Over the years Evergreen Elm has been continually confounded by the needs of a small population of individuals whose most ardent desire is to live on their own in their own apartment. However, past attempts, even with assistance, have met with dismal failure.

Evergreen Elm, Inc. has established this program based upon an educational-goal-consumer driven module developed by State College Area High School, State College, PA, the nationally acclaimed “Life Links” program.

The Bradford Link was established in March 1998 by a group of 16 determined future apartment dwellers. The orginial “16”, following the State College High School prototype, discussed their needs individually and as a whole. They then set about making up their own homework assignments and formed committees to research possible apartments, develop rules of living, budgets, and obtain furnishings. They met every six weeks to assess progress while seeking grants for a site in which to practice their “apartment skills”.

In the fall of 1998 they secured pilot project funding from the Blaisdell Foundation and in 1999 a Federal Home Loan Bank Grant to pursue this endeavor. The program is a reality today due to countless hours of work by numerous people who believed in the dreams and desires of the original “16”.