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Strengthening Communities

Strengthening Communities

Written by: Access Services
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Access Services is a non-profit committed to building stronger communities by empowering individuals to achieve wholeness and belonging. Serving eastern Pennsylvania since 1976, we provide community support for adults, children, families, individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, behavioral health, and housing. We believe in providing person-centered services that meet people’s unique needs. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, we ask, “How can we serve this person better?” This mindset has allowed us to grow from a small group of social workers to over 600 passionate staff members dedicated to strengthening our communities. We are adaptable and always look for ways to meet specific community needs. If we can’t provide a solution, we connect individuals with our community partners and resources. By building strong partnerships, we create vibrant communities and lasting support for those in need. Please join us as we discuss a variety of topics in the human services fields and how our communities can be strengthened as we all work together.Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Strengthening Communities Season 2, Episode #4: Impact Comes Full Circle

    Strengthening Communities Season 2, Episode #4: Impact Comes Full Circle
    May 5 2026

    In this episode, we continue our 50th anniversary reflection by exploring the power of lived experience, relationships, and purpose in action. As Access Services looks back on five decades of impact, hosts Mike and Mark are joined by Marissa, Director of the Bucks County LIFE program, whose journey with Access Services comes full circle.

    Marissa shares her story of first being served as a young adult through the TIP program and how that experience helped her discover her purpose and her path forward. Now, more than a decade later, she returns as a leader - bringing with her a deep commitment to peer support, authentic relationships, and creating space for others to define success on their own terms.
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    44 mins
  • Strengthening Communities Season 2, Episode #3: The House on Hamilton Street

    Strengthening Communities Season 2, Episode #3: The House on Hamilton Street
    Apr 8 2026

    In this episode of the Strengthening Communities podcast, hosts Mark and Mike sit down with Don and Terri Bredamus (former house parents of a group home in the early 1980s) and their daughter Kristie. Together, they revisit what it was like to raise three young children while also supporting three men with intellectual disabilities as part of everyday family life.
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    44 mins
  • Strengthening Communities Season 2, Episode #2: A Lookback with Rob Reid

    Strengthening Communities Season 2, Episode #2: A Lookback with Rob Reid
    Mar 3 2026
    In this episode of Strengthening Communities, hosts Mark and Mike sit down with former President & CEO Rob Reid to revisit the early years of Access Services and the mission that has guided the organization for five decades. Rob reflects on the pivotal shift in the late 1970s and early ’80s as Access Services helped lead the movement from institutional care to community-based living for people with developmental disabilities. From the impact of the landmark Halderman v. Pennhurst case to the challenges of opening the first group homes, Rob shares powerful first-hand stories from a time when there were no templates, just a committed team determined to do the right thing. Together, Mark, Mike and Rob explore how person-centered support evolved, how the team worked to build trust within neighborhoods, and how innovative models emerged from listening deeply to people’s needs. They also reflect on the personal impact of this work: the relationships that shaped them, the life lessons learned, and the shared commitment to stepping into the gaps where support is needed most. This episode offers a meaningful, behind-the-scenes look at the values, stories, and mission that have defined Access Services for 50 years, and continue to strengthen communities today.
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    44 mins
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