LIFE- Living Independently Forever

06/20/2026

Noah's advice to his younger self? "Never give up. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do that. Just keep pushing." 💚

We could say the same thing about our community this year.

Despite a February blizzard, LIFE staff never gave up — some stayed through the storm, others went above and beyond to make sure the needs of LIFE participants was met.

From overtime pay to plowing, this storm left LIFE to cover over $78k of costs that couldn't be reimbursed.

Now — in the final two weeks of our fiscal year — we're asking you to help LIFE close our books on another balanced budget by making a gift to cover some of the true cost of LIFE's service. With your help, LIFE can continue to support Noah and the more than 280 individuals with intellectual and developmental disablities (IDD) to empower their independence and the pride they feel in the lives they've built at LIFE.

An anonymous Board Director is matching every gift (up to $10,000 total) to "Area of Greatest Need" through June 30. Don't sit this one out.

🔗 lifecapecod.org/donate

Watch Noah's story and other videos on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/

06/20/2026

This week we celebrated Ian Saarmann, Director of Fitness, and his extraordinary impact on the LIFE community over the past 22 years with music, memories, and friendships.

LIFE individuals wore their Special Olympics shirts and medals and shared their stories and joyful experiences from the LIFE fitness and wellness program that has grown significantly over the last two decades.

It’s not just the number of participants in the LIFE Special Olympics program (now the largest regional team) or the number of teams that is noteworthy, but it’s the impact on LIFE Individuals.

At this week’s celebration, there was so much joy and a strong sense of community. We saw LIFE individuals embody LIFE’s core values as a result of their participation in LIFE’s fitness program:

* Longevity: supporting life-long wellness and fulfillment.
* Integrity: providing high-quality support aligned with personal goals.
* Friendship: creating communities (on the soccer field, in the gym and swimming pool), that foster true belonging.
* Empowerment: empowering independent, self-directed lives... for a healthy LIFE.

Thank you, Ian, for so many amazing fitness and wellness experiences that have empowered and brought joy to the LIFE community over the last 22 years. 🏆

06/19/2026

Good luck to LIFE athletes, Luke, Hunter, Anna, and Liam, who are part of the Special Olympics Massachusetts team and are traveling to the Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota.

This week, three of the LIFE athletes were guests on the Frank Plays It All radio show talking about the upcoming games. Listen to this brief interview here ➡️ https://bit.ly/FrankFMJune2026

LIFE communities gave a nice send off to the athletes!

06/17/2026

It's heating up, but we're still thinking about snow.... ❄

This winter's blizzard left LIFE with $78,000 of unexpected costs that weren't reimbursable. This includes wages for our dedicated staff who couldn't get to work until roads were clear, plowing costs, and more.

We've set a goal to close that gap before the fiscal year end through fundraising, and thanks to so many of you, we're making real progress!

Since we first asked your help at the Family Conference in April, over $50,000 has been donated to LIFE - wow! Thank you to everyone who has made a gift so far!

If you still have yet to make a gift, there's still time to help LIFE get to that goal by the end of our fiscal year on June 30th.

To help us close that gap, an anonymous Board Director is offering to match every gift, dollar for dollar (up to a total of $10,000) - that means we only need $16,000 more to meet our goal!

Will you make a gift to LIFE today? Double your impact right now:
🔗 lifecapecod.org/donate

06/17/2026

⚾ Join LIFE families and friends for a fun summer night of local baseball on Tuesday, June 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM at the Cotuit Kettleers field in Cotuit to honor Josh Edelson.

Josh’s brothers, Geoff and Andrew, will join us in our group celebration of Josh’s favorite Cape Cod baseball league!

➡️ Email Justin Secher, [email protected], BY FRIDAY, June 19 if you’d like to join this special night to honor Josh and be part of this summertime outing.

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 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 LIFE Individual Supports community.

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

The LIFE employment team helps adults with learning and intellectual disabilities pursue a job they truly want, in an environment they want to be in.

👏🏼 Let's congratulate Andy on his success!

Explore supported 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.