Lance is a friendly, generous man of 32 who is motivated by being a part of the community.  For over ten years, JFS has offered him support through Medicaid Service Coordination (MSC), as Lance has an intellectual disability.  Lance has lived in various supervised settings in the past.  With our help and Lance’s vision, he moved to a less restrictive environment and is now living with a Family Care Provider in Middletown.  He aspires to live even more independently in the future.  We are happy to be part of this process.

At home, Lance has responsibilities.  He ventures into the community independently for a few hours daily, taking public transportation.  With help of Lance’s MSC, Joel Rotkin, Lance had successfully held a job.  Despite Lance’s excellent performance, the economy necessitated his dismissal.  He was so eager to stay active and contribute to the community that Margie Faber, Director of MSC at JFS, suggested volunteering at a local food pantry.  It was a great fit!  Lance took pride in his work and others at the food pantry offered him much praise for his strength, diligence and work ethic.  With Lance’s connections, he has since brought other volunteers to the food pantry.  They too, are now making a meaningful contribution to the community.

Lance’s story is one of empowerment.  Empowerment is key to the mission of JFS where we empower all people facing challenging times to live with dignity, hope and strength.  I hope to keep you posted on Lance’s journey when he navigates a move to living in an apartment on his own.

Thanks to Margie and JFS, doors are opening for Lance!