If you haven’t heard by now, let me be the first to share our very exciting news: we are the proud owners of a Bed & Breakfast! On February 16, Human Support Services closed on property at 4505 HH Road in Waterloo that we plan to operate as a bed and breakfast and a group home. This...
By the looks of them, they weren’t excited about this day. Even the most eager learners aren’t typically enthusiastic about being crammed into a tiny conference room for eight hours. But this group – eight men and one woman – looked particularly pessimistic about this training session. They were corrections officers – jailers in conversational terms – and...
When they first began to talk about her, she was visibly overwhelmed. Her cheeks flushed crimson as she covered her face with her hands, momentarily uncomfortable in the spotlight. But then, a giggle escaped. Another quickly followed. Soon, any signs of shyness evaporated and in its’ place was another, more powerful emotion - joy. A joy so...
There’s a framed picture of his mom on the wall, and James is quick to point it out to guests. Beaming with pride, he’ll show you the television, the gaming system and the view from the windows in his upstairs bedroom. Then on the way out, he’ll mention the picture of his mom. The house has all...
He’s no longer a young man, but when Mickey smiles, his eyes twinkle with the pure, unadulterated joy of youth. There’s a light inside Mickey, the kind you can see without ever having to hear him speak a single word. Mickey, 63, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child and is deaf. He communicates through sign...
When the door opened, her eyes nervously scanned the counselor’s office. At 10, she was already cautious and skeptical of strangers. Satisfied that her surroundings were safe, Morgan quietly slipped into a chair without a word. She fixed her gaze on her tennis shoes and the dirty hem of her jeans. Her silence added plenty to what...
Real men aren’t supposed to be bothered by silly things like nightmares. Men of his father’s generation certainly didn’t let “feelings” get in the way of responsibilities like work and family. And yet, here he was. The nightmares were relentless, torturing his sleep. The days weren’t any better, though, because memories of the trauma haunted his waking hours. Alex tried...
At an organization so blessed with devoted volunteers, it’s no easy task to choose just one to honor as Volunteer of the Year. But as we prepared for this year’s Celebration Dinner, it was time to choose one person – a person who for many years, has been doing so much more than expected to make...
The wooden sign reads, “You have changed the world because you touched our lives.” The sign, given to Robert Cole at his retirement party on September 15, was the perfect parting gift for the longtime executive director of Human Support Services. The party itself was a testament to the many lives Cole touched in his 11 years...
She watches as he slips on his sneakers and pulls on his backpack. In the sunlit kitchen, there’s time for one quick hug between hurried bites of buttered toast. She pauses, holding him just one second longer than usual, until he grumbles, “Mom! I’m going to be late!” She grins and holds him at arm’s length so...
