Category: A WRANGLER’S TALE

A Lot of Changes for Justin

Justin is a walking history book about New Danville. He has seen many changes in the campus and programs; he has changed along the way, too.

He shares details of classes when there were only a few Wranglers who gathered for day program offerings, which was several years before New Danville’s independent living community, Meadowbrook, was opened. Justin was one of the early residents. “When I first started in the day program,” Justin said, “I was shy. I have become more social.”

A graduate of Huntsville High School, Justin lived with his grandparents and learned about New Danville in 2005 when it was only a concept. He recognizes his grandparents’ role in his life and in the lives of others. “Papa was an influencer. Not in the social media way. He did it face-to-face with people. You could tell by how many people were at his funeral (he passed away in 2022). My grandparents took care of me. I always felt that I need to take care of them, too.  I help my grandmother now with things and make tea for her.”

As he has developed to be an influencer in his own regard, he has done it through friendships and being busy. He is part of the pallet team that assembles pallets for Charbonneau Industries, and has helped with the landscaping crew. He worked in the community but the COVID situation ended that role. “Getting to work is easy now,” he said, referring to the benefits of working on site.

When not in class or working, he can be found walking or riding his bicycle. “I like to chill and listen to classic rock music, too,” he added. Over the years, he has taken a multitude of classes through the dayhab program. His all-time favorite class is one of the new ones that began in August:  Blue Printing 101. “I would like to see a recreational building for us,” Justin said, “but that will take time and a lot of money. I understand.” Among the changes for Justin is wisdom.

Part of New Danville’s History Moves Away with a Wave and a Smile

It was clear during the interview with Evan, that he enjoyed waving as Meadowbrook neighbors walked by on their way to the start of day program activities. Evan has lived at New Danville’s residential community since its inception, earning a spot in the first lottery draw of names from those interested in being residents in the first few homes built on site. His waves this day were hello and good-bye.

2020 was a tough year for Evan, what with the COVID situation, his battle with diabetes and the loss of both his parents.  The loss of his mom and dad ultimately led to the decision to move him to a community closer to his step-mom and step-sister. He admits to it having been a tough battle, but his spirit remains high and his smile ever-ready.

Proud of his significant weight loss that has freed him from insulin, Evan reveals there are several things he is proud of, including his 10-year pin from Kroger where he worked for almost 12 years. He is a wealth of knowledge regarding sports statistics, carb counts in foods, and other topics that matter to him. He was also proud to learn that there are several “Evan stories” among the staff. He laughed sheepishly at the news.

James Scott, long-time Direct Support Professional, said with a laugh, “Evan had a game where he gave stickers from his sticker book to people. He made up reasons and ‘awards’ in order to give out the stickers. It was a lot of fun.”

Randy Smyth, Director of Operations, shared, “All the staff at all the stores in the strip center of the Kroger where he worked knew him well. He would stop in every day, say hello, have his glasses cleaned and such. My dentist and optometrist are in that center. If I am wearing my New Danville shirt when I go in for an appointment, they ask about how Evan is doing. When driving him to work, he would play a game with me, counting the number of U.S. Flags on our respective sides of the highway. Somehow, he never lost. In addition to the stickers, he also would give out word search pages to people.”

And there are other stories, too. You can’t be as engaging and kind as Evan and not leave in imprint.

Evan said he remembers well his first day at Meadowbrook when New Danville opened it in 2010. Did it feel like home immediately? Evan nodded, grinned broadly and said, “Yes…it did.” Among his favorite memories of life at New Danville were his walks and time with the horses. And the friends…of course, the friends.

To the passersby as he was being interviewed, Evan said, “I’ll know you’ll miss me.” He is right. Everyone agreed. He will be forever part of the legacy of New Danville and its beginnings as an independent living community for very special people, like Evan.

Where There is Hope, There is Happiness

“Yes, I’m usually happy,” Hope concurred to the assertion that she seems to be so most of the time. “It isn’t hard though. I like people. I think I am easy to get along with. There is no secret…just smile at people.”

Hope started with New Danville’s day program in 2015. “I think my mom and dad learned about New Danville online. I remember my first day; I was excited and happy. The horses were fun.” Though mobility challenges prevent Hope from going out to the pasture any more, she chooses to stay very busy with the multitude of classes that are available. Her all-time favorite class is scrapbooking, followed by sewing and knitting. “I guess I am crafty,” Hope said with a twinkle in her eye.

The commonality of her preferred activities is the chance to create something. One of her paintings was purchased by Troy Ball, the keynote speaker at the 2022 Spring Thing event that benefitted New Danville. She loves to sew and knit, but nothing “has it all” like scrapbooking. She enjoys designing scrapbooks and then writing in them. She makes cards at home, too, when not making artsy things at New Danville.

Hope cited several things she likes about New Danville, but what makes the biggest impression are the people.  Hope is a people person and “Everyone here is nice.  I like it,” she said.

“I wished other people understood my vision (limitations),” she said. She sees better the things that are close up and sometimes people don’t take that into account. But, she keeps smiling and enjoying each day. Where there is Hope, there is happiness…no matter what.

“I Already Made a Million Friends…”

Jeff joined New Danville about two months ago. It didn’t take him long to become part of the family. “I’m really glad to be part of y’all,” he said with a smile. “I already made a million friends,” he added proudly.

He attends the day program twice a week and enjoys painting in woodshop and bowling – “I’m a good bowler, but you already know that.  I told you before.” He enjoys the animals, too, but most of all he enjoys hanging out with his friends. Even in the heat of summer, he likes going outside, as well.

He has two sisters, one of whom found out about New Danville. “I’m the youngest of the family so I get more than they do,” he said. His sense of humor permeates all of his conversations.

Jeff doesn’t follow sports much, but his favorite football team was the Houston Oilers. Love ya, Blue!

Ever present are his Camaro cap and a genuine smile. His dad owned a Camaro; though he no longer owns the car, Jeff enjoys wearing the cap.

He admits to a good sense of humor and enjoys helping people find a reason to smile or laugh.  He succeeds because of a characteristic he wishes everyone knew about him:  “I’m a nice person and kind,” he said, “but you already knew that.”  Pretty much everyone that meets him knows it, too.

Movin’ on in to the MB Side:  Wil comes to Meadowbrook

Wil is proud of his various accomplishments: He collects hats and caps, plays the guitar, loves gardening, competes in the Special Olympics, shares smiles, and much more. His most recent achievement brings a lot of the other accomplishments together; Wil is now a resident of Meadowbrook, New Danville’s residential community.

Wil was on the waiting list for two years, but he and his parents say that being able to live at New Danville was worth the wait. He smiled as his parents explained how important it is that he, and all people with special needs, be given appropriate challenges so each can grow to their own potential. Indeed, Wil and his parents aspire to the limits of what live, learn, work and grow can be for him.

His mom said she first learned about New Danville in 2010 during exhaustive research about special needs programs in several states. She explained the feeling that the family had when they visited New Danville for a tour. “We all knew immediately that this is the place, the environment, for Wil. His sister called it as soon as we drove past the entry gate.”

Though Wil has held a variety of jobs over the years, including at fast food shops, a laundry and a thrift store. “But now he can just chill for a while,” his mom said. His dad added, “Wil loves to paint by number, ride horses, play guitar. He can do more than most people think. We feel good that he is in a place that understands to not place artificial limits.”

Of the many options for activities at New Danville, Wil said, “Gardening is my favorite.” He has learned how to plant, water and harvest, a perfect complement to live, learn, work and grow.

A Decade in, James Has a Big Vision for New Danville

James has been a New Danville Wrangler for about a decade. It has been a very busy ten years for him onsite and away. He has a lot of interests and friends, both heavily influenced by attendance in the day program.

He states he is excited about learning, which explains his myriad of interests and sense of joy. This life of joy is a Wrangler’s tale.

“I don’t remember my first day exactly,” James said, “but I know it was a good one.” For all the things that he described as enjoying to do, the years must be a blur. He enjoys swimming – “I enjoy it; it can be fun.” He enjoys diving off the low board, too. He also likes collecting comic books – “They are all my favorites,” he said with a smile. James can be found playing basketball, though he says, “I’m not a good shot all the time, but most of the time.”  He has a good time in the recently returned culinary class – “My favorite is chicken sandwiches.”  James also enjoys art class that includes all types of art, such as ceramics, painting and many other projects.  “Sometimes we need help,” he says, “but it is fun learning.”  Learning and fun are central to James’ outlook on just about everything.

Perhaps the most important thing to James is the friends he has. He said he enjoys all the activities at New Danville, but mostly, “I have a lot of friends here.”

He is certainly impressed with what he has experienced at New Danville. He shared that he and Nicole Martinez (Program Coordinator) have a “dream to start making international global New Danville, in every nation, continent and country because it would be awesome. Then make New Danville commercials.”  (The leadership team at New Danville believes he will be pleased to hear about the dream it will soon be making public.)

Kris returns to a different New Danville

Kris knew New Danville when it consisted of a tent and a couple of buildings. He was among the first to be on the scene in the day program (2005) and among the first to move into New Danville’s residential community, Meadowbrook (2010). He left after about five years but has recently returned to the day program. He is impressed with what has changed.

He has been busy and successful over the years. He has grown, as has New Danville. “I saw things were different (when I visited again). There is so much here now,” he said. Time has not diminished his many memories of New Danville, particularly the people. His mother said that he inherently connects to people and likes to know about others.  “I’ve known James for a long time,” Kris said, “and Sherry. She made those pens.”

His mother was active with Jazzy Junque, the upscale home décor resale store that benefits New Danville, at its inception. She was the store’s first part-time manager. She is again helping out as a volunteer. “We’ve been fans of New Danville since the time we first heard about it,” she said.

Kris likes to be active, recalling times when he helped with yard work on site; currently, his favorite day programs are active, too:  bowling, basketball and gardening.

He has had several jobs over the years and now serves as a custodian at a preschool for children with autism. When asked about his favorite part of the job, he said, “I like cleaning up after the little kids.”

Another favorite activity is going to high school football games which he drives himself to. As for sports, he declares baseball as his favorite after saying, “The strike is over now. Now they will start their games again.”

From his perspectives of New Danville over time, what would he like to share with others?  “It is a good place to live.”

If it is February, then it must be Valentines…and the anniversary for Meadowbrook residents, Amanda and Mark. Happy second anniversary!

Their story has many of the features of a Hallmark movie.

They met in 2014, both being residents of New Danville’s Meadowbrook residential area. Their first date came after a few coffee dates on each other’s front porches; it was to see the movie Goosebumps in 2015, though Amanda admits to noticing Mark early on.

On a trip to the mall with the Social Club, Mark caught Amanda’s eye. She smiles broadly when sharing that she noticed him.  “Oh, he’s a cutie, I thought to myself,” she said.

A week after they were married, they went on a cruise out of Los Angeles where they were able to go on various excursions and enjoy a lot of activities on the ship. A week after they returned, the COVID situation started shutting down cruises and travel.

“We loved the shows, like the ‘Age of Aquarius’ show,” Mark said. “I thought the comedies were great, too,” Amanda added. “Especially Jeff Dunham’s show. I like the Peanut character a lot.”

Mark has a deep curiosity for information, evidenced by him citing extensive details about the cruise line, the various ships, ship capacities and more. Amanda enjoys creating with her hands, particularly by sewing and crocheting a variety of items.  “I like to shop, too,” she said, “especially at Hobby Lobby for my projects.” Mark’s handwork is primarily with computers that he likes to work on. They enjoy walking together at a nearby park or around the New Danville campus. They both agreed that going to movies continues to be fun.

They recently added a little puppy to the family. The busy couple is going to be busier as they look to the future.

“Two years have gone fast. Very fast,” Amanda said. They both are looking forward to the future. As the Hallmark movies remind us, time flies when you are with someone special.

Rob:  Everyone has a story that they want understood by others

Rob’s been around. And around and around, mostly in his bright blue golf cart in which he spends a few hours a day driving around the New Danville campus.  Rob has been around in life, too, and when asked if he wished others understood more about him and his story, he quietly nodded in response.

Rob loves mobility. A big fan of trucks and SUVs, Rob enjoys going to the Houston Auto Show with his father.  He particularly likes the Nissan trucks, Frontier and Titan.

His mobility includes a variety of home over the years.  He has lived in Hope Village in Friendswood and Brenham State School and other communities, as well as at home with his parents over the decades before arriving at New Danville two years ago. As he shares his life story he recalls people’s names clearly and quickly. “It is easy to remember people’s names,” he said matter-of-factly.

Rob’s mobile nature has transported him to a variety of experiences. He has sung in several church choirs and does so now. He also participates in Special Olympics in bowling; he would like to get back to participating in track-and-field, too. He has held a variety of jobs over the years, though he admits that finding employment now is particularly challenging. Ironically, transportation challenges are one of the issues for him.

Among his life’s accomplishments, Rob cites two growth phases with great pride “when I developed as a man.” In high school he encountered a bullying situation. He learned first-hand the effects of bullying. “Don’t be a bully,” he said. “Find someone else to help resolve the problem.” More recently he has reached another growth step of which he is most proud. “My mom and dad are looking for providers for me. There are some things that I just can’t do very well. I’ve tried, but I need help cooking and cleaning, and stuff. I’m just not good at it.” Reminded that it takes courage and humility to admit the need for help, Rob said, “Yes.  I’m trying.”

What has life been like for someone who has been at New Danville since the day it opened?  That is a Wrangler’s Tale; that is Brooke’s tale, and that of her parents, Diane and Jerry.

“I remember the first day,” Brooke said. “It rained so hard. Water was running through the tent. But I came back.”  It was 15 years ago that she first attended New Danville’s day habilitation program. About 18 months ago she was able to move to Meadowbrook, New Danville’s residential community.

Jerry said, “They had the tent, the cabin and that was it. Oh, and porta-potties.”  Diane smiled with an observation, “Things have certainly changed here.” The cabin has become a classroom and food pantry, and has been joined by homes for 36, a greenhouse, two classroom buildings, the recently dedicated Charbonneau Family Building for pallet manufacturing and more. Amidst all the changes over the years, Brooke and her parents have been involved in just about everything New Danville has ever offered.

When asked what the most important change was for her when she moved to Meadowbrook, Brooke was quick to answer, “Friends. Being social.” She nodded often as Diane expounded on what it means to the family, including their pet dog, for Brooke to be part of a community and a typical lifestyle. “She and her friends socialize, and Jerry and I come up to spend the weekend with Brooke sometimes in her place. Her place…that makes all the difference. Independence is special.”

Jerry and Diane volunteer much of their time to New Danville. Jerry helps out in the woodshop and Diane at Jazzy Junque, along with the help they provide at various activities such as the recent Christmas Marketplace where Wranglers were able to shop for free to get presents for their loved ones.

It is clear that being busy comes naturally to Brooke. Over the years, she has worked in woodshop and in the production program, participates in the Social Club, enjoys a variety of classes and was part of the recent Christmas Parade float that won the Outstanding Float Trophy at the superheroes-themed parade in Willis, TX. Of course, she also has her eye on additional things she’d like to see at New Danville, such as a community/rec center. She is looking forward to the soon-to-be-created park area that will have stationary exercise equipment. Jerry wrapped up the Brooke story nicely. “She has a community and she is living on her own like anyone else.” Diane and Brooke smiled and nodded affirmation of the Wrangler’s Tale of good times.