Friedman Place

Friedman Place, located at 5527 North Maplewood Avenue in Chicago, has served as a non-profit supportive living community for blind and visually impaired adults since 2004, where adults can live in private studio or one-bedroom apartments that come with a full bathroom, kitchen, air conditioner, refrigerator, and emergency alert system, and each resident can expect help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, grooming, walking, and eating, plus services such as transportation, laundry, housekeeping, and three daily meals. Certified nurse assistants stay on duty around the clock, with licensed nurses to help give medicine and keep track of chronic health conditions, and the building also has a medical clinic that offers podiatry, psychiatry, psychology, and ophthalmology, along with a low-vision clinic run by the Illinois Eye Institute right on site. Residents can use a weaving workshop, computer center, library with braille, large print, and audio books, an exercise room, and outdoor patios, and there's also a beauty salon and barbershop for grooming needs. The David Herman Learning Center helps provide educational experiences, and residents get braille instruction, daily living skills, and independent living skills training, and there are always activities through the recreation program, including tours, live music, art displays, and a weaving sale that happens during events like the Anniversary Open House. Activities and social opportunities support community interaction, and social workers help with case management, public entitlements, counseling-including mental health counseling-and resource connections through the Navigator Program that reaches more than 95 people in the community, while the Rent Assistance Program helps 25 clients with rent subsidies. Bill Jurek, who's also with The Beacon Program at CRIS Radio, manages programs here, Heddy Lichtenstein serves as the managing director, and Emily Kibbe brings a background in counseling and art therapy, and about 60 staff members work with dedicated volunteers to support both residents and community clients. Friedman Place's programs and supportive services help adults who are blind build independence, self-determination, and community life, so they can live healthy, dignified, and stimulating lives with all the help they need; for more information, there's a website with details about programs and eligibility.