Meet FREDDIE! Freddie is 67 years old and has been a part of the Abilities First family for over 20 years! Freddie is most appreciative of the AF staff that supports him, and is proud that he lives independently and earns his own income!

Freddie lives with his friend, Barry, in certified housing in Cherry Hill. Barry is hearing impaired, but Freddie and Barry work together to make sure they can still communicate effectively. They’ve found icons, emails, and flash cards to be helpful with their communication, and they have a wonderful support system between themselves and their Comm Hab support team!

Freddie has held quite a number of jobs over the years; he worked at Omega, Marist College, and now, he works every Tuesday and Thursday doing cleaning at 99. His banking skills are great, and he works with the Comm Hab team to make sure his saving and spending habits are smart. He really enjoys his visits to the Ulster Savings Bank branch on US-44, where everyone is friendly!

When he gets paid from his jobs, he puts most of it in the bank, but he indulges his passions and hobbies by putting a little extra cash aside for buying music. Freddie is a HUGE music lover; he has over 300 LP’s and CD’s for his stereo! If he had to pick a favorite musician, Marvin Gaye and Lou Rawls are probably his top two choices. 

Hard work is something that comes naturally to Freddie in everything he does. He works hard to keep good communication with his roommate, and he works hard to save money responsibly (but he still manages to have fun with whatever’s left over). He works hard at every part of his life, and Abilities First enjoys having him be part of our community and helping him make more progress in his journey of independence.