LIFE- Living Independently Forever

06/13/2026

🫶"I love my job (at Atria Assisted Living) because I get to empower others to have choices, to know their rights. LIFE empowers me, so I can empower them."
— Thomas, LIFE Participant

Thomas is a resident at LIFE's Supported Independent Living Community, and receives support from the LIFE Employment Services team: building skills, confidence, and a sense of purpose. And now he shows up to work each day to do the same for others.

He enjoys getting to make his own choices with the independence that is empowered through LIFE.

Stories like Thomas's don't happen without the staff and community support behind them. And this year, that support matters more than ever.

In February, a powerful blizzard left LIFE with $78,000 in unplanned costs above anything reimbursed - we had to pay overtime wages for staff who stayed through the storm, but we also paid the wages of dedicated staff who weren't able to make it into work until the roads were cleared, because that's the right thing to do.

We meet the needs of the people we support, and our staff goes above and beyond in support of their best interests every day, regardless the costs. Now, in our final weeks of the fiscal year, we're asking this community to help LIFE finish strong.

🎁Right now, a Board Director is matching every gift dollar for dollar, up to $10,000 through June 30 - don't wait, your gift can have DOUBLE the impact!

🫶Will you help empower independence?
Make a gift today at www.lifecapecod.org/donate

06/13/2026

🎉 Join Us in Celebrating Ian Saarmann!

LIFE families and staff are warmly invited to join us for an informal gathering and celebration of Ian Saarmann and his 22 years of leading LIFE's fitness program!

➡️ Mark your calendar: Wednesday, 6/17/26 from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM at Mashpee SIL.

The evening will feature:
🏅 Games and fun courtesy of the LIFE Fitness Team
🥗 Light healthy snacks and non-alcoholic beverages
🎶 Music, laughter, and time together as a community

As we celebrate, we also recognize Ian’s extraordinary impact on the LIFE community over the years.

Ian founded the annual Lovin’ LIFE 5K, creating an event that continues to promote health, fitness, and community involvement across the organization. He also oversaw LIFE’s Special Olympics program and helped grow a remarkable team of coaches, volunteers, and athletes across basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, bowling, swimming, and track.

Through his dedication and leadership, participation expanded from just 10 LIFE athletes to what is now one of the largest and most successful Special Olympics programs in Massachusetts!

Ian’s engaging and empathetic nature, combined with his knowledge, sense of humor, and unwavering belief in the potential of every individual he works with, has made an immeasurable impact on the lives of the people we serve, their families, and the greater LIFE community. He has fostered not only physical well-being, but also confidence, focus, resilience, and belonging.

LIFE is a better place because of Ian’s dedication, compassion, and years of service, and countless individuals, families, and staff members have been positively impacted by the time they’ve shared with him.

Join us for a fun and meaningful evening as we celebrate Coach Ian together!

👕Wear one of your favorite Special Olympics shirts and a medal! 🏅

06/12/2026

Congratulations to Andy F. who was recognized as Employee of the Month at Plymouth County Family Supports (PCFS)!!!

Andy is responsible for recording attendance and fees for participants in the social and recreational programs offered by PCFS.

And he is the in-house Notary Public. His services are gaining popularity, and he has notarized six documents for families. Andy also handles daily report filings, label-making, folder organization, and mail sorting.

He receives services from LIFE Employment and Community-based Day Services (CBDS) in our Plymouth, MA location, and is part of our Individual Supports community.

At LIFE, we believe that everyone deserves the chance to answer the question, “So what do you do for a living?”

The LIFE employment team helps individuals pursue a job they truly want, in an environment they want to be in.

👏🏼 Let's congratulate Andy on his success!

Explore employment and CBDS services for adults with autism and learning disabilities ➡️ https://bit.ly/EmploymentLIFE

06/10/2026

"My LIFE staff teaches me important skills like safe cooking and money management, and their support helps me feel more confident being able to live independently." — Madison, LIFE Participant 💚

Madison and her friend Brenna live as neighbors as part of LIFE's Supported Independent Living Community in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

They each get the support they need from staff at Living Independently Forever, Inc.® (LIFE) to develop confidence in skills of daily living, budgeting and money management, as well as employment-readiness skills.

They enjoy their work each week at Plymouth's Center for Active Living cafe, where they get to offer hospitality and joy to local seniors.

Madison and Brenna are just two of over 280 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who are empowered to live independently and achieve personalized goals with support from Living Independently Forever, Inc.® (LIFE).

🎁Right now, a Board Director is matching every gift dollar for dollar, up to $10,000, through June 30 - don't wait, your gift can have DOUBLE the impact!

🫶Will you help empower independence?
Make a gift today at www.lifecapecod.org/donate

06/06/2026

Good luck to the LIFE Special Olympics athletes competing at this weekend's Summer Games held at Harvard University.

The Special Olympics torch, known as the Flame of Hope, is carried by a team of 10 law enforcement officers and four Special Olympics athletes including Dee C. from the LIFE community!

Check out this video on Boston news station WCVB Channel 5.

▶️

The Flame of Hope is making its way to the site of this year's Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games.

06/01/2026

Ellen Gage, LIFE Clinical Director, recently focused on community expectations as the PBS theme of the month.

She shared, "It is really hard to meet behavioral expectations if they are not clearly defined and frequently reviewed. Imagine trying to navigate a job with no employee handbook or a society with no laws."

Ellen is working to share our new community expectations — respectful, kind, inclusive, and engaged — with the LIFE community.

She hopes that these values become a part of our culture at LIFE, and we become known for these values in our larger community and are part of everyday conversations.

The goal is for participants to discuss how they can demonstrate these values in upcoming activities, and to hear staff discussing how they can better demonstrate these values to the participants they serve, and hear parents discussing how they can model and support these values in their interactions with LIFE staff and participants.

The hope is that all of us embrace these expectations and make it a priority to demonstrate them in our outward behavior to each other.

Only if we all adopt the mission of engraining these expectations into our everyday behavior will it become part of our shared culture. Be on the lookout for programming related to these words in the coming months.

Curious about LIFE clinical services? Check out this post ➡️ https://bit.ly/LIFESocialSkills

photo: Ellen Gage, LIFE Clinical Director

05/30/2026

A Legacy of Inspiration: Celebrating Ian Saarmann

It was a simple yet powerful moment. At this week’s Community Council meeting in Mashpee, about a dozen LIFE athletes stood together as their peers applauded their participation in the upcoming Special Olympics Summer Games. The pride in the room was unmistakable—joy, accomplishment, and a deep sense of belonging.

Moments like that have become a hallmark of LIFE over the past two decades, thanks in no small part to Ian Saarmann.

In the days following the Lovin’ LIFE 5K, I received calls and emails from athletes eager to share their stories, finishing the race, earning a medal, reaching a personal best. Behind each of those achievements is a journey of determination and growth. And behind so many of those journeys stands Ian, along with his exceptional team, supporting athletes in our gyms, on the track, and beyond.

Whether coaching athletes in the National Games or in the gym on a Tuesday afternoon, Ian has inspired individuals to see themselves in a new light: not just as participants, but as athletes.

For many, that transformation was profound. Individuals who once doubted their abilities discovered new strengths. They set goals, built resilience, embraced discipline, and learned the value of teamwork and adaptability. These are lessons that extend far beyond sports...they shape lives and strengthen our entire community.

For 22 years, LIFE has had the extraordinary good fortune to have Ian as part of our family. His impact is not measured only in medals or milestones, but in the confidence, pride, and sense of accomplishment he has instilled in hundreds of individuals. That is a legacy that will endure.

As we begin to prepare for Ian’s next chapter, we do so with deep gratitude and admiration. We will soon share details about an opportunity to come together, celebrate his contributions, and wish him and his family all the very best.

We look ahead with excitement as we prepare to introduce the next generation of leadership for LIFE athletics, building on the strong foundation Ian has helped create.

Stay tuned for details and join us in celebrating a career that has truly made a difference.

Cheryl Evans
CEO
LIFE, Inc.
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🎉 Video from the LIFE Force soccer team joyfully celebrating their bronze medal win with a toast to Ian Saarmann on the soccer field in Florida at the Special Olympics USA Games, June 2022.

05/30/2026

🌊 The LIFE Individual Supports group recently enjoyed a warm springtime beach walk and friendly competition to build the tallest rock sculpture. Great teamwork and lots of fun! To wrap up the day, the group enjoyed a lovely meal together at a local restuarant before sunset. 🌅

The LIFE Individual Supports program offers one-to-one and small-group opportunities for adults with autism, learning, and intellectual disabilities to build daily living skills and work toward greater independence.

Participants live independently or with their families, and the program is highly individualized, with community activities, individual supports, and services tailored to meet each person’s unique needs and goals.

The program’s goal is to help individuals become healthy, happy, and active members of their community by developing essential skills such as financial management, meal preparation, self-advocacy, and transportation. LIFE Individual Support staff provide guidance through both one-to-one and group settings, encouraging healthy lifestyles, social engagement, and personal fulfillment, with weekly activities including community meals, fitness outings, and beach walks.

Explore the LIFE website to learn more about this active LIFE community ➡️ https://bit.ly/LIFEIndivSupports or send a DM.

05/24/2026

☀️ The weather has been delightful for enjoying outdoor community activities. Thank you Coach Mo for hosting nutrition bingo on the patio!

The winner of each bingo game rolls the exercise dice, and then the group does the exercise together. Exercise is always more fun with friends!

🍅 A healthy LIFEstyle is an important part of LIFE independent living skills.

Did you know LIFE serves over 100 individuals in our supported independent living (SIL) communities located south of Boston in Plymouth and on Cape Cod?

Click here to learn more ➡️ https://bit.ly/LIFEresidential

05/23/2026

We had the pleasure of welcoming Beth Wike, Training Associate II, from the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI), www.communityinclusion.org, at University of MA, Boston, to this week's LIFE management team meeting for a training to learn about the LifeCourse Nexus (Charting the LifeCourse), www.lifecoursetools.com, a person centered planning framework which asks, "𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲?"

ICI's goal is to advance the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of life. These types of sharing sessions provide valuable information for our collaborative impact.

Photo: Beth Wike, Training Associate, Institute for Community Inclusion, and Cheryl Evans, CEO, at LIFE, Inc.

Tell us, what is your vision of a good life?