A Place of My Own

Jonathan Blasczak was raised by a family that taught him to be independent. He prides himself on doing things on his own. For years, his goal was to have his own apartment, and a pandemic was not going to stop him.

When Jonathan started with Thrive’s Individual Support Program, he was residing in a group living situation. He had a bedroom to himself but needed to share common spaces with others in the house. Jonathan longed to have his own place where his family could visit, and he could relax.

After working with Thrive staff to fill out applications and looking at apartments, Jonathan found the perfect one-bedroom space. On June 1, 2020, not letting the pandemic slow him down, Jonathan’s dream came true, and he moved into his own place. “Jonathan was completely in the driver’s seat in accomplishing this goal,” shared Nanette Goldstein, Director of Individual Support. “Thrive staff supported him, but he was the one who worked hard to gain the skills needed to live independently,” she continued.

When Jonathan is not in his apartment reading, or watching sports and horror movies, you can find him working at Stop & Shop, where he has been employed for eight years. Although attaining his goal did not come easy, Jonathan never gave up, and it paid off. “I love living on my own and having space for my family to visit. I am so proud of myself for doing what I set out to do,” Jonathan boasted. For his determination and resilience, we salute Jonathan Blasczak.