"When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower." -Alexander den Heijer
Our Mission
The Extended Family is re-imagining the way in which adults with disabilities lead productive lives by fostering exploration, empathy, expression, and independence through meaningful engagement.
What We Do
We meaningfully engage exceptional adults who rely on qualified support by providing a stress free environment where personal interests, passions, and unrecognized intellectual abilities are revealed.
Our Vision
Open the possibilities for adults of all abilities to create new ideas by providing a sanctuary for skill training, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging with the community at large.
The starfish parable is our guiding belief
Strolling along the edge of the sea, a man catches sight of a young woman who appears to be engaged in a ritual dance. She stoops down, then straightens to her full height, casting her arm out in an arc.
Drawing closer, he sees the beach around her is littered with starfish, and she is throwing them one by one into the sea.
He lightly mocks her: “There are stranded starfish as far as the eye can see, for miles up the beach. What difference can saving a few of them possibly make?”
Smiling, she bends down and once more tosses a starfish out over the water, saying serenely, "It certainly makes a difference to this one." -Anonymous