November 2, 2020  BY AACRES WASHINGTON

Lee has been supported by Aacres in Vancouver since 1999. He had a tough childhood and was in the foster care system by the age of eight. Due to his past, he is slow to trust people he has just met and can appear shy. Despite this, Lee is a caring and kind soul.

 

He starts his mornings early by making coffee and chatting with his staff and his pet, Snowball, who he takes everywhere. He makes a point to always ask his staff how they are doing and occasionally, Snowball will talk with others when Lee doesn’t feel comfortable answering. According to Lee, Snowball gets into mischief frequently and he loves talking about his companion. 

 

Lee lives in his own home with his best friend of many years. People who work with him appreciate his independence and respect that he likes a quiet environment with minimal questions. Although he has limited vision, he is able to read and write and engage in his community, often going to concerts and shows. He always brings enough money for a t-shirt from the event, and gets excited when people see his shirt and ask if he was at the concert.

 

Lee loves all genres of music and is known to be an encyclopedia of music history. He can tell you who is playing, the year they started, which original band members were replaced by whom, and the year it happened. Lee has been retired from his job at Everyday Music after working there for 16 years. He has hundreds of records and CDs and his own music room at home. If he hears your favorite song come on the radio, he will turn it up for you! 

 

Lee has developed many skills since being supported by Aacres. He now walks the block of his neighborhood weekly and goes to the corner store near his home without staff present. He has developed close relationships with his birth family and many community members. Lee is a great example of the growth in skills, and relationship building that Supported Living can provide.