By Cindy Adams
Every home has a rhythm, set by its inhabitants. You might imagine that a house with 8-10 folks coming and going would be chaotic, but that’s not necessarily so. At enCircle’s William Booth Group Home in West Virginia, there is a natural flow and a sense of welcome.
It starts at the front door. Robin’s warm "hello" is quickly followed by eager sharing of her recent Amazon purchases. She has ordered bracelets, boots, CDs, movies, and a DVD player. Oh, and more bracelets! She is happy!
“I know how to shop!” she said.
Upstairs, Latisha takes a break from her puzzle to offer a friendly wave, as do the others, each one with their own unique smile. Ashley introduces us to her three trolls named Poppy, Tiny Diamond, and Branch. Natalie loves to talk on the phone but will soon take a break to have her hair braided. Tom has been here 30 years. He knows the ins and outs of all that goes on here!
Living life.
We asked Tom if he had any favorite friends, given his long tenure.
"I like them all," he said, and while Tom has a very involved family, he added, "This is my family, too."
Penny Lescalleet is a Direct Support Professional at the home. She started with Stonebrook, now enCircle, 26 years ago. She, too, considers the program participants and the staff her extended family.
"For many here, we are the only family they know," she said. "We are all they have."
And they are like brothers and sisters. The occasional squabbles are overshadowed by their friendship. While they have a two-level house with a living room both upstairs and downstairs, they all congregate in one place. They choose to be together. Not only do they live together, four of them work together at Eastridge Health Systems Workshop, putting stickers on bottles and packages. They earn a paycheck, which they use to both buy a little and save a little.
"That paycheck doesn’t last long," Tom said. "But I work hard for my money."
He would like to purchase a police scanner so he could know what was going on around town. He asked Penny to check into it for him. She, of course, agreed to do so.
"I wouldn’t change what I do for the world," Penny said. "To be right for this work, you have to care for people, you can’t hold a grudge, and you must be open to all kinds of situations. We are all here to make sure these folks receive excellent care. That’s what we do."
A recent gift from Natalie illustrated the shared love here. It was a tiny package, given with enormous enthusiasm.
"Open it! Open it!" Natalie squealed.
What Penny unwrapped was a keychain that read "Best Mom."
Living life together is what happens here. The result is a pretty special family.
