A Lighthouse of
Love and Resilience Written by 5HF and St. Louis Center staff
Louis Guanella, the humble priest who founded the Servants of Charity in Italy. He was canonized as a saint in 2011. 55 residents currently live at the center, and SLC provides 1:1 care for those who need it, while teaching life and work skills to encourage residents to be as independent as possible.
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Over the decades, as the needs of its residents changed, so too has St. Louis Center. More aging residents are moving into condo-style housing as part of the Guanella Village concept. Planning for the St Louis Guanella Village was a vision bringing together families living next to individuals with I/DD in an integrated fashion. In 2021, that vision became a reality.
very organization must bring innovation into its existence, to be able to adapt and prosper. So has been the journey for St. Louis Center (SLC) in Chelsea, a residential community for people with intellectual and development disabilities (I/DD).
Campus renovations included a renovated hall for Assisted Living, and independent villas. And with the addition of Mike’s House, five women now have an opportunity to live more independently, planning their own menus, shopping and cooking, with minimum supervision.
St. Louis School for Exceptional Boys, established in 1960, once functioned as the only boarding school for youth with disabilities in the area, at a time when students were not mainstreamed into public education. The school was named after Father
The Center continues to plan for increasing demand. SLC’s Strategic Plan includes the addition of an accessible wellness center, upgrades to their kitchen facility – over 90% of SLC residents have a dietary restriction – and expanding their ability to integrate into the community through worksite placement.
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