Citation House is a group home for people with intellectual or development disabilities. It sits in a residential Dallas neighborhood, and like other homes on the street, it's decked for the holidays.
"This is the beauty of Christmas decorations, is trying to get them untangled from last year," Jessica Miller said as she worked on a string of candy cane lights. "There we go."
Miller was among about a dozen volunteers from Insperity who came to decorate Citation House for Ability Connection's "Holiday Deckout."
"We actually participated in this event in 2020 and we got the number one spot," Miller said. "It's not really about winning. It's about being able to fundraise for the organization."
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Ability Connection serves about 900 people with intellectual or developmental disabilities across the state and has eight group homes where its clients, called members, have a sense of family.
"Looking pretty good so far," said Philip Cimmerman, one of four members who live at Citation House.
"It just lifts their spirits, and it helps them recognize that they're part of the neighborhood, and they're special like everyone else," Ability Connection President and CEO Jim Hanophy said. "We work with some amazing people that have talent and ambitions, just like everybody else."
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"Either you know someone or you may have a family member that has a disability," Insperity volunteer Tim Marshall said. "I'm always willing to help in any way I can."
Marshall spent much of his time untangling everything from candy cane strings, to lights.
"It seems they just love hugging each other," Marshall said of the tangled mass of Christmas lights. "I know when I see decorations I get in the Christmas spirit."
Marshall said he had one wish for the Ability Connection members who will come home to their holiday lights. "I hope that they feel the spirit of love and the spirit of Christmas," Marshall said.
The Ability Connection is holding a Holiday Deckout contest. You can look at the decorated group homes and vote for your favorite. Voting opens this weekend.
