Community engagement is very important to our clients and to us. Our mission, vision, and values highlight the importance of people being able to participate in community activities & the reason we hire Direct Support Professionals. Direct Support Professionals become a mentor, role model & companion to our clients by helping them gain access to their community in their daily lives.
Jake has been a client at LIFEDesigns for 28 years and is a true social butterfly. Like many others, Jake was upset when the pandemic restricted him from going out and living a social life. We also had to use more staff to support clients in group homes and supported living during that time, which affected many clients like Jake who look forward to spending time with their staff and participate in the community.
Around August & September of 2020, we started to see some light at the end of the tunnel and were able to get Jake staff support for community living. Eddie became a Direct Support Professional at LIFEDesigns in August of 2020. Eddie has lived in Bloomington for a few years and also enjoys the social life, so we knew he would be a great match for Jake!
Now that the vaccine is available and restrictions are loosing up, Jake and Eddie are able to go out in the community and have a little fun, which they are both happy about. Some of the things they do together are hanging out Jake’s apartment, walk around IU’s beautiful campus, and have even gone canoeing at Lake Griffey. Jake also mentioned that Eddie has become a best friend to Jake, which is exactly what we want to hear from our clients. We are so grateful to have compassionate and caring Direct Support Professionals like Eddie who help our clients live independently & engage in community activities.
Your donations help us provide respite care & staff support for clients like Jake. By donating to our 40th Anniversary Campaign, you can help provide a DSP & respite services to a client who needs a friend & mentor. Click here to donate today!