Going through high school, James Meadours was kept separate in special education classes from his Broken Arrow classmates, never really getting to know them.

After graduating in 1986, he was put in a 10-bedroom group home and felt isolated from the world, being at the mercy of other adults.

Joining a singles group at Christ the King Church changed that.

“That was one of the first steps in breaking out of my shell,” Meadours said. “Back then, I was shy and to myself. I didn’t know how to advocate for myself and let people control my life and did what they thought was best for me.”

Then he reached out to an advocacy group for people with developmental disabilities. Because workers at the group home would not take him to meetings, the advocacy group’s volunteers picked him and taught him about independent living.