RESIDENTIAL OVERVIEW
Yellow House Community offers an opportunity for adults with special needs to make a transition into the “real world,” just as typically developing adults would have, to a lifestyle that recognizes and employs their strengths, supports continued learning and growth, and provides the opportunity for developing loving relationships with new people other than their parents and immediate families. YHC is committed to the sustainability of this lifestyle for the lifespan of each individual. Residents of the Yellow House Community enjoy all-inclusive room, board, and enriching daytime programming and work support. YHC is licensed as a Therapeutic Community Residence (TCR), recognized by the State of Vermont; YHC can accept Medicaid Waiver funding to support the cost of residency for qualifying individuals.
LIFE TOGETHER
Together at YHC, our residents and staff collaborate to run the household and organize events that further enrich their lives. Yellow House provides residents with structured, purposeful days through household management, industry, and social/recreational opportunities both within YHC and the broader Middlebury community.
PROGRAMMING
Although traditional models champion the goal of independence for individuals with special needs, Yellow House Community celebrates the idea of interdependence – that individuals can depend on and support one another as they strive to be their healthiest, happiest selves. In fitting with this thinking, YHC programming promotes caring for one another.
Daily activities are designed around the theme of Taking Care: Taking Care of our Bodies, Taking Care of our Home, Taking Care of Each Other, Taking Care of Our Community. Programming is enriched by trips to the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op to shop for healthy food, explorations in the kitchen, volunteer opportunities with local organizations, exercise sessions at Middlebury College, fieldtrips to local businesses, lunches with neighbors, a monthly Artist-in-Residence series, visits to the Middlebury town library, holiday celebrations, and seasonal recreation (XC skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, swimming) to name a few. Projects, art, music, and good food are programming staples at Yellow House. YHC’s downtown location provides easy access for residents to community resources, events, and social activities so Yellow House residents are always in the mix.
THE “YELLOW HOUSE”
The Yellow House Community is named for its first dwelling, a beautiful, historic home with a cheerful yellow exterior. YHC is based at 29 Seminary Street, in the walkable village of Middlebury, Vermont. The property is within a ¼-mile walk of a bus stop, grocery stores, the post office, the recreation center, the library, and many other essential amenities. The Yellow House was recently renovated and features a fully ADA accessible main level with ADA parking, a covered access ramp, accessible powder room, fully accessible bedroom with en-suite bathroom, as well as fully accessible kitchen, living, dining, and den spaces. The house has five bedrooms, five bathrooms (and one powder room), a laundry room, and mudroom. Residents have wi-fi access and transportation available via our 15 passenger YHC van. The property has a large, fenced in lawn area for recreation and social events, as well as a garden for growing delicious fruits and vegetables. The house has been designed to accommodate three or four residents with special needs and the necessary household staff. The Yellow House is a dignified residence that embodies the feeling of “home” for all who live there.