lived in an institution from age 2 to 42. Then he moved into an Enable Group Home. Enable was instructed that J’s severe developmental disabilities made it impossible for him to communicate — and that all he ate was hamburgers. Enable’s Behavior Specialists began work with J immediately. With the message board they created, J now communicates where he wants to go, when he wants his hair combed, and what he wants to eat. And that is a lot more than just hamburgers! This is just one of the hundreds of lives that have changed for the better thanks to Enable.
Enable’s mission is to make independence and freedom of choice a reality for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities and seniors in Central New Jersey. These people — some of our country’s most vulnerable citizens — strive every day to secure their roles as productive members of our community. With the assistance of Enable’s residential, in home, and day services, they achieve full and independent lives. Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities receive 24/7 care in 14 Enable group homes and four supervised apartments. Many residents have lived with Enable for over 20 years. Enable Day Program participants achieve new goals, interact with others, and enjoy meaningful activities. Some give back to the community by volunteering at Meals on Wheels, food banks and animal shelters. In Home Services make it possible for seniors to age in place and families to care for their children with developmental disabilities at home — rather than in institutions. Enable’s experienced and caring staff provide respite for caregivers, one-on-one assistance with activities of daily living, and companionship. Enable manages care for Princeton and Lakewood, New Jersey low-income housing residents.
Thanks to generous donors, Enable delivered more kinds of services to a broader array of consumers in 2017. Some of our nation’s most vulnerable people now have the freedoms that so many of us take for granted – the liberty to choose where to live, how to spend one’s days, to be active in the community, to interact with neighbors and friends, and to choose what to eat! But the need is great: children with disabilities whose families cannot leave the house without respite relief; adults with developmental disabilities who languish on waitlists for community housing; seniors living in isolation.
To make a donation, go to www.enablenj.org, scan the QR code on the Enable ad, or mail a check to Enable, 13 Roszel Road, Suite B110, Princeton, NJ 08540. Thank you.
