KenCrest has long been a leader in providing comprehensive support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). In 1911, Deaconess-in-charge Sister Maria Roeck and the KenCrest board purchased a farm in Phoenixville, PA, and turned it into a home and dormitory for children with Tuberculosis called RiverCrest. Throughout the years, RiverCrest grew, becoming a haven for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.
However, in 1986, KenCrest decided to depopulate RiverCrest and move the residents into the surrounding communities before listing the land for sale. This decision was made to provide a more integrated living experience for the residents, allowing them to be part of the broader community at a time when segregation was still the norm.
In 2001, 90 years after its purchase, KenCrest officially sold the RiverCrest location—otherwise known as Sister Maria Roeck’s “Place in the Sun” for children of Kensington—for $6 million. That money went into an endowment that KenCrest still uses today. In 2019, KenCrest launched a grant opportunity to fund new business ideas through service, delivery, and innovations to develop new supports and programs that benefit KenCrest’s individuals and blaze a new trail for the human services community.
These efforts focus on fostering independence, promoting community inclusion, and addressing evolving needs—demonstrating that going above and beyond is embedded in KenCrest's mission.
The Importance of Innovation in IDD Support
Supporting individuals with IDD requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Each person has unique challenges, abilities, and aspirations. KenCrest’s New Business Ideas (NBI) initiative helps do just that by providing programs that address those unique challenges and help them achieve their goals.
At the heart of these innovations is the belief that everyone, regardless of ability, should have access to meaningful opportunities, autonomy, and a rich quality of life. As the needs of people with IDD change over time, KenCrest understands that its approach must also evolve. The NBI initiative actively seeks ways to bridge gaps in care, create new opportunities, and offer solutions that adapt to the realities of the individuals it supports.
Programs That Make a Difference
Several essential programs have emerged from KenCrest’s NBI initiative, each designed to empower individuals with IDD while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in terms of independence and community involvement.
Remote Possibilities is in its second year as an NBI initiative that uses technology to empower the individuals we support to live more independently. People with IDD can receive assistance with tasks by integrating sensors, adaptive devices, and remote support systems. This helps them to maintain their autonomy and privacy. This program recognizes that technology can be a game changer in enhancing independence while ensuring safety and comfort.
Along with Remote Possibilities, KenCrest kickstarted its Smarter Living Home last year to integrate technology into daily living environments. The home is a model for all the technologies people can receive to make their lives more efficient and independent. The house features ADA-compliant countertops, open kitchen shelving, a drawer dishwasher, smart kitchen appliances, tilt mirrors, hand-sensored faucets, and so much more. Individuals can test different products to see if they would work for them before purchasing them.
KenCrest’s Daysharing initiative fosters meaningful relationships between people with IDD and retirees or volunteers within the community. By facilitating these connections, the program allows individuals to engage in shared activities, develop friendships, and become more integrated in their communities. This initiative not only enriches the lives of people with IDD but also promotes inclusivity by inviting members of the broader community to play an active role in their support.
The Ticket to Work program connects those we support with free employment services to help them prepare to work and understand their benefits. Ticket to Work is a federal program of the Social Security Administration designed to help people best understand their Social Security benefits, and KenCrest is an organization that implements it for those we support. Those involved with this program have access to career and benefits counseling, vocational rehabilitation, resume development, interview preparation, job placement, and training.
The Peer Mentor Network was created to help people in KenCrest’s Supported Independent Living (SIL) program transition to more independent settings in a more secure and less overwhelming way. The program encourages new admissions to SIL to connect with other residents who can help them adjust to living independently, socialize, and decrease feelings of loneliness while transitioning into the program.
KenCrest’s Meaningful Day program encourages the people we support to live meaningful lives by participating in the hobbies, classes, events, and outings that interest them. That can mean attending yoga classes, bowling, or visiting local parks. Each individual gets the opportunity to engage with their community and are provided resources to break down entrance barriers.
As part of the Supported Independent Living (SIL) program, the Stepping Stones Transitional Housing Program gives those with IDD the chance to experience living independently before making the jump. Many people we support desire to live independently but are unsure if they can. The Stepping Stones initiative allows individuals to ramp up to SIL more gradually and identify challenges before they become roadblocks.
The New Business Ideas initiative is more than just a collection of programs; it is a reflection of the organization's core values of innovation, compassion, and inclusivity. For KenCrest, "good enough" is never sufficient. Instead, we are constantly looking for new ways to push the boundaries of what’s possible for people with IDD.
