The Herbst House is part of Avenues to Independence, a nonprofit that provides housing to 54 people in 17 homes. (WTTW News)

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many of us with challenging decisions, from managing our groceries to caring for vulnerable family members. Linda Smith made a choice many of us would find hard to imagine.

Jay Shefsky with the men of Amundsen House. Clockwise, from top left: Jay Shefsky, Allan Rehwinkel, Bill Rogers, Louis Kaufman, Jim Kearns, George Minasian.

How independently can adults with intellectual disabilities live as they age? We visit a group of men who have shared a home for decades. 

The community-based agency Avenues to Independence is celebrating the reopening of its Thrift Shoppe, which serves as a job training center. We meet several families who have benefitted from the group’s work.