Fifty years ago, a young man left his home in Pennsylvania and ventured east to Long Island to accept a job as the Recreation Director for Maryhaven Center of Hope in Port Jefferson. Trained by the Daughters of Wisdom, he learned to develop the skills needed to manage and care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in a residential setting. Although he learned what he needed to complete his job successfully, what came naturally was the appreciation, respect, and care he has for people with disabilities.
Walter Stockton dedicated himself to developing relationships with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, and he invited people to join him in providing support and nurturing relationships. He founded IGHL in 1978 and was one of the first organizations that moved people out of the Willowbrook institution and into a group home community setting in Mt. Sinai. Since then, IGHL has opened 54 more group homes and established 13 Day Habilitation sites offering specialty services, including residential opportunities for people requiring 24-hour medical care, family support programs for people living at home with their families, and a myriad of recreation opportunities.
In the past five years, Walter created the Kinexion Network (Kinexion.org), a management service organization comprised of seven agencies, including IGHL, which collectively supports 6,500 people. Walter’s mission of caring for and developing relationships with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities remains steadfast as demonstrated in his vision to create a network that will offer people the support they need over their lifetime.
A donor recognition tree will be created in the lobby of IGHL’s Manorville Opportunity Center. Your purchase of a leaf, bird, or stone will help us create a visual acknowledgement of our love and appreciation for what Walter has done for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, employees, and the New York State industry for over fifty years. Please join us in honoring Walter’s work and his significant impact on thousands of people that will continue for generations.
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