The Gift of Thoughtful, Loving Care: How Annandale Village Empowers Adults with Developmental Disabilities

“Knowing that [our Villagers] get to live their entire lives in the home that they love is why we do what we do.”

Kayce Pearce is the chief development and marketing officer at Annandale Village, where she’s worked for seven years. But she’s been in the fundraising and development space for even longer!

“I worked for other nonprofits prior to coming to Annandale,” Kayce explained. “This was my first experience serving this population. I love the people we serve and the mission here at Annandale.”

Annandale Village was founded in 1969 to serve adults with developmental disabilities and acquired brain injuries throughout their lives.

“When someone comes to live at Annandale Village, our goal is that they live here for their entire life so we can support them through our continuum of care,” she shared.

“We’re licensed for personal care homes, and we have two assisted living buildings and a skilled nursing center. As our [Villagers] age, if there are aspects of their disability that need more support, they can move through this continuum of care.”

Annandale Village is one of only three organizations in the United States that offers a full continuum of care from independent apartments to assisted living to nursing home care so the individuals they serve can remain at the village, moving to different homes as needed.

“If our folks lived anywhere else, like a typical group home or another residential program, they would have to move, sometimes into a typical nursing home with geriatric patients or individuals that are nothing like them. But at Annandale, they can stay in their own home, living with their friends and the programs they love, just in a different building.”

This continuum of care has drawn families from outside Georgia to the village.

“We support folks from all over the country and even the world,” Kayce said. “Right now, we’re serving individuals from 28 different states and two other countries. People are searching for this type of care, not just in Georgia, not just in the Southeast United States, but all over.”

What’s fulfilling for Kayce is seeing individuals with disabilities thrive in a home that meets their needs.

“If you haven’t been around people with developmental disabilities, you might have some preconceived notions of how they think, how they live,” she explained.

“One of the things I learned very quickly when I came here was that they are no different than you and me. They have hopes. They have dreams. They have goals. They want to live a fulfilling life with relationships. It just might look a little different. We’re able to help them have a very fulfilling life.”

At Annandale, residents can enjoy a lifestyle that meets their needs and wants.

“There’s been a big push towards what’s called ‘community inclusion,’ meaning anyone with a developmental disability should be able to live in their own home and in the community with support,” Kayce shared. “We do offer community support through a program called All In, serving adults with mild to moderate disabilities in their own homes or apartments.

“And that’s great for some people. But for others, that’s not what they want or desire. For them, living in a residential community is what they need for a fulfilling life.” 

The care Annandale offers also provides family members with the peace of mind they crave, especially for parents whose adult children have developmental disabilities.

“Families know their loved one is going to be thoughtfully and lovingly cared for long after they’re gone,” Kayce said. “That’s a burden lifted off siblings, cousins, nieces or nephews when families plan well for their loved ones’ future.”

But to continue doing this work, Annandale needs community partners. One of these is the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia.

“The Community Foundation is a community connector,” Kayce said. 

“We can attend events like the Nonprofit and Leadership Academy and meet other people and nonprofits doing similar work. I know I can pick up the phone and call Jamie Hamilton at Special Needs School of Gwinnett or Ryan Jones at Neighborhood Cooperative Ministries for advice.”

Kayce hopes that Annandale’s partnership with the Foundation will help spread the word about the need for support for people with developmental disabilities and inspire donors to give.

“The Foundation’s fundholders probably fall into two categories: those who have a connection to special needs through a family member or their professional life and those who care a lot about the community but don’t have that connection,” Kayce shared.

Annandale needs both to continue providing quality care for individuals inside and outside Georgia. 

“We can’t do what we do without philanthropic support, and we would love for fundholders to think of us as they think about giving.”

To support Annandale Village, click here to donate to its fund.