Bittersweet Spectrum | Fall 2017
A Dream Come True!
When Matt began attending Bittersweet’s Summer Enrichment Program in 2011, never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he would move onto the farm by the spring of 2017. His mom, Lori, put him on the waiting list for Bittersweet’s residential program the first summer he attended summer camp, but her best hope was that a spot would open up ten or twenty years down the road.
Imagine the surprise when Lori received a call from Admissions Specialist Tammy Chambers inviting Matt to move onto the Whitehouse farm! Matt was the next qualified candidate for the residential program to which he had applied— suddenly, he was first in line! Reminiscing about the moment Tammy called her with the news, Lori says, “it was bittersweet …a dream come true.” Tears of sadness because her youngest was leaving home to spread his wings suddenly turned into tears of happiness for Matt.
The timing was a dream come true for Matt, too. After watching his older sister move out and begin her career, Matt told his mom, “Now it’s time for me to move out!” Even seven months after moving onto the farm, Matt still feels like he is living a dream. He says, “Every time I see Dustin [Bittersweet’s Executive Director], I tell him, ‘Thank you for letting me live on the farm!’ And he always says, ‘Of course! Thank YOU for living here!’”
Matt has grown into life on the farm as he has grown into young adulthood. After thriving as a summer camper at Bittersweet, he began working in the day program at the Whitehouse farm. As a day program participant, Matt fell in love with working in the barn and caring for the animals. He says, “I love to work in the barn with my staff, Terrie and Brooke, and the animals.”
The relationships Matt built in the day program made his transition into the residential program a smooth one. He made friends, including his best friend Aaron, who is now one of his housemates. “I have some close friends on the farm. I like to live with them!”
For his parents, Mark and Lori, the staff and structured programming at Bittersweet have also been a dream come true. “The staff just know what makes Matt click,” Lori says, noting the structured days and consistent schedules at Bittersweet as key to his success. Even more, his parents delight that Matt “knows he has a purpose on the farm.”
As Matt grows into adulthood as a Bittersweet resident, he has plenty of dreams for his life on the farm! “My dream is to always do better in my work. My work on the farm makes me feel important.” Looking forward to Matt’s future at Bittersweet, Lori says, “we are so proud of him, so excited for him, just ecstatic!”