By Dan Montgomery
EnCircle’s newest group home, our first in Northern Virginia, was blessed and celebrated earlier this month. Final remodeling details are being completed, staff is being hired, potential residents are touring the home.
“It’s beautiful!” enCircle CEO Ray Ratke said after walking through the building and its huge back yard.
The house, Our Lady of Angels in Fairfax, was purchased and remodeled by Marian Homes, a project of the Fairfax area Knights of Columbus. EnCircle will lease and operate the group home, our 15th in Virginia and West Virginia. It will be the first enCircle group home with five residents. This is Marian Homes’ eighth group home for adults with disabilities.
Marian Homes president Jim McHugh spoke to the crowd, and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington blessed the house at the January 15 celebration attended by several enCircle leaders and staffers, including Ratke and Director of Developmental Services Holly Rhodenhizer.
A move-in date has not been set, but enCircle has hired a group home manager and three direct support professionals (and is looking for more!), and at least two of the people and their families who have visited the Our Lady of Angels home are very interested, Rhodenhizer said.
Ratke and Rhodenhizer thanked Assistant Director of Developmental Services Luke Lemon and Regional Manager Daniel Kakitis for spearheading the effort that led to the partnership between Marian Homes and enCircle.
“This is a partnership to be in,” Ratke said, “and one that has a lot of potential to grow. This is the first of what will, hopefully, be many homes in the Northern Virginia area.”
