A Life of Service as a Host Home Provider

David Jones has lived a full life. A life-long athlete, he started competing in judo at three years of age. Growing up, he won numerous championships, including national ones. By 1987, he had moved to Colorado Springs to train for the Olympics. While he didn’t achieve Olympic gold, he did channel all of that determination into a pursuit of fitness that even saw him compete in Mr. Universe contests. Along the way, he developed a career that was equal parts entrepreneurial and service oriented. “People come into life with certain things they are supposed to do, for me that was sports and helping other people,” he says. “This work comes natural; it is easy for me.”

In 1995, he was lifting weights with a friend, David Barriera. Over conversations about life, David B. mentioned to David J. how satisfying his direct care work was as a Dungarvin contractor. “At the time, I was a financial advisor but felt unfulfilled,” he remembers. “Listening to David talk about his role supporting others was it all it took for me to make the switch.” Within months, David started working as a Direct Support Professional (DSP). Shortly thereafter, he became a Host Home Provider at Dungarvin. “I immediately felt comfortable providing direct service to others in these settings.”

“Because of David (Barriera) I saw how you could support people right from your own home. I decided that was the way I wanted to work and to be able to make a difference.” Remarkably, he has been supporting the same two individuals, Cory and David, in his home for more than 25 years.  

“Cory was placed with me in 1999 after being moved from home to home about twelve times in one year,” says David. “He was just 12 years old at the time and needed a patient individual he could trust. I agreed to take Cory on for the challenge, the education and the growth we would both gain from the experience.”

“David came to Dungarvin out of a desperate need for the right placement,” recalls David. “He is a young man with fragile X syndrome and he has many special needs. David was placed with me twenty seven years ago. This young man has a great ability to remind us what it is to be human. In many ways, he has been a great teacher to me.”

“Over time, I built a full-fledged gym in my home, not a small gym, but a state of the art facility, in part, because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to have a membership outside of my home with my commitment to the individuals in my care,” shares David. “From years of competition, I also knew I had to be good at something. I try to teach this kind of commitment to the boys, too.”

Perhaps not surprising, David’s mother also used to support individuals with disabilities. “I was young when my mother would help people in her home. (David lived with his father at the time.) “It wasn’t until after I was already providing support to individuals that I remembered her example early in life.”

“I don’t have children, in part, because I knew I wanted to be dedicated to this career path,” says David, who is turning 60 soon. “There is no such thing as perfection, and the more I think I know, the less I really know! But I think that is OK. It keeps me interested and engaged trying to learn and support both David and Cory day to day.”

What would he tell someone interested in becoming a Host Home provider? “Think about it carefully and consider the people you might want to support that can leverage your strengths and interests. With the right fit, being a Host Home Provider can provide you the freedom to live the life you want!”

If you live in Colorado and are interested in becoming a Host Home Provider, please contact Bruce Mayberry at bmayberry@dungarvin.com.