New Directions, Inc. recognizes that unpaid relationships are fundamental in a fulfilling life and have positive impacts to the physical and mental health of a person. As such, we assist and encourage people to build and maintain personal relationships. When people we serve are connected to a community, they are recognized for their strengths and can make positive contributions.
We talk about people's strengths and where those strengths would be appreciated. We talk about about people's interests and how they can connect with others over those interests. We talk about how we can bring community into the lives of the people we serve. As a guide, we use Dr. Angela Amado's Workbook, "Friends: Connecting People with Disabilities and Community Members" published by the University of Minnesota's Research and Training Center on Community Living.
We have helped people connect through various different groups and organizations. Here are just some examples:
various churches and church groups
pickle ball groups
puzzle meet ups
drum circles
sports teams
music cafés
VFW socials
anime groups
walking and hiking groups
Boy Scouts
Community Education classes
about residential settings
about in-home services (IHS), independent living services (ILS), semi-independent living services (SILS) or access housing.
Above: Kristina reached a dream of hers of buying an e-bike. She uses it for transportation to work and exploring her community, including the Gateway Trail. She is now an avid biker, riding up to 30 miles at a time!
