It was a beautiful sunny day when I arrived at the home of Linda who was sitting on her porch with Service Coordinator Niki White.  Linda proudly led me into her very neat and comfortable living room and we sat down to chat. Linda has every reason to be proud of her home as she worked hard to be able to move into an apartment and live independently. Prior to her current residence, Linda lived in a supervised IRA with 24 hour staff supervision. While there, she worked on the skills needed to live on her own, including money management and healthy living.  Niki commented on Linda’s achievements saying, “At our first meeting together Linda came prepared with a list of things she wanted to accomplish, at the top of that list was moving (from the IRA).”

Linda enjoys her new apartment and says it is convenient for friends and family to visit. In addition to her living situation, Linda has improved her literacy skills including writing and reading. She is employed at Challenge and takes part in Life Options classes offered through her job that give her additional opportunities to network and skill build. “I’m really proud of the progress she’s made in the time we’ve been working together,” commented Niki, “I can really see that her self esteem is higher and her sense of humor is great.” When I asked Linda what she is most proud of regarding her life now versus a year ago she smiled brightly and replied, “Just being myself and knowing my abilities!”

Pictured: Linda models her new Franziska Racker Centers T-shirt; Linda and Niki share a laugh as they enjoy the weather on Linda's porch.