Help leaving the nest

They've been friends since age 3, so it's only natural that Stacy Kenefick and Jackie Olichwier have moved into their first apartment together.

Evidence of their camaraderie is everywhere: There are old high school photos on the wall and a living room filled with Christmas decorations.

As the two cooked a pasta dinner earlier this week, they reminisced about this season's surprise ending of the reality show "The Bachelor."

For these best friends, who are 31, the new apartment marks a milestone: It's the first time they've lived on their own.

Both women have learning disabilities and have been under their parents' roofs virtually their entire lives.

But thanks to a grass-roots group, CIF Schaumburg, being independent is now a reality.

It's a nonprofit organization of parents, professionals and friends working to develop housing options for their disabled loved ones.

CIF Schaumburg is an affiliate of Center for Independent Futures in Evanston. Two years ago at this time, parents had just started to meet at the local library to organize the group.

The goal is to get more housing -- like the six-flat where Kenefick and Olichwier reside in Palatine -- that can be shared by people with disabilities.

Once people get out of high school, there are dwindling housing options for the disabled, said Ann Crawford of Hoffman Estates, the vice president of the Schaumburg group.

"We are trying to continue the educational and developmental training these people have had all of their lives," she said. "We want to encourage them to move further."

Palatine resident Jeff Fredericks serves as a life skills coordinator for the five disabled residents living at the Palatine building.

He's there daily, helping them plan meals, do laundry, shop for groceries and pay bills.

"I get to smile every day while doing this," said Fredericks, who has a 22-year-old daughter with special needs.

Kenefick, of Hoffman Estates, is looking for a job. She went through a two-year program at National-Louis University for people with learning disabilities.

Olichwier, of Schaumburg, works at an insurance company.

Their parents surprised the women with the idea of moving out on their own.

After a Special Olympics event downstate, the two came back to Kenefick's mother's home. Waiting for them there was an empty shopping cart, a signal that they'd soon be buying their own groceries.

"We thought it was a joke," Olichwier said.

The two said it's exciting to finally live on their own, which is evident from their impeccably decorated apartment and enthusiasm for things like cooking dinner and making a grocery list.

But, like most roommates, there's a learning curve.

"It has its ups and downs," said Kenefick. "We're still figuring out each other's points."

The rooms in each apartment rent for $450, plus utilities. They come furnished with a TV, lamps, a couch and dining room table. Residents provide their own kitchen and bedroom furniture.

"This is just a godsend for us," said Stacy's dad, Dennis. "We know they're in excellent hands."

Options scarce

Advocates say that in Illinois, people with disabilities have fewer housing options:

• 85 percent of Illinois adult individuals with disabilities live at home as dependents.

• 30,000 individuals are living with caregivers over the age of 60.

• Fewer than 100 residential openings are available statewide in Illinois.

• Of the 1.2 million individuals with disabilities between 21 and 64 living in Illinois, only 8.5 percent are receiving residential or support services through the state.

• In Illinois, 14.4 percent of available funds go directly to individuals with disabilities who can then choose how to spend the money to arrange for the residential or support services that they need.

Source: Center for Independent Futures

Want to help out?

What: A madrigal dinner fundraiser for Centers for Independent Futures featuring entertainment by the Barrington High School Madrigal Singers.

Where: The Barn of Barrington, 1415 S. Barrington Road.

When: Saturday. Cocktails and a silent auction begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and entertainment.

Tickets: $50 each. Contact Dan or Beth Faillo at (847) 985-9838 or e-mail djfdan@comcast.net. by Friday.