Grant finalized for Karen’s Hope

A six-figure grant for a Seaford non-profit organization has been finalized, and the money will help local adults with special needs.

The Nassau County Legislature recently approved a $230,000 grant for Karen’s Hope, which will be renovating a home on Kenora Place in Seaford to provide housing for people with disabilities. The money was awarded to Karen’s Hope two years ago by the Nassau County Office of Housing and Urban Development.

“I was relieved to the get that letter of acknowledgement, excited of course,” Karen’s Hope founder Karen Siler said of getting that last approval for the funds.

Karen’s Hope has purchased a home two doors down from Siler, where she lives with her husband and five children. Renovations are expected to begin soon on the red Cape Cod-style home, which will include an expansion of the second floor and a remodeling of the rest of the house. When completed, three adults will live there along with the house mother, Laura Cook. The arrangement helps Cook keep a home that has been in her family for decades.

The grant will cover most of the construction costs. Karen’s Hope has also received donations. United Way will be providing the flooring and ceramic tile, and a former Seaford High School classmate of Siler’s, who is a district manager at Home Depot, is looking to secure the organization construction materials as needed.

One of the people who will live in the home will be Siler’s 24-year-old son, Ryan, who has autism. She said this a chance for him to become independent while still being close to the people who support him.

Interviews will be conducted for the other two adults who will share the second floor with Ryan. Siler said they are looking for people in self-direction programs, which means they receive financial support from the state, but all their arrangements, such as the programs they take part in or the people who assist them, are up to their families.

“Self direction is all about living an independent life with supports,” Siler said.

The idea for the house was initially conceived around her brother, Michael Russell, who had Down syndrome. It was to be him, Ryan and another person living in the house, but her brother died from leukemia in 2014. Siler, however, stuck with the idea.

“I’m excited about it,” she said. “Ryan’s excited about it. I’m excited for him to start his adult independent life.”

Siler said that she hopes that the home can become a model in Nassau County and beyond for families looking to provide their loved ones with a place to live independently while still getting the necessary support. She also plans to run classes at the house to teach people with disabilities the skills they need for living on their own, such as cooking and doing laundry.

Her long-term goal is to open a community center that is run by people with disabilities, in an effort to integrate them into their own communities and so others can see their abilities.

To learn more, visit www.karenshope.org.