A few years ago, Dr. Robert Waldinger delivered a speech titled “The Good Life: Lessons from The Longest Study on Happiness”. The speech has been viewed over 50 million times on the Internet. 

Dr. Waldinger’s talk focused on the longest academic study in the United States, which started in 1938 and continues to this day. Ultimately, the goal of Harvard’s “Study of Adult Development” was to determine what makes people flourish. What are the parameters of human happiness? The ambitious project produced some startling results.

According to Dr. Waldinger, who is the current director of the program, 86 years of research indicated that while in their youth, the participants equated happiness with accumulation of wealth and professional success but ultimately the people who were happiest, who stayed healthiest and who lived the longest were those who had the warmest connections with other people. In fact, social interactions and rich community life were the strongest predictors of who was going to be happy as they grew old. 

Perhaps not coincidentally, there is a fundamental alignment between the results of the most enduring study in the United States and our philosophy here at GoodLife. We’ve always believed in the empowering influence of active human connections within the community and this belief is perfectly illustrated in our approach to our day services programs.

In the past, many organizations delivered “traditional” day services within the confines of a specialized facility—isolating men and women with developmental disabilities from the community.

At GoodLife, we have had a very different approach from the very beginning, almost 50 years ago. 

In collaboration with our academic partners at the University of Kansas, we developed schedules and programs designed to REMOVE the walls, both physical and metaphorical, around our Day Services. 

People with developmental disabilities deserve a chance to live a dynamic, fulfilling, socially enriching life. 

Individuals enrolled in our Day Services participate in a plethora of activities not only at our modern centers but, more importantly, out in the community. There is never a dull moment as people engage in various learning activities such as daily living skills, health and recreation programs, and volunteering opportunities.

As GoodLife grew, so did our day services and today, the individuals with disabilities we serve get to enjoy many options across our locations in Johnson, Douglas, Allen, and Sedgwick Counties in Kansas (and soon, Arkansas).

Living our value of Redefining What’s Possible, GoodLife created innovative day programs such as RISE (Real Individuals Succeed Every Day) and STEP (Stepping Towards Empowerment). These services are designed for the unique needs of semi-independent individuals who are interested in achieving a higher-level of independence while participating actively in their surrounding community. 

“It never gets boring here! We are constantly doing something exciting.”, claims Elena Ivanov who directs the Douglas County RISE, “Everyone in the program is active and motivated so it is usually a vortex of activities. And you know what’s the best part? I don’t prepare the schedules! Every month the individuals themselves write their preferred activities on a white board and the program follows their guidelines. This month we went to a Royals game, Top Golf, the Renaissance Festival, The Dole Institute, an Art Gallery, The Arboretum, played pickleball, went on nature walks, took classes and much, much more. It is very rewarding for everyone involved plus we are developing great relationships with local businesses, organizations and just regular people. But that’s just part of the story. It is very important to our individuals to give back to their community, so they volunteer regularly at local non-profits.”

“Yes, we volunteer all the time!”, joins the conversation Austin – who has been a RISE participant for years,” I love helping at Harvesters and the Humane Society, but we also have volunteers at Meals on Wheels and Pioneer Ridge.”

Elena smiles and her eyes light up, “I love being part of this. We are literally making a difference every single day.”

Tabitha Ethington, the Day Services Coordinator in Douglas County feels the same, “This is not your traditional day services. Our schedules are individualized, flexible and based on preferred activities. Learning is very important, so we have a lot of classes, but we also emphasize being out in the community, interacting with different people, staying physically active and healthy. We have at least two outings every day.”

The assistant coordinator, Holden Harshman, also emphasizes the self-direction component of Day Services, “People are different. Everyone has their own preferences, so we make sure the individuals and their staff are involved in the planning process. In fact, we have blocks of time in the schedules for activity research. Also, the services are bundled and distributed across various stations in our center, Midnight Farm, and the community. Nothing is rigid. Depending how you feel on a particular day you may choose an alternate activity. This allows people to engage in different things and not be limited by space, weather, mood, etc.”

As a recently hired manager, Ha’leah Timpley, has brought an abundance of positive energy to the Day Services in Johnson County. “We never stop doing exciting things around here!” exclaims Ha’leah with a big smile, “We learn, grow, craft, play, exercise and entertain every single day. The center is fantastic—there is something for everyone. We have a game room, movie room, sensory room, music room, art room, kitchen, dining room and a great yard for gardening and outdoor activities. That being said, we are constantly in the community. Our folks love going on nature walks, visiting parks and lakes, Deanna Rose Farmstead, shopping at Oak Park mall…you name it. We love the community, and the community loves us back.”

In addition to the day services centers in four Kansas counties, GoodLife owns and operates two spectacular rural locations: Midnight Farm near Baldwin and Rock Creek Farm in Towanda. The farms offer additional opportunities for recreation, growth, education and leisure through hands-on activities like animal care, gardening, arts, cooking, events, classes, and more. 

For decades, GoodLife Innovations has taken pride in being ahead of the curve in providing the highest quality of care for people with developmental disabilities. This is perfectly reflected in our approach to day services. We understand that such a program cannot be stagnant and must constantly evolve, change and grow. But maintaining such a level of quality is extremely challenging and requires substantial resources. 

Being in the community is essential to people’s wellbeing but Day Services across all GoodLife locations experience serious difficulties when it comes to funding, access, and transportation to events and activities.

“We have multiple people in wheelchairs,” says Tabitha, “To get them in the community we need specialized vans but those are not always available for our Day Services. It’s a logistically crucial issue. We desperately need more wheelchair accessible vehicles so we can increase our activities and presence in the community.” The same sentiment was shared by Elena and Ha’leah as many of their service participants have serious mobility challenges. Without readily available wheelchair accessible vehicles, the heart and soul of the program—the community involvement—is in danger. Similarly, it’s a common challenge to come up with the funding to allow GoodLife staff to attend local events along with Day Services attendees (a MUST to support them and keep them safe). 

In the midst of the Holiday season, we have launched a fundraising campaign in support of the growing needs of our Day Services. The importance of this program cannot be overstated. For decades it has provided the individuals with disabilities we serve with rich learning environments, life skills acquisition, self-expression, recreational opportunities and, just as importantly, a gateway to the community. 

Throughout the years, it took a lot of effort, planning and goodwill to deconstruct the walls around day services and free them from the limitations of isolation. Bringing down those walls has proven harder than erecting new ones. We cannot compromise and diminish the achievements of our flagship program. It is too important. After all, learning, thriving, and aging within the community is the very key to human happiness according to the oldest academic study in the United States.

When that study began 86 years ago, one of the 724 participants was a teenager named John. Twenty-six years later he placed his right hand on a bible and swore an oath to preserve, protect and defend the constitution as president of the United States of America.

Despite the weight of his office and the turbulent political era, John F. Kennedy continued to participate in the study. Maybe because he understood its implications and what it could reveal about the human condition. Deep down he certainly knew that a Good Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not just words written in an old document, but an unalienable right.

Just like us, the 35^th president believed in service without walls, so it comes to no surprise that our philosophy is perfectly encapsulated in his own words:

“Liberty without learning is always in peril; learning without liberty is always in vain.”