TULSA, Oklahoma — The Green Country nonprofit helps clients with disabilities enjoy snow days, not fear them.
“I don’t like going outside because I’m afraid I might fall,” said New Leaf client Katie Lu.
A New Leaf provides vocational training, life skills and more for some people with developmental disabilities. Lew lives in a house made just for Owasso thanks to A New Leaf. She said staff would be there for whatever she needed.
“It helps you avoid slips and falls. If someone tells you there’s patchy ice, be careful,” Liu said.
Not only does it keep Lew from getting hurt on icy roads and sidewalks, it also helps her get to work.
“This is very important because if we don’t work, we don’t get paid, and this weather has a huge impact on us,” she said.
A New Leaf staff said this assistance means that clients can live independently, especially during the winter weather when everything becomes very difficult.
Chief Development Officer Maranda Figueroa said:
Figueroa says clients can get more than just commuting, walking, and grocery shopping. She said it’s just a matter of being there, especially when weather events last for several days.
“It can be absolutely isolating, so just having someone there to support them, talk to them, and have that company with them is truly life-changing,” Figueroa said.
Lew is just one of thousands of Oklahoma people with disabilities A New Leaf helps. Lew said her life would be very different without A New Leaf, but with the support, everyday life isn’t too difficult, even in winter weather like this.
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