Resources for Human Development

“They rescued me,” Joe said. “I couldn’t survive on the street. I couldn’t make it in the homeless shelter. This is heaven compared to where I was. I got such reassurance (from SALT) from the first day, I had a spring in my step. I felt like my future had just started, and things were going to be better. I had to pinch myself: Is this actually happening? I felt like I was dreaming.”

““It’s a good place for him to come to, RHD really works well with him, and it’s good experience for us. He does his thing, he enjoys it, he’s a nice kid.””

““When I came to FPCN, that’s when my healing began,” said Dee Dee. “FPCN gave me my health and gave me peace of mind.””

““Donna Torrisi is the difference in my life,””

“The staff is an incredible cast of characters. They’re all extraordinarily talented artists in their own right. I see it as a huge group of friends working together to make themselves better. The clients make the staff better people, not just the other way around. They both benefit from each other. There’s genuine enjoyment of the people they work with. I can’t imagine any of the staff here being anywhere else — they’re perfect here; everyone here is perfect at the same time. They go off and do other things, but here they’re perfect for that moment in time.”

“The staff finds a way to enable people to be the best they possibly can be. It’s phenomenal. They focus on the individual, not the disability. They’re amazing that way.”

“Most day programs mainly deal with mental disabilities. Physical disabilities are overlooked. I’m not mentally disabled, but you guys will adapt things for me. This is a great place.”

“I love the staff. They are really helpful. They are supportive and help me get everything I need. I love everything about this place.”

““I liked Donna; she made me feel very comfortable. I tell people this is a nice place to go to see about your health. There are nice people here, and you should go and visit to get help if you need it.””

““I liked the clinic,” she said. “I liked the service they gave me. Everybody was fine. Friendly. I got along with everyone. They gave me good service.”

““Oh, everything has changed,’’ Ethel said, chuckling softly. “It’s a whole new place. Everything has changed, the employees and all, everybody’s changed. But it’s still nice, and they take good care of me. So, it’s different, but in a good way.””

“Supporting Brandon has been the best experience of my professional life. And I don’t want to go anywhere.”

“As I’m going through my medical treatments, I think it’s great that RHD put supports in place so that Brandon’s life is not disrupted, and I can get the rest I need to continue to help Brandon accomplish things he wants.”

“My goal from the beginning was for him to have a say,” Todd said. “He definitely wanted a change from where he was living. His life did not make sense to him; he wasn’t comfortable there. If you’re going to live anywhere, you ought to feel comfortable and safe. You should feel at home in your home. So he had a voice in what was going on — because that’s what roommates do. It’s a give-and-take situation, and it was from the very beginning. “We hit it off right away. He told me his goals and his dreams. I told him we could make them happen. We just kind of fell right together. Like magic.”

“When he moved into the home with Todd, it was a phenomenal thing for Brandon. Phenomenal. Brandon is so much more calm, so much more social. His communication skills have greatly improved, and it’s because he has the opportunity to voice his opinion and to advocate for what he wants. The experience has been wonderful for Brandon.”

““They motivate me. Thanks to IDEATE, I’ve learned how to be more open to people. I have an easier time saying how I feel and being relaxed. I’m also in a better state of mind because of the staff at my group home and my family.””

““we have great chemistry. He understands my concerns. He understands when I’m not happy. He brings me back into it when I come to his studio. It’s the best place to be in the whole wide world.””

““we just started making hits from there, making good music. And we started making so much good music that we got people’s attention on the internet.””

““But we’re doing good. The staff is on our side; they’re with us. This is the best place we’ve ever been.””

““We’ve had some struggles in our lifetime,””

““RHD worked with us so that me and my wife could support our family,””

“I look at these pictures and it’s just: Oh my gosh,” Suzanne said. “This is the first place that made me feel like I had a chance at something better. I have so much support. I’m so glad I got here. This place did so much for me. I would not be here if it wasn’t for them.”

“This place was my miracle,” Suzanne said. “I was blind, crippled, and homeless. All I thought about was suicide. Being on the street like that was unbearable. I didn’t want to go on. But NOVA III saved me.”

““I had hit rock bottom in my life,” said G.A., a client at LMCMS. “I was referred to LMCMS, and it is their support that I receive that helps me to keep on going. “If it wasn’t for the services I receive at LMCMS I think I would still be living on the street. The staff is very helpful and very supportive. I have someone to help me through challenges. My Certified Peer Specialist believes in me, and even helped me to get a tutor so that I can learn how to read. I am currently working on my GED and believe that I will get it. I feel better than I have felt in a long time.””

““The staff helps you get through everything, and keeps you on track,” said Kevin, a La Casa participant. “If it can work for me, it can work for anybody.””