Dwelling Place provides lifelong home for Leavenworth residents

LEAVENWORTH —Tucked away off Icicle Road, five adults with developmental disabilities live together at the Dwelling Place, supported by a small team of caregivers. Known as the Five Amigos, the men have spent most of their adult lives together, sharing routines, jobs and friendships that go back decades.

“There are three homes like ours in our valley, which is unheard of,” said the Dwelling Place Executive Director Amy Smith.

Leavenworth is home to two other adult family homes — Cornerstone Community and Tierra Learning Center’s Coyote House — but the Dwelling Place was the first home to be founded in the upper valley.

It was founded in 2002 by John and Kathy Bangsund, who were inspired to establish an adult family home for their son Matt to provide lifelong care. However, Matt wouldn’t live alone. Instead, he would have four other roommates — most of whom had gone to elementary school together, said Smith. The Bangsunds converted their family home into The Dwelling Place that stands today, volunteering thousands of hours as they slowly brought on staff.

“That feeling of the home really endured,” said Smith.

As a nonprofit, licensed care facility, the home carries a few visible markers, including a caregiver on duty and an AED mounted on the wall. Otherwise, the Dwelling Place feels much like any other home on the street, with engaged roommates rather than anonymous residents. The atmosphere was intentional, Smith said, crediting the Bangsunds and former caregiver Tina Banks with laying the foundation for the men to live full and connected lives together.

“They have families, and I'm glad for it, but they're about as close to family as they can be to each other without actually being related,” said Smith. “It just feels like home. That's how it should feel.”

Nearly all of the Dwelling Place’s residents have lived there since the beginning, Smith said. The only exception is Chris M., who joined the home in recent years after Matt Bangsund moved to South Dakota to be closer to family. Turnover among caregivers has also been minimal, helping keep the home’s routine and relationships consistent.

“The thing that strikes me the most is how lucky I am to come to work every day where they say they love you every day, and they are so sincere,” said caregiver Lori Bodnar.

The days at the Dwelling Place follow a steady routine built around time together and staying active in the community. Each morning, the men start the day together by making jump ropes for a local company. While the number of orders has slowed due to tariffs and supply changes, said Smith, making practice ropes continues to be an important part of the daily morning routine.

“It just becomes a really [engaging] and social time for our guys in the morning. They get up, they take their shower, they eat their breakfast, and then we go into the jump rope shop, and we have music playing, and they sit around the table,” said Smith.

The rest of the days are filled with attending Upper Valley Connection activities, doing errands, going to the church and gym, or working for local businesses. For instance, Alex works at the high school and Dan’s Food Market, while Chris A. washes dishes at Cascade Medical.

“They're just loved. You can really, again, credit the early tracks set by people like Tina and Kathy in sort of just making sure they were in the community,” said Smith.

More than 20 years after the Dwelling Place first opened, the home is entering a new chapter. The residents who grew up together are growing older together, and with that comes new challenges. Some of the men are starting to slow down with age, spending less time in the community and more time at home. Without that visibility in the community, Smith said, it can be hard to keep the Five Amigos on people’s minds.

“We're still here, and actually, our needs are increasing,” said Smith.

According to Smith, the nonprofit is starting to confront the additional needs associated with aging, such as hiring night staff and making major facility upgrades to meet state standards, such as remodeling bathrooms and installing a ramp. Simultaneously, overall costs have increased, including insurance, which Smith said had spiked nearly $20,000 since 2021.

“Our funding doesn't go up proportionately, and sometimes we are losing funding. So, it’s a puzzler,” said Smith.

The nonprofit has also felt the effects of state and federal funding cuts, making community support more important than ever. Smith said that support has helped keep the Dwelling Place true to its original purpose.

“If you look at who is supporting the Dwelling Place…Overwhelmingly, it's people in our valley,” said Smith. “They live here, they work here. And that's really heartening, because what it tells me is that our valley is embracing and giving value to our guys.”

More information about the Dwelling Place and how to donate can be found at dwellingplaceleavenworth.org.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media