“Michael Platt, my brother with Down syndrome, lived and worked at Leander House from 2001 to 2018. These last seventeen years of his life were his happiest and most rewarding. Here, at Leander House, he found a family after our father and mother were too advanced in years to take care of him.
Leander House provided a welcoming home that gave Michael structured activities that were new and exciting for him. He took part in art activities at CATA, had eurythmy classes at a local church, rode horses in equine therapy at a nearby stable, visited museums in the Berkshires, and attended concerts at Tanglewood and dance performances at Jacob’s Pillow. He shared nutritious meals with a diverse group of residents. He became fast friends with Tanner, the Leander House golden retriever. Every summer he would go with the other residents to camp for a week on a beach in Rhode Island. Three times a week he would work at a weavery and found fulfillment in making beautifully woven placemats, which I and my family still use. This highly structured and stimulating environment was all part of his Leander House experience.
But what Leander House provided, and what was far more important than all these confidence-building and enriching activities, was the fact that here Michael was loved deeply and cared for with an abiding respect for him as an individual. During his seventeen years at Leander House, Jennie Reins and the many wonderful co-workers loved Michael and became his family. Several of the co-workers kept in touch with Michael and would visit him after their year in the States had come to an end. My family and I are boundlessly grateful for the truly golden decade and a half when Michael called Leander House his home.
Donald Platt Professor of English & Creative Writing Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana”
5Superb6 Reviews
Community Services/Non-Profits in The Nearby Cities
Community Services Non Profits
“Michael Platt, my brother with Down syndrome, lived and worked at Leander House from 2001 to 2018. These last seventeen years of his life were his happiest and most rewarding. Here, at Leander House, he found a family after our father and mother were too advanced in years to take care of him.
Leander House provided a welcoming home that gave Michael structured activities that were new and exciting for him. He took part in art activities at CATA, had eurythmy classes at a local church, rode horses in equine therapy at a nearby stable, visited museums in the Berkshires, and attended concerts at Tanglewood and dance performances at Jacob’s Pillow. He shared nutritious meals with a diverse group of residents. He became fast friends with Tanner, the Leander House golden retriever. Every summer he would go with the other residents to camp for a week on a beach in Rhode Island. Three times a week he would work at a weavery and found fulfillment in making beautifully woven placemats, which I and my family still use. This highly structured and stimulating environment was all part of his Leander House experience.
But what Leander House provided, and what was far more important than all these confidence-building and enriching activities, was the fact that here Michael was loved deeply and cared for with an abiding respect for him as an individual. During his seventeen years at Leander House, Jennie Reins and the many wonderful co-workers loved Michael and became his family. Several of the co-workers kept in touch with Michael and would visit him after their year in the States had come to an end. My family and I are boundlessly grateful for the truly golden decade and a half when Michael called Leander House his home.
Donald Platt
Professor of English & Creative Writing
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana”