"Life is complex enough for everyone, but if you throw a disability into the mix, it gets really complicated," said Kelly Harnish. She knows what she's talking about as the mother of nine children, five of whom have significant disabilities. Determined to help her children and others like them, Kelly founded Hope Served, a Manheim-based nonprofit, earlier this year.
"The mission of Hope Served is to come alongside individuals with disabilities in their communities and find ways for everyone to live life to the fullest extent," she said. "This is a program for any young adult with a disability - intellectual, sensory, learning, mobility."
Hope Served has three main goals, Kelly stated. First, the organization is creating the Individuals and Families Advisory Council (iFAC). "This group is a way to pull together those with a disability and those who love people affected by a disability as well as leaders from organizations and businesses to identify what Manheim can do better to meet their needs," she explained.
Kelly emphasizes that she and her family love living in Manheim and that her children have taken advantage of the many programs already in place in the community. Still, she noted, more help is needed.
"There is lots of support for someone with a disability while he or she is in school, but after they graduate, that support, especially the social support, evaporates," she said. She's hoping the iFAC members will be able to address concerns ranging from housing to employment to infrastructure.
The second goal of Hope Served is to connect with local churches and implement the Putting Faith to Work program. Created by Erik Carter of Vanderbilt University, the program aims to empower faith communities to support people with disabilities. "It's another way to expand the social capital of people with disabilities and create a network for support for the individuals served by our program," Kelly stated.
Third, Hope Served is working on creating housing and employment options for people with disabilities. The organization has submitted a proposal to the Lancaster County Land Bank Authority to convert a firehouse at 26 E. High St. in Manheim into four ADA-compliant apartments and an ice cream parlor on the first floor that would employ people with disabilities.
Kelly and her husband, Dale, are the parents of children ranging in age from 14 to 23. Eight of their children were adopted internationally, and some face challenges including Williams syndrome, a genetic disorder, as well as autism and blindness.
Looking for ways to support her children particularly after they graduated from high school, Kelly began connecting with other people across the country and soon found an organization called Uniquely the Same, located in western Pennsylvania. Hope Served is partnering with Uniquely the Same to launch its local initiatives.
Kelly wants Hope Served to help people with disabilities connect with resources and opportunities within the community of Manheim. "God has created all of us with this intrinsic desire to live a purposeful life," she said, "and He has given us the capacity to do that, no matter what that capacity is."
iFAC meetings will be held once a month. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, at 7 p.m. For more information, follow Hope Served on Facebook or email info@hopeserved.org.
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