At Support, Inc. we pride ourselves on helping our individuals reach their goals. When Jake reported that he wanted to live in his own apartment one day, Jake worked with his provider on self-medication administration and cooking skills, to prepare for this major transition. To help Jake make his dreams a reality, the team came together with Jake and his Mom to develop a plan. Dani and Jonathan assisted in the apartment search and ultimately, Mom found an apartment just a few blocks from her house in a convenient location.
Jake has lived in Loveland for the last 6 weeks and is proud to relay what a significant life change this has been. He visits the local pottery studio to fire his own pieces and has made arrangements to work from home with a different pottery studio, about an hour south from his apartment. Jake works from home for Alternative Supports Pottery Studio, located in Aurora. He used to work onsite, but they’re allowing him to work from home, now that he lives in Loveland, until he finds a new job through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR).
Jake greatly enjoys having more independence in a setting that truly belongs to him. When asked what Jake enjoys most about having his own apartment, Jake joked that he can make breakfast in his underwear, and there’s no else in the home to be bothered by that. Jake also gets creative online by filming, editing and sharing videos on Youtube, in the privacy of his home. Jake relayed how much he enjoys running his channel with hundreds of subscribers to boot.
After this next upcoming surgery, Jake plans to start selling pottery. For now, Jake visits his local pottery studio to have his items fired. When they’re unable to accommodate his items (due to not being able to fire certain types of clay), Jake will take his items to the rec center to be fired there instead. The pottery studio, Artisan You, is not too far from his apartment- once his pottery is baked in the kiln and cooled, he returns home to display the art in his living room.
Jake’s access to community-based activities and services has been a plus. It was important for Jake to be close to the grocery store, the bank, the bus route and his Mom. It’s convenient to cash a check at the bank when the walk is easy to manage. In addition, 711 remains open for midnight snacks, such as trail mix and donuts. When Jake doesn’t feel like walking to the store, it’s easy for him to have food delivered to his apartment.
Technology is not something that Jake has ever struggled with. He’s enjoyed taking advantage of Alexa, asking her questions and having easy access to the internet. As mentioned previously. Jake has his own YouTube channel he updates frequently with new homemade videos. Jake also plans to add a Ring camera to his front door in the near future; this will help him guide the Amazon drivers to the correct apartment, so his packages aren’t misplaced outside. The only thing missing at this point is a cat. Jake hopes to have a new pet soon, to keep him company while he continues to live on his own.
When it comes to living independently, Jake looks forward to preparing his own meals every day and having fun. He relayed a few of his favorite foods- pizza, ice cream and oatmeal, to name a few. He recently had bananas with oatmeal for breakfast, and when he’s not cooking by himself, his Mom will come over while he cooks, as well.
Jake relays that the best thing about this move is being closer to his Mom, friends and family. As an agency, we’re so happy for Jake and the success he continues to have! When Jake isn’t busy with his pottery, you can find him on YouTube, sharing videos and curating his super awesome channel at
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtRqIHtbE9sMwQVpIz5jR0A
