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Life Enrichment Services

  • client painting a Valentine's Day paper wreath
  • staff helping client use a garden shovel at community garden
  • clients on bear boat

Willow Lake Boulevard

Merrick offers programming for adults with disabilities beyond developing job opportunities and provides support throughout all stages of adulthood, including retirement.

To ensure clients continued access to a full array of services, Merrick leased and renovated a new space at 1239 Willow Lake Boulevard in 2022 and dedicated it exclusively for our life enrichment programs. Willow Lake opened for services in November 2022 and currently provides services for nearly 120 clients.

Willow Lake is a place where everyone deserves the right to live, learn, grow and socialize with others side by side. Clients enrolled at Willow Lake have access to

  • community inclusion activities;
  • therapeutic experiences including horticulture and music therapy;
  • arts and crafts;
  • sensory integration;
  • social and recreation;
  • positive behavior support planning;
  • augmented communication including assistive technology; and
  • enriched staff-to-client ratios.

In addition, clients have access to multiple activity settings and individualized schedules to promote emotional, mental, and physical health. For instance, each day clients can choose from a variety of activities such as cooking, sewing, scrapbooking, science experiments, painting, exercise groups, drumming, dancing, and numerous community outings.

At Willow Lake, we strive to bring out the best in our clients, yet they end up bringing out the best in us.

client using a picture exchange communication system
client harvesting greenbeans at community garden

Contact Us

If you are interested in receiving life enrichment services at Merrick, Inc., please visit www.merrickinc.org/admissions to start the application process or request a tour today.


client harvesting greenbeans at community garden
Merrick’s music therapy and activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.