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Meet Trailblazer Bryn Baldassari

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryn Baldassari.

Bryn, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in the Littleton area and went to Chatfield Senior High School. I got involved in volunteering with a program called Unified Basketball and where students with and without disabilities play on a basketball team. That’s where I met a lot of my friends who have disabilities and fell in LOVE. In tandem with this, I went on a church retreat to a camp called Camp Barnabas in Purdy, MO. Both of those experiences drastically changed my life. I found a community where I wholeheartedly knew I was supposed to be involved in for the rest of my life. After high school, I went up to CSU in Fort Collins and stayed in touch with a bunch of them while I was away. I started noticing an increase in calls, texts, and stories about how they were not doing much now that they were out of high school and their transition programs. It got me thinking about what people with disabilities do after school. I was able to go to college, dream, and think about my future, but what were they able to do… In my experience with talking to them and their parents, there was a huge gap in the system. They were struggling to find a meaning and purpose in life. I also had an internship in college at a Community Center Board in Larimer County and learned about the Medicaid waivers that support adults with disabilities.

Through all of this experience, I decided I needed to go back to where I grew up and start a program to work with my peers and my friends who had such a lack of opportunities. I was closest with a participant by the name of Lexi and through chatting with her mom, we realized we would make a great team in starting a program. My favorite quote that sums us up is “put a baby boomer with a millennial and nothing is impossible.” She helped me start Stepping Stone through her vast knowledge from life experience and incredible wisdom. We started the business process the second to last semester of my college years and it took us nine months to navigate getting licensed through the state to bill for these Medicaid services. I graduated in May 2013 and in November 2013 we were approved and started services! My biggest goal was to create services that were not the typical “glorified babysitting” that people think of when it comes to adult services. I am adamant on creating purpose and intentionality so the individuals we serve are constantly developing their lives just like you or I would. Our mission statement is Sharing Opportunities to Become the Best Versions of Ourselves. Our mission statement has developed into this over the years because I at least know for myself, until I am being the best version of myself, I can’t pour into those around me. We strive to provide that kind of environment to our staff, volunteers, caregivers, etc. so that we all can be helping each other learn and grow. The individuals we serve can’t fully grow if we aren’t also growing ourselves. It’s a team effort!

This has all been a journey and continues to be, but I have to say the Stepping Stone community enriches my life and has helped me grow both personally and professionally. I have SO much to learn in life, but that’s a little snippet on how I got to where I am today!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ahhhh definitely NOT! Haha, this makes me laugh! I could go on and on. Owning and starting a business comes with LOTS of challenges, BUT, I just think it’s so important to go through these in order to learn and grow. Whether it’s dealing with the state’s rules and regulations, mediating staffing issues and making sure everyone is supported in their roles, communicating well with participants and families and addressing concerns, facility issues, etc. etc., you have to tackle each challenge day by day, learn from it, and grow from it. I think my biggest challenge is the pressure I put on myself. I often doubt in myself that I can’t do it which doesn’t allow me to lead with confidence. That’s been a huge thing I have had to learn and it hasn’t/isn’t always easy. But the more I learn, humble myself, and grow, the better I am at tackling future challenges. Another challenge I face is I care so much about what people think of me. So when you are running a business and juggling everything, it feels like you can never win! You just have to know you will never make everyone happy. I always say that if I am doing everything to the best of my ability, in the most moral and ethical way and caring for people as best I can, then after that, it is what it is. You just have to do your best and care for people the way you would want to be cared for. Also figuring out how to master COMMUNICATION has certainly been a challenge as we have grown. Once you add more people to the team than just the two people you started it with, communication always seem to be a struggle to remember who to tell and what to tell them. I am still trying to figure this one out 😊 I just know I can always do better. In the end, I would still take on these challenges any day because of how much they have helped me grow as a person. It SO worth it! I feel so blessed to have so much room for creativity and innovation.

Please tell us about Stepping Stone Support Center – what should we know?
Stepping Stone provides Medicaid waiver services to people 18 and up with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our mission statement is “Sharing Opportunities to Become the Best Versions of Ourselves.” I choose that because it’s not just about the population we serve, although that’s why were are all here, but its also for the caregivers, staff, volunteers, etc. We all need to be pursuing being the best versions of ourselves so we can pour into this amazing population and make the most impact.

Here are the services we provide:
1. Onsite Program: We have an onsite program that is a mix of vocational training (more real-life job skills to work on), social opportunities, life skills training, work out opportunities, etc. For our vocational training, we formed a Co-op through the state and the Co-op members make products and sell them and get a dividend each month for what they make. Our onsite program is open Monday-Thursday from 9am-4pm and Fridays from 9am-1pm.
2. DVR/Supported Employment Services: We can help individuals find jobs out in the community and help them on-going with job coaching. We work with the employers to ensure they have the proper accommodations and are successful long term.
3. Offsite Services: We provide one on one services to individuals working on independence with cooking, cleaning, laundry, household care. We provide mentoring and Respite for families who need a break or go on a trip. This is all one on one with a provider.
4. Residential Services: When an individual gets on the COMP/DD waiver, they are eligible for an agency to provide oversight to help ensure they have care and supports 24/7. That could look like the individual moving in with a “host family”, that could be the family becoming the “family caregiver”, or that could be the individual living on their own and having residential staff come in when needed to care for the individual.

I think the thing I am most proud of is we really try and think outside the box. No idea is far out and we really try to empower our participants. Our Co-op model with our participants is very innovative and the state has never seen that in our context of Medicaid Waiver services.

Which women have inspired you in your life?
I definitely have to highlight Barb Zielger and my mom, Lynette Galisewski. These two women were by my side every step of the way! I feel like I owe my whole life to Barb! She is now 73 and has been a huge mentor to me in the journey of Stepping Stone. She did not want any ownership in the company, she just wanted to help me get it started. You have to stop and think about what I just said, right?! Who pours that much time, energy, and knowledge into someone?! I am just blown away by how much she believed in me. The patience and guidance Barb gave me was unbelievable. She is now venturing onto another project through a “sister nonprofit” to Stepping Stone called Stepping Stone Communities. They are building a residential facility for people with and without disabilities to live in tandem in a housing co-op. Barb never stops and is just such an incredible woman! My mom, Lynette, is such an inspirational woman to me. She has always left me in awe of how loving and supportive she has been to me. Throughout my life, she has always taught me to love and serve others. Even when we were little, she would always take me to volunteer with marginalized populations. She was a key player in helping get Stepping Stone started and continues to be! She has poured in more time and energy into myself, Stepping Stone, and specifically the participants we serve than anyone else I know! She has hosted weddings, sewed dresses from scratch, supported countless participants helping them meet their goals; the list goes on and on. My mom goes above and beyond to care for the participants and really invests in her relationships with them! I cannot ask for a better mom and I am so thankful for her continued love and support!

Pricing:

  • Support our Co-op! Made but adults with developmental disabilities!
  • Candles: $15 each
  • Lip Balms: $2.00
  • Many other products sold at our Coffee Shop run on Thursdays from 9:30a-11:30a at our address. Come visit us! Steppingstonesupportcenter.com

Contact Info:

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