07/29/2026
Celebrating Stacey's Positive Spirit and Lasting Impact
At our Living Well Disability Services Transforming Lives Gala on Friday, August 21, we will showcase the annual Dreammaker Award winners. The winners will be celebrated for their hard work, building awareness for the disability community and using their voices as a platform for advocacy. Today we are happy to introduce Stacey Hodge, our 2026 Self Advocate Dreammaker.
Our self-advocates are the people who call Living Well home and epitomize what it means to be of service to self, all while making sure their needs are met physically and emotionally with intention and kindness. To be a self-advocate is to stand up for your needs and showcase what you want most out of your life. This is not always easy for people and therefore is worthy of celebration.
Stacey has been a valued member of the Lyndale Home community since moving there in August 2004. Known for her laid-back nature, kind heart, and easy-going personality, Stacey brings joy wherever she goes. She enjoys spending time with her friends and roommates at Lyndale Home and looks forward to visiting her family in Tennessee each year. Always willing to lend a helping hand, Stacey assists with daily household routines by setting the table, taking out the garbage, and helping move the bins to and from the curb. She is also thoughtful toward her roommates, often opening doors and helping whenever needed.
Stacey loves staying active and involved. Over the past 19 years she has often participated in the Camp Menogyn dogsledding trip. When she is up north, she is the first to raise her hand for any activity, never shies away from the cold plunge, and is genuinely happy the entire trip. Heather Heier, Communications and Events Manager, says, “Stacey is a delight to travel with. She has an incredible sense of humor and is more adventurous than people decades younger than her. I’ve taken her to Menogyn the past two years and consider her both a friend and an intrepid explorer. When they ask who wants to hike to Caribou Rock, she is always there, with a smile and commitment to enjoying life. Congrats, Stacey!”
She enjoys ordinary days as well at her Day Program and participating in community activities. Each month, she joins friends from Lyndale at Northland to prepare freezer meals that are shared with Living Well homes across the organization. As a dedicated volunteer, Stacey has served as a greeter at Living Well's Transforming Lives Gala for more than a decade, helping guests feel welcomed and appreciated from the moment they arrive. She is also a founding member of Living Well's STARS self-advocacy group, which has been meeting every other month for many years. Stacey not only attends faithfully but also exemplifies compassion and support by checking in with fellow members, offering encouragement, and helping others whenever she can.
Whether at home, in the community, or at a Living Well event, Stacey's kindness, positivity, and willingness to help make a lasting impression. She is truly a bright light in the lives of those around her.
Stacey, congrats on being this year’s Self-Advocate Dreammaker winner. We are delighted you are truly thriving.
(The Self-advocate award honors an individual served by Living Well Disability Services for their personal accomplishments. This could include advocating for themselves and others in the disability community. This award is special because our self-advocates are a key pillar of our organization. The work we do is for THEM. Everyone who donates, volunteers or partners with Living Well is doing it so the advocates can have a bigger brighter voice, a higher quality of life, and a community to call their own.)
At our Living Well Disability Services Transforming Lives Gala on Friday, August 21, we will showcase the annual Dreammaker Award winners. The winners will be celebrated for their hard work, building awareness for the disability community and using their voices as a platform for advocacy. Today we a...
