My brother-in-law has lived at Rainbow Acres for 30 years. He is 57 years old and has lived there for more than half his life. He is low functioning with downs syndrome. When my family found this Christian community serving adults with developmental disabilities it was an answer to prayer. We knew he would need 24-hour care for his entire life and Rainbow Acres seemed to be the perfect fit for him. We thought he would live out the rest of his life in this beautiful community. Unfortunately, that did not end up being the case. We received notification by certified mail on April 15th that he was being discharged from their care and we had 30 days to move him out. There was no in person conversation and no opportunity to discuss what might be done to keep him in his home of 30 years. Family has always been actively involved with his care and has had a good working relationship with Rainbow Acres. This was a devastating blow to all of us and incredibly stressful. I don't understand how a facility can call themselves Christian based and basically evict a rancher in the manner they did. It was extremely unprofessional and, in our opinion, unwarranted. Behaviors and health have not changed and are no different than what they were when he first moved to Rainbow Acres. We feel it is important that future ranchers hear our story as this scenario could potentially happen to them.
My Aunt was brain damaged as a toddler when she nearly drowned. She came to Rainbow Acres as an older adult and absolutel loved being there. She participated in many activities and was alway so proud of what she accomplished. The staff takes a personal interest in each camper and encourages them to be all they can be and do. She was so happy there and remained until her health required constant care. It meant a great deal to our family to know the quality of life she was able to have at Rainbow Acres!
Almost ten years ago, when I first saw Rainbow Acres’ rural campus (the Ranch) where adults with developmental disabilities live, work, and socialize, I was struck by two things: the beauty of the rural setting, and the way the staff, residents, and volunteers there interact as equal members of a community. I soon learned that the residents are known as “the Ranchers”, to show that they are contributing members of their rural community and NOT clients in some impersonal institution. I was impressed that the Ranchers were all so engaged, confident…and busy! But, they’re never too busy for a greeting, a chat, a high-five, or maybe a hug. The Ranch has changed hugely since my first visit, sometimes it seems almost miraculously. The transformation of the Ranch has really been due to the hard work and planning of staff, and many generous donations of Rainbow’s supporters over the past decade. Thanks to a long-term building campaign, the Ranchers now live in gorgeous group houses with lofty common living areas and private bedrooms. They no longer have lunch in the small and very utilitarian cafeteria where I first ate with them, now they have a beautiful new Community Center with a central kitchen and room for activities, performances, and programs. The buildings are not the only changes over the past several years. They’ve added a computerized medical management system that helps staff keep all the Ranches safe and healthy; they have several horses that the Ranchers take care of; and they’ve added new music therapy and developmental therapy programs. Whenever I visit the Ranch there’s always so much going on, like people working in the gardens and craft shops, choir practice, or just playing a pick-up game of b-ball!