Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Bellieu.
Hi Leslie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
At 19 years old, I moved from El Paso, TX to San Diego, CA to finish school. I was pre-med and lifeguarding to make ends meet. I was hired on at a non-profit in El Cajon called, “St. Madeline’s Sophie Center,” and it changed my life. Within two weeks of working there, I made an appointment with my student advisor to figure out the quickest degree I could get, with the hours I had, that would qualify me to work with people with special needs. I knew I had found my calling. I changed my major to psychology and soon became an aquatic therapist at St. Mad’s and later an Autism Subject Matter Expert. I soon married my high school boyfriend-turned-sailor and finished school while we moved from station to station with our two babies. When my husband finished his time in the Navy, we returned to Texas, moving to the DFW area, where I soon found work as a special needs case manager. In 2007, I found Jesus and experienced a major shift in my lifestyle and way of thinking. Even though I had always loved those I worked with, my focus became less about the “work” and more about the opportunity to serve a population that is so often overlooked. In 2010, my husband’s job lead him here to San Antonio.
Admittedly, I wasn’t thrilled to move. I was reluctant to leave my church family, my friends, and my job. A lot of trust was developed in that season. As we settled into our new home, my mother encouraged me to seek out employment at an agency they had visited in the 80’s when they were beginning their adoption journey, called Methodist Mission Home (eventually re-branded as “Providence Place”). I did as I was told, but during my interview, the wonderful woman I was speaking with looked at my resume and asked if I would consider a position in heir special needs vocational rehabilitation program. I had no idea that program existed, but my immediate answer was, “yes!!” I spent a couple years in the dormitory, as a case manager, learning so much from my incredible boss and mentor, Connie. Soon, I was promoted to the director of the program and eventually the Chief Program Officer for the organization. Myself and a group of my friends from Life Point Church launched a non-profit called The Mercy Coalition, that brought other non-profits together to make a bigger impact in the community, with a heavy focus on homeless ministry. Weekend after weekend we met people experiencing homelessness who had apparent intellectual disabilities, and it broke our hearts knowing it didn’t have to be that way. About 8 years later, as legislation began to change in the state, I felt strongly that we needed to shift focus to provide long-term support for the students we were serving in an effort to lower their extremely high risk of exploitation and/or ending up on the streets
. I believed we should build an all-inclusive tiny home community where they could continue to grow their skills and remain in community with one another. After careful budget negotiations, we realized that it would not be possible in that season, but I felt strongly that God has placed a vision on my heart that I needed to see through. As difficult as it was, I transitioned away from Providence Place and, with the help of people from my team there, and my family, we began to form a plan and I launched into full-time special needs ministry, with a mission. Soon, one of the program directors from Providence Place, Charles Morris, joined me, and in 2018, we re-branded The Mercy Coalition and Southwind Fields was officially born. Today, we serve over 100 adults with learning differences, across four apartment complexes, providing them with community and all the supports they need to live as independenty as possible.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road, to say the least. Launching any business is difficult, and I was not nearly as prepared for the struggle as I thought I was! Growing a non-profit takes time, especially with regard to generating a sustainable revenue. Charles and I went without a paycheck for over two years. My husband and I drained our savings trying to make ends meet and came within hours of our home being foreclosed on, bills were piling up at home and at Southwind, and my health began crumbling under the stress of it all… but God is so faithful. Despite the many, many obstacles put before us, He has always provided and given us grace in the process as we struggled and grew. We couldn’t have prepared for the challenges of assisting adults with special needs in a higher level of independence… the stories we could tell! On the other hand… we wouldn’t have it any other way. We are better because of our Locals and each of them has blessed us in so many ways.
We’ve been impressed with Southwind Fields, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Southwind Fields provides a variety of relationship focused services for adults with learning differences, allowing them to live as independently as possible within the community. We believe that we were all built for relationship with one another and because of that, we are better together. We call this the “community strong concept,” where every member of Southwind Fields, whether staff or Local, are able to learn from one another, share our God-given gifts to support and build up one another, and that where one is lacking, another will be be strong. We believe that our identity is found in Christ, and not in the world. Where the world will tell our Locals everything they can’t do, we believe that, through Jesus, anything is possible.
Our Locals come from all over the country (most being from Texas) and fall into a category that we refer to as the “in-betweeners.” These are adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities who tend to fall through the cracks because of a somewhat higher level of independence than most with these diagnoses. Because of this, they are almost completely overlooked and often do not qualify for state-funded services, they do not need the 24/7 care of a group home setting, but will always require some type of assistance to maintain their independence. We have Locals who have masters degrees, some that drive, and we have locals who need insurance-paid providers to come assist them with cooking and cleaning. Most are somewhere in between.
We come alongside our Locals, providing a myriad of services from advisement to job placement, to bus training, to budget management, bill pay, cooking-classes, to everything in between. We throw multiple “family events” for our Locals throughout the week and host activities each week such as Men’s Group, Chic Clique, Prayer Group, Theater Club, and a multitude of there clubs that meet at either our Local Society space or one another’s apartments. We encourage healthy relationships between our Locals and help facilitate communication within the community, when they need it, for things like inviting friends to go to a movie, or come over to watch a football game. It is their life, and we are just here to support it. Our community of about 100 Locals is spread across 4 partnered apartment complexes, all one right next to the other, where they can choose between a one and two bedroom apartment either with a roommate or without (we highly encourage a two bedroom, with a roommate, for the first year if they have never lived on their own before.) These are standard, community apartments, ranging in size and cost, where the leases and bills are in their names, helping to build their rental history and credit.
We also offer a day program at the Local Society from 9-1, Monday through Thursday. This program is open to anyone looking to build their social or independent living skills and is often used as a stepping stone to our City Local (apartment) program. Day Locals not only learn the skills they need to live more independently, but make friends and experience a new level of independence from day-to-day before going to their family homes at the end of the day.
We have, perhaps, generated the most attention around our up-coming tiny home project, designed to create a self-sustaining community, compete with multi-use spaces, community kitchens, a market, a clinic, a chapel, a garden, an agricultural program, art studio, gym, and anything else our Locals may desire to not only meet their needs, but also generate on-campus employment for those that desire it or who may struggle to maintain community-based employment.
My favorite compliments for Southwind Fields are when someone says one of two things. The first is when they come to visit the Local Society space and say something like, “I can’t put my finger on it, but the energy is so special here,” or “Wow, it just feels so great in this space!” The second is when the loved-one of a Local looks one of us in the eye and shares what Southwind means to them and their family with regard to having peace about their Local’s future. When I hear something such as, “This program has changed every aspect of our lives,” or, “I am able to sleep at night now because I know my child has a place to be, that he loves, when I’m gone.” Our Locals and their families have blessed our hearts beyond measure.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was born, and adopted, in Wichita Falls, TX and our family moved to Houston when I was four years old. My father took a position at NASA and my parents soon adopted another baby, whom they named Kadiann. We spent most of our childhood in the Clear Lake area there before moving to El Paso when I entered middle school.. My sister and I both graduated from Franklin High School on the west side and loved spending those years enjoying the desert life.
I was a very sensitive, quiet child. I was exceptionally tall and somewhat awkward through elementary school. My parents enrolled me in softball, cheerleading, and swimming to help me overcome my shyness, and it worked! I fell in love with swimming at the age of 5, and continued on in the sport, swimming competitively from kindergarten through my sophomore year in college. I began making friends and coming out of my shell. My mother was very vocal and showed me there importance of caring for people and loving others well.
By the time I reached high school, I had settled into my skin, I think, and was probably a little too social… always in trouble in classes for talking or passing notes. I had a great circle of friends, mostly all swimmers, and drove a ’68 International Scout that drew a lot of attention. We’d pile in and crank up the late 90’s alternative rock to head to desert bonfires house parties. I was, admittedly, a bit of a “wild child” in high school. I’ll blame it on being a teenager in a border town. But, my grades were always solid, I was excelling academically, and most importantly, I had incredible parents. They loved me unconditionally, showed me tough love when I needed it, and made sure my sister and I never wanted for anything. I was blessed with a remarkable childhood.
Pricing:
- $350/month – City Local (apartment) Program
- $300/month – Local Society (day) Program
- $150/month – Part-Time Local Society Program
- $350/month – Non-Local Job Placement
- $100-$500/month – Sponsor A Local
Contact Info:
- Website: https://SouthwindFields.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/SouthwindFields
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/SouthwindFields
- Youtube: Southwind Fields
