Thanks to a Donation from the John F. Wallace Trust

Fidelity House teams up with Waypoint Adventure, Inc.

Challenge and Support

From day hikes and backpacking, to rock climbing and kayaking; Waypoint Adventure challenges its clients to become more knowledgeable and experienced in accessing  nature and all it has to offer. 

Thanks to a donation from the John F. Wallace Trust, Fidelity House was able to partner with Waypoint to offer monthly adventure programs to a number of our adult  individuals willing to challenge themselves through outdoor adventure.  Fidelity House staff worked with Dan Minnich and Adam Combs – the staff and founders of Waypoint to design fully accessible adventure programs that inspire teamwork, help develop physical and social skills and encourage personal challenge and growth. 

Dan and Adam bring to all their participants, including the Fidelity House team, many years of experience in both outdoor education and in adaptive recreation.  They allow individuals with developmental and other disabilities to experience the joys and rigors of rock climbing, hiking, kayaking and more. Through their participation, the Fidelity House individuals have developed many talents and have turned initial fear into joy and have found freedom in personal transformation.  

After an initial team building meeting, the group chose the themes of challenge and support for their experience. The first adventure program was held this spring and featured indoor rock climbing. This program was a good way to kick off the Waypoint experience because our team was challenged to push themselves and reach new personal goals but in a safe and controlled environment. The program was a great success, as were the hiking and outdoor rock climbing trips that followed.  A kayaking trip and a final hike will end the season.  Future plans include more programming for adults as well as a new program designed for teens.   

Waypoint programs foster success. Our team learned to engage in an unfamiliar environment, make new friends, and build confidence and self-esteem by simply making the attempt to complete the challenge. “I was so scared… I couldn’t believe I did it, but I made it all the way to the top!” Jacinto said after accomplishing the rock wall challenge. Luis stated that “I feel more independent and have more confidence within myself.”   

Dan’s notes from the Waypoint –Fidelity House hike: 

“We stopped the group half way into our trek through the Harold Parker State Forest in order to read Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” It was a perfect location for us to read it. The path in front of us literally forked with one of the paths quickly disappearing into the woods, and showing no continuance on the map either.  Jeff, from Fidelity House, volunteered to read the poem. We listened while he read, “And looked down one as far as I could, to where it bent in the undergrowth… Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” We left the decision to the group and after several minutes of deliberation they chose the path which quickly disappeared. Later that day, while sitting on a rock overlooking a pond just a short distance from where we knew we would find our vans, we talked about the importance of facing challenge in our lives. Several of the men opened up and shared personal insights about challenging experiences in their lives and what those events had taught them. We closed the day recapping our two goals for the entire series, Challenge and Support, and each man had an opportunity to share how they saw our group accomplish these goals during that program.”

Patti and Larry at the Open House

Fidelity House Human Services (FHHS) recently celebrated the opening of their second group home in Haverhill, bringing the total number of staffed homes accomodating individuals with developmental disabilties in the Merrimack Valley to a total of 18.  Built from the ground up, this beautiful home supports the new lifestyles of its residents: Larry, Donna, Andy, Joe and Suzy. The residents were joined by family, friends and staff members  to celebrate this milestone in their lives and enjoyed showing off their their new rooms. All their rooms were colorfully decorated with posters, wall decorations and more.  Larry, in particular, was eager to welcome everyone stating “Before I moved to Fidelity House I watched a lot of tv, but now I’m too busy; we’re always having fun doing something else!”    

Front View of House

The house looked amazing, featuring a large kitchen, comfortable living room and a study with a great view of the front lawn. The sun shone over the patio where people relaxed and enjoyed the gorgeous view from the home’s location high upon the hill.  The house is fully accessible to allow all the residents maximum independence.       

Resident Larry (Left), Resident Donna (Bottom), Terry, Donna's Sister (Right), and Nicole, Staff (Top)

Resident Adam (Center) with his father and brother

Recently we celebrated the opening of a brand new home in Haverhill. Its new residents, George, America, Adam and Carmen, gathered with family, friends, and staff for a lovely afternoon of laughter, refreshments and tours to celebrate their beautiful new home located at the end of a lovely cul-de-sac in a tree lined rural neighborhood. The light filled home features a large, modern and open plan, with four bedrooms, a cozy den, a sunroom, and a large open kitchen/dining area with adjacent living room. It is fully accessible and features state of the art adaptations for the comfort and safety of each of its new residents. It was a warm welcome to the start of a new life.          

Vince MA Department of Developmental Services (Left), Resident Carmen(Center) and Mary Director of Residential Services (Right)

Resident George (Right) and Board member Mary Ellen Maccarone of Methuen (Left)