The Loveland Center, Inc.

Florida is 49th in the country when to comes to supports for people with disabilities.  Our Medicaid Waiver provides funding for supports and services for less than 25k Florida residents.  That leaves well over 400k Florida residents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities without state funding for supports, more than 30k of whom are on a waiting list and are in dire need of support.  I would be honored to use Elevate Prize funding to create scholarships for as many people as possible, who currently have no funding for services.  These programs would provide job coaches for individuals who either want to work, or who have jobs but need support to maintain their positions.  It would also provide opportunities for individuals to join our Hearty Kitchen Academy - a Commercial Grade kitchen training program for people with specific goals of working in the food service industry.  Another program we would utilize would be our Recreation program, which sets the goal of getting people with disabilities more active in the communities where they live, work and play, and can be seen by their neighbors as peers and positive contributors to society.

I am dedicated to bettering our communities and residents. Loveland Center helps create opportunities, for our neighbors who have a disability, to lead a more productive and fulfilling life.
This year, Loveland Center will celebrate 60 years of service! I have almost 20 years of experience working with adults, teens, and children who have disabilities. My goals are realistic and lofty, I want to show our communities in Southwest Florida just how ABLE the people we support are. I also hope to show my clients and their families that their disability does not have to define them, and their potential has no ceiling.

Dignity of Risk is a big part of how we provide services and support.  This means that we teach the importance of failure.  I truly believe that growth cannot happen, without learning from failure.  Too often I see people, even in this field, treating adults with disabilities, as children.  Parents and caregivers try to protect them from the negative things that life has to offer.  To me, this is a disservice, as adults do not have the luxury of living every day without anything "bad" happening.  They need the tools to deal with the bad!

Employment and Recreation

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, in 2020, 17.9% of persons with disabilities (PWD) were employed, the employment rate for their nondisabled peers was more than triple that!  According to the Department of Labor, employed PWDs are underrepresented in management and professional/technical jobs, and overrepresented in service, production, and transportation jobs. Adding further concern, PWDs are underrepresented in 16 of the top 20 fastest-growing occupations, and overrepresented in 17 of the top 20 fastest-declining occupations.  

Loveland Center's Employment Program is responsible for 84% of program participants having gainful employment!  Our success is due to the relationships we forge with community leaders and business owners, and helping create a good marriage between job seeker and employer.

Recreational activities, provide a sense of value and belonging, and there is no greater opportunity for people to experience self-actualization, creative expression, discovery and stimulation.  Loveland Center's recreational activities have awarded people with feelings of success and improved confidence, while reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.  In our first year, the current administration amped up community activities by over 2000%, versus the former administration.  Helping the people we serve foster meaningful relationships with peers with and without disabilities.

Dignity of Risk and treating people with disabilities as peers.  It sounds easy, and one would think this goes without saying, but it is not the case.  Last year, participants in our Adult Day Program wanted to celebrate Octoberfest.  Members of the community, participants' families included, were outraged that "we" would allow a person with a disability the opportunity to drink alcohol.  When our Recreation group went to a casino, onlookers seemed confused as to why we were there, as if a person with a disability shouldn't be gambling. When Bradley, a 52 year old gentleman with Cerebral Palsy in a wheel chair and limited vocal ability, ordered a Whiskey Sour, the bartender asked staff if it was ok, basically ignoring Brad.  My goal as a peer, and as the COO of this agency, is to advocate, as loudly and often as possible, that a person's diagnosis should not mean that they need to be treated as if they are a child.  Instead of looking down on them for what ever conditions they have that limit their ability to do something, they should be raised up and applauded for all of the things they CAN do, despite their disability.

Everything we do at The Loveland Center is "Participant Driven", this means that the people we serve are the ones dictating what we do, where we go, and what goals they want to work on.  A person-centered approach is nothing new to this field, but how we do it, is truly unique.  When it comes to helping people reach their employment goals, competitors rely on job placements as their metric.  They simply find a job for someone, make sure they are successful, and move on to someone new.  Not us!  First off, we don't just look at placing someone in a job, we make sure the marriage between job seeker and employer is a good fit.  Once a job is secured, we are constantly working with the individual to find out what is next?  Advocate for more hours or more responsibilities, a raise or promotion, and if these can't be met, we help look for a new job where their talents can be appreciated and their pay reflects that.  We do not settle for just finding a job, and we are there for the people we serve helping them maintain success until they are ready to retire.