Each weekday morning a group gathers in the lower level of First Lutheran before heading out into the community. They’re participants in Mosaic’s Day Services program and our church has become their home base.
The Day Services program gives people with intellectual and developmental disabilities the chance to stay active and involved in the community. Running from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM each weekday, the program fills each day with possibilities. Participants might volunteer, join community activities, run errands, explore new places or simply do the things they love.
“A big part of the program is giving people choices and meeting them where they are,” said Will Yindrick, Community Relations Manager for Mosaic. “Everyone has different interests and goals, so we work with each person to make their day meaningful and make sure they’re getting out and doing things they want to do.”
As participants arrive at First Lutheran they gather in the Youth Room. After a morning meeting, they head out—sometimes together, sometimes in smaller groups based on what people want to do that day.
“There really isn’t a ‘typical’ day and that’s kind of the point,” Yindrick said.
One day might mean a trip to the library, a few hours of volunteering or a game of bowling. Another could include catching a movie, fishing, visiting the county fair or simply driving around Lincoln with the music playing.
“At the end of the day, it’s about finding opportunities for people to get out, have fun, contribute and be part of their community,” he said.
That sense of connection sits at the heart of Mosaic’s mission.
“Our community has so many things to offer and Day Services gives the people we support an opportunity to experience those things rather than spending their entire day in a separate facility,” Yindrick said.
For some of the people Mosaic serves, reaching that wider community hasn’t always come easily.
“What we want to do is make sure they can be an active part of where they live and get to do the things they want to do,” Yindrick said. “It also gives them the opportunity to show the community what they can do and how amazing they all are.”
Having First Lutheran as a steady starting point has made a real difference—and it goes beyond just having a place to meet. The congregation has genuinely helped make the space feel like home, providing furniture and opening up areas like the gym and Lego room for participants to enjoy. “First Lutheran has been incredibly welcoming from the beginning,” Yindrick said, “and, more importantly, they’ve been willing to form a meaningful partnership with us.”
Yindrick hopes that partnership keeps growing beyond simply sharing a building.
“I’d love to see the congregation and our participants get to know each other through activities, service opportunities, events or even just those everyday interactions that happen when you’re sharing a space,” he said.
For him, that’s what genuine community inclusion looks like—people taking part in their community just like anyone else, and being known and welcomed wherever they go. And that makes First Lutheran far more than a meeting place.
“I think the biggest thing I want people to know is that First Lutheran has given our people more than just a place to gather,” Yindrick said. “It’s given us a home base where we can start the day, connect with each other and then go out and experience the community.”
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