At Gabriel Homes, residents from our six homes come from all walks of life.
Everybody has unique stories, and their chapters continue with no two days looking the same.
20+ Years of Community
Stephen (front) has been a resident with Gabriel Homes since February of 2000. He works at ECHO Barkery, a dog biscuit bakery led by workers with disabilities. According to their website, Stephen’s favorite biscuits to make are peanut butter ones!
Gabriel Homes caught up with Stephen recently to talk about his life and family. Here’s what he had to say:
Where did you grow up?
“Oh, I’m a New Yorker! My mom is from Queens and my dad is from Brooklyn. My brother Peter and I call Long Island home, though. My brother is a few years older than me, and I look up to him to this day. I still remember seeing him in “Oklahoma!” when we were kids.
“My brother lives out in Florida today, and I like seeing him when I get the chance. Family is important to us, so I’m happy we keep in touch a lot and have a good relationship.”
What’s one of your favorite hobbies?
“I really like music. My bedroom has a huge stack of CDs I’ve collected over the years. The top of the rack has Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. Dean Martin, Sammy Davis – all those guys are great singers. I play their music so much that my Rat Pack CD is broken, so I need to replace it soon.
“I also put on lots of old clips of Johnny Carson. Years later, I play his episodes on repeat and never get bored. I don’t think anybody can do talk shows the same way Johnny did them.”
What are your favorite sports?
“I can't play sports well at my age, so I prefer to watch them. My brother is a George Mason University grad, so we see the basketball team when he’s in town.
“But the Olympics were fun this year! The men’s and women’s basketball teams both came down to the last shots, and I couldn’t look away from the TV. Volleyball was also a blast to watch. I was disappointed that the U.S. came up short, but I had fun watching every game.”