EL CAJON, Calif. — Every Monday, CBS 8 features a different non-profit, to shed light on the good happening in our community. We'd like to tell you about Home of Guiding Hands.
This non-profit helps thousands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "I love living here, it's fun!," one resident said.
They say their mission is simple - improve the lives of those they serve through care, advocacy and empowerment.
"When you meet Julia, she will make you smile and light up your whole day," Edward Hershey said, who is the President and CEO. After having a daughter with special needs and navigating what he calls a challenging system, Hershey set a goal to help people get access to the resources that are available.
"Now people are living longer, they're outliving their parents which used to not be an issue. So our life planning helps. How do you make sure those needs are met?" he said.
Hershey says because of Home of Guiding Hands, Julia and so many others are thriving.
They now have 31 homes across East County, with four to six people living inside, with 24/7 support.
"I was cooking at a home for dinner last night, and the lady was celebrating her 82nd birthday and for the majority of those years, she's lived with HGH," Hershey said.
Some may remember HGH started as a residential campus in Lakeside, 55 years ago - now the scope of their programs, is much wider. From financial management and independent living to respite care and transportation around town.
"It's that community approach, and sometimes we lose sight of that - we're here to help," Hershey added.
HGH started with 200 clients. They now serve 4,500 in San Diego and Imperial counties - and despite staffing shortages in this field, 100 staff members have turned into nearly a thousand. They do receive state and some federal funding, but also need community support.
"We do have volunteers - time, talent and treasure is what we say. So you might have resources to financially help, you might have time, or a skill," Hershey said.
And while there are some strong competitors sharing the stage, Home of Guiding Hands is up for top non profit by the East County Chamber.
"I think non profits are fantastic and do some heavy lifting," he added.
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