Honored guests for the program will be the three residents at the home, UMAR’s first local independent living residence for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

“The Disciple Home will provide the men with an opportunity to live as integrated members of their community,” says UMAR President Steve Sellers. “At UMAR, it is our goal to help create opportunities where our participants can live as self-sufficiently as possible.”

UMAR, a Huntersville-based nonprofit, works to promote community inclusion, independence and growth for adults with developmental difficulties. The three residents of the home receive support from UMAR staff as they learn how to live independently while developing life skills like managing a budget, buying groceries and dividing up household chores.

Volunteers from throughout the Lake Norman district of the United Methodist Church, working in cooperation UMAR staff members and the Wesley Community Development Corp., started construction on the house last fall on property donated by Mt. Zion United Methodist. The project was completed earlier this year.

Founded in 1983 by the United Methodist Church, UMAR is dedicated to promotingcommunity inclusion and growth for adults coping with an assortment of disabilities throughoutwestern North Carolina. The organization currently supports more than 325 adults through group housing, employment and cultural enrichment opportunities.