Henry’s story: 
                My life has changed drastically.  In the past, I did not have any friends that I cared about or whom I felt cared about me. Not having friends made my life seem empty; in fact I frequently had trouble controlling my frustration and aggression. I had little to look forward to day to day.
                Now I have several friends. My neighbor, John, comes over to visit, he helps me if I need an extra hand and he and his wife, Bev, invite me to go to church with them.
                My landlord, Mark, visits me too. In the summer he mows the grass and he helps me if anything goes wrong with my house. He and his wife, Christa, even have me over for lunch once and awhile. They have a lot of children. I have a good time with their family.
                My other friend, Jodi, helps me get around. She takes me to visit my Mom and get groceries. She has helped me learn to control my frustration and aggressive behaviors. I have not had any trouble with these behaviors since my new friends came into my life. I know they really care about me and I care for them, too.

Jodi’s story: 
                Getting to know Henry and developing a friendship with him has been a wonderful experience for me. As a mentor, it’s been encouraging for me to see Henry reach personal goals as well as developing a mutual sense of trust. Knowing that our friendship has had such a positive effect on Henry’s life makes me wish I had gotten involved sooner.
                The staff at Wright County Community Services has been a great support resource.  They are always willing to answer questions I may have or provide suggestions for community activities.
                Building friendships with people with disabilities has been tremendously rewarding. I encourage you to set aside any preconceived ideas you may and become involved in enriching your life and the life of a person with a disability.