RIGHT: Abbie Lincoln visits with Patty, a resident, on Nov. 20 about what they’re going to have for their upcoming Thanksgiving potluck. The two were in another resident’s apartment waiting for him to finish some work. During the visit that evening, Abbie helped Patty with her laundry and they discussed some of Patty’s favorite movies. BELOW: Micheal, a resident, gives Abbie a hug in his apartment. (jenna rodriguez)
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
ABBIE LINCOLN
LIFE SKILLS
An employee exceeds expectations to do the best work she possibly can
LIFE SKILLS MISSOURI LOCATIONS
Community facility offers a home for adults with developmental disabilities
BY CLAIRE CARR
Columbia
Joplin Springfield
Earth City
Kirkwood
Riverview St. Louis
Cape Girardeau
Poplar Bluff
services, and that we leave so they don’t feel at any time that this is our property,” Community Living Manager Abbie Lincoln said. Albert walks into his apartment and takes off his The clients have jobs at local businesses and live like shoes, hangs up his jacket and goes into his room. He any other citizen. Clients come home to their apartgets ready for the game night being held at his buildment and work on long term goals they’ve set. Some ing. He’s excited to see his friends. goals may be as big as learning to drive a car while “I’m enjoying myself here,” Albert said. others may be as simple as putting fruit into their diet. While this might seem rather ordinary for most, it Either way, the clients are learn from different experiisn’t something Albert has always been used to. The ences that help make them part of the community. apartment building he lives in is Life “The main thing is to help them accomSkills, which is a facility that focuses plish their goals,” Robinson said. on assisting adults who have develMany staff workers develop bonds with opmental disabilities with leading the clients while helping them attain their an independent life. The building goals. The staff believes they are passionate is an actual apartment complex for about making sure the clients’ quality of life the clients to live in. Each client is the best it can be. Team members feel they pays rent and takes care of a one go out of their way to implement activity Check this link for a bedroom apartment. nights, visit clients one-on-one, and host video featuring Abbie “If they’re here, they need support birthday parties. A person doesn’t have to Lincoln talking about as far as their living establishment,” be an employee at Life Skills to get involved. the Life Skills facility. Team Lead Lakeisha Robinson said. A volunteer can help at annual events that goo.gl/U29yJy “They need someone to assist their are held like the Festival of the Trees Gala in grooming or finances�just teach November, or they can be a part of specific them to be a productive citizen.” programs like Make it a Home, where one can donate To be a client at Life Skills, the individual must have money or items to a client’s new home. been diagnosed with a developmental disability before “It’s all about the needs of the client. That’s all we the age of 21. The disabilities can range from mild do,” Program Supervisor Paulette Webb said. “It’s great mental retardation to autism or cerebral palsy. Life to help people who aren’t able to help themselves.” Skills as a whole has more than 1,000 clients. It’s rewarding. I feel good to do something that could “The idea is that they should feel like this is their be to the average individual simple but can mean so home, and us as staff are coming in to provide them much to someone else. It’s just great.” clrcarr@gmail.com
WATCH
PAGE BY LEXI WILKINSON
BY CLAIRE CARR clrcarr@gmail.com
Many people at Life Skills admire Community Living Manager Abbie Lincoln’s work ethic. In addition to attending meetings and doing paperwork, she visits clients, hosts birthday parties, and plans activity nights, even though these things are not actually included in her more clerical job description. Staff workers feel that she has the correct attitude about what she does and appreciate her devotion to constantly improving her client’s lives. “She makes people feel special,” Program Supervisor Paulette Webb said. “You have to be a caring person. That’s an essential part of the job. You have to care about the other person’s needs and their quality of life.” According to Abby’s co-workers, she has made a major impact on the clients’ lives. They believe the impact is a result of her commitment to improving the clients’ lives in any way she can, as well as her qualities of honesty and trustworthiness. “I can see the difference in [the clients],” Team Lead Lakeisha Robinson said. “They never used to interact with anyone, but now they’ll come out of their apartment and go to someone else’s.” Staff believe that she has improved and impacted the company, and hope she will continue working at Life Skills because of her interactions with clients. “She made it a part of her job to interact with them more,” Robinson said. “Since Abbie’s been at the building, she really brings all of them together�the clients and the staff members as well.” 12.11.13 FHNTODAY.COM 13