Better Community Living, Inc. is a Greater New Bedford based agency made up of caring people supporting persons with disabilities, their families and their personal relationships to be valued members of their community, homes, work and neighborhoods by fostering individual VOICE, CHOICE and DREAMS.

Description:
Better Community Living, Inc. is a TEAM dedicated to creating QUALITY SUPPORTS and SERVICES that enhance the lives of the individuals we serve as they strive for greater independence in the community. Supports include Residential, Vocational and Community. All supports are family-centered, culturally sensitive, community-oriented and well-coordinated. Our TEAM promotes an environment that is flexible and conducive to individual needs and desires. We include interdependent communication between consumer, family and staff guided by the dignity of the individual. We empower individuals and families to speak out for themselves and respect ethnic and cultural diversity. OUR DEFINING PRINCIPLES include Quality Supports, Quality Services and a Team Effort to promote an environment that is flexible and conducive to individual needs and desires, including interdependent communication between consumer, families and staff. We are guided by the dignity of the individual which empowers them and their families to speak out for themselves. We respect ethnic and cultural diversity.
Our philosophy reflects the fundamental beliefs about a high quality of life for people with developmental disabilities and our role in making this a reality.

History:
Better Community Living, Inc. was established in 1988 and began by providing Residential Services for four individuals their first year, along with eight employees. The purpose of the agency was to provide instruction, companionship, full integration within the community, individual choice, a healthy and happy environment, stimulation of life within home and community and fostering high levels of family involvement.
We provide Residential, Vocational and individual supports to increase socialization and contact within the community and to promote opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities and their families to participate in the same life events as other citizens. Individual supports are available on a 24-hour basis. We also provide an Intensive Flexible Family Support Program whose primary purpose is to maintain the family unit and avoid out-of-home placement of a child. It provides needs in areas that include medical, social, educational, housing and transportation. Bridges to Faith is another program that exists to provide opportunities for spiritual enrichment to persons with developmental disabilities.
In 1998, Better Community Living, Inc. purchased the Del's Soft Frozen Lemonade franchise in New Bedford which continues to provide employment opportunities.
Today, we now serve 100 individuals at 15 residential sites and three work sites and have over 180 employees.
Better Community Living, Inc. continues to meet its challenges by improving in the quality of its agency by setting high standards in the supports it provides to individuals and their families.

Contact people:

Thomas Riley, Executive Director, (phone), (email) Kathleen Hardy, Administrative Assistant, (phone), (email) Jerry Kelleher, Asst. Executive Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: 508-999-5290

Address:

384 County Street New Bedford, MA 02740 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.BETTERCOMMUNITY.COM

Directions:

FROM POINTS NORTH (Boston): Take 24 South to Rte. 140 South to lights at Rte. 6. Continue through the lights onto Brownell Avenue. At next set of lights, take a left onto Hawthorn Street. Follow to end.. . . (more)   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Not Applicable   Nearest Bus Stop: Corner of County and Hawthorn Street, 3 Minutes minute walk