As our community looks forward to entering the post-Covid world, LEO’s dedication to creating affordable, reliable housing solutions for developmentally disabled adults remains strong. Everyone has the right to lead a dignified life, connected to friends and loved ones in a safe and stable home, and it was our privilege to be able to provide exactly that for the LEO home residents through the Covid-19 pandemic.

2020 taught us to value our homes and our communities of friends and loved ones more than ever before. Your support for sustainable housing will allow more developmentally disabled Issaquah residents to live in comfortable, affordable LEO houses, in the neighborhoods that they and their loved ones call home. Thank you for supporting us in this life-changing work.

Grace Robinson

Program Director, Life Enrichment Options

Our Programs

Housing In 2020, we were honored to be able to provide safe, stable housing amid global chaos for 20 people with developmental disabilities. We also opened the newly-constructed Nancy Whitaker House. Thanks to the generosity of LEO supporters from GiveBig 2020 and the Virtual Enriching Lives Luncheon, as well as a grant from the Kuni Foundation, we successfully raised the funds for LEO’s 5th home, the Mike Ernst House. LEO is thrilled to work with homebuilder Taylor Morrison on this project. Construction will soon be underway and we expect to be able to open our doors to six more residents and their care providers in 2022!

Recreation We had to be creative to meet our community’s recreational needs during the pandemic. With the support of generous donors, LEO launched a virtual recreation program we are calling Zooming Through the Pandemic! LEO home residents are able to attend a weekly virtual social club, and benefit from the support of a certified fitness trainer who is helping us all stay active and healthy.

Education There was a lot of discussion in Olympia over the last year about budget cuts in response to the pandemic. Some of the proposed cuts had the potential to destroy lives and leave thousands of people with developmental disabilities homeless. LEO partnered with the ARC of King County to organize info sessions to provide support to stakeholders, including local politicians, concerned about these potential impacts. We were relieved and grateful to hear that our local leaders have found other ways to make up the budget shortfall. LEO remains alert and engaged to educate others and to advocate for Washingtonians with developmental disabilities.

Employment Many people with developmental disabilities lost their jobs during the pandemic. This has been a major blow, not only to people’s budgets, but also to their sense of self-worth. LEO was grateful for the support of the LEO home residents as they worked together to produce videos to support our annual fundraiser. They also shared their experience with the Covid-19 vaccine to encourage other people with developmental disabilities to get vaccinated.

 

“The gift of safety and security in a nurturing environment outside of our home is more than we ever dreamed possible for our son. The transformation in his outlook on the future is hard to put into words. Fear has been replaced by peace. Hope instead of hopelessness. Inclusion, instead of exclusion. For my husband and I, we are both comforted to know that, whatever our journey is as we age, our son will be cared for in the most loving of ways in a LEO home.”

Lisa S.

Parent of a LEO home resident

By the Numbers

Our Future

Lessons for future advocates After more than 30 years of serving the Issaquah community, the founders and original members of LEO are taking time to share their stories with the Issaquah History Museums (IHM) to share lessons learned and create reference materials that will serve to guide future advocates.

Land Acquisition LEO continues to see additional properties in our service area for development into adult family homes. Combined with our existing properties, this expansion will allow us to offer stable, affordable housing to up to 40 developmentally disabled members of the greater Issaquah community.

Thank You!

Our Partners

Adam & Martha Pinsky
Ahlers, Cressman & Sleight LLC
Amy & Travis Sparks
Angela and Kert Zavar
Angela Dews
Angie Anderson
Ann & Philip Daaga
Arik & Rebecca Cohen
Art by Fire
Becky Gordon
Ben Pajardo
Benjamin Chang
Beth Donohoe
Betsy Thulien
Bill & Ellen Buxton
Bill Petschl
Bill Ramos
Brenda Jose
Brian Ashley/B&K Enterprises
Bruce McDougall
Bruce Walter
Carla Keller
Carol Ann Hoch
Cascade Diesel
Catherine Fieber
Charlotte Ann Rempfer
Cheng Ku
Cheryl Hancock
Chona & Jon Gascon
Chris and Sydney Weber
Chris Bruntz
Chris Searing
Christopher Frost
Christopher Henderson
Christopher Kaminski
Claire & Frank Mmbone
Connie & Jim Smithrud
Connie Thayer
Craig Hubbell
D.L. & Martha Robinson
Dan & Lynda Oliveres
Dan & Margaret Birdsey
Darcy Johnson
David & Barbara Boss
David Irons
David Laub
David Stoke
David Stokes
Deb Grove
Debbie Barnard
Deborah & Mike Donohoe
Deborah & Justin Taylor
Debra Morrow
Diana Padgett
Diane & Steven Marcotte
Diane Ghanbari
Dick & Becky Kitz
Donald & Sandra Lum

Don Curet
Dorothy Mann
Dr. Kenneth Heikkila
Drew Petschl
Eastridge Christian Assembly
Eastside Consultants, Inc.
Ed & Carol Gray
Ed Cassady/PSE
Eileen Whitcomb
Elieen Paylor
Elisabeth & Werner Daghofer
Emily Deiter
Encompass
Erica & Thom Morin
Erica Skinner
Ernest Erke
Evelyn & Paul Galasso
Ferdi Biscocho
Foster Family
Francis & Cindy Cheung
Fred & Sydney Hammerquist
Frederick Grimm
Frontstream
George Cheung
Gillian Boon
Ginny Garrity
Grace Robinson & Leonardo Merida
Gregory Brumann
Greta Haggerty
Hal Ferris
Halperin Family
Heather Kelley
Helen & Jeff Glenn
Helene Gilroy
Helene Wentink
Hochman Family
Holly & Cliff Conley
Ian & Paige Wilson
Imeeh Ballan-Magsanoc
James O’Neill
James Gibbons
James Mount
Jane Ellen & Winfred Seymour
Janet Milam
Jared Curtis
Jeanette Busby
Jennifer & Scott Tucker
Jennifer Deeny
Jennifer Deger
Jennifer Schwartz
Jerome Weisbecker
Jerry Wright
Jessica Kitz
Jiff & Jane Searing
Jim & Cathy Lamb
Jim & Bonnie Reinhardsen
John & Mary Sue Payne
John Baca
John Hemion
John Shaw
Joseph Schmitt
Julie & Michael Morris

Karen & Jim Reed
Karen Collins
Karen Lorenze
Karen Rhodes
Karen Stone
Kari O’Neill
Karl & Mary Lou Pauly
Kathleen & Gabi Parrish
Kathleen Lentgis
Kathy Rohrbach
Kelly Garwood
Kenneth McNair
Kevin McElroy

Kimberly Newton

Koni & Fred Riedel
Kristen Barnes
Kristi Riedel
Lad Smith
Larry & Jane Kimble
Laura & Mike Maloney
Laura and John Smiley

Laurie Grimm
Leanne & David Brown
Lee Anna & John Hayes

Leo Finnegan
Leslie Austin
Liebetrau/Jebco, INC
Linda Lentgis
Linda Palmeri
Lisa & Ed Stephens
Lisa Callan
Lisa Ubay
Lisa Yamasaki
Lucie Wong
Maggie Sheetz
Margaret & Rodger Shute
Maria Cumming & Brian Lacewell
Marv & Susan Nielsen
Mary & James O’Neill
Mary & Joseph Njuguna
Mary Cline-Stively
Mary Jane & Carl Swedberg
Mathew & Carolyn Lois Koziol
Matt & Ashley Glenn
Maury Corbin
May Ellen Demrose
Mayra Melka-Bal
McElroy Family
Michael Reinhardt
Mike Ernst & Carol Weisbecker
Molly Haggerty
Molly Marks
Monica & Tom Antone
Nancy Byrnes
Nancy Meeks
Nancy Whitaker
Nicole Rolfness
Northwest GTO Legends
NW Chevy
Pacific Specialty Foods LLC
Paige Neether
Patrice & Bill Schottelkotte
Patricia Varga
Patrick Sheehan
Pattermann Family
Paula Rudd
Peter Bullard
Polygon NW
Raine & Tony Pushckor
Reineke Family
Renae Thornton
Reri MacLean
Richard Benson
Richard Inglis & Pia Eriksson
Richard Robertson
Riedel Properties
Robert & Sue Wood
Robin Reents
Robin Tatsuda
Roger Boyce
Roseann Popa
Roseshel Howe & Clint Scott
Ross Roberts
Rotary of Lynnwood
Ruben Nieto
Ryan & Melanie Bierman
Sana Tariq
Scott Greenberg
Scott Krzyzanowski
Scott Shell
Sean Chilberg
Sharon Freas
Shawn Finnegan
Sherrill Brumbach

Shirley Searing
Sonya & Chris Scully
Steve Kitz
Sue Johnson
Sunset Hiway Cruisers
Susan & Arthur Dahlberg
Susan & Dave Danton
Susan Jacobson
Susanna Fuller
Suzanne & Jeffery Adams
Terese & John Brasino
Teri Quatman
Therese Vafaeezaden
TIm & Kimberly Searing
Tim and Annie Graber
Timothy Goodman
Timothy Lamb
Tina Anton
Tinamarie Antinelli
Tom & Elaine Hayden
Tracie Warren
Tracy Neether
Tucker & Madison Burns
Virginia McGarry
Washington State Employee’s fund
Whitaker Foundation
Whitney Starett
Wil Searing
Wright Family
Young Family

Special Thanks to the Kuni Foundation

and to our anonymous supporters in the community.

Download this report as a PDF

2020 Annual Report (pdf)

 

Past Reports:

2019 Annual Report

2018 Annual Report
2017 Annual Report
2016 Annual Report
2015 Annual Report