About Me
Hello and welcome to Evergreen Respite Care! I'm Kari Roller.
I began offering respite care after seeing the need for disability family caregivers and those caring for elderly family members to have time away for rest, travel, and attending life events. In my years supporting individuals with special needs and getting to know their families, I've witnessed the invaluable role which caregivers fill, and the long and challenging road they travel. The physical and emotional weight of caring for others with developmental disabilities can feel deeply overwhelming and lonely.
When I learned that some family caregivers rarely (or never) get time away, it sparked an idea which has grown into a traveling respite care business. I find deep fulfillment in connecting with families around the country and providing varied services of support.
I understand some of the unique qualities and qualifications needed in those who care for individuals with special needs and the elderly: trustworthiness, flexibility and patience, respect for the dignity and autonomy of others, and kindness with a genuine love for connection with each unique person.
I have supported individuals with disabilities in school settings, day programs, group homes, and in my own home with roommates. I have experience with Behavioral Support Plans, intensive medical support needs, aging and dementia/Alzheimer's, walking with others at the end of life, and also lots of laughs, fun, connection, and friendship.
My mission is to give some needed respite support and relief so caregivers can continue providing the love and daily care which disability requires. We all need help sometimes. From short weekend breaks to extended stays of multiple weeks, I am happy to provide professional, reliable, and compassionate care, ensuring peace of mind for the caregivers and those they care for.
I grew up in the foothills of the Olympic Mountains in beautiful Washington State and then gravitated to sunny southern California for college where I received my B.A. in Elementary Education. I taught 6th grade near Los Angeles before moving to Minnesota to experience midwest hospitality and my nose hairs freezing during the looooong winters.
Shortly after I moved to Minneapolis, I met this girl and she changed my life. Elissa was entering 6th grade and I was still very green as a teacher when we began our journey together. Elissa is spunky, hilarious, determined, brave, and she also has cerebral palsy. She inspired me to grow in my understanding of disability, its challenges and its gifts, and to grow as a teacher (because sometimes when it's a really tough day, it's more helpful to go outside and roll down a hill together than try to push through a math lesson). Elissa and I learned and laughed together for 6 years until she graduated high school. She taught me as much as I did her and changed the trajectory of my life to the field of disability.
Elissa graduated from college and is now living independently and working as an assistant preschool teacher. She's a beloved friend and travel buddy. We've traveled to Disney World and New Zealand and cross country road tripped together, and I'm so happy she still laughs at my jokes.
After six years in Minnesota, the west coast beckoned me back and I moved to dreamy San Diego, working for a non-profit vocational day program for adults with developmental disabilities, Options for All.
During a period of five years, I served in roles as a Direct Support Staff, a Program Faciltator, and a Program Manager. It was an eye-opening, invaluable season in which I got to know many disability families, their service coordinators, collaborated on ISPs, witnessed SSI challenges, and grew in my understanding of the vital need for quality resources and supports for individuals and families. I also had a ton of fun and developed lifelong friendships with many of the incredible people I met. And 73 degrees with sunny skies pretty much every day is not terrible!
After a special season in Prescott, Arizona living near family and teaching a young woman with autism, I was reminded of an organization called L'Arche, which my dad first learned about in the 80's from a book he read. I was curious about these communities of people with and without developmental disabilities sharing life together, so I packed up my car and headed to DC to experience it for myself.
My years with L'Arche Greater Washington DC serving as one of the house managers were intense, transformative, challenging, and so rich. Part of the mission statement of L'Arche is to "make known the gifts of people with intellectual disabilities, revealed through mutually transforming relationships." They live this out by intentionally looking for the good and the value in one another and imbedding connection, time, and affirmation into everyday activities like cooking, playing games, sharing meals, making music, taking neighborhood walks, and going on vacations together.
Like authentic community anywhere, it could be beautiful, frustrating, and exhausting, sometimes simultaneously! But I witnessed the tremendous difference it makes to purposefully fight against isolation and loneliness with intentional community, and I'm so grateful for the mission, example, advocacy work, and love of all the L'Arche communities around the world.
My time in DC also increased my experience with a wide range of development disabilities, medical and behavioral support needs, planning house and individual client vacations, managing house finances and maintenance, conflict resolution and mediation, and lots of other good and hard stuff that comes with community life!
I currently reside in the Rocky Mountains above the sweet town of Fort Collins, Colorado. I'm enjoying the wildlife (wild turkeys parade through my yard every day) and hiking as many trails as my lungs and legs will tolerate. I'm also getting to know the L'Arche Northern Colorado community as they work tirelessly to open their first group homes. If you live anywhere near a L'Arche community, they all welcome people with and without disabilities to join for dinners, community events, and other activities intended to build friendships and combat loneliness.