Our Stories

15 Years of Real Community

15 Years of Real Community

Earlier this year, we had the honor of gathering with the original founders of Friends Life Community (FLC) around a familiar dinner table. As we began, Jack Herndon, co-founder and Board Chair at the time, shared a powerful sentiment that has been the driving force...

Celebrating 15 Years of Friendship, Belonging, and Purpose

Celebrating 15 Years of Friendship, Belonging, and Purpose

15 Years of Friendship Fifteen years ago, our story began with the coming together of four founding families — the Herndons, the Hamiltons, the Phillippis and Jennie Scott — and Suzanne Williams. It was around a dinner table that Friends Life Community (FLC) was born....

Celebrating Disability Pride Month 2023

Celebrating Disability Pride Month 2023

"It changed the way people think about me." -Sean C. July is Disability Pride Month. It is a dedicated reminder to celebrate and honor the achievements, resilience, and diversity of the Friends and the rest of the disability community. This month-long celebration...

Being Seen as Equals

Being Seen as Equals

As an organization that breaks down barriers and reduces stigmas for people with disabilities, one of the most powerful statistics we have to share is the sheer number of volunteer hours the Friends contribute each year at other organizations around Nashville. In...

Being Called By Name

Being Called By Name

Have you ever considered what makes you feel you are part of a positive and healthy community? How do you know that you are valued by others around you? When do you experience feelings of belonging? Maybe it's when you have something to get out of bed for every day,...

An Audacious Vision

An Audacious Vision

A shared concern brought them together. A commitment to their loved ones drove them to action. A mutual vision of creating a real and meaningful community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Nashville brought Friends Life Community to...

A Team Full of Joeys

A Team Full of Joeys

By Patsy Webb Joey Royer, one of Friends Life Community's employment coaching clients, is celebrating his first month on the job as an employee at WilRo Inc., in Gallatin, TN. WilRo Inc. reached out to us because they were looking to become an inclusive workplace and...

Together, We Are Extraordinary

Together, We Are Extraordinary

“There is nothing static about FLC – neither the programming, personal growth, or what always seem to be endless possibilities of what a committed and motivated community can accomplish.”