If you’re part of Specialized Housing, you’ve probably crossed paths with Steve at some point. Steve helps with solving some challenging routine and urgent maintenance problems, and does it all with a smile, which is why we’ve been wanting to highlight Steve and his positive effect on our community.
David and Margot are the co-founders of Specialized Housing, and I recently met with them to take a look back on the last 40 years and reflect on the experiences and events that made SHI the unique, tight-knit community it is today.
We thought it would be inspiring to highlight some of the neighborhood routines that help define our communities. Since 2017, a group of Brookline SHI house members has been going to Pino’s Pizza on Saturdays. They are well known by staff and other regular patrons.
Having reached this significant milestone, we are excited to celebrate our long-term success with all of our current families, staff, and house members. Meet Adam, who represents a new generation of SHI house members in our established Brookline communities.
Most people, if they have the choice, would prefer to have a day off from their jobs on holidays or during their summer breaks. But Sarah and Richie, who both live in one of our Brookline communities and have jobs during the week, often volunteer on holidays and their days off.
We were fortunate that three women in the Specialized Housing community recently took the time to share their perspectives and shed some light on the unique and very special relationships they share with their siblings.
We thought it would be nice to introduce some of the newer house members who have joined our community over the past year or so. They are all great examples of how adults with disabilities can live rich, full, and independent lives while receiving support that meets their specific needs. Melanie moved into one of our Brookline homes in October of 2021. We recently stopped by her house to check in and see how she’s been doing since then.
“They are very diverse, and they don’t treat me any differently than they treat anybody else.” This, SHI house member Cristen explained, is the reason why her job is so special and why she has stayed with the firm for 23 years. We recently got the chance to sit down with Cristen to chat about her job, her band, and about some of the different groups that she supports.
“We realized that living alone was not going to be an option for her — she was always going to want some kind of support. So we were very fortunate to find Specialized Housing very early on. As she grows older and I grow older, it’s nice to know that she is really secure in where she lives and that her life has a pattern of its own, independent of me and the rest of her family.”
“The community of this house is the way I feel the community in the world should be. Everybody gets along and takes care of each other. That’s what you’ve formed — a wonderful community.”
