A local group is aiming to develop a community for young adults with a variety of ability levels and health issues to live independently.
Nancy Hanson is a Fulton local who was inspired to start this initiative because of her daughter, Shelby. Hanson was trying to find a way for her daughter to live as independently as she is capable of.
That is when she discovered the WeBUILT community.
Nancy described this on her Facebook page as a community where individuals live in separate homes with neighbors who are sensitive to their needs and want to support them.
In addition to a neighborhood to live in, inclusive programs and activities are held to help community members thrive.
Hanson said a local WeBUILT community would help these young adults and allow them to live up to their full potential.
"It's really hard to find words for all that WeBUILD encompasses and how beautiful it comes together and really works," Hanson said on her Facebook page.
Hanson wants to establish a WeBUILT community in the Fulton area. Although the idea is just getting started, she is passionate about the idea and said it would benefit so many different people in the area.
"I want to create a WeBUILT community in Fulton," Hanson said on her Facebook page. "I believe with my whole heart that this undertaking will benefit so many families in our community and will be a fabulous addition to Fulton and Callaway County."
Hanson posted a video on her Facebook page on July 5, announcing the location of the community and that it is under contract. The property is around eight acres in size and is located behind Tractor Supply.
Hanson will hold an informational meeting to allow community members to learn more about the concept and show support.
The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Sept. 2 at the Callaway Chamber of Commerce.
She will be joined by Ann Wilkinson, the founder of WeBUILT and mother of a child with special needs. She began the group in Clackamas, Oregon, which Hanson visited prior to starting the local Fulton project. This is where the original WeBUILT community is, and has been running since 2019.
The Fulton WeBUILT community is the first to replicate the Clackamas community.
In addition to Fulton, Eugene-Springfield in Oregon is also beginning to put together a WeBUILT community.