The Zane House Story

Maggie, Karen, Anne and Emily live at Zane House, a Fraser Residential Living home for adults with developmental disabilities. They have lived together for many years, and have become very good friends through mutual respect, teamwork, and routine.

Rose has worked at Zane House since its inception in 2001. She works with the women to foster their independence, teach them valuable life skills, and help them work together as a team. She and other Fraser staff have helped them perfect a routine over many years that works for them.

“The women and staff know how to work together to make things run smoothly,” said Rose.

The women contribute to the household, helping to get things done efficiently and happily. Fraser staff take care of the more complicated chores, such as cooking and driving. Each roommate works with the staff to do laundry, keep her bedroom tidy, set the table for meals, and clean up the kitchen. If one of them is unable to fulfill their assigned chore, there is even a system for finding a substitute.

Even though they work as a fine-tuned machine at home, it’s not all work around Zane House. They have quite a social calendar, and they do everything together. Wednesdays are the highly anticipated “dance night” where the women reconnect with friends at a church in south Minneapolis.

“If for some reason there isn’t a dance, we have to make it up to the ladies by doing something really special,” said Ann, another Fraser staff person.

On Thursday nights, they go bowling with a local church group. They go bowling again on Saturdays if they aren’t spending time with family, and occasionally, the roommates will host a popcorn and bingo party at Zane House. Often they invite a group of guys who live nearby at another Fraser home to join them.

On these activity nights, the women are on a tight schedule. After getting home from a full day at work, they exercise, get dinner on the table, clean up the kitchen, and get out the door with enough time to arrive at bowling, dancing or another activity. Week after week, they make it happen smoothly.

Most importantly, the women of Zane House support each other like a family. They all like living together, and Maggie summed it up by saying “I’m happy to be here a whole lot.”

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The Zane House Story