Little City has a BOLD new look! Learn more about our new brand.
Back to Knowledge Hub

It Took a Village 

We recently celebrated a very special mission moment for Little City as the Duffey Family Children’s Village was completed in late 2024, concluding a 10-year journey.

Celebrating the completion of the Duffey Family Children’s Village 

The fifth home (the Charles Evans Gerber Home) and sixth homes (the Duffey Home) are now complete and fully occupied.  

What started as a passion project for John and Becky Duffey more than 10 years ago has become a life-changing reality for children with disabilities. Since Larry’s Home first opened in 2014, the Village has served 95 children over the last decade, creating a dynamic and supportive living environment for many families who were running out of options for their loved ones.  

“Many of the kids we serve are non-verbal, and their high-level needs are too extensive for their families to fully support them,” said Rich Bobby, Chief Executive Officer. “These homes were specifically designed to support those children and we’ve already seen how amazing and life-changing the impact can be.” 

 One of the many success stories that the Village has produced is Tommy. Tommy was one of the earliest Village residents and struggled with emotional regulation, behaviors, and skill development.  

 That all started to change during his time at Larry’s Home where he could work on his social skills and life skills, while also learning to regulate his emotions and complete tasks independently in a safe and supportive environment.  

 Because of that experience, Tommy has since graduated from Little City’s Center for Education, now participates in our adult day program, and lives in one of our community-based homes with his friends.  

“The transition from our home to Larry’s Home was seamless,” said Mary Carol Grabill, Tommy’s mother. “He has grown so much and now he gets to live in a home with some of his friends from school. I can’t say enough about how much of a difference Little City has made and how amazing the staff is.” 

The fifth and sixth homes will help create more success stories like Tommy as they provide more ways for children to grow together at their own pace. The Village is organized so that residents can live in a home with others at the same skill and support level. As they grow and develop, they can move into other homes where they can further cultivate their independence and prepare for adult programming and residential services.  

 Meanwhile, the Duffey Home became the first ever Village home to serve girls. Formerly residents of Pine Home on the Little City campus, the girls have moved to Duffey and are thriving in their new environment.   

 Thanks to John and Becky Duffey and the commitment of so many supporters, the Village became a reality. The entire project was 100% funded by donors and grants and required no state or federal money – the power of your generosity!  

 “It really all started with a vision by (former executive director) Shawn Jeffers and the Board at that time and it was a pretty lofty goal,” said John Duffey. “To see it completed is a really special moment. There were a lot of challenges along the way, but it all succeeded because of the hard work of everyone at this organization.”

Change the lives of individuals with disabilities.