Like so many of us, Steve has struggled to stick to some of his personal goals throughout the pandemic. With newfound determination, Steve is getting back on track with setting and maintaining his goals.
In addition to a focus on eating healthier and being more active, Steve is making strides towards meeting his Individual Support Plan (ISP) goal of improving his reading and writing skills. This is an important goal for Steve because he believes it will increase his independence and confidence.
Since starting this journey, Steve received several sets of books, CDs and other learning materials to help him reach his goal to become more literate. In addition to having access to these learning materials, Steve is paired with Mariann Ayers, a substitute teacher in the Salem-Keizer public school district. Mariann volunteers her time every Saturday morning to tutor Steve. “I always enjoy my visits with Steve. I feel really good because the weekend staff tell me that he looks forward to my visits each week. I am THRILLED to see his progress so far,” said Mariann.
“Steve has had a goal to improve his reading skills for years now with little success,” explained Vanessa Garrison, assistant manager at Steve’s home. “With these [learning materials] and with guidance from Mariann, we expect the outcome will be very positive for Steve.”
When asked what his favorite part about this experience has been so far, Steve said, “Mariann goes slow, and she doesn’t give up on me. I didn't learn to read in school. I'm excited to read books on my own.”
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