Meet Zachary Weil and Stacey Bowen
by Matthew Tarver-Wahlquist, VP/COO
Zach Weil and Stacey Bowen are longtime Lifehouse residents, participating in our
Supported Living Program living in their own apartment, with Lifehouse providing staff
support in areas such as domestic skills, financial management, social skills, health and
hygiene, community integration, and personal growth. In addition to receiving these
services from Lifehouse, both Zach and Stacey attend Alchemia Day Program, where they partake in activities such as art, outdoor activities, games, musical theatre, health nutrition classes, and comedy.
It is at Lifehouse and Alchemia where Zach and Stacey met, and now they are engaged.
Their engagement story began on New Year’s Eve of 2017. Stacey had always loved the Ball Drop in New York City. It also has an added significance; her mother’s birthday happens to be on New Year’s Day. Therefore, Zach knew that was the perfect time to pop the question. The moment 2017 became 2018, Zach and Stacey were engaged to be married.
This didn’t come completely out of the blue for Stacey, who had picked out an engagement ring on a trip to Disneyland earlier in the year. She has been dating Zach for the past six years, but she had no idea it would happen at such a perfect moment. “Stacey’s mom is friends with me, and I knew it was her birthday. I thought that would make it extra special,” says Zach, who was interested in Stacey “from the first time I laid eyes on her” when they started attending the Alchemia Day Program together. It began as a friendship, but soon after Stacey became newly single, and with some encouragement from her friends, it blossomed into a romance. “What’s inside of him is very sensitive”, Stacey says of Zach. “I’m ready to settle down and spend my life with somebody.” For Zach’s part, he is a great admirer of Stacey’s musical abilities. “I love the way she sings. It’s out of this world. She has the best voice.”
Zach and Stacey are both individuals who have been able to live independently with
Lifehouse staff support and became more and more confident in their abilities. Under the
Supported Living Program, they both were able to expand their horizons, learn about
what works for them in their daily routines, and most importantly learn how to advocate
for themselves in the community. For Zach, his eight years at Lifehouse enabled him to
mature into a responsible adult, and for Stacey, her seven years at Lifehouse helped her
gain a better understanding of her health issues and how to live better with these issues.
We are very excited for Zach and Stacey. As for their plans for the near future, the
couple plans to enjoy their engagement for a while without rushing to plan a wedding.
Valentine’s Day was celebrated by watching the film “50 Shades Freed” together. They also planned to watch the box office hit “Black Panther”. Congratulations and best wishes to Stacey and Zach, Lifehouse’s current Power Couple!
