Community Spotlight: Ellen G.
This blog post was written by Ellen G., of Montgomery County, PA. Ellen is a young woman with disabilities. Using her communication device, she recently shared the following thoughts with Families CCAN Program director Abby Martucci. Currently living with her parents, Ellen has been taking big steps recently to prepare for a more independent living solution. As part of that preparation, Ellen has been an active participant in Families CCAN workshops. Here, Ellen describes her experiences in the Peer to Peer workshop.
“My name is Ellen. I live with my parents, and keep very busy. I volunteer at Meadowood Senior Living. I go to the YMCA to exercise, take hikes, go shopping for food and clothes, help with cooking, and get together with friends to go bowling, swimming, see movies, and other activities. My parents and support personnel take me to activities and assist me with any help I need.
I envision living in an apartment with another woman who shares some of my interests. We would have our own bedrooms but share the common areas like the kitchen and family room. I would like to help plan the meals and shop for the ingredients, but will need assistance with cooking. I want to continue my current activities but spend more time with friends. I also want to select some of the items in the apartment, such as the dishes, and help decorate the apartment. I would also like to visit family members and have them visit me and continue to take trips to Disney World every year.
I liked meeting new people in the Peer to Peer workshop and learning how the peer instructors were living. It was interesting to hear how they selected the person they live with and how they make decisions together such as meals and sharing chores. It was helpful to understand who they go to for help if something goes wrong.
It was helpful to see the menu options that one of the peer instructors had, and that he had options for three weeks of meals. I also liked how his recipes had pictures for each step. I liked learning how people budget and keep track of the money they are spending. One person had a very nice way to keep track of all of his expenses and what he spent money on. It was also good to hear that the peer instructors still spend time with their families and take vacations even though they live separately.
I would not change anything in the peer to peer workshop. It was very helpful and peer instructors shared a lot of information. It was helpful to meet people who are living the way that I imagine living independently. It gave me ideas for how to handle details that I didn’t have before, such as budgeting and meals, so the workshop was very helpful.”
We are so grateful to Ellen for being our first community spotlight Guest Blogger! Do you have a story that you would like to share on our blog? We’re always interested in featuring members of our community. Please be in touch with Abby Martucci for more details.
Did Ellen’s story inspire you to join the next session of our peer to peer workshop? (If you are a Montgomery County resident between the ages of 16 and 21 we have scholarship funds available for you!)
A new cohort is forming now—click on the button below to learn more and to register!
