories and truths as they learn and grow within the community. Hear from Tamsin in her own words here.

Growth in the North Bay

In recent years, Lifehouse has grown significantly as an organization, now supporting over 370 individuals in Marin and Sonoma Counties. In the North Bay, we are now supporting about 117 individuals, compared to just 26 individuals four years ago. Our new expanded office space in Petaluma provides opportunity for collaboration and support for our North Bay staff and community.

Our growth in the North Bay can be seen in the ILS program, which is designed to provide training and promote independence. The ILS program provides funding for up to 35 hours of staffing support per month and focuses on developing living skills that include budgeting, medical support and medication management. This for some is just enough to keep them living a more independent life. A person is eligible for services regardless of whether he or she is renting their own place or living with family.

We have seen an increase in the need for this type of service in Sonoma County. This program has doubled in size in the past four years.

 One resident who recently joined our ILS program is Sonja. With the help of Lifehouse staff, she has been able to maintain daily routines and activities. Sonja loves the interactions with her staff, who help her with independent living skills and activities such as cooking, making appointments, depositing checks, and taking medication. Her staff also help her with communication and relationship skills. She is grateful to be able to maintain her independence with the assistance of her Lifehouse counselor.

Home for Life

Joy | Independence | Connection

The dreams and aspirations of those we serve to live a full life remain front and center to our mission, even now, in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis.

Last year, when Lifehouse celebrated it’s 65th anniversary, we launched the capital campaign, Home for Life: Campaign for a Permanent Home for Lifehouse. Our new headquarters will help control operating costs and provide us with a permanent home from which to offer a lifetime of services. Lifehouse provides an array of services and support that facilitates a full life for over 360 people with developmental disabilities in the Bay Area. We also want to acknowledge our 400+ staff who are working every day to get us through this crisis.

Lifehouse will rise to this challenge with ingenuity, compassion, and resilience. We are facing challenges to our operations, fundraising, and advocacy for our staff and the people we support. In times like these, Lifehouse and other nonprofit organizations in our community stand shoulder-to-shoulder, and we encourage you to support our efforts. Lifehouse needs you now more than ever.

Warmest regards,

Nancy Dow Moody

President & CEO

Lifehouse Residents at Work

Lifehouse Residents at Work is an ongoing series exploring the people we support at their places of work and how they got to where they are today.

Jeanna Eriksen, Lifehouse Resident

Q: WHERE DO YOU WORK?

A: I have been working for the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities for the past three years.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT POSITION?

A: I currently work on the SAC Committee (Sacramento Advisory Committee), which is a regional committee of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities. I do advocacy work for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR STRONGEST SKILL THAT YOU BRING TO THE WORK PLACE?

A: I am motivated, tenacious, and I get things done.

Q: WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

A: Tackling challenges and making change happen.

Q: WHAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN FINDING A JOB?

A: People not believing in me.

Q: HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR CURRENT POSITION?

A: I started with Area Board 4, the Sonoma regional office of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, back in 2009. I was asked to be on a local committee and I did that for five years. Then in 2017, the opportunity came up for me to be on the SAC committee. I applied and got the job!

Q: WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT?

A: I recently became the Chairman of the SAC committee.

Q: HAS LIFEHOUSE BEEN HELPFUL IN REACHING YOUR CAREER GOALS?

A: Lifehouse empowers me in my role as an advocate. They provide me with the staffing needed for personal care, transportation, and assistance with resources.

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY TO OTHERS ABOUT HIRING INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES?

A: We have had conversations about this in the council. I would encourage them to hire us because we are very dependable and reliable. We show up on time and we do the job well. People with developmental disabilities are just as equal and beautiful as those without disabilities and work just as hard.

This feature and other happenings around Lifehouse can be found in our bi-annual Newsletters. To receive your copy in the mail subscribe here.

A Full Life

Meet Sallie

Sallie has called Lifehouse home for eight years and is in the Supported Living Program (SLP). This program is perfect for her since it gives her the tools and life skills she needs to be as independent as possible.  

Sallie is full of life and loves goofing around and making people laugh. Her favorite person to get a smile out of is her boyfriend Mark. They have been together for eight years. Some of her hobbies include hiking, going to the beach, and playing table tennis. She is a total shark on the court, and she was in the winner’s circle at her most recent tournament!

When Sallie isn’t palling around with friends, she is hard at work. With the support of the local non-profit, People with Disabilities Succeeding (PDS), Sallie works two jobs. The PDS Integrated Work and Community Inclusion Program helps her maintain her job at Woodlands Market for the past 11 years, as well as a position as a crossing guard during the school year for the past seven years. She takes great pride in her work, and loves the opportunity to be out and about in her community.

Sallie has lots of goals for her life, including to live more independently and be less reliant on others by practicing the life skills she has learned from Lifehouse. She also wants people to see that she has a warm heart and a good mind. Her message to the community is that people should accept individuals with developmental disabilities and welcome them into their lives.

Congratulations!

Please join us in celebrating the recent promotions of Kate O Connor, Michelle Condit, Claudia Silvia, and Lisa Ann Carbone. We look forward to seeing what their wealth of experience will bring to the continued success and growth of programs supporting Lifehouse residents. Your dedication, energy, and enthusiasm is an inspiration to us all. Congratulations!

Kate O'Connor

Michelle Condit

Claudia Silva

Lisa Ann Carbone

Co- Director of Programs & Operations 

Co-Director of Programs & Operations

Senior Manager

Senior Manager 

Life (house) with Kwame

Kwame Jackson-Ricks

Lifehouse Resident

Meet Kwame. He has been with Lifehouse for the last 11 years. He is in the Independent Living Service (ILS) program and lives in Laurel House. Here, Kwame lives with four other roommates and, with the assistance of our direct care professionals, they develop an extensive individualized plan for fulfilling goals towards greater independence.

Each plan concentrates on areas like mobility, food preparation, budgeting and banking, daily living skills, medical needs, housekeeping, and socialization. Kwame especially enjoys budgeting his money and has a goal to land a job this summer.

At Laurel House, all of the roommates take turns cooking throughout the week. Kwame loves to take this opportunity to apply what he has learned in cooking classes. Wednesday is his day to cook, and his specialty is veggie stir fry. Yum!

Lifehouse concentrates on the quality of life for both our employees and the individuals we serve. Wellness is a large part of that well- being. Kwame stays active by going to the local YMCA to work out, participates in a softball league on Thursdays in the summer, and is a regular participant in the Marin County Special Olympics. He was a proud participant in the Track and Field event this May in Novato.

An important part of the day to day life of the people we serve are programs provided by different institutions in Marin, Sonoma and San Francisco Counties. Kwame attends Alchemia’s performing arts program five days a week. Alchemia’s goal is to foster empowerment and enhance the visibility of their members. Kwame immerses himself in musical theater and drum line classes. This must be why he rocks it every year for the Lifehouse performance for Great Chefs and Wineries!

Stay tuned for updates on Kwame and other resident’s profiles.

Respecting the Bean

At Red Whale Coffee, coffee is serious business.  They seek to create high quality coffee beans for all to enjoy. Relationships with communities from Indonesia, Mexico, South America, and Africa allow them to develop a uniquely diverse cup of coffee. Although their network is vast, their roots originate in California.

Owner and Chief Coffee Geek, Sean Boyd, comes from a long line of Boyds that have been at the forefront of premium and specialty commodities. At a young age, he spent time growing and distributing exceptional produce to restaurants across Southern California. Sean’s relationship with cuisine evolved throughout the multitude of successful bistros and bars that were founded by his father.

Sean has been working with coffee since 2003. After being captivated by his first taste of premium coffee, he has become an expert. From master courses in roasting to honing his palate as a licensed Q Grader, Sean quickly accumulated copious accolades and certifications form the Specialty Coffee Association of America and now shares his expertise here in San Rafael.

At Great Chefs and Wineries you can enjoy, and maybe even learn something new, at Red Whale Coffee’s full espresso and coffee bar.

Click below to enjoy a ‘Cup of Joe.’