The Highest Form of Love – Agape Village

Nationwide, disabled youth (ages 14-24) are about 16% less likely to be employed than their non-disabled peers. They are also twice as likely to drop out of school before the completion of a degree. Oftentimes, it can feel like we set our children up for success, only to watch them flounder at such a crucial age. We send our fresh-faced college graduates out into the world only to find them working at Starbucks six months later. For young adults with developmental or physical disabilities, this time can be especially challenging. Not just for the parents but for the young adult themselves; who are desperately searching for a community of their own. Not just a school or a classroom, but a place where they feel accepted, and a place where they belong.
In 2021, a group of likeminded parents and teachers came together to discuss their wishes for a special needs’ day program for transitional age youth and older. These transitional programs are aimed at helping the disabled population thrive and to provide them with vocational, social, and career education. After graduating from high school, disabled young adults greatly benefit from having transitional programs focused on providing continuing education as well as promoting independence. This is when the Agape Village was officially started. As a Christian based non-profit, they aim to provide a healing and safe environment for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.
Agape Village has been operating out of the Westfield Valencia Town Center for about two years now. Open Monday through Thursday from 8-2 and Friday from 8-12:15, the Village provides a supportive environment to our local disabled community. Students have the option to come full-time or as needed to fit their schedules, visiting the Village once or several days out of the week. Tuition is flexible and based on the individual needs of the student and their family.
The Agape Village Day Program includes everything you could possibly ask for, with a welcoming and warm environment which nurtures students to participate and engage in activities promoting independence and learning life skills. Three to four times a week, the staff lead students in adaptive fitness classes at local gyms, meant to promote exercise and healthy habits. Their daily programs also include culinary arts, helping to educate on safe food handling and meal preparation in the kitchen. Other daily programs include additional adaptive or social/life skill building classes. This can include topics like arguments, relationships, empathy, or respect. Other adaptive skills for daily life are also incorporated and practiced like washing dishes, folding laundry, and hanging up clothing. The students are also volunteer their time at the Sylmar-based Children’s Hunger Fund.
The Agape Village has also partnered with the Department of Rehabilitation’s “Ready to Work” Program, where students are given the opportunity to work at either Salt Creek Grille or Gilchrist Farms along with staff members and are paid alongside the vocational training skills they receive on-the-job. Agape also houses its own screen-printing business run by the students, giving an opportunity for the wider world to support local and disabled-run businesses.
The goal of Agape Village is to create a supportive community which can grow socially, academically, physically, and spiritually together. The Bureau of Labor Statistics report that in 2022 only 21.3% of disabled adults were employed, which was up from 19.1% in 2021. For the staff at Agape, that means the work is yet to be accomplished. But if they can help prepare just one person for a successful future, their goal will have been achieved.

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