Angela, 39, was uncertain, distrusting and rarely smiled when she moved into The Asheboro Home, a group home for adult women with developmental disabilities in Asheboro. Today, her demeanor has changed greatly, and the smiles increase by the minute. Sometimes even a giggling fit or two makes its way into the mix.
“If I would have known about this place first, I would have come here first,” Angela says comparing The Asheboro Home to other homes. “I just didn’t feel as well cared for in other places. It’s more peaceful here.”
Independence was not allowed as much, she says. “Here, we have a monthly meeting, and we are asked what we want to do and what we want to eat,” she said. “It just didn’t feel like home (at those other places).”
Angela found her new home in February and has been thriving ever since. She volunteers three days a week at the thrift store of Christian United Outreach Center (CUOC), a Christian based nonprofit ministry that assists with food and financial aid to those in the community. Proceeds from the thrift store help with these needs.
“I’ve made a lot of friends there,” Angela said of CUOC. “I like helping people.”
When Angela is not in her day program, she is most likely knitting – a fact that is more remarkable when it is noted that Angela’s fingers were burnt off in a fire during her childhood. At the age of 13, Angela had a seizure and fell into a fire and suffered burns to her fingers, neck and left arm.
Since moving to The Asheboro Home, Angela has completed five afghans and 16 scarves. At the age of 19, Angela took a class in Winston-Salem to master this art.
“Some people can’t believe I can make things because of my hands being burnt,” she says.
Just as the yarn is knitted together in Angela’s handiwork, her faith intertwines her life. She is an avid reader of the Bible and prays for needs of family and friends on a regular basis. She is involved in a ladies Bible study group and attends worship services at Cross Road Baptist Church. Nightly dinnertime devotions are conducted in the group home complete with a verse to learn for the week.
“I like being able to go to church,” she said. “I feel very mature. I am happy to be in the adult Sunday School class. The ladies are a big help to me. I like doing devotions at dinner because it comes from the Bible and that’s what is important.”
Angela started teaching knitting to residents at Cross Road Retirement Community, which is adjacent to The Asheboro Home. There is also a possibility of her selling some of her work at the newly opened general store at the retirement community.
Angela's story was orginally featured in November 2009 on the Developmental Disabilities Ministry's webpage.
Learn more about Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina's Developmental Disabilities Ministry at www.hereismyhome.org