Families Matter Inc

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Families Matter Inc Families Matter Inc provides goal-based, community support programs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

We foster growth, friendship, and independence in a safe, welcoming, and family-centered environment. Families Matter Inc is a nonprofit organization serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through individualized, goal-based programs in Maine. Founded by families in 1992, we’ve grown from a one-day pilot into a five-day-a-week program serving more than 80 individuals across four locations. Our mission is to enhance quality of life through therapeutic community integration, lifelong learning, and personal growth. We offer community support services, shared living, volunteer opportunities, recreational activities, and skill-building programs—all guided by the Person-Centered Planning process. Rooted in compassion and built on trust, Families Matter is known for its long-standing staff, welcoming culture, and deep relationships with the families and communities it serves. We believe that every individual deserves the opportunity to grow, connect, and live a meaningful life—supported, celebrated, and never left behind.

10/06/2026

Look for our green.

You might have seen us around — a group in matching green shirts, laughing about something, out in the middle of things. That's us. Our staff and participants are in Hallowell, Gardiner, Skowhegan, and Waterville, volunteering, showing up at community events, and cheering each other on.

The tree on the front stands for Families Matter Inc.: Promoting Independence & Empowerment. The back tells you how we do it. Big Hearts. Bold Moves.

If you see us, come say hello. We'd love to meet you.

| familiesmatterinc.org

This is what Dr. Frank Hayden's research looks like sixty years later.Our athletes trained all year for the Special Olym...
09/25/2026

This is what Dr. Frank Hayden's research looks like sixty years later.

Our athletes trained all year for the Special Olympics Maine State Summer Games — and this summer, they showed up, competed, cheered each other on, and gave it their all.

Dr. Hayden, who passed away this spring at 96, proved that people with intellectual disabilities thrive through sport when someone gives them the chance. Every one of these athletes is the proof.

Congratulations, team. We are so proud of you. >> https://familiesmatterinc.org/the-question-nobody-thought-to-ask-remembering-dr-frank-hayden/

Adults with intellectual and developmental differences face persistent gaps in health outcomes — in cardiovascular fitne...
09/24/2026

Adults with intellectual and developmental differences face persistent gaps in health outcomes — in cardiovascular fitness, in access to preventive care, and in average life expectancy. Those gaps are well documented. They are also, in large part, a function of access rather than ability.

Dr. Frank Hayden identified the mechanism in the 1960s. When he gave participants structured physical training, their fitness improved — and the assumption that had kept them sedentary collapsed.

That finding became Special Olympics. At Families Matter Inc, it is the reason our athletic programming is structured as year-round wellness rather than a seasonal event: consistent training, goal-setting, and community participation for adults across our four Maine locations.

Sixty years on, his research remains one of the clearest examples of a health intervention hiding in plain sight. >> https://familiesmatterinc.org/the-question-nobody-thought-to-ask-remembering-dr-frank-hayden/

In the early 1960s, sport simply wasn't considered a possibility for people with intellectual disabilities. One research...
09/21/2026

In the early 1960s, sport simply wasn't considered a possibility for people with intellectual disabilities. One researcher decided to look closer.

Dr. Frank Hayden invited children with intellectual disabilities into regular physical training and measured what happened. They got stronger. The assumption had been wrong the whole time.

His research made its way to Eunice Kennedy Shriver. In 1968, the first Special Olympics was held at Soldier Field in Chicago. Today millions of athletes compete around the world — including ours, here in Maine.

Dr. Hayden died on May 16 at the age of 96. Thank you, sir. 💚

https://familiesmatterinc.org/the-question-nobody-thought-to-ask-remembering-dr-frank-hayden/

The difference between a program and real community life is choice.When you or your loved one gets to decide what happen...
09/18/2026

The difference between a program and real community life is choice.

When you or your loved one gets to decide what happens in your day—which activities matter, which community spaces you visit, which volunteers you work with—everything changes. You're not managed through a program. You're living your life.

We walked through a typical day at Families Matter Inc to show what real choice, real community, and real independence actually look like in practice. >> https://familiesmatterinc.org/a-day-in-the-life-what-community-support-services-actually-look-like/

You or your loved one arrives at Families Matter at 8:15 AM. Staff asks: "What sounds good to you today?"Bowling? Volunt...
09/10/2026

You or your loved one arrives at Families Matter at 8:15 AM. Staff asks: "What sounds good to you today?"

Bowling? Volunteering? A trip to the library? The food bank?

This isn't a program that decides your day. You decide your day.

We just published a complete walkthrough of what a real day at Families Matter Inc looks like—from arrival to lunch to community work to afternoon activities. Real choice. Real community. Real independence. >> https://familiesmatterinc.org/a-day-in-the-life-what-community-support-services-actually-look-like/

What matters most to you in a program?

Flowers for everybody! 💐Our Board of Directors gathered for our annual meeting — and yes, we made them pose in a parking...
08/25/2026

Flowers for everybody! 💐

Our Board of Directors gathered for our annual meeting — and yes, we made them pose in a parking lot at sunset. Worth it.

Thank you to every one of our Families Matter Inc board members for the time, expertise, and heart you give to our organization. Because of you, families across our four central Maine locations have a place where their loved ones belong.

We're lucky to have you. 💚

Your loved one has the right to privacy in their living space. The right to choose what they eat, who they spend time wi...
07/31/2026

Your loved one has the right to privacy in their living space. The right to choose what they eat, who they spend time with, and what they do. The right to work in real community jobs. The right to control their own money.

These aren't perks. They're federal rights under the HCBS Settings Rule.

Most families have never heard of them. Yet they fundamentally shape what quality support looks like.

We just published a complete guide to understanding these rights and what they mean in practice—because knowing them is the first step to demanding them for your loved one. >> https://familiesmatterinc.org/your-rights-in-adult-services-what-the-hcbs-settings-rule-means-for-you/

Today, we celebrate International Day of Friendship—a global day dedicated to recognizing the power of friendship to bui...
07/30/2026

Today, we celebrate International Day of Friendship—a global day dedicated to recognizing the power of friendship to build understanding, strengthen communities, and connect people across all differences.

At Families Matter Inc, friendship is at the heart of everything we do. We create opportunities for individuals to build authentic relationships—with peers, with supportive staff, and with their broader community. We believe everyone deserves to belong, to be valued, and to experience the joy of genuine connection.

To everyone in our community: thank you for showing up for each other, for celebrating differences, and for building friendships that matter.

Signed on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act transformed workplaces, schools, transportation, and commun...
07/26/2026

Signed on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act transformed workplaces, schools, transportation, and communities. It affirmed a fundamental truth: disability rights are civil rights, and people with disabilities deserve full participation in society.

At Families Matter Inc, the ADA's promise of inclusion guides our work every day. We're committed to creating pathways for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to build independence, engage in their communities, and live with dignity and respect.

The work of the ADA isn't finished. We continue to advocate for full inclusion and equal opportunity for all.

Address

28 Mayflower Road
Hallowell, ME
04347

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

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