An Update…

If we know anything as Autism moms, it’s that some things call for a complete pause of all regular activity. At any moment, things can go south, and we have to be flexible enough to pivot on a dime. As individuals and as an organization, that skill has been put to the test in the past couple of months. The support and patience of our friends and supporters has been extraordinary, and this month, we’d like to take a moment to thank you all and provide an update.

As many of you know, our dear President and Founder, Kim McCafferty, tragically lost her son Justin at the age of just 22 on April 15th. 

As we grieve and find some way to come to terms with this devastating loss, we as the Board of HomeLife 21 want you to know something about Autism moms.

We are determined.

We are persistent.

We are resilient.

We have learned to be whether we wanted to or not. We have learned not to take “no” for an answer, and no one is a better example of that than Kim. It’s the quality that gave birth to HomeLife 21 in the first place. Refusal to accept the unacceptable. A world where our son’s needs are not met with dignity and true choice is unacceptable to us.

We know this loss will never be something we can change with determination and resilience.

But we are determined nonetheless.

Justin’s untimely death only fuels our resilience that a safe, loving, supported home that responds to the individual needs of its residents, not to a manual of one-size-fits-all rules and regulations, is what is needed more than ever, and that it should not be as difficult as it currently is to make this a reality.

We will go first.

We will trailblaze and pioneer so that families in the future have a template for a life of hope and choice and dignity for their adult children.

We are delighted to announce that Kim will continue in her role as Board President. We are 100% committed to the mission of HomeLife 21, and we just want you all to know that.

 As Kim would likely say, these Jersey girls don’t take things lying down.

 So, as we continue to practice self-care and gather around Kim, we want to thank you all for your patience and your ongoing support during this unbearably difficult time. We will remain in communication as we regroup to move forward.