New Danville -- A New Type of "Planned Community"

Positive news. Why do we have to work so hard to find news that makes us feel good. Even the Good News Daily seems to have to stretch a bit too hard to make a positive spin on every day's news. They are doing an admirable job with little help from the media. Someday. . . someday we will have a news channel available to us that ONLY focuses on positive stories. In the meanwhile, welcome back to "All That is Good".

I stumbled across this great story in a Texas newspaper called The Bulletin Online. It is highlighting a new planned community called New Danville. This planned community is only for those who have mental retardation.

Recognizing that many with mental retardation suffer discrimination in many forms and are often not able to live independently, New Danville hopes to create a place where individuals with mental retardation can live in a supportive community that allows them as much independence as is possible. It is spearheaded by a mom, Kathy Sanders, who has a son who is mentally challenged. She has watched and seen how hard it is to find services and resources for her son, and wanted a place for him to be when she is gone. What a common concern, I believe, for any parent who has a child who is not able to live independently. If this new community works, what great hope there will be for these families. Every parent wants for their child a place for them to grow and be happy. New Danville might be the answer.

You can read the article for yourself, but in short, the community will be located on 42 acres in an area I believe is north of Houston, Texas. It is actually going to be built on the same location the original town of Danville was located. This planned community will include affordable housing for individuals with mental retardation, and they will live in homes with four bedrooms. Three residents and one live-in staff member will share the home together. The planned community will also include a agricultural area where residents can learn skills related to farming. There will be a cheese making facility in the creamery and anyone can come and buy cheese and sample cheese in the cheese tasting room. There will also be an education area that will teach residents social skills and various job skills, and will include animal therapy as residents learn to raise miniature horses and donkeys.

What a great idea. What a wonderful place to have people with mental retardation feel like they are part of a community while also providing them with a level of independence few of them have had the joy to experience. And, what a relief for family members who worry about their future.

You can buy a raffle ticket to win a very expensive house in another planned community called The Woodlands. I bought one. Good Karma, good cause, and you just might win.