Sometimes, the right place finds you long before you’re ready for it.
For Chloe’s mom, that moment came unexpectedly…sitting in a doctor’s office, flipping through a copy of Detroit Hour Magazine. An article about our founder, Rachelle, and Living & Learning Enrichment Center caught her attention. Something about it stayed with her. Even though Chloe was still in school and didn’t yet need services, she trusted her instincts.
She tore the page out and kept it.
For ten years.
At the time, she didn’t know exactly when, or if, they would need it. But she knew it mattered.
She was right.
Today, Chloe has found more than just a program at Living & Learning. She has found a place where she can truly be herself.
From the moment she became part of this community, Chloe was embraced not for what she needed to work on, but for who she already was. In an environment built on patience, encouragement, and genuine connection, she found something many people spend a lifetime searching for: a true sense of belonging.
Here, Chloe feels comfortable being herself. She shares her humor, quick wit, and positivity with everyone around her. She loves joking, cheering others up, and brings joy to our main campus and her employment skill-building work sites. Team members and customers look forward to her sunshine-filled shifts. And because of this authentic belonging, she has grown in ways that extend far beyond traditional skill-building.
What once may have felt uncertain is now something she stands confidently in. Chloe has become a leader among her peers, encouraging others when they are struggling, setting an example, and showing what’s possible when someone feels empowered to thrive.
And for Chloe, this journey is deeply personal in another way—it’s a family affair.
Her brother is a respected job coach at Living & Learning, someone who plays a meaningful role in supporting others every day. Chloe beams with pride when she talks about him. Seeing
someone so close to her not only work here, but seeing him valued here, reinforces what this place represents.
It’s far more than a program.
It’s a community.
It’s friendship. It’s purpose. It’s a place where individuals are seen, supported, and celebrated.
Looking back, that torn-out magazine page feels like more than a coincidence. It feels like a moment of quiet certainty—a parent knowing that one day, their child would need a place like this.
And now, Chloe has it.
A place where she belongs. A place where she is valued. A place where she can lead, grow, and simply be her wonderful self.