We believe every person was made to thrive.
Shepherd's Way exists to help adults with intellectual disabilities discover who they are, build the skills they need, and live the full, independent lives they were always meant to live.
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It started with one invitation.
In 2014, a young man named Ben French met Dallas, a friend with an intellectual disability who was experiencing homelessness in Wichita, Kansas. Where others saw a difficult situation, Ben saw potential. He extended a simple invitation: move in, be roommates, build a life together.
Dallas said yes. That decision changed everything.
In the months that followed, Dallas learned to manage his own budget, schedule his days, prepare meals, navigate his community, and grow in his faith and confidence. Skills the world had told him he would never master. Together, Ben and Dallas built something neither of them had planned: a model for shared, mentored living that became Shepherd's Way.
What began in Wichita is now growing. Shepherd's Way Waco carries that same founding belief into a new community: that every person, regardless of ability, has gifts the world needs to see.
Our Mission
Launching adults with disabilities into independent, community-engaged, and purpose-driven lives.
Our values shape everything we do.
Every person has inherent worth.
We see individuals with intellectual disabilities for their identity, beauty, and potential, not for the limitations others have placed on them. Each person is uniquely made and worthy of dignity, respect, and a full life.
Relationship is the foundation.
Programs don't change lives. People do. The mentor-participant relationship at the heart of Shepherd's Way is not transactional. It is a genuine, mutual friendship built on shared life, shared space, and shared growth.
Independence is possible for everyone.
We reject the idea that adults with intellectual disabilities cannot grow, develop, and lead independent lives. With the right support, coaching, and community, people far exceed what the world expects of them.
Community transforms everyone in it.
Shepherd's Way is not a one-way street. Mentors grow as leaders. Families gain peace of mind. Neighbors become friends. When we invest in one another, the whole community is strengthened.
Dig deeper into who we are and how we work.
Who We Are
Meet the people behind the mission and learn about the heart and history of Shepherd's Way.
Our Program
Understand how our residential model works and what participants and mentors experience together.