Alice and Susie
When I first moved into this community, I was walking to the community center with my nonverbal daughter Susie, who has developmental disabilities. I stopped to talk with a neighbor, but Susie was impatient and urging me to go.
I kept saying, “Just a minute, Susie.”
Finally, my neighbor stopped me and said, “Let her go.”
I said, “She can’t go by herself.”
My neighbor replied, “Yes, she can.”
She explained that everyone in the community knew Susie. They understood her behaviors, knew how to support her, and knew where to find me if needed. She gently held my arm while I fought the instinct I had carried for 35 years—to run after my daughter and protect her from the world.
Tears filled my eyes as I watched Susie walk away on her own.
It occurred to me that this was the first time in her life that Susie could be independent—not because she needed less care, but because she was finally safe within a community that understood her.
Here, we support and watch out for one another because we all face similar challenges.
I am deeply grateful to the people who built this community—and to the donors who made it possible.
Thank you!