Through providing comprehensive services, Lifeworks is empowering individuals of all abilities to be fully engaged within their communities. Shaw’s has supported this nonprofit organization through its GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Bag Program.
Tell us about Lifeworks.
Lifeworks is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The organization was founded in 1954 when a group of parents gathered around a kitchen table with a shared goal: to advocate for their children and strive to ensure inclusivity, promote equal access to opportunities, and change the perception of people with disabilities. This effort sparked a significant movement.
Today, our mission focuses on three core areas: advocacy, empowerment, and opportunity. We offer a wide range of programs, supports and services for families and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism. Our comprehensive services are designed to support individuals with a wide range of services to assist in a variety of aspects of their lives.
What services do you provide to the community?
Lifeworks offers about 12 different services, programs, and supports that serve approximately 2,300 individuals.
Our ALEC Program trains law enforcement on how to interact with people with disabilities during emergencies. Lifeworks provides employment supports, job placement services, and day program supports designed to provide and enhance life skills and community involvement at locations in West Roxbury and Norwood. We also provide day habilitation programs in West Roxbury and Westwood that serve people through intensive medical support.
Our social and recreational programs include activities such as cooking, theater, art, pottery, and various sports, including bowling and bocce. Our hockey and basketball teams recently won gold and silver medals in the Massachusetts Special Olympics.
We also offer residential programs with on-site staff supports, shared living services, and individual home support programs for people with disabilities who live in their own apartments. Our 19 residential homes — located in neighborhoods such as Attleboro, Canton, Dedham, Foxboro, Medfield, Norfolk, Norwood, Plainville, Sharon, Walpole, Westwood, Wrentham, and Natick — house about 100 individuals. These homes foster community through daily activities like gardening, cooking, field trips, and so much more.
Our employment services help individuals by providing skills training and assisting with securing jobs. Our Autism Support Center and Family Support Center provide comprehensive resources and supports for families. We also offer behavioral health therapy services through the Harbor Counseling Center.
What sets Lifeworks apart from other nonprofits in your community?
Lifeworks stands out due to the breadth of services we offer, providing numerous opportunities tailored to each individual’s abilities and interests. Our extensive range of programs can be difficult to fully appreciate from an outsider’s perspective, but they underscore our commitment to personalized support and empowerment.
Lifeworks stands out due to the breadth of services we offer, providing numerous opportunities tailored to each individual’s abilities and interests.
But what truly makes our services stand out from other agencies who provide these services is our advocacy mission. Families contact Lifeworks every week, looking for assistance to find services, looking for support with emergency needs, and seeking a way to have someone help them or a family member become a part of their local community.
Tell us a story that illustrates the good work of your organization.
For our Empower Celebration last year, we produced four videos highlighting individual stories from our services. One story features a person who received in-home support from a counselor who helps him manage his finances, improve his self-awareness, and gain employment. This individual has now maintained a job for twenty years and found a home in Millis, where he has served on the housing board of his apartment complex.
Lifeworks has also been pivotal in raising awareness about autism. We guide families from the initial diagnosis through adulthood, making us a starting point for many seeking support.
We guide families from the initial diagnosis through adulthood, making us a starting point for many seeking support.
What is your most outstanding achievement or contribution to the community?
Lifeworks is proud of its foundational role in the advocacy movement that began in 1954. Since then, we have consistently worked for inclusion and opportunity by advocating for legislative changes and helping individuals transition from institutions to inclusion in their communities, homes, and jobs. Our ongoing efforts have significantly impacted the community by promoting equal opportunities and inclusion. Lifeworks is proud to be a community partner of our local towns and businesses. Together, we are all making a difference in people’s lives and helping each person we serve become members of our community.
Together, we are all making a difference in people’s lives and helping each person we serve become members of our community.
What do you want people to know about Lifeworks?
At Lifeworks, we are dedicated to supporting the people we serve and their families from the moment that they come through our door or are referred to our services. Whether through family counseling, individual counseling, or our various programs, we offer a community of support focused on meeting everyone’s specific needs. Lifeworks is here to help you or your loved one find the right support and opportunities.
How will you use the funds received from the Shaw’s GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Reusable Bag Program?
Funds from the Shaw’s GIVE BACK WHERE IT COUNTS Reusable Bag Program go into our unrestricted fund, allowing us to enhance the quality of life for those we serve. These funds support activities such as pottery, art, and music classes and provide sports equipment. They also offer emergency assistance for families in need, such as covering utility bills or helping with housing issues related to autism-related behaviors. These funds are crucial in helping families overcome unexpected challenges.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
This year marks our 70th anniversary, and we are celebrating with events throughout the year. We are honoring our staff, especially the over 500 direct care employees, with special appreciation weeks in September. Our sports banquet will take place in August, followed by our 70th Anniversary Jubilee in September and an open house in October. November is our employment services banquet, recognizing those employed and the companies that support them. Finally, in December, we will celebrate our long-serving employees, highlighting those who have been with us for over ten years. This year is a continuous celebration of all the facets of Lifeworks!
Interview with Dawna Gyukeri, Director of Development and Communications
Sharnia Dont, Development and Communications Coordinator
Published July 3, 2024.