The theme of choice has been an essential part of our mission, and this month we’re highlighting someone who, in searching for a place where he could not only live life on his terms, but thrive, chose New Hope Community as his home.

One of our youngest residents, Lachlan, is a self-advocate and was recently elected for a two-year term on our Board of Directors, and is eager to share his passions with his peers, staff, and the greater New Hope community. Get to know him!

Q: For those who don’t know, would you mind sharing how old you are, and a bit about your journey to New Hope?

A: I am 23 years old, but emotionally I’m still 13, and I plan to stay that way! I started living at New Hope a little over two years ago. My process of getting here is a bit funny. After high school, I chose to leave college because it wasn’t for me, and I started looking for assisted living options that could provide me with some support. I checked out a bunch of other places that were *not* what I was looking for, either not in good areas, had no transportation or job support, or wouldn’t help me be as independent as I could be. So, I decided to write a letter to New Hope instead of just waiting around, and I guess that letter did the trick!

Q: You were recently appointed to the New Hope Board of Directors. What do you hope to accomplish as a board member?

A: I want to learn more about the inner workings of New Hope because there are a lot of things I’d like to introduce to the organization, such as starting new clubs, and to help New Hope be prepared for the next generation. Right now, I’m one of the youngest residents of New Hope, and I’d love to help create clubs and events that mesh well with people my age, or even younger than me, because I think it would help people find a new place where they belong. And, who knows, maybe I’ll make new friends in the process!

Q: Why do you think it’s important for people supported at New Hope to have a voice on the board?

A: It’s very important for the Board to know what the residents are thinking, and I personally wanted to join the Board to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes and how I can make a difference. Whereas before I could wonder about how to get something done, now I’ll have the tools to move things forward.

Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?

A: I have a couple main hobbies. The first is that I love raising chickens, and I actually got a job at Hope Farm so I can be around them and help take care of them. Second, I’m a big fan of building LEGO sets, and I review them on my YouTube channel. I focus most of my efforts towards custom builds because it’s a lot of fun to share what I’ve built out of my own head.

Q: If you could design your own LEGO set, what would it be?

A: I would probably go back to some of my favorite LEGO NINJAGO sets and create them as micro-sets to produce a sort of advent calendar. It’s been a big thing that people in the LEGO NINJAGO community really wanted, so I’d want to make that dream a reality. If not that, I’d just release a really epic dragon.

Q: What are your hopes for your future?

A: My hope is to just continue life the way I’ve been living at New Hope. Most of my recent goals I’ve been able to achieve here already, but one specific goal I have with working on the farm is to raise a Diamond Jubilee Orpington, which is one of the rarest breeds of chickens in existence. To my knowledge, there’s only one hatchery that has them off the coast of Maine, and they do *not* ship, so I’m currently in the process of figuring that out. Otherwise, I’d like to one day have an exhibit of sorts to display all my LEGO sets for others to enjoy.

To check out Lachlan’s LEGO reviews, you can visit his YouTube channel here!