“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” – Helen Keller
GoodLife and ANCOR (the American Network of Community Options and Resources) both strive to powerfully impact the lives of individuals with disabilities by redefining what’s possible for independence. Together, we can leverage technology and humanity with innovative approaches, empowering stronger and more inclusive communities.
ANCOR is a non-profit advocacy organization, representing more than 1,600 community-based service providers nationwide, impacting more than 1 million individuals with disabilities. For more than 50 years, ANCOR has been working on behalf of service providers across the country to shape policy, share solutions, and strengthen communities. ANCOR helps agencies envision and build the best possible future for the individuals and families they serve.
A valuable partnership
GoodLife’s mission is to make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Part of how we achieve this is by partnering with like-minded organizations. ANCOR’s mission is to advance the ability of its members (that’s us!) in supporting people with I/DD to fully participate in their communities. That’s why GoodLife (formerly CLO) is an ANCOR member, and has been for many years.
In 2019, we took our partnership a step further, and GoodLife became a Gold Partner, joining a unique cross-section of companies that provide diverse solutions for supporting ANCOR members. GoodLife is one of 24 dynamic organizations comprising ANCOR’s slate of Gold Partners. “Independence is a tremendously important key to a healthy, fulfilling life,” says ANCOR CEO Barbara Merrill. “GoodLife’s models create inclusive communities that utilize on-demand remote services by seeing caregivers as neighbors. The result is true independence and true inclusion for people with diverse abilities. We’re thrilled to [share] their innovations with our growing community of providers.”
A case of show and tell
Good old-fashioned word-of-mouth is what triggered the partnership. “I kept hearing about GoodLife, this organization focused on creating service models that center around independence for people with I/DD and aging populations by integrating technology within their programs, and that I had to go and see what they were up to,” remembers Barbara. GoodLife was gaining momentum, but Barbara wanted to see it in action. She visited our Kansas headquarters during the summer of 2018, and her reaction was, “Wow!”
“I’m still wowed by what GoodLife showed me. They are truly reimagining and redefining independence through neighborhood support systems and I am grateful for the opportunity to work together to help take their solutions to scale,” says Barbara. She’s not the only one taking notice. GoodLife’s approaches have been capturing national attention. The Neighborhood Network and iLink Technologies were recognized in 2016 by Autism Speaks, Inc. as the most innovative service approach in the international HeroX House to Home competition and most recently in 2020 as the winner of the Moving Mountains Award.
As the partnership matured, Barbara felt the right next step was to share GoodLife with others so they could also catch a vision for the future of service model and technology integrations. This month, July 2021, Barbara hosted the ANCOR Board of Directors meeting and the ANCOR Foundation meeting in Kansas City to make that happen. “GoodLife is doing some amazing work with tackling both the direct support provider (DSP) labor crisis and developing integrated technologies within provider infrastructure,” says Barbara. “Not only that, but they are sharing how they do it with providers across the country through GoodLife U. I want to show these innovative, cutting edge ideas and strategies to key stakeholders within ANCOR.”
GoodLife is ready to help providers with workforce strategies, next generation service models, and cutting edge technology—all of which put more margin in your mission and positively impact your bottom line. We can’t wait to meet you and begin to partner for possibility. Contact us today!
