Bainbridge Island Special Needs Foundation/Stephens House

                    Don’t be fooled by the name!

Bainbrdige Island Special Needs Foundation/Stephens House, offers adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities from all of Kitsap County an affordable all-day program filled with structured activities, both at at our physical site in downtown Winslow and in all of Kitsap County. In March of 2020, we suspended our program due to the COVID 19 virus; last winter, we reluctantly gave up our lease on our beloved "Stephens House" in downtown Winslow. In February of this year, we moved to new space in the Eagle Harbor Congregational Church, fulfilling our desire to stay in the downtown core. We are excited about welcoming our members back when sate regulations allow. Our members, ranging in age from 20 to 75, arrive via Kitsap Transit to share a day of both planned activities and opportunities to “hang out” with friends. CrossFit, yoga, music, shopping for food and preparing lunches, arts and crafts, swimming, trips to beaches, parks, and museums are a sampling of the the activities they share. Our staff continually strives to maintains a balance of offering support and increasing opportunities for independence throughout the day. While building and sharing community, our members develop independence and confidence by learning from, depending on, and trusting those around them. We see this development daily: feeling supported enough to try something new (who KNEW that Jay would love playing the cello???), staying with something long enough to improve a skill (how many laps of the pool CAN Scott swim???), watching and listening to others (hearing Darian appropriately ask a visitor about her plans for Valentine’s Day), feeling safe enough to give up a compulsive habit (Sherri moving on from her knitting to join others in an art project). The confidence our members gain by being accepted, just as they are, and by being given opportunities to become increasingly independent, contributes to their well-being and happiness. The expectation of our staff is that each individual will both enjoy the day at Stephens House and feel that they are contributing: to know that their presence makes a difference!