Meet Kener Bond, our newest resident at Howitt House. Born at a time when a diagnosis of mild intellectual disability (an impairment of cognitive skills, adaptive life skills, and social skills) was not well known, Kener’s parents did the best they could to support him socially and emotionally. Still, Kener always wanted more. Like many parents, his mother and father struggled with the idea that he could make it on his own.

After living at home all of his life, Kener, now 54 years old, successfully transitioned to one of our supervised apartments, with the support of his sister, Wendy, his Medicaid Service Coordinator (MSC), and EPI staff. He is a friendly man with a good sense of humor who is very well-liked by his peers and is enjoying his independence. With minimal support from staff, Kener is able to cook his own meals and is often found watching the cooking shows for new ideas. He enjoys going out to eat, shopping, and picking up new reading materials.  However, looking at Harley Davidson items is what peaks his interest the most. 

Wendy, Kener’s sister and guardian, praised the staff for working hard to help him achieve the goals he has set for himself, like managing his money and fitness. “It has been a tremendous gift knowing that my brother who has always wanted to live alone is able to achieve that with the support of his staff. He has blossomed since living at Howitt House like a plant who has been moved to receive more sunlight,” she says.

If you ask Kener what his favorite part of the move is, you will get a response that many newly independent people say: “I love that it is a supervisor-free zone.”  He chuckles when he speaks about his roommate at Howitt House, “I love my roommate – that guy cracks me up.”  Wendy observed, “Their bond is amazing; they even finish each other’s sentences.”