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Lance and Lori Gonzalez were married in 2011, but it’s their history that predates their nuptials and their time together since that has shown just how perfect they are for each other.
Lance and Lori met as toddlers through a parent-founded support group for children with disabilities. The pair remained close friends throughout the years, each of them knowing they had deeper feelings for the other. The Gonzalezes’ remarkable journey as a couple began when they started dating in 2010. Around that same time, they were in a state of flux with their previous service providers, as they both needed additional supports, and neither was completely satisfied with the services they were receiving. “We have a great support team through Advocates,” Lance told us. “But sadly, this wasn’t the case prior to joining.”
One of the major obstacles Lance and Lori faced early in their relationship was finding a suitable shared residence. At the time, Lance lived in a group home in Syracuse, while Lori lived in a separate supportive environment with a roommate. According to the Gonzalezes, their previous providers did not take enough action to assist them with this mutual goal. What some failed to realize is that to Lance and Lori, living together meant more than being able to gain some semblance of independence. It even meant more than being able to share a residence with their one, true love. Having a home together meant fulfilling dreams they’d each had for as long as they could remember.
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“Having our own house and getting married one day were our biggest dreams,” Lori said. Unfortunately, their dreams had been hindered for some time, due to no fault of their own. It wasn’t until a friend of Lance’s referred them to Advocates that they began to have hope that their dreams would soon come true. | |
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Lance was good friends with Tina Fitzgerald, who had nothing but positive things to say about the services, supports, and progressive approach she had come to know of Advocates. Because they had seemingly exhausted all other options, Lance heeded Tina’s advice and began exploring other providers.
“I remember the instance vividly,” recalled Ryan VanHoover, longtime Residential Coordinator and friend to the Gonzalezes. “The very next day, Lance and I explained their situation to Advocates, and the rest is history.” This history is one Lance says wouldn’t have been possible, had it not been for Tina’s referral, or their support team’s advocacy. “Thank God we switched to Advocates, because it was they who united us,” Lance said. “Self-Direction was still in the infancy stages, with the exception of Advocates,” Ryan added. “Advocates was the only provider who thought outside the box and made this possible.”
With the Gonzalezes’ successes and achieved goals have come many obstacles as well. “We face many challenges, but Advocates makes things much easier,” Lance said. The Gonzalezes require full assistance from their support team with things like getting out of bed in the morning, preparing and eating meals, personal care tasks, various household duties, and venturing into the community for appointments and leisurely activities. “I feel as though we wouldn’t be able to do anything at all, if it weren’t for our wonderful support staff,” Lori said. “We’re totally dependent on staff,” Lance added. “I’ve always said that if it wasn’t for Advocates, we wouldn’t be here.”
“I’ve broken down in tears over some of the struggles they’ve faced; that’s how much I care about them,” said Reina Campbell, Advocates Residential Coordinator and Support Broker for the Gonzalezes for nearly a decade. “We’ve built a strong rapport over our many years of being friends, and they’ve become a very important part of my life.” Reina isn’t the only one to have built a family-like bond with the Gonzalezes. “I call him ‘Brother Bear,’” Lori said affectionately, referring to Ryan. “He is like the brother I never had, and he treats us like his own family.”
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“It is like family here,” Ryan concurred. “I try to go above and beyond to make sure they’re doing well and working towards their goals.” Because of Lori’s passion for music, she hopes to release a CD she has been working on for some time. Her other goals include learning how to garden and expanding her abilities in the kitchen. Lance’s goals center on advocating for people with disabilities. He is heavily involved in Ability Tree, a networking resource for people with disabilities. He has his sights set on starting his own chapter and spreading the word of their mission locally. With everything Lance and Lori aspire to do, they do so knowing they have the unconditional and unwavering support of those who care about them. They also know they have each other to lean on if they need it. “She’s my rock,” Lance said. “We’ve had so many challenges, that it’s hard to describe. But having her makes things so much easier.”
“He’s my prince charming and he means everything to me,” Lori beamed. “It’s each other and our faith that helps us through the challenging times.” Because of their strong faith life and a faith in each other, Lance and Lori have persevered despite their indescribable adversities. They have admirably embraced their challenges and disabilities, and have come to appreciate their ability to direct their own lives.
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“It’s been amazing, seeing them grow as individuals,” Reina said. “It’s so rewarding, watching them interview their own staff, learn how to become supervisors, and take on additional responsibilities that weren’t granted to them in the past.”
“Being included in conversations on how to direct our lives was a foreign concept until coming to Advocates,” Lori said. “Advocates has empowered us from the very beginning.” It is through this empowerment, the Gonzalezes’ self-advocacy, and the ongoing support of their dynamic team that they are able to live fulfilling and meaningful lives. Moreover, it is these things that have helped turn dreams into reality. “I’m living my dream now,” Lori said. “And so am I,” Lance chimed in.
Lance and Lori’s story is one that truly exemplifies the vital role each member of a support team plays. It also demonstrates the compassion and hard work of our employees on a daily basis. And perhaps best of all, it shows that dreams can come true – regardless of the barriers we each face in our own ways.
The couple has asked to share the following message as a tribute to everyone involved in their care over the years at Advocates:
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"We would like to send a big shoutout to each and every person who has helped us on our journey. Everyone has been extremely supportive, even through the pandemic. Our team works very hard for us, and we appreciate you from the bottom of our hearts!" | |
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On behalf of all of us at Advocates, we appreciate the tireless work of not only those who support Lance and Lori Gonzalez, but all of the nearly 1,000 individuals and families receiving services from Advocates. We thank you! | |
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If you have a caring family member or friend who is looking for meaningful work and the opportunity to support someone as inspirational as Lance and Lori, please encourage them to
apply on our website. We look forward to meeting them!
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Advocates John Wolford Coffee House | | |
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The highly anticipated return of Advocates' John Wolford Coffee House was a huge success! More than 75 people receiving services from Advocates and their Mentors or family members joined us for an evening of music, dancing, food, and friendship. | |
We're already looking forward to our next Coffee House, which will take place in early 2023. More details on our next event to follow in upcoming newsletters! | |
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We appreciate our families, donors, community partners, and employees that have celebrated and supported Advocates throughout the years.
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Advocates-Sponsored
Syracuse Crunch Game
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Join us for Advocates night
at the Syracuse Crunch!
The Syracuse Crunch is offering discount tickets to people/families receiving services from Advocates along with employees.
Join us on Saturday, Nov. 12th at 7pm as the Syracuse Crunch take on the Utica Comets.
Discount tickets ($18) can be purchased by contacting
Emily Kissinger: (315) 473-4444 ext. 126 or online at: www.syracusecrunch.com/advocates using promotional code: ADVOCATES
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Advocates Virtual Trainings | |
Understanding and Accessing SNAP (Food Stamp) Benefits | | |
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Presented by: Alice Webster | Nutrition Outreach & Education Coordinator (NOEP) of Food Bank of CNY
November 16th @ 6pm
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Join us to learn about the programs and services offered by the Food Bank of Central New York. In this training, our presenter will be covering:
- Other benefits you may receive just by getting SNAP benefits, such as HEAP and farmer market incentives.
- How you can stretch your grocery dollars through programs such as Food Sense, your local food pantry, fresh foods distributions and SNAP.
- What the Food Bank of Central New York does and how they service Onondaga county and Central New York.
- The difference between a food pantry and a food bank.
Alice will also be available to prescreen and assist families residing in Onondaga County, with the application process for SNAP (food stamp) benefits. Those who live outside of Onondaga County will be referred to their counties NOEP. For those who are interested in applying, please see request a documentation list.
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To register for Advocates trainings,
Please include in your email:
Name of person receiving services
Name/s of person attending
Name of Care Manager
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Plan on doing your holiday shopping online this year? If so, simply shop on smile.amazon.com as you normally would, and designate Advocates as your charity of choice by searching for Advocates Inc
With every eligible purchase, AmazonSmile will donate 5% to Advocates. It's that easy! Thank you for your support!
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Advocates Virtual Trainings | |
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We are thankful to have you as a part of our family!
From all of us at Advocates, we wish you safe and Happy Thanksgiving, and all the best this season has to offer!
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ADVANCING INCLUSION | EMPOWERING FAMILIES | CREATING COMMUNITY | | | | | |
