Read More: This article was originally published in the 2025 Hillside Impact Report.
Watch: Taylor was featured as part of the ongoing Stories of Hillside video series.
From early on, Taylor Rapke (pictured, above left), one of three fraternal triplets, showed signs of unique challenges. “We could see differences between him and his siblings,” recalls his mother, Beth Rapke. “He was around 2 when he was diagnosed with autistic disorder.”
Supportive programs and special education classes allowed him to grow up at home with his family, but four years ago, the need had become clear for a specialized environment where the 18-year-old could continue to live safely. After careful consideration, his mom found the support Taylor needed: “We knew Hillside had great services, and we thought this would be a perfect setting to look into.”
Taylor moved to Macedon, NY, joining four other young men in an Individualized Residential Alternative (IRA) group home, supported by staff from Hillside’s Developmental Opportunities Services team. Hillside operates 11 group homes in neighborhoods throughout Western New York and Greater Rochester; once single-family houses, the IRAs provide a home environment for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD), plus a mental health diagnosis.
Residents in the DO Services program are often in their late teens and early 20s, and it’s not uncommon for some individuals to be in their 30s. “Our program is an important part of Hillside’s commitment to provide care and support for youth, adults and families,” says Marsha Whitley, the program’s Executive Director.
Unlike the intensive residential treatment services provided to youth at Hillside’s four residential campuses, services at the group homes are understood to be long-term and provided in a relaxed, homelike environment. “For the people who live here, this is home. This is a family, away from their family,” says Shamia Nicholson, a supervisor at Taylor’s IRA (pictured, above right). “We’re here to help them live their lives and become the people they’re meant to be.”
“It’s a lovely, lovely setting,” says Beth Rapke. “I feel so at ease knowing that my son lives in a place where he has people that care about him like his family does.”
‘AN AMAZING JOURNEY’: Residents’ lives in the IRAs follow individualized paths. Those young enough attend school; later, every effort is made to connect them with structured day programs that provide additional opportunities for social growth and learning. At home, the DO Services staff work with them on building life skills that support long-term goals.
Since Taylor came to Macedon, he’s improved his abilities in a variety of areas including showering, laundry and preparing meals. “With a verbal prompt or just asking him, he’s doing that now,” Nicholson says. “It’s wonderful to feel like we’re giving that support to him and the other guys. It could seem so simple to everybody else, but to them it means everything.”
“It’s been an amazing journey for him,” Beth Rapke says of her son. “Anybody who has a developmental disability naturally has a different timetable for approaching a problem or learning a skill. The beauty of his being here at Hillside is that staff can assess that, and break down the tasks as appropriate for each person in the house. They support their needs, and help them move forward at their own pace.” Recreation and group activities vary at the different sites. Last summer, Hillside staff and families at a group home in the town of Webster enjoyed jerk chicken at a barbeque dinner; over in the Buffalo suburb of Orchard Park, an ice cream social was held for residents of that IRA and others in the area. The ice cream social is an annual tradition—a recurring gift from the parents of a young woman who formerly lived in the Orchard Park IRA. Taylor’s life in Macedon has plenty of room for his mom. Beth Rapke joins him for weekly video chats, and both she and Taylor’s dad make regular in-person visits that mix routine with welcome surprises. “No two days are alike going out with Taylor, but that’s fun and joyful and exciting,” she says. “And even though his expressive communication can be limited at times, you can feel the love between us.”
LEARNING AND GROWTH: The need continues to increase for services supporting the I/DD community, and Hillside is taking strategic steps to expand its group home network. The agency’s latest IRA, in the Rochester suburb of Greece, opened in late 2025 following an open house and ribbon[1]cutting event in October where funding and regulatory partners joined neighbors from the block: “It’s important to us that we be a part of the communities that we’re in,” Whitley says.
Taylor’s mom connects regularly with the IRA staff about her son’s progress—and she’s excited for his future. “For me, the joy in motherhood is seeing my kids learn and grow and become a functioning adult someday, whatever that means to them. In Taylor’s case, with the support of staff at Hillside, he’s learned many skills that make me as a mom very proud. It’s a beautiful thing.”
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