Archives: Testimonials

In 1993 I became the guardian for my brother, Brien.  For the next few years he lived with our grandmother who was in her 80’s, while we were in our 20’s.  I knew the situation wasn’t sustainable, and I also knew that I didn’t have the ability to provide him a permanent home with me due to my work and family obligations.  Thankfully, I found out about the groundbreaking of Breckenridge Village of Tyler through a Baptist preacher friend of mine, and we were lucky enough to be able to move Brien in the very first weekend that it opened!  As such, I’ve seen a lot happen over these 2+ decades, all positive, and Breckenridge Village is better and stronger than ever.  Brien is very happy with his life, and he has always been shown a lot of love, support, and care by the staff.  I couldn’t be happier, and we are so blessed to have such a great place for him to call home.

Our nephew has been a resident at Breckenridge Village of Tyler for 18 years.  Before BVT, his autism had prevented him from almost all social interaction, self-fulfilling activities and being healthy as he was 100 pounds overweight.  It caused him to be very withdrawn and almost non-verbal. But, over his years at BVT he has blossomed. He has lost his 100 pounds, has become much more social, much more verbal and will even volunteer to speak out in large groups.  He has made true friends who he cares about and they care about him.  As his guardians, we are overwhelmingly blessed that God led us to this special place.  With 18 years experience, we can testify that every BVT staff member has a calling to provide very special care to our loved one and they do a tremendous job at doing so.  There is no other place on earth like Breckenridge Village of Tyler.

Nageem started day school at Breckenridge Village in Tyler after high school graduation in 2012. He loves attending and participating in all the activities Breckenridge offers such as Special Olympics sports, Food Bank, Meals on Wheels, going to other activities outside the facility, summer camp, etc. He looks forward to going.

As the parent of a BVT resident for nearly 12 years, the impact Breckenridge Village has made on our daughter, Kara, and our family is immeasurable. I consider it a blessing from God. Another blessing is the administration and staff of BVT. They are skilled and well trained but, more importantly, is that their servant heart is demonstrated each day in their interactions with our loved ones. I have such a feeling of peace and security knowing that Kara is a part of this wonderful Christian environment and her future looks bright.

The rewards of Kara calling BVT home for the past 12 years are many. Socially, she has made great strides. Once a very quiet introvert with social weaknesses, Kara has blossomed into a much more confident person that smiles and interacts easily with others. She has friends in her day programs and 5 “sisters” she lives with and has learned to share and care for others. One of her (and our) proudest moments (and reward) happened this summer at Camp Joy’s talent show when Kara got up on stage by herself and, unabashedly, performed to Star Wars. She has come such a long way. Thank you BVT!

Here’s how we know that Connor loves his time spent on the BVT campus – he is always happy and excited to return!  We know that Connor is loved and that he receives care from each staff person – BVT is such a great gift to our East Texas community!

What a joy and privilege it is to say that our son, Clay, lives at Breckenridge Village of Tyler. He moved there as a full-time resident in the fall of 2004. We thought he would probably be homesick after a few days. We were wrong. He loves every aspect of life at BVT and has never once mentioned leaving. He especially enjoys working in the greenhouse, delivering meals on wheels and socializing with his many friends. Because he is happy, we have great peace of mind and know, without doubt, that God has blessed our family beyond these few words.

Linda has been at Breckenridge Village for 13 wonderful years. The BVT management and staff are unbelievable. Everyone makes you feel so proud and special every day.

Breckenridge Village has provided Linda with happiness and serenity in a safe, nurturing, and loving environment. This is a place for her to grow, learn, and give back to the community. It is truly a place filled with God's love and spirit.

We feel so blessed to be a part of the BVT family!

Breckenridge Village is a answer to prayers about what will happen to our precious Robin should she outlive us, which is likely. God answers prayer! She is surrounded by Christian love from a caring staff, wonderful friends and enjoys activities that enrich and fulfill her life. The opportunities are limitless, both for her and me. Her late father was able to share his knowledge of photography with the residents and I continue to be blessed to bring the joy of creativity through art, passing along a few things I have learned to them. They teach me new things every time I bring a lesson to them!

Breckenridge Village is second to none!

Our daughter Alex, came to BVT at 18 and she is currently 31. With each passing year we see more intellectual and social development. The staff at BVT are gifts from God and they each add a different dimension to Alex’s life. When Alex was little I would worry about her future but BVT is her FOREVER HOME. She is safe, she is loved and BVT provides her with a vital future.

Pam has lived at Breckenridge since 2008. We wanted Pam to be living in a group home environment in the future after her mom could no longer take care of her or she passed away. We were skeptical about this, because Pam had always lived at home. Things fell into place when the time was right. Pam’s mom was diagnosed in 2007 with cancer, and BVT called and said they had an opening a few months later. When BVT invited her for a visit the whole family came out to see the facilities and were very excited at the opportunity for Pam. When her visit was over Pam told her mom, she wanted to stay at BVT and not come home.

This was a relief to her mom for Pam to be so happy there. Pam has always been independent and social, but living with just her and her mom, her activities were limited to a three-hour day program a few days a week and a Sunday school program and church. At BVT she has found wonderful support from all her peers and staff, as well as at Green Acres Church. She has had many more elective opportunities and outside activities as well.

BVT has respected her independence and worked with her, despite her low vision. It is wonderful to see the opportunities Pam has at BVT that she may not have if she were living at home. We see the interaction she has with her peers and the stimulation she gets every day. She loves her independence and can’t wait to get back to her routine after a few days visiting with us.

Our favorite things about BVT are the love, support, respect, independence, choices, communication and care each resident gets. The community environment vs. a single group home environment can’t compare.