A Place to Belong and a Person to Connect With
Having a place you belong and a person you connect with makes all the difference in the world. Just ask Donna Collier.
In the more than eight years Donna has lived with her shared living Mosaic at Home® Provider Meco Fullard, Donna has changed her life for the better.
When Donna moved in with Meco, she wasn’t planning to stay beyond 90 days. Meco opened her home to Donna in an emergency situation, with the expectation that it was temporary. Meco was happy to help because she knew Donna from years earlier when Donna was living in a group home where Meco worked at the time.
But the temporary placement became permanent when everyone agreed it was going well.
“Donna’s a wonderful person,” Meco said. “She’s fun to be with and helpful and friendly. She’s outgoing and really well-liked in the community.” (Meco and Donna live in a small, rural Kansas community of around 8,500 people.)
The local Mosaic at Home Manager, Tara Fairchild, agreed.
“Donna is a joy to be around and she remembers everyone she meets,” Tara said. “She greets everyone like she hasn’t seen them in years, even if it’s only been a day. Her smile is infectious and she just has a way of making every day just a little bit brighter.”
Several years ago, Donna struggled with anger. But today, because Donna found the right support through Mosaic, she is genuinely happy with her life. The changes she’s made were all Donna’s decisions, fueled by determination and grit.
As an example, a few years back, Donna needed knee surgery. She had to lose 30 pounds before the surgery could happen. But after the surgery, she gained it all back plus more when physical therapy was grueling and her mobility was limited. She also started feeling the pressure on her knees again. So, she started walking around town and attending the gym and physical therapy with Meco.
Now, she’s lost more than 50 pounds.
Meco talks with Donna about important decisions and lets her make her own choices, instead of telling her what to do, which often happened in her past. In Meco’s home, Donna is respected as an adult.
That mutual respect has built a strong relationship between Donna and Meco. For her part, Donna reminds Meco that she’s the oldest one in the house.
“Meco’s my little sister,” Donna said with a smile.
The two of them enjoy traveling, and Branson is one of Donna’s favorite destinations. There, her favorite activity is seeing the live show “Michael Jackson Reimagined.” She also makes frequent trips to Wichita to shop at her favorite store, Scheels. As a big fan of the Kansas City Chiefs, she routinely buys Chiefs gear there. This past summer, Donna achieved the long-time dream of attending a Chiefs game, and hopes to attend many more in the future.
Donna is also active in the community. Beyond attending Mosaic’s day services regularly, she is faithful to weekly attendance at her church. She also delivers food through Meals on Wheels and volunteers twice a month at a food pantry, helping load up cars with boxes of food and bottled water. Other activities include bell-ringing for the Salvation Army, and spending time with cats at the Humane Society.
The personalized supports Donna receives is what Mosaic tries to do for each person we serve. Everyone is unique, and we work to find those unique things that help each person thrive in life.
We’re grateful for our many partners who help make it happen. Our goal for all people is what Donna found: a place to belong and a person to connect with.
Here’s a short video story about Donna for your enjoyment.