Blake’s Place: A Plymouth teacher’s lifelong dream to provide quality care for adults with disabilities
PLYMOUTH, Ind. (WNDU) - Candace Hunter has been a teacher with Plymouth Schools for 18 years. She currently works at Jefferson Elementary, where she teaches special needs children ages 3-5, but now Hunter is on a mission to fulfill a lifelong dream.
Hunter is the founder of Blake’s Place, LLC., a venture aimed at providing safe, compassionate, and quality care for adults with disabilities.
Driven by personal experiences with her brother Blake, who has Down Syndrome, Hunter’s passion for special education led her to teach for so many years and now she wants to see the same care for adults with disabilities.
“Ever since I’ve been young, I knew with having Blake that this was my passion, and this was my calling,” Hunter said. “While I’ve enjoyed every minute of teaching, I knew that there was something more I needed to do.”
With newfound time and financial freedom, coupled with divine guidance, Hunter is taking the necessary steps to make Blake’s Place a reality.
“A couple of years ago, I took a class at my church. It’s called ‘Living Your Dream,’ and it’s where you just really do some soul searching and try to find a passion and a way that you can serve your community,” Hunter explained. “That really ignited my passion to look further into it, and I started researching group homes.”
Blake’s Place, LLC. aims to offer residential 24-hour care support in homes within Marshall County. Each home will house 3-4 adult clients with disabilities receiving Medicaid waiver services. The mission of Blake’s Place revolves around a person-centered approach, providing developmentally appropriate life skills within the home and community.
The acronym B.L.A.K.E.S., after her brother, represents the core values of Blake’s Place.
- B: Belonging
- L: Love
- A: Acceptance
- K: Kindness
- E: Encouragement
- S: Support
For more information on Blake’s Place, click here.
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