Our 2019 summer blog series chronicles the journey of our son Matt’s transition to life at First Place–Phoenix, thanks in large part to Rob—Matt’s tech-savvy dad, “father of fun” and my husband of 35 years—our supportive family and the talented First Place team. We hope it will assist you or those you love through some valuable lessons learned along the way.
While Matt has been our personal inspiration, we’ve reached out far and wide over the past two decades to inform the design and operations of First Place–Phoenix through the evaluation of 100 properties for special populations across the U.S. We’ve hosted focus groups, national design charrettes and a national family roundtable, acknowledging hopes, dreams and fears.
Much time has also been invested in community life at First Place, with a focus on how residents connect with the broader community where people make friends, find jobs, access healthcare, enjoy lifelong learning—and have fun!
We recognize the huge transition this represents for us as parents seeking to build confidence in the future: Matt’s and ours. Every planning session, every hard hat tour and now every day in real time remind us of Matt’s momentous, complex and profound journey.
We hope you’ll join us on this summer blog series—and benefit from some of the valuable, enduring lessons we’ve learned along the way!
Next: Plugging the Holes: Taking note of what Matt can—and can’t—do (Summer Series Blog #1)