Love, Respect, Interdependence

Nonotuck offers shared living, adult family care and personalized day services for people with disabilities. Our mission is to provide people with disabilities a choice, a voice (however that may be defined) and the opportunity to live authentic lives.

Our Values

• Authenticity: We want the people we support to live their most genuine lives with authentic relationships and opportunities and for them to be empowered to make their own choices.
• Mutuality of love and respect: Everyone deserves to love and be loved, and to feel they are being seen, heard and realized, regardless of abilities.
• Interdependence: Caregivers and persons with disabilities are dependent on each other as they would be in any strong relationship or friendship. They can rely on each other for mental, physical and emotional support.
• Vulnerability: When we can be seen as our true selves or see others as who they truly are, we can live authentically and whole-heartedly. Allowing ourselves to be open is being vulnerable, and yet courageous.

History

Nonotuck was established in 1972 as a group living home for people with disabilities. As the ideal models of care have evolved, so have Nonotuck’s services, with perhaps the biggest leap being the shift from group homes to shared living.

Shared living has its roots in the L’Arche movement, founded in 1964 in France by philosopher, theologian, and humanitarian Jean Vanier. Nonotuck CEO George Fleischner introduced the concept to the communities served by Nonotuck in 1987.