Nancy’s Story: A Life of Care — Part 1

Nancy Riggle’s path into residential services began long before Valley Residential Services had a name.

As a junior in college, Nancy needed to work while completing an intensive program called

University Year for Action, which required significant internship hours. Paging through a thick book of paid and unpaid placements, one opportunity stood out: Juniper Ridge Group Home in Moses Lake. It was a brand-new residential program serving people with intellectual disabilities, located 90 miles from her college campus. The position paid $200 a month, plus room and board, which made it feasible for a working student.

Nancy was studying social work, and her academic program only held classes on Mondays and Tuesdays. Every week, she left before dawn on Monday morning, attended classes all day, stayed overnight with a friend while babysitting her children, completed another full day of classes on Tuesday, and then drove back to the group home. It was exhausting—and transformative.

When Nancy first arrived at Juniper Ridge, she had no experience working with people with disabilities. What she quickly discovered was how deeply the people she supported entered her heart. Residential work meant truly knowing people, their preferences, routines, favorite foods, and personalities. Those relationships left a lasting imprint.

Inspired by the work, Nancy became an advocate in the community. Using slide photography, long before digital presentations, she created educational slide shows and traveled to schools and service organizations throughout Moses Lake, teaching people about disabilities, residential care, and the importance of community support.

Before graduating from college, Nancy also worked at the Antonian School, a group home for children with severe emotional and behavioral challenges. At the time, the state categorized children by levels, and every child in that program was considered Level 3, the most intensive. It was, without question, the toughest job she would ever love. Behavioral challenges were extreme, and being assaulted was often a daily occurrence. That experience taught Nancy not to fear challenging behaviors. In fact, over time, individuals with complex behavioral needs became her favorite people to support.

In December of 1978, after starting a month earlier without pay, Nancy began working at Stone Creek Lodge in Walla Walla, a large group home serving 20 men and women with intellectual disabilities and operated by The Arc of Walla Walla. She was just 22 years old when she became the group home administrator, earning $800 a month.

Stone Creek Lodge was a very different world from residential services today. With 20 people living together and minimal staffing, challenging behaviors were common. On many mornings, there were only two staff members and Nancy herself, requiring her to provide both direct care and administrative oversight. Funding was limited, and roles were expansive. Nancy handled nearly all aspects of administration for the group home—including bookkeeping, budgeting, journal entries, and payroll, despite receiving no formal training in working with the clientele.

What she lacked in training, she made up for in experience, patience, and commitment.

By 1980, Stone Creek Lodge became part of a pioneering shift in Washington State, one of the first programs to begin moving people out of large group homes and into smaller living environments in the community. At the time, this approach was called Tenant Support.

In January of 1982, Valley Residential Services officially incorporated, spinning off from The Arc of Walla Walla. The Arc recognized that operating residential programs required a specific passion and focus, and Valley Residential Services was formed to meet that need.

Nancy at VRS in 1985

By 1984, Valley Residential Services became the third Tenant Support program in the state, supporting individuals in apartments throughout the community. Some participants required minimal support; others had transitioned directly from institutional settings. Because Nancy was not intimidated by complex behaviors, the organization naturally began serving individuals with significant behavioral challenges, some of the most challenging individuals in the DD system.

As Tenant Support proved successful, the state expanded the model to include Intensive Tenant Support for individuals with more severe disabilities. By approximately 1986, the original group home closed entirely, marking a full transition to community-based living.

In 1996, Valley Residential Services entered another pivotal phase. The VA’s Homeless Coordinator approached the organization with an idea: leveraging Valley Residential’s residential expertise to create housing for homeless veterans in Walla Walla through the VA Grant and Per Diem program. With board approval, a collaborative grant was written between the VA, the Walla Walla Housing Authority, and Valley Residential Services.

The Housing Authority secured funding for the housing itself, while Valley Residential Services provided the service component, case management and supportive services. The program launched in 1997.

In the years that followed, additional VA Grant and Per Diem opportunities allowed the program to expand. The Housing Authority refurbished existing housing stock, which was then rented to Valley Residential Services, while the organization secured per diem–only grants to support services. Later, funding was approved to build three additional residences for homeless veterans.

This evolving partnership led to the creation of what became known as the CORD program—Corps of Recovery and Discovery. The name was inspired by the prominence of the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the region at the time, symbolizing both recovery and rediscovery. Veterans were not only finding housing, they were reclaiming stability, purpose, and direction.

Over the decades, the program, like Valley Residential Services itself, continued to evolve in response to changing needs, funding structures, and best practices. Through it all, Nancy Riggle remained guided by the same belief that began her journey: that people, regardless of disability, trauma, or circumstance, deserve dignity, support, and a place to call home.