An Inspiring Community

 

As many of you know, I spent two days in Texas this week, celebrating a reunion with the remaining members of my family and it was a truly lovely two days! I even met one cousin that I had never even met! And what a delightful, lively, fun 83 year young lady she is! But after most of the other cousins had returned home, my cousin, Jane and her husband, Wes, took my cousin, Laura and I for a tour around the area where they live -- Katy, Texas.

One of the most remarkable places I've ever seen is a place called the Brookwood Community. It offers adults with functional disabilities a home in an educational and therapeutic environment. The self-contained campus provides programs with structure, security, and opportunities for true growth and fulfillment ... all promoting a well-deserved sense of self worth.

Mission-minded teachers and caregivers at Brookwood work alongside the Community's special citizens, providing a careful balance between independence and assistance. Their programs open new horizons and foster opportunities so their citizens can:

. Continue to learn and grow
. Develop meaningful, productive job skills and hold real jobs in the community's own business enterprises.
. Experience the pride of contributing to their own support as the grow socially, emotionally and spiritually for a richer, more fulfilling life.

Begun in the early 1980s with 475 acres near Houston, Texas , and a strong determination to improve life for adults who would not be able to live productively in an independent setting. Today, the community serves more that 125 people through residential and day/work programs.

In addition, organizations from across the nation and around the world come to Brookwood to collaborate and learn from their revolutionary programs.

Therapeutic, highly structure and supervised weekend and evening, activities include:
. aqua-therapy . inter-faith worship . sports and fitness . special events
. shopping . filed trips . life skills . hobbies

The sources of revenue come from tuition which is based on a sliding scale. If an applicant is unable to pay the full rate, third-party financial advisors perform an analysis to determine a fair fee based upon the family's income and assits. Eventy percent of the citizens of Brookwood receive financial aid to supplement their payments, which start at $1,800 a month.

Brookwood accepts no government funding of any kind. Therefore, the Community is largely self-supporting, relying on the generosity of the private sector to help build the facilities and maintain it's enterprises.

The Community's self-contained enterprises generate one third of Brookwood's operating budget.

Horticulture - The enterprises of Brookwood consist of, horticulture where Brookwood's functionally disabled adult citizens work alongside professional horticulturists to plant and cultivate many types of top-quality plants, filling 38 commercial greenhouses.

Crafts - In a studio environment, citizens produce, ceramic gift items, stone cast gift ware, cement garden pieces, candles, screen printed greeting cards.

The Cafe at Brookwood - Brookwood's chef, a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America prepares true gourmet meals, which Brookwood Citizens serve with all the dignity of a five-star restaurant. Private meeting rooms are available.

The entire site is spread over many acres providing lovely living spaces along with the restaurant, a gym, swimming pools etc. I was so impressed with the entire project, it's goals, it's opportunities for the disabled.