Their connection strengthened even more when they transitioned to Rise Crystal‘s Life Enrichment program, where they now spend Mondays and Thursdays together. Lauren says, “People know that if Chantilly is here, I’m pretty much going to be where she is.”

As the years passed, their friendship naturally extended beyond the walls of Rise. They text each other “good morning” every day, celebrate holidays together, and often laugh about how inseparable they have become. Even during challenging times, they have learned to be a support system for each other. Lauren shares, “When I was stuck in bed with some health challenges, Chantilly would always call to talk to me, because she had gone through a similar thing. So, we kind of understand each other in that way.”

From left: Chantilly Lynch, Finley’s co-founder Angie Gallus, and Lauren Ireland.

They also connect through their work at Finley’s, a dog treat company that employs people with disabilities as product ambassadors. Both love their job and take pride in being described as “some of the best sellers.” Even though they now work on different days of the week, they often reminisce about the time they spent working side by side. After every shared shift, they went out for lunch together, creating a routine that made those workdays extra special.

At Rise Crystal, they look forward to doing their favorite activities together, especially art and music classes. They often join the same sessions, and both say their days feel brighter when they are together. “We feed off of each other’s positive attitudes,” Chantilly said, adding, “Lauren is a really great friend.”

Lauren and Chantilly’s friendship is a great example of the strong bonds formed at Rise. As Lauren shared, ‘I care a lot for Chantilly and all the people at Rise. We are a big family.’”