Watching a butterfly take flight always fills my heart with joy!
As one of our most loyal donors I would like to share this special story with you.

Kim has an acquired brain injury. When she the first commenced with House With No Steps' Day Program in the Hunter Region, she would sit at a bench just inside the front gate with her handbag stuffed full of old magazines. Apart from going inside, when staff were not in view, to eat someone else's food - that's where she stayed all day.  Kim would sit on the bench, withdrawn from the world around her and pick at her skin until it bled;leaving her hands horribly scarred and scabbed over.

House With No Steps staff tried everything to coax Kim out of her shell. They suggested all manner of things for her to try in order to perk up her interest. Kim's response was always "No!" to all suggestions. So it soon became routine for staff and visitors to walk in the gate, greet Kim as she sat on the bench with her hand bag, and continue on their way.

There was no way that House With No Steps was going to give up on Kim. Faith can move mountains. And, when nothing else seemed to be working, the time came to move that mountain. The bench Kim sat on was progressively moved closer to where the other clients sat.

Gradually, staff were permitted to enter Kim's world. After much patience and perseverance they were able to communicate with Kim, paint her nails and put lotion on her hands to help them heal.  They were even able to assist Kim to dispose of the old magazines from her bag. The transformation of Kim was well underway and it didn't take long before she was socialising without encouragement and showing enthusiasm for participating in group outings.

Now Kim's dad, Peter, reports that she is "Happy and bubbly and can't wait to get to Glendale. The staff approach to the clients is fantastic and they inspire Kim to do things she has never done before."

Peter, tells us, "Kim's number one love was of food, but now she is more interested in the activities to be worrying about food". Kim no longer sneaks other people's lunches.

It is a delight to see how liberated Kim is when she announces to staff that she is "going out". She loves the in-centre activities such as the beauty program, where she enjoys having her hair and makeup done
and her nails painted. She loves showing off her new look. Her love of food is satisfied by the cooking program where she also assists staff to do the grocery shopping in the morning.

Kim now chats to everyone, proudly telling them about her day's activities and experiences. Kim is a completely different person to the one she was just nine months ago.

At House With No Steps we adopt a holistic approach and offer support and services to assist people with disabilities in all areas of their life.

Now more than ever we need your help so we can continue to be there for Kim and for other people with disabilities in your community.  Kim now has so much to look forward to because House With No Steps provides her with the opportunity to enjoy new experiences and a place to meet friends.

House With No Steps offers a warm and inclusive community for every person with a disability. As a donor, you are a part of this community too. The support that you offer is fundamental to the well being of our clients. We have been providing support and opportunities to people with disabilities for nearly 50 years. We really appreciate your ongoing commitment and assistance in making this possible. Please donate
what you can to help us continue to support people with disabilities in your community. 

 "Donate Now " www.hwns.com.au/donate