SQuire Rushnell and Louise DuArt, co-founders of the Godwinks brands, are dedicated to sharing stories that promote positivity, faith, and strength. They specialize in what they call “Godwinks” stories, which they believe are events that seem like coincidences but actually come from a divine origin. One of the stories they shared with Fox News Digital is about the Brookwood Community for Adults with Special Needs in Texas. This community was founded by Yvonne Streit, whose daughter Vicki was severely brain-damaged. Against conventional wisdom, Yvonne refused to put her daughter away and instead focused on teaching her life skills. This eventually led to the founding of Brookwood, a community that now houses over 250 citizens with special needs.
Yvonne Streit started Brookwood after realizing that there were very few facilities providing life-skills training for special needs adults. She presented her carefully articulated plan for Brookwood to various organizations, seeking seed money for the necessary travel and study. Despite initial setbacks, Yvonne’s prayers and persistence paid off when she received unexpected donations totaling $72,500 from various sources. This string of events, or “Godwinks,” served as a confirmation that she was on the right path. Today, the Brookwood Community is thriving under the leadership of Yvonne’s daughter, Vivian Shudde, who has overseen an impressive expansion of the campus and secured the future of the community’s philosophy.
The Brookwood Community provides opportunities for citizens with special needs to engage in activities like painting pottery, stone casting, and assisting in the kitchen at the Brookwood Café. Visitors to the campus are met with a culture of joy and a sense of purpose among the residents. The community’s vision is to change the way the world thinks about adults with disabilities. A 20-minute docufilm, “A Joyful Place – The Brookwood Community,” produced by Crescent Moon Productions, celebrates the culture of joy at Brookwood. The story of Brookwood is also featured in “Godwink Christmas Stories,” a book by Rushnell and DuArt, and in Yvonne Streit’s book “Everybody’s Got A Seed to Grow.”
Through sharing stories like the one of the Brookwood Community, Rushnell, and DuArt aim to spread hope, inspiration, and faith. They believe that these stories of resilience and positivity are important reminders of the divine origins of seemingly coincidental events. By highlighting the power of prayer, persistence, and a sense of purpose, they hope to uplift and motivate readers to embrace faith and strength in their own lives. The work of the Brookwood Community and similar organizations serves as a testament to the potential for hope and positivity to make a meaningful impact on the lives of individuals with special needs, and the communities that support them.
