About Terre Haute Friendship House
Our Story
Our story is a grassroots effort that came from listening and learning from our friends with disabilities. As we did life with our friends, we realized their desire to have jobs, live on their own, and experience life beyond their parent's houses. We set out to do something about those things, but it wasn't until one of our community partner's said to us, "If we wanted to go out and spend the evening hanging out, we could. Our friends don't have that chance. It was that statement that compelled us to see the real and unmet need at the heart of it.
COMMUNITY
Friendship House became our answer to that need. It's a house for our residents to live in, but it is also a house for anyone to come and find a place that feels like home. Whether that is a neighbor stopping by on the porch or a group of our friends with disabilities laughing in the front yard, we want this to be a place where we can eat together, pray together, and celebrate together. In fact, we believe our story can be your story too.
Our Mission
To offer an inclusive and affordable housing model that brings individuals with and without disabilities together in community to reach their full potential.
Our Team
Our team is made of people committed to making Terre Haute a more inclusive place to live, work, and experience life.
We are currently looking for new board members who share the passion and vision for creating affordable housing and opportunities for those in the disability community as well as young adults in college or entering the workforce.
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Executive Director
Jess Berryhill
Jess has been serving the disability community for nearly 10 years now. She is the founder of Terre Haute Friendship House. She lives on site with residents and enjoys seeing them grow and thrive. She loves spending time with her dog, Cooper, backpacking, and building Lego projects.
Board President
Jamie Rader
Jamie's commitment to the disability community began when he met his best friend, Jack, at a prom like event for individuals with disabilities. Their friendship has only grown since then. His passion for Friendship House is fueled by that friendship. Jamie is married to Amy and they have two kids.
Treasurer
Mike Mucci
Mike has watched his teenage daughter step into the disability community and the impact it has made on her. Mike has experience in both the finance and business world. He currently helps operate Bites and Blessings here in Terre Haute. Mike is married to his wife Heather and they have four kids.
Board Secretary
Taylor Pepperworth
Taylor was one of the first student residents at Terre Haute Friendship House. She has been actively involved in many organizations serving the disability community including Bambino Baseball, Grace Unlimited, and ARC of the Wabash Valley. She is currently in law school and hopes that she can continue to advocate for those with disabilities. Taylor lives with her dog, Quincy.
Friendship House News
Here's a list of stories that have featured Terre Haute Friendship House.
Many of them include news about the launch and why Friendship House exists.
The Center for Congregations highlighted Terre Haute Friendship House's work with them.
Ability Ministry shared three blog posts written by our Executive Director, Jess. You can access those here.
Our Executive Director, Jess Berryhill, talks about the journey of serving individuals with disabilities.