Our Story
We Began with a Mother's Love
In 1975, a mother wanted a better life for her daughter who was developmentally disabled.
Barbara Barger’s daughter, Beth, needed 24-hour care, supervision and support, things a single mother could not provide. A small group of parents and volunteers created Helping Hands for the Disabled. In the beginning, the goal was to raise funds for Beth and her fellow residents at Interlake Nursing Center in Bellevue. But within a few years, faced with few acceptable living options, Barbara and Helping Hands, without the benefit of the internet, forged into the unknown. They petitioned for funds to open a group home unlike any in the State of Washington at the time - one that provided a home with 24-hour support and care for adults with disabilities.
A Champion in the Making
Built by a team that included the State of Washington’s Department of Developmental Disabilities, the Archdiocesan Housing Authority and the federal office of Housing and Urban Development, Champion House opened in 1983 and welcomed eight DD residents. As of our 50th anniversary in 2025, four of our original residents still call our programs home.
Champion House’s success led to the opening of Halcyon, in 1987, home to eight more residents. By the early nineties, several of our aging residents required a higher level of nursing care than our current programs could provide. Committed to our mission to serve the evolving needs of our residents, Visions opened in Kirkland in 1991, providing 24 hour skilled nursing care and support to five residents. In 2000, Trail House became our second Intensive Tenant Support program.
Today, We're DAHLIA Living
In 2018, we became DAHLIA Living, to embrace the growth and nurturing our residents receive as well as to honor our now-angel founder, Barbara Barger, an avid gardener.
Inclusion. Home. Family.
50 Years Later
DAHLIA Living is home to up to 26 DD adults. Our residents are active in their communities - with jobs, excursions and even volunteering. But they all come home at night to their own room in their own home.
Through the years, our agency has grown to meet the changing needs of our residents, as well as adapt our services to changing times. We're good neighbors in our local communities. And for decades to come, with your support, we are ready for all the challenges thrown our way.
Our Mission
We support adults with developmental disabilities by providing creative living and community options that ensure a high quality of life.