FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Victoria Hall has two wall art decorations of characters Elsa and Anna from the Disney movie “Frozen” in her room.
It’s one of her favorite movies.
“I haven’t seen the new one,” Hall said.
On another wall are photos of her two sisters, Lenora and Alexandra.
“For Christmas, we went to Georgia - my sisters and their husbands and two dogs and a baby nephew,” Hall said.
Since November 2018, Hall, 28, has gained a new nephew, Christopher, and a new job.
She was the first “friend,” or young adult with an intellectual or developmental disability, seeking independence by moving into the Hope Marie Duggins Campus of Friendship House Fayetteville.
“I’ve learned doing a really good job at my job and being here,” Hall said from the kitchen of the upstairs apartment she shares with two medical students.
Through ServiceSource, Hall works at one of Fort Bragg’s dining facilities, said Tara Hinton, director of community relations and philanthropy for ServiceSource.
ServiceSource, which provides vocational training, employment programs and services for people with disabilities, helps manage Friendship House Fayetteville as the lessee of land donated by nearby Highland Presbyterian Church.
The facility is on property straddling Broadfoot and Highland avenues, near Highland Presbyterian Church.
The $1.3 million initiative is the fifth such project in the world to help people with disabilities gain independence.
Scott Cameron, resident director and chaplain of Friendship House, is a local neonatal intensive care doctor who attended Duke University Divinity School and learned about the program. He joined the program and had a roommate with Down syndrome.
The campus includes three Colonial-style homes and a pavilion on more than an acre.
With six residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities known as “friends,” the remaining residents are students and young professionals, Hinton said.
As of Thursday (Jan. 2), 17 residents lived on the campus, with more applications coming in, she said. It’s received support from officials and students at Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville Technical Community College, Methodist University and Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
Since a ribbon cutting in November 2018, the facility has been home to one student or professional for each “friend.”
Original plans were to have a three-to-one ratio, but Hinton said there’s been a couple of instances when the plan was adjusted.
Under the program, student professionals are paired with a roommate between ages 21 and 30 with an intellectual or developmental disability.
The cost is $450 for all and includes utilities, cable and wifi.
There’s a two-year residency for the student-professionals and four years for “friends.”
“We’ve been asked what is a goal for the friend residents, and it is are they able to move out and live on their own and have a roommate. And I think the answer to that is going to be different for everybody,” Hinton said. “We’re working with them two ways - to maximize their interdependence, whatever that may be for them, and placement.
“And the residents who are living with them, they’re simply giving them that sense of belonging that friendship - serving as mentors and setting positive examples and, at the end of the day, simply being a friend.”
Two farmers markets were held at the campus’ pavilion in October and November, and this year there are plans to host monthly Saturday farmers markets from March through October.
“They really started building the foundation of Friendship House, and now they really own of it,” Hinton said. “All 17, I can’t keep up with them. They’re at the climbing place. They’re at the baseball game. They’re constantly doing stuff together. And it’s not orchestrated by us.”
Each month, there’s a community dinner at the pavilion with residents, donors and supporters and neighbors from the nearby Haymont community and other neighborhoods.
The “friends” and their mentors celebrate accomplishments and milestones together as part of the community.
Hall, Brooke, Tyler and Michael found jobs and Chastity graduated as a physical assistant student from Methodist University. Victor graduated as a medical student from Campbell University.
“It’s been really cool to experience, that transformation from when they came in here,” Hinton said.
Hall, who has another three years left at Friendship House, said she goes to dinner or grocery shopping with her roommates.
Hinton added that “eat, pray and celebrate is kind of the rhythm of the community,” because events from birthdays to Ground Hog Day are celebrated.
That comment prompted a question from Hall.
“Are we doing something on MLK Day?” she asked.
There are plans from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for a day of service, where free brick-oven pizza will be served, Foxy99 will broadcast music, Cape Fear Valley will have a blood drive and the Fayetteville State Nursing Association will provide free blood pressure checks.
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