Step inside Home and Community Options, and you’ll hear stories—stories of dreams coming true, friendships blossoming, milestones celebrated, and simple, everyday moments that mean everything. But beneath those stories is something deeper: a quiet, powerful commitment that has been shaping lives and inspiring leadership here for fifty years.

We call it Living with Purpose—and at HCO, it’s more than just a phrase. It’s the way we lead, the way we care, the way we show up every day.

What Does Leadership Look Like at HCO?

Leadership here isn’t about titles or fancy speeches. It’s the DSP who calmly helps someone get ready for their day. It’s the team member who steps back, making space for a person we support to speak up at the Capitol. It’s the Board Member who listens carefully, valuing every voice.

At HCO, leadership starts with one simple truth: the best leaders serve first.

This idea, known as servant leadership, was coined by Robert Greenleaf, who asked: “Do those being served grow as persons? Are they healthier, wiser, and more autonomous?” At HCO, we work every day to make sure the answer is a resounding yes.

How It All Began

In the last few years, we have put a name to something that’s been at the heart of HCO since day one: Living with Purpose. It became our way to define and strengthen servant leadership across our entire organization—from the direct care staff who support people daily, to our management team, all the way to the individuals we serve.

We focused on seven key traits that define a servant leader: being a person of character, putting people first, being a skilled communicator, a compassionate collaborator, having foresight, being a systems thinker, and leading with moral authority.

But Living with Purpose isn’t just a checklist. It’s about how we show up for one another—every single day.

Living with Purpose in Action

Our Living with Purpose Committee has been busy turning these pillars from ideas into real-life practices. We’ve woven these themes into training programs, interview questions, job descriptions, and performance appraisals. We published a newsletter series shining a spotlight on each pillar, helping everyone connect to what servant leadership truly means.

We’ve also rethought how we explain expectations—making sure the why is clear, so everyone understands the purpose behind our standards. And new hire orientation? We’ve redesigned it to be more welcoming and inspiring, because those first moments set the tone for a lifetime of meaningful work.

Our commitment reaches beyond HCO’s walls too. Committee members have shared our mission and values with civic groups, local colleges, and community partners.  We’re expanding storytelling efforts too, using training videos and leadership meetings to bring our values to life.

Looking Forward: Growing a Culture of Purpose

The year ahead is full of exciting new projects. We are planning classroom visits to introduce inclusive values to elementary students—planting seeds of belonging early on. Radio segments will help share HCO’s mission with the wider community, while job shadowing and service-learning programs will give high school students a chance to explore careers rooted in meaningful, values-driven work.

You’ll find more Living with Purpose moments in newsletters, staff meetings, and social media—like monthly “questions to ponder” that spark reflection and conversation.

Our work aligns closely with Strategic Planning Committees, and the Living with Purpose Committee is proud to support this shared vision—keeping purpose, people, and impact at the very center of all we do.

Building the Next 50 Years

As HCO celebrates 50 years, we know the future of our community depends not just on what we do, but how we do it.

We imagine a future where kids grow up truly understanding inclusion. Where volunteerism is second nature to young people. Where college graduates step into the world with passion and a commitment to lead with heart. And where the people we support continue to be powerful leaders in their own right—as advocates, contributors, neighbors, and friends.

Living with Purpose isn’t just a program. It’s a movement—a culture—a promise. And it’s already changing how we care, how we work, and how we grow together as a community.

Here’s to the next 50 years—led by people who serve first, listen deeply, and lift others as they go. Because leadership isn’t about holding power. It’s about sharing it.