Maura and Charlie Weis founded
Hannah & Friends in recognition of their daughter Hannah, who has been affected by developmental disorders.
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A Mother's Letter
When I was seven months into my pregnancy with Hannah, the doctors told me she had Polycystic Kidney Disease and wouldn't live for more than a few days. more...
Watch an interview with Maura and Charlie Weis at Hannah and Friends
Hannah & Friends welcomes first residents
Hannah and Friends welcomed its first residents with a 5:00 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 28. Representatives of the organization’s board, including Maura and Charlie Weis, attended a reception at the Eck Rec Center.
While Hannah and Friends has been hosting events for over a year, the four women moving into the Peter Schivarelli and Chicago Home will be the first full-time residents of the 40-plus acre property located in Northern Indiana. Peter Schivarelli, manager of the legendary rock band “Chicago,” has not only made personal contributions to Hannah and Friends, but the band "Chicago" has also been instrumental in donating fifty cents from every “Chicago” concert ticket sold to the organization. Schivarelli and the band have supported Hannah and Friends since its beginning.
Hannah and Friends’ second dwelling, the Jon Bon Jovi Home, were open for tours during the reception. Fundraising continues for the construction of additional residential homes as well as a respite home for families and a community therapeutic pool.
“When Hannah and Friends was founded six years ago, a target date of 2015 was envisioned for the opening of the resident homes,” explained Weis, chair and founder of the organization. “The incredible generosity of both the Michiana community and the Notre Dame family has been overwhelming, and we feel blessed to be able to welcome four special women to our community.”
Hannah and Friends provides housing and care for individuals with different abilities, and a waiting list for future residents is already growing. A neighborhood of four-bedroom homes will enable residents to integrate their lives into both the Hannah and Friends’ operation and the greater Michiana community. Mosaic, a faith-based national organization serving individuals with developmental disabilities, manages the home's direct support professionals and administration.
Hannah and Friends, founded by Charlie and Maura Weis in honor of their daughter, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children and adults with special needs. In addition to the ongoing development of Hannah and Friends Neighborhood, the organization also provides monetary grants to families caring for individuals with special needs and fosters an ongoing campaign promoting “Awareness and Compassion.”
Update from Maura and Charlie Weis
Dear Friends,
As I write this letter, I think back to the previous evening at the Eck Rec Center. I brought Hannah to a drumming class, along with 15 other children and adults with different abilities. As I stood in the back of the room, I watched as the entire group with their parents and siblings gleefully banged on sets of drums, all having the time of their lives. In that moment, I could see how much fun they were all having and no one was staring at them, it was just people sharing in a moment of pure joy and friendship. The drumming class is just one of many programs that we’ve initiated this year. We now offer a wide array of programs for all community members with different abilities to enjoy, including yoga, cooking, music, animal club, and even hay rides, just to name a few. Our new staff member, April, coordinates the programs and works with the participants of each class. Through these programs and the love our staff has for the people with different abilities and their families, people are forming lasting bonds with one another, which I find simply amazing.
Through your donations and support, we’ve turned this small piece of land into a permanent haven for all individuals with different abilities. I realize football is what brought notoriety to Hannah and Friends, but we have grown into so much more. We are changing the community, building friendships, and improving the lives of individuals with different abilities and are doing it at a place that will be here forever thanks to your generosity and endowment. We would love to show you how tremendous of an impact you’ve had on Hannah and Friends and this community that I invite you to visit Hannah and Friends and take a tour when you are in South Bend. Continue...
Jon Bon Jovi helps raise money for
Hannah and Friends in New York City
Additional Photos from the Gala with Coach Weis and Jon Bon Jovi
Miles from the Sideline
A Mother's Journey with her Special Needs Daughter
By Maura Weis
Learn more about Miles from the Sideline
Maura Weis discusses "Different Abilities"
I would like to share with you the phrase that I like to use instead of disabilities. The phrase is “different abilities”. I say this because I know first hand how people with so called “disabilities” really just have different abilities. My daughter Hannah has global delays and was originally diagnosed with Autism so she fits in the disabilities category. Now let me tell you what she has done in her 12 years with disabilities.
Hannah has taught me how to truly love someone unconditionally. She has taught me patience. She has deepened my faith in God. She has inspired me to write a book about our journey together. She has inspired me and Charlie to help others in need and not just think of ourselves by starting our organization Hannah and Friends. All of these lessons I have learned thru a child who couldn’t say “mommy” until she was 9 years old. The lessons learned through our friends with different abilities are what God has put us on earth for. Their lives are very difficult and they are not given much credit for having the hardships of mental or physical limitations. They work harder than any of us and they manage to be grateful and happy. How many of us can say the same?
Many people I am sure have felt bad for us for having a child with disabilities but I say “we are the lucky ones”. God has chosen to give us the gift of Hannah, our special angel who keeps life in proper perspective.
As she grows, so do I. The thing that always gets me is the public’s perception of a person who has different abilities. You would think with all of the awareness that is out there about people with Autism or Global delays that they would be more compassionate. Yet this is not really the case. I know people do not like talking about this, but as Hannah’s mom I can tell you it needs to be addressed. I have been in stores where people stare at my daughter and judge her and it hurts. To me, she is 100% perfect in every way. She is not the one with the problem. She may have a melt down and not one person will smile a compassionate smile or offer any assistance. Can you imagine having your child have problems and now you have to deal with these types of situations?
This is one of the reasons we started Hannah and Friends. We want to change the mind set of “normal people.” We want them to know that people with disabilities are people too. If a person has autism it does not mean that they do not have feelings, they do, they just cannot communicate them to us all of the time. Communication is a key issue for many people with different abilities. Can you imagine going one day without speaking? Now can you imagine how difficult it is for them everyday. Compassion is here in our community or we would not be able to build our farm in South Bend so soon.
Read "Perfect Souls" by Maura Weis
Hannah and Friends Date Night
Hannah and Friends resident Laura went on her first date on Wednesday
evening with Hannah and Friends drumming extraordinaire Dan.
Forty-seven-year-old Laura resides next door to the Eck Rec Center in
the Peter Schivarelli and Chicago Home. This was not only a first
date for Laura and thirty-five-year-old Dan but also the only date
that they have ever been on in their lives. Realizing that first
dates can be the cause of a few jitters, we also invited Hannah and
Friends Barn Manager Scott with his date Shelly for a double date.
The two couples were greeted at the Eck Rec Center by participants
from Hannah and Friends cooking class program. The cooking class
prepared a delicious meal of spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread
and parmesan zucchini (grown in Hannah and Friends organic garden). A
candlelight dinner for four was set by the fireplace as Chicago music
played in the background. Hannah and Friends staff and volunteers
served as the waiters and waitresses to make the night spectacular for
the two beautiful ladies and handsome men. Laura and Shelly wore
their best blouses and displayed smiles worth a million bucks. Dan and
Scott were gentlemen and made sure their ladies had food first before
they ate. Occasionally, Scott would brag to Shelly, Laura, and Dan
about his job as the Barn Manager taking care of the horses at Hannah
and Friends every Friday. Shelly was so proud that her man loved
animals and was so great at what he did.
Even though Laura and Dan were a little nervous, they were both
thrilled that this night was planned just for them, Shelly, and
Scott. It was the beginning of a great friendship for Laura and Dan.
The evening was a true testament to the importance of friendships in
life for individuals with different abilities. Individuals with
different abilities want the same unconditional love and friendship
that we all value. They want to feel beautiful inside and out and
have others recognized that beauty as well. Following dinner, the two
couples dance to music by Chicago and took several photos in front of
the fireplace. As the evening came to an end, Dan nervously asked
Laura for her number. Laura gave Dan her number and said "just make
sure you don't lose this number in the laundry." Plans for second
dates are already in the works and Hannah and Friends will now be
taking reservations:)
To see more pictures from Date Night, click here.
Hannah & Friends Neighborhood
Watch a video about Hannah and Friends Neighborhood
View plans for Hannah & Friends Neighborhood
View Photos of Coach Weis' visit with soldiers in Germany and the Middle East
