Shining Stars

Sara is a fun, lovely young lady who enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and boyfriend. Sara works at JSI and has been working there for close to 18 years! Sara enjoys attending leisure services with Pony Bird especially the movie nights and the daces. Sara gets out any chance to can to have fun with her friends. Sara continues to live at home with her father and stepmother and loves them both deeply. Sara likes to be independent and live her life to the fullest. Sara enjoys making her own lunches and helping around the house with her designated chores. Sara really enjoys summer camp and plans to attend for many years to come. Sara loves cardinals’ baseball! Sara is super proud of her accomplishments and continues working on goals for her future!

Sami is a 19-year-old young lady who has a passion for crafts and for cats. She graduated from DeSoto High School in 2022, something she is very proud of. She lives at home with her parents, her older sister, and her younger brother. Sami has the diagnosis of autism but that does not define her. See the crafts in the photo? Sami created them all! She enjoys making crafts, baking, watching TV and reading. Sami creates paintings, jewelry, and crotchets crafts in her home and sells her crafts at area craft fairs. Her service coordinator is lucky to have a few of her crafts; a toucan, a racoon, a polar bear, a Peruvian booby bird, and a porcupine and they are displayed in her office. Sami has made a Facebook page and has business cards. She rents space at a store in Hillsboro that sells her crafts. She has mastered the art of taking Venmo and PayPal as payment at craft fairs. The season of Christmas is her favorite and she enjoys French Fries. In five years, Sami sees herself continuing to create art and petting cats.

Steven is a 23-year-old young man who is rarely seen without a smile.  He lives at home with his parents and his dog Patrick whom he takes care of.  His sister Claire is away at college.  Steven has the diagnoses of cerebral palsy, unspecified ID, and apraxia.  In no way does Steven let his diagnoses define him. He enjoys bowling, listening to Christian music, and riding the ATV. He is proud of finishing high school. Steven leads a very active life. He volunteers on Mondays and Wednesdays at Arnold Baptist church folding programs or light cleaning.  Steven attends church on Wednesday evenings in Illinois.  On Thursday evenings and Sundays, he gathers with the single young adult group at his church. On Friday evenings, Steven bowls in a bowling league in Illinois.  He has his own bowling ball, locker, and ramp that he uses.  He recently returned from a cruise with his parents and several of his bowling buddies and their families.  Steven sees himself doing what he is doing now in five years.

Rachel is a fun spirited, inquisitive young woman whose contagious smile can light up a room. She lives at My Place Too in Desoto, where she has lived for many years. She loves her home and has made the residents and staff there her family. Rachel was an only child and both of her parents have passed away, thus the folks at My Place Too are very important to her. When she was young, she lived in Maplewood and attended Pattonville High School. She will proudly tell you that she is still a “Pirate” at heart. For fun, Rachel enjoys going to Imo’s Pizza to dine, to the movies, and she loves live entertainment such as plays. Rachel recently saw the play The Wizard of Oz at Jefferson College and enjoyed it very much. Rachel also enjoys relaxing when she makes bracelets and necklaces, for others, with all sorts of beads. Other activities that Rachel enjoys includes dining out, reading books, playing games, singing karaoke, playing Wii bowling, and going to the St. Louis Zoo. She shared that her favorite childhood memories were spending Christmas and her Birthday with her mom and dad – they always made those days special for her. Rachel also has fond recollections of a family vacation to Indiana when she was a young girl. This past summer Rachel attended a week of vacation at Camp Guardian where she had a great time; noting that swimming and fishing (caught fish for the first time in her life), were her favorite activities while there. For the past year, Rachel has attended Pony Bird Day Program two days a week. Rachel thoroughly enjoys her time that she spends there and participates in cooking, learning to read, learning sign language, exercising, and volunteering at the bunny rescue – to name a few things. This past year Rachel has been on a weight loss journey and is learning about living a healthier lifestyle. She participates in the nutrition class at Day Program (where she sometimes helps plan and cook nutritious meals), and she recently joined the exercise class that is offered on Fridays. Over the past year, Rachel has lost weight and is very proud of this; she fully intends to stay on this journey toward a healthier lifestyle. In the future, Rachel plans to remain living at My Place Too and attending Day Program. She states that her life is in a good place and that she is happy with her home and the many friends that she has.

Brandon is 35 years old and lives in Arnold, MO with his mom, dad, and their dog, Rocky. He is a very easy going, happy-go-lucky guy and has a smile that can brighten anyone’s day. Brandon just celebrated his 15-year work anniversary with JSI, which is one of his biggest accomplishments. He is an exemplary worker and is very dedicated to his job. He regularly has perfect attendance, and this was outlined as one of his strengths in his annual employee evaluation. Brandon’s favorite food is hamburger pizza, and his favorite holiday is Christmas. Brandon loves watching movies in his free time; Shrek is his favorite. Brandon is an only child but enjoys spending time with his extended family when he can. Working in his math workbooks and watching movies are two of Brandon’s favorite hobbies. His favorite memories include any time he was able to spend with his late grandfather. Brandon states that the proudest moment of his life was when his grandpa held him for the first time. Brandon hopes that in 5 years he will be celebrating his 20-year anniversary at JSI with his parents.

Luke Spaugh is a caring young man that is 27 years old. Luke’s world revolves around his family, and he likes for everyone to know that he has 3 siblings, and one is his twin. He enjoys working and currently works at Jimmy Johns.  Luke can usually be found spending his free time watching old classic movies or looking at magazines. He goes on many fun adventures with his family, and when asked what his favorite memory was, he said it was going to Disney. He is also quite the history buff and loves visiting presidential museums. Luke loves all holidays but if he must pick only one it would be his birthday. Luke’s goal for his future is to attend some college classes preferably about history.

Josh Gay is described as kind, fun loving, avid gamer and the master of a good pun. Josh has lost over 120 pounds! Josh worked hard to lose weight for his health. He followed his physician’s recommendations and followed a meal plan designed for him by a dietician. Josh is extremely proud of this achievement. His parents and support staff are extremely proud of him too. Josh lives in a shared living situation in Imperial, MO supported by Judevine Center for Autism. Josh moved into his home 3 years ago. It was a big adjustment for him. However, he is thriving in his home with the support of his trusted staff and encouragement from his parents. He is working towards increasing independent living and social skills. Josh loves a routine. He has certain video games he plays and has favorite TV shows he watches every day. He never misses an episode of the Price Is Right. He is an avid gamer and can play multiple gaming systems at once. Josh enjoys visiting places such as the Science Center, the movies and family fun centers. Josh is always up for a trip to Cactus Pete’s or Pirate Pete’s to play video games and nerf gun battle with his housemate and favorite staff, Phil. Josh’s goals are to; continue to live in his home with his housemate and continue to lose weight.

Robert “Bob” Maxey is a gentle, kind man who lives at Baisch Residential Care Facility in De Soto, Missouri. Bob is an avid gardener and loves to tend to his plants. When he moved into Baisch, the facility built some raised garden beds for Bob in the backyard near his bedroom window. The beds weren’t ready in the time for spring planting but Bob is hopeful for next year. He was able to plant some tomatoes and sunflowers which have been doing well. Bob is also quite the weather bug! He can tell you everything you want to know about the weather including the forecast and weather from past days, months, or years. He spends a lot of time outside and enjoys all of the land around his home which is peaceful and plentiful. Bob spends his days participating in activities in his home, watching TV, checking out the weather, visiting his neighbors, spending time with his sisters, and caring for his plants. He has made many friends in his new home and he is well-liked by all the staff. For plants or weather advice, Bob is your man!

Erin is a sweet and talented 36 year old who resides at My Place Too in Desoto, MO. Erin enjoys watching TV, spending time in her room and anything Pokémon. She is creative and can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. Erin has recently started volunteering at The Free Store in Desoto, where she works on making purchases, counting out the change and interacting with shoppers. Erin has also been working on social skills. She has been working on relationship building questions and using these questions and skills in her natural environment. Erin is now more likely to come out of her room, engage with others and participate in group events since working on social skills. Erin now has a few people she calls friends and regularly says “please” and “thank you”, which she really struggled with before. Erin is also working on independent living skill, with RBT’s assistance, such as cleaning her room once a week, which she used to have done for her. Erin is making so much progress and we are incredibly proud of how far she has come.

Canyon is an amazing 19 year old from Crystal City, MO. He is the youngest of 6, with two brothers and three sisters, who enjoys watching TV, playing games and playing basketball in his spare time. Some of Canyon’s biggest accomplishments include completing a 14.75 mile bike ride, The Tour De Donut Bike Race, only months after learning to ride a bike at the age of 15, as well as advocating for himself to graduate on time with his peers. Canyon knows 12 languages and is fluent in 5! His favorite holiday is Christmas and he loves the Lego Movie. When asked what his favorite memory is, he said “Roasting marshmallows over the campfire on vacation”. He also enjoys his favorite food, cheeseburgers with ketchup only. Canyon, moved into My Place Residential in May of 2022, where he is happy and hopes to still be there and working in 5 years.

Carly is an outgoing, friendly young woman who is active in her community. Carly works for The Woodlands nursing home three days per week and has been employed with them for just over three years. She utilizes JC Transit to get to and from her job. Carly has a staff, Kim, who comes in twice per week to help her around the home and in the community. She really likes Kim and is very happy to be living on her own. She threw a house warming party in January and was able to show off her home to her friends. Carly’s next goal is to get her driver’s license. In November of 2021, Carly moved into her very own apartment. With help from Sunnyhill’s new Independent Supported Living Assistance (ISLA) program, Carly was able to move out of her parents’ home and into her current home just after Thanksgiving. Carly was able to select the location and exact apartment she wanted. She loves swimming and has a poolside view right from her window!

Taylor graduated from high school in 2019. During her last year of high school, her case was opened with Vocational Rehabilitation and she has been working towards competitive employment ever since. Taylor worked on the NextStep for Life janitorial crew, improving her work skills over the past year. Taylor recently obtained Community Employment and is successfully working a part time job. Taylor is very close to her family and enjoys spending time with them. Taylor loves spending time with her 3 dogs and helping to take care of them. Ruby, a coonhound mix, is 7 years old, Otis, a dachshund, is 12 years old and her new puppy Stella, a miniature Australian Shepherd. Taylor loves to play with the dogs and take naps with them. She is the primary caregiver of the dogs.

Sara is a sweet, energetic young woman who lives at Pony Bird in De Soto, MO. She is able to scoot around her home and enjoys interacting with others. Sara likes to hug and often giggles while she is giving hugs. Sara had her room recently re-decorated and it is the talk of her home; she has bright teal walls with Trolls décor! Sara has several friends at Pony Bird, and she enjoys watching her best friend play video games. Sara is close with her family, particularly with her father and loves to have them visit or go to their homes for get-togethers. Sara enjoys swimming, car rides, joking around and music. She has fun participating in the virtual Equine Therapy program hosted by Ride On St. Louis. Interacting with the therapy dogs when they come to visit is a joy to her. Sara participates in various group activities in her home throughout the day and dictates her schedule of activities. Sara also loves to take a cat nap.

Rebecca (Naes) Fincher, who prefers to go by “Becky,” grew up in Arnold, MO with her parents and seven siblings. She attended Fox High School until ultimately dropping out in the 11th grade. She went on to work at the Mapaville workshop, where she met her future husband, Jeff. Jeff and Becky dated several years before marrying on August 8th, 1987 and then enjoyed 26 years of marriage together. Jeff passed away on October 28, 2013 after a battle with Leukemia. She continues to maintain the home they shared together for 12 years in Festus. In 1998, Becky took a position at Arby’s in Festus. She is a very dedicated employee who takes pride in her work and is very conscientious about showing up on time and completing her assigned tasks. Becky reported she doesn’t want to quit working anytime soon, not only because she enjoys the extra spending money, but because she likes being busy. Becky is extremely satisfied with her current employment at Arby’s and plans to be there for the foreseeable future. Becky was awarded a 20 year certificate in 2018 for her years of hard work as an Arby’s employee.

Nathan is a sweet and caring gentleman who lives at My Place. He grew up in North County and has lived at My Place for 9 years now. Nathan is a hard worker and very proud of the work he does at JSI. He enjoys both watching and playing various sports, and recently participated in a softball tournament where he won a medal. He enjoys participating in activities with My Place and enjoys interacting with his housemates. Nathan loves the 4th of July and enjoys getting to sit outside and watch the fireworks every year with his friends at My Place. Nathan is very happy living at My Place and enjoys the company of everyone there. When asked, Nathan will always say the staff and his housemates are “good people.” Nathan always has a smile on his face and despite a troubled past, continues to keep that smile. He sees himself continuing to work at JSI and living at My Place for years to come.

Sabrina is a strong young woman who is determined to find her own place in this world. She just completed her first year of school at Barnabas Prep in Branson, Missouri. It was a big step for Sabrina to live on campus away from her family but she managed beautifully and had a very successful year with lots of amazing adventures. One of her favorite activities this year has been to participate in cooking challenges with her housemates. They would all create their own version of a dish and judge which was best! Sabrina has also enjoyed exploring the Branson community. Sabrina lives with her mom and dad in Fenton when she is not at school. Sabrina also has a “pretty awesome sister”, Abby, who lives in Springfield, MO. When Sabrina is at home with her family, she loves to spend time riding her Hanoverian-Draft Horse, Hero. Sabrina loves animals, especially horses, and her favorite movie is Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Sabrina was also very excited to have the opportunity to see Frozen on Broadway with her Dad. Sabrina is very proud of all her accomplishments at Barnabas Prep and is looking forward to using all the skills she is learning there to one day find a job and live independently in her own place.

Scott lives independently in an apartment that he shares with a roommate. Scott does his own grocery shopping and does his own cooking. He is very proud of his independence in his home and in the community. Scott has been working at the Taco Bell in Pevely, MO since 2013. Scott has learned many job skills at Taco Bell, such as how to make the food, how to properly clean, and how to use the cash register. Scott has made many friends at his job and enjoys his work. When Scott is not at work, he enjoys watching Cardinals Baseball and WWE wrestling. Scott has also recently gotten a new kitten named Cinnamon. Scott has been very independent in caring for Cinnamon and even took him to the Vet to get his shots independently. Scott has had a goal for the last several years of being able to take a vacation. He was able to save his money from his stimulus checks to schedule his own vacation to Denver, CO. Scott took the lead to go online and find air fare for himself and his Father as well as hotel accommodations. Scott is looking forward to going to Denver this June to see the Zoo and do some sight seeing.

Sierra is a happy young lady who lived at home in Jefferson County before moving into My Place Too, in March 2021. She has two brothers and one sister. She enjoyed shopping and eating out at restaurants, prior to COVID 19 pandemic. She can’t wait to shop and eat at a restaurant sometime soon! She enjoys eating McDonald’s cheeseburgers, listening to music and watching movies. Horror movies are her favorite! Another activity Sierra enjoys is karaoke. Her greatest memory is receiving her ‘Chucky’ dolls and her biggest accomplishment so far is graduating high school. In five years, Sierra plans on continuing to live at My Place Too, and continue to thrive.

Tammy is a smart, fun young woman who lives with her family in Arnold, Missouri. Tammy enjoys creating art including making ceramics, painting, building with Legos, crafting, and sketching. She also likes to sing and one of her favorite movies is Frozen because of the beautiful songs and fun characters. One of her favorite events is attending the yearly Night to Shine dance. Tammy’s favorite holiday is Christmas because she gets to spend time with her family and have a holiday dinner together. Tammy is very active in Special Olympics and is looking forward to participating in swimming and basketball, and seeing her friends, when practices start again. Tammy was employed for six years with Woodland Manor helping clean and she is very proud of this accomplishment. She is hoping to become a hostess at a restaurant or a stocker at a retail store. One of the best memories Tammy has is of a trip to Maui. She got to go on a sunset cruise, see fish with huge teeth at the aquarium, went to a luau where they roasted a pig and had hula dancers, and swam in a pool shaped like a whale!

Josh is a bright young man who enjoys spending time with friends and family. He lives at home with his parents. He may not be able to verbally communicate with his family and friends, but he is able to make his likes and dislikes know by his body language and demeanor. Some of Josh’s favorite things are being outside when the weather is nice. He likes to play catch with his ball and being able to go on outings and watch movies at the movie theater. Josh loves being social. He enjoys when people interact with him, whether it be one on one or a group setting. Anyone who has been lucky enough to meet Josh knows that he is a pleasure to be around. Josh enjoys watching Peppa Pig and Sesame Street. He has a stuffed Peppa Pig and when you squeeze it, it snorts which he enjoys a lot. Josh generally likes any type of music. His favorite is hard rock, but he doesn’t listen to it too often because he gets too excited.

I was born and raised in Hillsboro, MO with my two brothers, Anson and Jared and a sister, Sara.  I live with my brother, Anson, his wife, Amanda and my two nieces, Brianna & Alie & and their Dog Ace.  Some of my favorite foods are salads, fruits and vegetables as well as hamburgers! My absolute Favorite Holiday is Halloween.  My favorite hobbies are doing puzzles, playing cards, volunteering with Meals on Wheels as well as eating. Over the past year, my biggest accomplishment has been improving my communication and listening skills.  I have also learned to communicate with my IPAD.  I hope to continue to learn to communicate more everyday! I enjoy going to NextStep for Life's Day Program a lot.

Dawson is an amazing 19 year old young man who has grown up in Barnhart Missouri. He is the youngest sibling and has three older brothers. Dawson loves sports, especially basketball and baseball. One of his favorite hobbies has anything to do with fast cars. His favorite Holiday is Christmas and his favorite food is pizza. Dawson is goofy, fun loving and loves the movie Dumb and Dumber! One of Dawson’s favorite memories is camping with his entire family. Dawson feels that so far his biggest accomplishment is graduating Seckman High School this year. However, he has a long term goal and sees himself within the next five years talking, walking and getting back to being “himself”. When Dawson was 17 he was riding passenger in a vehicle that lost control and crashed into a tree. Dawson, who is 6’4”, hit his head on the top frame of the car and suffered a traumatic intracranial injury and was in a coma for over a month. Despite all odds Dawson has made improvements, with dedication and perseverance, in mobility and speech over the past two years and strives to learn back all of his skills!

Pete is an amazing 58 year old man who grew up in Arnold.  He has two sisters, and loves getting out and walking through different stores. Pete’s favorite holiday is Christmas and his favorite food is Pizza. Pete’s favorite movie is the “Three Stooges” and his favorite artists are George Jones, Hank Williams and Elvis Presley. He enjoys playing games and reading. Pete’s best memories were when he lived with his parents and was able to spend time with them. Pete feels his biggest accomplishment is being able to take care of himself. Now that he has a new payee, he has money and is able to buy the things he needs. He recently received funding from Jefferson Franklin County Action for his home; they fixed all the major repairs needed. Pete has started slowly buying things to make his home cozier. In the next year Pete would like to have his home completely finished and be able to access his community more.

Tony is a caring and selfless individual. He is willing to help out with anyone who needs it. He would much rather do something to help someone else, than do something for himself.  He attends NextStep CSS 5 days a week and is a valued member. While at NextStep he volunteers and works on job skills. Tony loves getting out into the community and socializing with everyone. There are many businesses in the area that know Tony and enjoy talking with him. Tony has a very limited vocabulary, but over the past couple of years he has been working on sign language. When asked what his favorite thing to eat is he was able to sign hamburger and he signed his favorite drink is soda. Tony is responsible for escorting his peers to the vans in the afternoon to go home and to switch their picture from at NextStep to Home.  When I asked him what his favorite job is, he stated that he enjoys putting the flag up outside the building! In 5 years, Tony stated that he would like to still be with NextStep CSS, attend 5 days a week, and to be able to use sign language to communicate more by himself.

Zachary lives in Arnold MO with his mother and brother. Zachary loves music and prefers that people close to him call him “Timber” after his favorite artist, Justin Timberlake. He requests his favorite songs with his Amazon Alexa in his room, and enjoys listening to MPR radio. Zach is blind so when he meets someone for the first time he will ask to shake their hand, this is how he gets to know them. Zach is great with names and will remember someone’s full name after meeting them once, and is able to tell who someone is by the sound of their voice. When Zach goes out into the community, which he loves, he has relied on the same staff person for almost 20 years. Unfortunately, this past year the service became unavailable. Zach adapted to this change and was able to build new relationships with other staff quickly. Some of his favorite places to visit, where he knows at least one staff member and always says hi are; Save A Lot, Dollar Tree, Taco Bell, Burger King and Wal-Mart. Zach’s friends and family are so proud of him. He has come so far this past year!

Rhonda is an outgoing person who prides herself with being independent. She grew up in the Arnold area. Rhonda has worked on the TE Crew for the past five years and is attending Next Step for Life Leisure Services. Rhonda loves celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. Her best memory is the day she married Joe, the love of her life, on August 24, 2014. Joe and Rhonda enjoy spending time together and working as a team to pay their bills in a timely manner and maintain their home. Rhonda looks forward to working as part of the TE crew for years to come and hopes to live a long and happy life with Joe.

Tracy Elaine Proffitt moved into the Penrose home on June 5, 2018. Tracy is very independent and can transfer herself to wherever she wants to go. She loves being in her room or in her recliner taking a nap. Tracy loves to read! She likes to spend her day coloring, reading books, and threading beads on string. She likes to tell staff what color the beads are when she is making jewelry. Tracy loves when her mom and dad come to visit and she loves to joke around with dad. She is also tech savvy and likes to play her casino games and utilize her apps on her Leap Frog tablet. She has a baby doll that she likes to take care of and keep with her at all times. However, she does tell on her baby for crying too much! Tracy is very ticklish and loves to horse around with people. She is very chatty and loves to talk to everyone. She has fit into the Pony Bird family like a glove!