One of the most interesting aspects of celebrating our 50th anniversary is exploring our history and talking to people who have been part of our story for all or most of that time. The Fretz family’s history with Indian Creek Foundation goes almost all the way back to our incorporation.
Mary Ann Fretz began receiving services from Indian Creek Haven Workshop as a young adult 47 years ago. Later, Mary Ann’s mom, Mary, and sister, Rhonda, also worked for Indian Creek Foundation. Rhonda recently shared some of her family’s experience and how Indian Creek has been a continuous source of support.
A Place to Do Good Work
Mary Ann graduated from Souderton High School at age 21, which is the standard graduation age for students in special education in Pennsylvania. Indian Creek Haven, a sheltered workshop program, was located at the Indian Creek Road Farm then. Mary Ann began working there with other adults with special needs. In the program, which was still very new, individuals would help with garden work during the warmer months and move inside to the workshop once gardening season ended.
The sheltered workshop program was designed to teach individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities competitive job skills. The work they did involved short, repeatable tasks that were easy to remember and complete. For some individuals, the workshop was a good place to train before going out to work somewhere in the community. Others, like Mary Ann, could enjoy an entire career in the workshop setting.
Mary Ann’s workshop jobs involved assembling and packaging small pieces for various corporate clients. Rhonda, who is 7 years younger than Mary Ann, remembered going with her mom to pick up Mary Ann after her work shifts. She said that the workshop was always very busy, and they had to wait for Mary Ann to properly finish up before she would leave for the day. She was very proud of her job and took every task seriously.
A Natural Career Step
For Rhonda and her mom, visiting the Indian Creek workshop was no different than stepping into any other work environment. Rhonda had been accompanying Mary Ann to therapy and support groups her whole life, so interacting with people who have disabilities was completely natural to her. She and her mom both counted Mary Ann’s friends among their own and enjoyed getting to see them during their workday.
When Mary’s husband, Rhonda and Mary Ann’s dad, passed away, Indian Creek’s workshop was able to offer even more to the Fretz family. Mary had been mostly a stay at home mom, and now she needed to earn a full-time income to support her children. Mary thought that it would be most convenient to work where Mary Ann was working so that they could be on the same schedule. She was hired in a support role to supervise and assist the sheltered workshop employees.
Mary “Mama” Fretz, Mary Ann, and Rhonda
Rhonda saw that Mary’s new job was her true calling. She understood the people so well and genuinely loved them. They loved her right back, and her days at work were filled with joy. Mary was especially good at helping people build on their abilities. They had more confidence trying new skills with her encouragement. Mary was even given the nickname “Mama Fretz” because she was one of three women named Mary in the workshop, and everyone thought she was a great mom figure.
Taking the Longer Path
As Rhonda neared high school graduation, someone suggested to her that she was also perfectly suited to working with individuals with disabilities. Rhonda never realized it, but she was essentially acting as an aid to her sister all those years. She didn’t see it that way, of course. She was just hanging out with her sister and doing all the fun things that Mary Ann got to do.
Rhonda wasn’t convinced that joining her mom and Mary Ann at Indian Creek, or an organization like it, was the right choice for her. She went out into the workforce and explored what careers she might like. Several years later, in her early 20s, she realized she was extremely unhappy in her job. She asked her mom for advice, and Mary pointed her right back to Indian Creek Foundation. There was an opening in the workshop, and she would be a great fit.
Rhonda took the position immediately, and she eventually was even promoted to a supervisor role. She still laughs at the idea that she was in charge of both her mom and her big sister at one point. She loved working at Indian Creek Foundation and admitted that it was just as natural a calling to her as it was to her mom. She said that it was more than just a place to go to work. Everyone was a true friend, and everyone helped each other.
Rhonda left Indian Creek after about 10 years to pursue a similar role in Rhode Island. Mary and Mary Ann both worked their entire careers in the workshop. Mary retired in 2006, and Mary Ann stayed until the workshop program was discontinued in 2019.
The Comfort of Familiar Transitions
While she worked in the Indian Creek workshop, Mary Ann continued living at home with her mom for much of her adult life. Then Mary was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Rhonda decided to move back home to help care for her mom. She began advocating for Mary Ann’s transition to Indian Creek’s Residential Program around that time.
Rhonda was thinking ahead to when her mom would pass away, and how that would affect Mary Ann. She knew that Mary Ann would need a higher level of care than she could provide on her own, so she was concerned about the toll such a big transition would take on her sister right after losing their mom. She approached the topic gently, and then gave her mom plenty of time to think about it.
Mary agreed that it would be easiest on Mary Ann to move into a group home. In that setting, she would receive excellent care and also be able to enjoy quality time with her family. Mary Ann entered the Residential Program, where she quickly adapted to a new social life with her housemates. She made friends, enjoyed hanging out in the common areas, and got a new suitcase for going on vacation.
Rhonda picked up Mary Ann on weekends to visit at home. This provided the balance all three ladies needed as they navigated Mary’s final years. When Mary passed away in 2017, Rhonda felt assured that her mom had made the right decision about Mary Ann’s care a few years before. Rhonda and Mary Ann were able to grieve without having to worry at all about what would be next for Mary Ann. She had a well-established life and support system that helped her through the loss.
Care for a Lifetime
Today, Mary Ann still lives in an Indian Creek residence and takes part in the Day Program and her household activities. Rhonda also still lives locally, and she is continuing to navigate family time as she and Mary Ann both age and deal with their own health conditions. Rhonda acknowledges that time together is harder to arrange these days, but she is looking for ways to make it work.
To adult siblings of people with disabilities, Rhonda’s advice is to be very gentle with your parents. They have always taken responsibility for their child, and it’s hard for them to think about letting anyone else do it, even when they can no longer manage on their own. She says to make pro and con lists, talk about the practical things, be supportive, and always give them plenty of time to think and decide. They know they can’t provide the care on their own forever, but they want to take responsibility for the next steps. Just support them while they do.
If you have a loved one with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and their care needs are growing beyond what their family at home can provide, Indian Creek Foundation has resources for your consideration. Mention our organization to your case worker, schedule a tour, and come in to get to know more about us. For over 50 years, we have served the community with exceptional care and services.