Allaina has been with us for several years, participating in our programs as soon as she was eligible. Before Allaina began attending our events, her dad volunteered to make sure we offered the type of programs he knew his daughter needed to succeed. Since starting here, Allaina has thrived and dramatically improved her social skills and connections in the community.

Brian moved to St. Louis a few years ago after living in Cincinnati, Ohio. Although Brian and his parents had family in the St. Louis area, he didn’t want to leave his friends and his job of 22 years at Kroger.  A month after moving to St. Louis, Brian secured a job with Schnucks. He […]

Leigh has a full plate these days – going to work, volunteering in her community and hanging out with family and friends. She has been employed for 12 years and was recently promoted to Team Lead, supervising six team members. Leigh remembers a time when she didn’t feel as confident as she does today. She often didn’t know how to express her emotions and had a hard time dealing with feelings of frustration. Leigh’s mom learned about us through a friend, and after a “little convincing,” Leigh tried out her first event. By the time she went to her third activity, she knew she had found the right place. That was in 2009, and now Leigh is leading her own activities.

Melanie admits she was very nervous when she attended her first event a couple of years ago. She wasn’t comfortable trying new things or interacting with new people. Looking back, she remembers how our staff made her feel at ease during dinner and the Bunco event that followed. By attending more events and with the assistance of our staff, Melanie has developed new friendships and has become more comfortable in group situations. Before working with us, Melanie would avoid venturing out on her own. She will now even go places by herself.

Michael joined us in 2015 and since then has achieved many of the goals he set for himself. When he graduated from high school, he was ready to try new things and get out in the community. Michael says, “During high school I was very shy. I felt kind of insecure about myself. I had some acquaintances and a couple of friends. When high school ended, I lost contact with the few people I was friends with; I mostly kept to myself.”

Jim says life was a little dull before he joined us in 2009 at the age of 40. “The organization has opened some new doors for me, socially,” Jim said. He has made lasting friendships, which he feels would not have been possible without his involvement. Jim says, “Some of the best times of my life have been at Pathways events.”