 Hi, I am Jan Reardon and I am a very proud and honored member of the Jennifer Reardon Foundation. I'm on the board and my brother created the foundation to honor his wife, Jennifer and her mantra of always being kind, loving, caring and sharing. The four pillars of the foundation are women's empowerment, financial literacy, early childhood education and community vitality. Speaking of community vitality, I have the absolute pleasure of introducing two of the most amazing women in my world that I have known forever and ever, family, friends from way back when. And this is also a follow up to a show that we did have on the Kindness Connection a couple of years ago when Kathleen came over during the pandemic. Kathleen was at my house and Kevin came over and did the filming right there. So we had an introduction to Martha's Barn which is what we are following up on today speaking of community vitality and just a way that we can really come together and be supportive of one another, people with all backgrounds, disabilities, whatever the case may be, we're coming together and this barn is going to be built and it's already filled with great activities and Kathleen is here to share that with us but first I just want to introduce Kathleen Corbanus who is the president of Martha's Barn Inc. And then the great pleasure of Martha Corbanus and I just love having you here. Not only is Martha, which I need to slip in the former owner of the Lincoln Inn back in the good old days when everybody knew your name in Essex and it was the place to go but as the founder of Martha's Barn because of your love for your granddaughter Martha obviously and we'll talk about that more but I just wanted people to know who's here and why we're here and it's all for good things well. It's my pleasure and I speak the truth. So why don't we start off Kathleen if I can just ask you perhaps to just give us a little history on why there is Martha's Barn and I know it's a lot to catch up 21 years of time here but why we are talking about this right now. I think how and I get really emotional so I have to keep notes or I'll cry the whole time. How Martha's Barn really got started was Yaya Martha and Yaya Emma right? And Yaya's grandmother in Greek. Yeah so Martha's named after Yaya both of her grandmothers. Beautiful. Who are very strong women in my life. Oh absolutely what role models. We're going to cry the whole time it's okay. Well now we have women's empowerment mixed in with community vitality so this is perfect but let's talk about all the wonderful things and what this love has done and continues to do. It is about love. Talk about trials and tribulations and here we are and it's all about love. So when I say how incorporating that model so Yaya Emma and Yaya Martha are the incorporators of Martha's Barn and so I think you know when I brought this up to them the property was already in the family and Yaya had envisioned it for Martha. And so I said well that's a wonderful gift and that's a wonderful life home and how are we going to do this and I said well. And if you don't mind that model just could back up for anybody that may not have seen the first show just to know that Martha does have autism and the reason you're doing this is to make sure she lives a full quality life and that's what came about with the discussion of the barn and that's where all this is going. Right okay so yep she's she has autism she's 23 years old which is crazy that these years have flown by so we first really incorporated in 2014-ish 2015 and you know worked really hard with stakeholder input on how to figure this out but so Martha has autism and my brother Lenny who I brought his book again he had a traumatic brain injury so when I was 10 years old my brother had a TBI that changed his life forever and I watched my mom as a 10-year-old work really really hard to set up a lifelong care home for him so that he didn't have to live a life of isolation exactly because his prior options would have been institutionalization and we do not institutionalize anymore right so I knew the model of care that that our Martha would need and so so these awesome moms incorporated and then I gathered a couple friends who were prior teachers of Martha right who knew her well and I said listen I Martha says she wants to be a farmer when she grows up it all started right was it yeah and you had the land and this beautiful home and right in Essex yeah and it's just a beautiful the universe oh exactly um you know here she was I think 11 when she started saying it um and most kids with autism don't say what they want to be when they grow up always who does so she started I would be like Martha what do you want to be when you grow up and she'd be like a farmer and she'd be so happy and she loves eggs and she loves vegetables right I mean I would take her to school in the morning and she'd grab a head of cauliflower for the car ride oh her salt grinder and she'd be like hilarious yeah um so I said okay how do I build a business out of what she loves and how do I help other people and so I didn't have to look very far because I looked toward my my history my my family's life and so how and why we decided to do this is because there's an enormous need um not just for Martha um but for all of Martha's peers exactly and there's a lot of people um in the community that people don't even know we exist you know it's right ages 22 to 64 there's a really large dynamic of of aging parents and young adults um who need lifelong long-term care right so that's why right and I love the fact that there's now you know because of Martha's barn and all that you have done so much more awareness so that people are comfortable because I think part of the you know the awkwardness and the fear of others is the unknown and I think the more people know and then that love is there and they're not surprised by anything they expect and understand different behaviors because we all react differently and who doesn't I mean there's all sorts of you know ways to react to something and and many people have you know anger issues and that's what they're dealing with this is just one more form of how to deal with patients and when people are around you and so that's what I love about the show is that we're able to again put the word out there let people know that there's great things happening and that this is a part of our community that makes us stronger and makes us better absolutely yeah good thank you yeah so let me I'm going to just shoot over to Martha now with my question of what is your actual vision Martha for Martha's barn like what would you see as a perfect day if you were to stop by there or what are your thoughts on what it will accomplish what I see is actually what Kathleen sees I might repeat myself but I do go going way back in 2004 when we sold the Lincoln Inn we decided to buy this property which was a little home with three acres with a vision that this would be Martha's dwelling without realizing the work and the effort behind it not only to benefit our child but because the three acres gave the opportunity to develop something else that would benefit the community exactly and that time what Martha was five or six years old yes exactly so you're thinking ahead and obviously realizing the current need as well as others that didn't have this opportunity when they became young adults when you get that diagnosis you know it's lifelong yes exactly and you're planning for yeah the future right right yes you do and we also knew that at some point she might have to be sent out of state and that was not an option we wanted exactly and Kathleen has worked very hard to get this underway right it's a huge accomplishment Martha will be guaranteed a place quality of life quality of life close to her parents exactly and something that will benefit the community other children absolutely that would because if the option is to send your child out of state it's a very traumatic oh absolutely I mean for for everybody involved right I know and to be able to take that obstacle out of this really emotional scenario is just you know talk about a gift to the community and not only to your daughter and granddaughter I mean this is far-reaching yes I'm gonna need tissues I am I think I am gonna need tissues at some point I don't want to start using my sleeve right okay uh let's see so so to continue with that then Martha what would you say would be a day that would be glorious for you to see when you go to the barn and everything has all been you know built and developed and programs that are I would like to see it before I pass oh when you pull in the driveway on in your you know on your motorcycle what do you want to see going on yes I want I want to see other children in the property yes they could be farming they could be playing they could be uh socializing I just want to see other children in that place and adults and adults yes because they are I mean Martha's always she's always our little girl but yeah but we do want to be children and adults so um not not the residential part that would be adults but the community space and social space and lifelong connections right and to be clear about the residential piece so Martha lives in the house that's there right now that everything began with and there would be perhaps room for one other person to be there and then in the barn what's the residential piece of that along with all the activities that would be going on yeah another residential piece for the barn as well right and how many people are you thinking would be able to I think three total is a very manageable very manageable comfortable the future we don't know what the future holds but I think three is a very sustainable model right now right and I love the idea of the multi-purpose space because we all know exchange and you can you know as long as you have that opportunity you can create all new types of you know activities and programs there as need be over the years which is nice that there is that flexibility and this can be a model for the people exactly to develop the same concept exactly to replicate in other communities with other needs and because Kathleen has worked very hard to bring this into fruition absolutely we can stand as a model so family throughout the state right because really there isn't anything quite like this in place there's other versions but not quite to this level where it opens up to the community and people can come in and do different activities based on their passions yeah not really I mean I'm very inspired by other models that I know around the state the yellow house is an amazing right to our models a little bit different because of our our funding streams are a little bit different than other models but the social space gathering the the clients that live there their families right I mean all I'm all about the circle of support exactly because sadly we're going to pass right and we need the next generations you know coming forward and so the circle of support of of just social engagements right and the resources you know through other people obviously loved ones but then even the business community you know you think about all the different jobs and things and maybe you could talk a little bit more if you would about what Martha does and what some of her friends do to really help and contribute to the community and I think there's a lot more of those opportunities available that you know I'm sure you're pursuing yep it's a little bit complicated and I only want to talk about on behalf of Martha sure there's another boy who he's fine with me kind of talking about his passion but that's Jacob's laundry oh wonderful and Martha's is Martha's eggs and vegetables and so that's kind of a little entrepreneurship so what do their days look like when they are working so Martha's doing it now right and it's laundry for a young man who's in a wheelchair so she takes in his laundry does his laundry brings it back to him ten dollars and Brittany her caregiver who's amazing is like you know what let's give that back to Ann Dodd's food shelf oh so that a nice you know which just is amazing because you know we don't cycle yeah yeah supporting one another the eggs and vegetables is a tougher one right now because we're just kind of starting out with gardening again but we do the three chickens right now we will get bigger when when we have more people sure but right now three chickens and the garden growing and Martha either doing a farm stand or you know or just growing her own food exactly right and the education around that too just to be whether you're visual or audio type of learner that were can aesthetic whatever you can you have the opportunity to experience that and see that that's something that you want to do and you didn't even know that before you know speaking of everyone you know it's just great experience for people we do have a website page um oh good and it's about Martha and um and just all the skills that she's really learning what she puts into action and that will come up here but can you give us the website address please just so that people can access that later on yep uh www.marthesbarnvt.com perfect i think we'll double check and see it's right here yeah okay it's not yeah yep www.marthesbarnvt.com perfect yeah um so um it was a little scary for me at first actually to put my daughter's picture on the oh i bet i bet it really is like i know there's that whole other aspect that you don't want to even think about it it's so pure as far as the the mission and to think about you have to be aware i can't operate out of fear no you know i can't let that stop you i can't right if i operated out of fear nothing would happen heartbreak i would live under a rock and i can't exactly i have to keep going right and you have done that yeah i brought my little purple butterfly that inspires me but every day i just think you know absolutely one more day forward yes exactly and that's talk about one foot in front of the other we've proven that that yes exactly we're going forward right now in some ways i'm sure you know it never gets easier but then in other ways if you give yourself time and credit to you know seen and look back on all the accomplishments to get to this point yeah it's remarkable exactly exactly not only that Jen but you can see it in Martha's face oh now how happy she is yes and so how well adjusted she is to her environment right so where you are what you do does make a big difference to a child with problems absolutely and we've seen Martha unhappy oh and now to see her thrive and now to see her in this environment it's like a miracle i mean it is it's an intentional miracle from what you've done but it is yes yeah she facetimed me yesterday and the day before and um and uh my mom actually is in a nursing home now and i was at that's why she's not yeah that's why i'm crying a lot i'm sorry but um we're missing her and we're you know and it's just hard for me to talk about but um but she'll facetime at these moments when i'm together and i wish she was there but you know it's it's hard to i'll go to a nursing home together and things like that but you know she all of a sudden i were having dinner at the nursing home together and martha facetimes in oh boy i hold up the ipad and here she is thank god for technology i love technology yeah and it's just um because we were all just barely talking about her that's really yes yeah and i was showing videos of all the wonderful things that she's been doing and right so here she is facetiming oh my goodness and who would have thought years ago that she'd be facetiming you you know yeah yeah well she's you know she's getting more independent she's developed right and she is and she is and she refers to her environment as home so you know that that's right yeah and she would not have been this independent yeah it's not been for what you have done as a family it's a lot of incredibly hard work yes to um raise a child with some complex needs and figure out their life plan and their home and sustain that absolutely and i know a lot of other parents now really the pandemic brought us together and i know a lot of other parents who who live in my shoes um and everybody's quite scared sure um and as you say as the children are aging now they're young adults and when when they're smaller it seems like you have more control just like you do with the time and the parents are aging well that's it they have that fear as well and that is so damn resources like this right in Essex is beautiful for the community to be stronger and i don't i i am gonna toot our horn a little bit i'm sorry but um you know here we are alex and i on the board together and yeah and alex's brother and you know and because having a child with a disability can really be rough yeah it's a family it's of course it can be pretty tough it's hard enough you know having a family that's together no less when you have all of these additional issues that you have to deal with as a team you know you're not on the same page at the same time is the problem all that love is there but you know it's coming together at that time and thinking the same way and kudos to you Kathleen because i and Martha too to have everybody but here we are united exactly and all of us playing a role in the panel exactly our child and for each other right for support because as we said it's not easy no and the parents bear the most brunt of that for sure absolutely and then when we meet other families which i do often um you know it's it's kind of that positivity positivity is kind of magnetic right and that inspires you yeah you know and you're talking when you join forces that's right when you join forces you're not alone we're not alone in this you know we can collaborate we can collaborate exactly yeah and we need one another i mean and thankfully you did get together during the pandemic because as we've seen what that pandemic did to people you know just that were in perfect health but they're home alone and nobody was going to see them and and then all of a sudden there's mental illness so there's so many different factors and features of everybody that you walk down the street and see so everybody just needs to be more accepting and understand you know all the benefits of of what everybody brings into the community right right to accomplish the greater good exactly when your goal is that you put all your emotional feelings on the side right and stay the course and this is where we can and what an incredible outcome now to be at this point where you'll see this come to fruition in the very near future so really in 24 things will be as long as you know we'll we'll talk a little bit more about the funding stream and donations that are needed and events that will be going but to move in the direction where things will be underway hopefully late 23 early 24 do you I hope so I you know every year I gotta push your pack push your pack I am applying for another grant because of financial reasons financial reasons yeah okay the cost of lumber went up sure everything went up and our $500,000 barn went to 750 right so um you know we can't really do it until we can fund it it of course yes we can't leave a building half and we have the land and we have the place right and truly a little help from the outside right to be able to accomplish exactly but the foundation is really in place for this to happen I mean most of the work is done even though not to make light of the you know building this I could whip it up in a month right yeah I could whip it up in a month I'm ready two belt over there so I I could whip it up in no I've met so many wonderful people in the community um I love my electrician Grace she's like I'll volunteer all gather up and that's the type and that makes the building so special you know it's a home yeah so much love goes into I mean people are just really chomping at the bit to help they just don't know yeah yes and I do need a physical structure to get that social space going okay um so with that why don't we just because I want to make sure we cover this and we're down to five minutes left which I can't even believe because it's gone by so quickly but Kathleen could you give us an overview of a day at Martha's barn like for the participant so Martha give us like her day now because she's kind of living that even though the actual barns out there her lifestyle is such that she's using that land to be able to learn about growing vegetables and eating those vegetables as you say so what's a day like one day of of Martha's that you would like to highlight okay so currently without the barn right it's a little different so she does um she you know say on a Wednesday what day of the week is it today Thursday yeah let's take today let's take today let's take today so um so she has a staff member from SD associates who is a behavior program locally and Howard center is my daughter's agency okay so Howard center has contracted a behaviorist to work with Martha they do something called essentials for living um and that's how she's learned all these wonderful skills so she will start her day this morning with um doing her laundry making her bed doing her laundry putting away preparing her lunch putting it away vacuuming i've seen her do some vacuuming i breaks into that right yeah great skills so it's really lifelong skills that are being taught skills that you learn when you maintain your own home exactly and to see i'm gonna cry again but to see it happening um she has a really big smile on her face exactly so you can read her well anyways she has a really big smile on her face and when i talk to you know we're overseeing by the Howard center and and i send them videos all the time and um you know and she does yoga for four minutes to calm down there that's awesome yeah that's fabulous and she walks she does a loop around the property and that is fun to see because she doesn't turn back she does the whole loop she knows if she's not feeling quite right you have said she'll go out and do that loop and as we all know that's what exercise is all about just what that can do for your mind she's learned how to self-regulate her emotions yeah that's huge oh um i wish we could all self exactly i know you might want to open that path up to the public right now and we should all take a stroll no you don't realize that that is a skill that's very challenging when you have a social disorder like autism is is the frustration of not being able to communicate the frustration of all these sensory things coming at you and how to handle them and and um the program that that she kind of runs is i mean i call it a program but it's just life it's it's just life exactly um it has really taught her how to reach out for help how to take a break how to relax how to call me how to write down things if she needs to remember it for later how to make you know but a skill set that really she never would have had yeah i love sx school district yeah sx school district um it's amazing i love them um you know i i actually brought her diploma with me in my bag because it just i look at it and i think you know this was not all for nothing exactly you know what i mean right like i did you ever think you were gonna see that diploma at times you must have thought i'm not gonna oh yeah i did but i didn't want it to go to waste and you know when you graduate from high school you're supposed to be graduating into a life plan of skills to move forward right and this can't be for nothing and exactly and as much as i wanted this to be done by the time she graduated getting close we're getting close we're getting close what about because we only have a minute or two left here so if you were to and you're in Greece a lot and back here but say you come back into town and you see somebody in the community what would be the best testimonial that you would love to hear from somebody regarding martha's barn what could somebody say or you overhear somebody say that would make your heart just more full than ever i don't think jan i need to hear from an adult of guests that would be wonderful and i'm sure i'll hear it but what wouldn't make me happy is to see other children be happy as martha is because we have seen her unhappy and in another institution right and we see how happy she is i would love to see other people with that same attitude of exactly of yes yes she's not perfect she has problems but that smile and that happiness in her whole being right sort of makes all the other stuff bearable bearable because we know deep down she's satisfied exactly content and happy and feels that love and everybody deserves with her surroundings and we have seen otherwise so this would make me very happy to see that kind of attitude and happiness in other children thank you so much thank you both but is there anything that you just wanted to say to wrap it up because we're as i said flew by we are it's a wrap so is there i mean i couldn't have done it without yeah yeah right oh and she won't let me thank her all the time but um there's a good chance i couldn't have done it without without her role modeling of business right without her role modeling of business my mom's role modeling of business and um and you have the very well established hardest working women women i've ever known are my mom and my my martha exactly yeah and i don't want to work as hard as you to tell you i'm already tired um you don't have to i tell my children they don't have to work in other generations the role models the role models i've had i have no choice i'm doing it i i'm gonna i'm gonna do the very best i can play then she's stepping up to the play um in in my capacity staying in my lane the best that i can i i want to fulfill this perfect and and we will absolutely without question with the help of the community next time we're on here and everyone yeah that's right we'll be showing you for videos of uh day at the barn yes perfect well thank you let's hope we'll do it for the barn we'll do it for the barn next time thank you so much okay having us okay okay thank you and we are all for the foundation thank you