From Classrooms to Communities: Parents Visionary Journey in Education, Living, and Advocacy for Inclusion and Epilepsy Funding
ONCE UPON A GENE PODCAST EPISODE 226 - April 2024 – LISTEN – Jillian and Scott Copeland are husband and wife, advocates and pioneers who have transformed their personal journey of having a child diagnosed with epilepsy. They have taken off on a quest to create supportive and inclusive environments for kids [...]
Congressman Jamie Raskin Names Jillian Copeland as Local Hero of the Week
CONGRESSMAN JAMIE RASKIN'S LOCAL HEROES VIDEO SERIES (12/29/23) – WATCH - Weekly video series featuring Marylanders in the 8th District who are acting creatively and bravely to make our community extraordinary. Jillian Copeland leads Main Street Connect, which has created an inclusive, community-centered residential development that has broadened access to [...]
Rockville Kayaker Returns from Special Olympics World Games with Three Medals
MOCO360 (June 28, 2023) - USA-themed streamers and balloons decorated Rockville’s Soulfull Café on Tuesday. Not for an early Fourth of July celebration, but rather a homecoming for Ashley Thompson, who won three medals at the Special Olympics World Games June 17 to 24 in Berlin. Thompson, 36, is a resident [...]
Disability Justice Isn’t Possible without Housing Justice
URBAN WIRE (3/1/23) - People with disabilities face the consequences of both structural racism and ableism in the housing market. That’s why one of the key principles of the Urban Institute’s Housing Justice Hub is accessibility and anti-ableism, meaning that housing needs to be available for everyone, especially those who have experienced discrimination [...]
Montgomery County, Rockville police heads trade chief caps for chef hats in bake off
BETHESDA MAGAZINE (12/1/22) - Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones and Rockville Police Chief Victor Brito stepped out from behind their desks to whip up some culinary delights Wednesday as part of Main Street Connect in Rockville’s Bake with Sharon segment. Main Street Connect's Sharon Cichy, the organization’s chief strategy [...]
Home Truths, Dare & Promise Podcast (FULL EPISODES)
HOME TRUTHS, DARE & PROMISE PODCAST - January 2023 – LISTEN – NEW EPISODES NOW AVAILABLE. Click here to listen to The Home Truths, Dare & Promise podcast with Karen Whitehead, who talks with Main Street founder Jillian Copeland and other disrupters of the accessible housing world. Recent episodes--Big Little Truths and The Dare [...]
Home Sweet Home
JOHNS HOPKINS MAGAZINE (Fall 2022) – Jillian Copeland, Ed '96 (MS), wanted to find a place where her adult son Nicol could live and thrive. Nicol has developmental disabilities, and she looked for housing that was affordable, inclusive, and welcoming. But few such places existed. Copeland, who previously founded The Diener [...]
The Expanding Worlds Podcast – Housing Options Series
THE EXPANDING WORLDS PODCAST - Housing Options Series - Main Street: Bring Your Own Independence (September 2022) – LISTEN – The new Housing Options series starts off with Main Street, an innovative project literally built from the ground up. Jillian Copeland, the founder of Main Street, talks about why Main Street [...]
Accessible Housing Matters Podcast
ACCESSIBLE HOUSING MATTERS PODCAST - The Power of Inclusive Housing to Create Community and Improve Health and Wellness Outcomes: The Main Street Model (July 2022) – LISTEN – Stephen Beard, a real estate agent and Accessibility Specialist, hosts Accessible Housing Matters, a podcast created to help raise awareness about all matters [...]
Fox 5 Zip Trip Rockville: Soulfull Cafe
ROCKVILLE, Md. - This week's FOX 5 ZIP TRIP takes us to ROCKVILLE! Whether it’s for work, for play or for life – Rockville’s vibrant residents, neighborhoods and businesses make it one of the nation’s best cities - all just outside Washington, D.C.! Sharon and Kathryn were proud to represent the Soulfull Cafe and Main Street [...]
Why we need more inclusive, affordable housing for people with disabilities now
WTOP News - Sponsored content by Melwood (May 13, 2022) –Rewind to a century ago – cut out of employment, housing and society, the only path for people with disabilities was institutionalization. Over the next several decades, the United States witnessed national movements towards community-centered group housing and, subsequently, greater [...]
Transitioning to Adulthood: Prepare Your Child With Disabilities
WASHINGTON PARENT (March 30, 2022) – I imagine if you are reading this article, you are a parent and most likely a parent of a child with disabilities. And while the rewards and depth of love for a child with disabilities are unmatched, parenting such a child can feel incredibly [...]
Catalogue for Philanthropy (now Spur Local) Blog Post on Building Inclusivity Housing Conference
CATALOGUE FOR PHILANTHROPY (NOW SPUR LOCAL) BLOG (1/13/22) – Main Street Connect is the first community-oriented, affordable, accessible housing solution to redefine the concept of inclusion in a large, vibrant community space within the apartment complex itself. Just steps away from the Metro and Rockville Town Center, our thoughtful and purposeful member-based [...]
Truman Charities Podcast about Main Street Connect
TRUMAN CHARITIES PODCAST (December 2021) – LISTEN – In this uplifting Truman Charities episode with Jillian Copeland about her organization Main Street and the impact it has on individuals with disabilities. Jamie and Jillian also discuss: -What sets Main Street apart from other organizations that work with young adults and [...]
Montgomery Magazine: Inclusivity is the Main Idea
MONTGOMERY MAGAZINE (8/23/21) - When Eli Lewis comes home to the Rockville apartment he moved into a year ago, he passes the cylindrical-shaped Soulfull cafe connected to the building by a skywalk. Inside, mosaics and artwork by residents line the lobby walls. Next to the elevator, a colorful sign reads [...]
Health Gig Podcast: Affordability and Accessibility in Communal Housing
HEALTH GIG PODCAST (7/7/21) - LISTEN TO EPISODE 138 Affordability and Accessibility in Communal Housing with Jillian Copeland We are so pleased to have Jillian Copeland, a Founder, Board Chair and Interim Executive Director of Main Street Connect, join us on Health Gig. Jillian is a teacher by trade, having [...]
Main Street Connect and Accessible, Antiracist Education
MARYLAND HUMANITIES BLOG (2/3/21) We recently awarded a grant to Main Street Connect, a community-centered apartment complex and community center where 25% of the apartments are designated for adults with disabilities. We are funding Conversations Matter, their free four-part series of events on racial justice that concludes on February 9. One session focused [...]
Catalogue for Philanthropy (now Spur Local) Blog Post on Conversations Matter
CATALOGUE FOR PHILANTHROPY (NOW SPUR LOCAL) BLOG (2/1/21) - Main Street Connect creates dynamic opportunities through affordable, inclusive housing and community engagement so people of all abilities can live their best lives. In August 2020, we were thrilled to open our flagship affordable apartment community, with 25% of the units [...]
Montgomery County Collaboration Council Checks In with Jillian Copeland
MONTGOMERY COUNTY COLLABORATION COUNCIL (12/17/20) – WATCH - In this video, the Montgomery County Collaboration Council checks in with Main Street Founder Jillian Copeland to hear how Main Street has pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic and to get a tour of the Main Street community spaces. ### Designated as a [...]
Changemakers with Katie Goar Podcast
FORBES BOOKS RADIO – LISTEN TO PART ONE (11/3/20) AND PART TWO (11/10/20) Episode 12: Today’s ChangeMaker is Jillian Copeland, the Founder of Main Street Connect, an inclusive, community-centered residential development where 25% of the apartments are designed and designated for adults with disabilities. About Jillian Copeland: Jillian was an [...]
A local cafe serves up food and inclusiveness to people with special needs
WUSA9 (10/14/20) - VIDEO - The Soulfull Cafe is a new cafe that serves cold brews and new opportunities for locals who have special needs. ### This video was originally posted on https://www.wusa9.com/ on 10/14/20.
Montgomery County and Main Street Connect Launch Initiative Aimed at Closing the Digital Divide
Press Release from Montgomery County, Maryland (9/23/20) - Montgomery County and nonprofit Main Street Connect have announced a joint initiative that will offer low-income and special needs residents of the newly opened Main Street Apartments in Rockville access to free, high-speed home internet. Founded in 2017 by Jillian and Scott Copeland, Main Street [...]
Soulfull Cafe
MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL MD (10/7/2020) - VIDEO - There's a new cafe in downtown Rockville that is open for business. Council President Sidney Katz paid a visit to the Soulfull Cafe, a partnership between Dawson's Market and Main Street Connect, where everyone has a place at the table. ### This [...]
Rockville apartment building breaks down barriers for renters with disabilities
WDVM (9/22/2020) - VIDEO - A new apartment building is providing opportunities for independent living to low-income renters and renters with disabilities. Rockville’s new Main Street Apartments aim to provide a safe place to live and an inclusive community for vulnerable populations in Montgomery County. The 70-unit apartment building sits at [...]
Main Street Apartments
MONTGOMERY COUNTY COUNCIL MD (8/13/2020) - VIDEO - The ribbon has been cut on Montgomery County's first apartment complex with designated units for people with disabilities. In this story we tour the new building and meet Jillian Copeland, a county resident with a mission of inclusivity and affordability. ### This [...]
Dawson’s Market partners with apartment complex to open Rockville café
BETHESDA MAGAZINE (9/17/2020) - Rockville’s Dawson’s Market has partnered with the affordable housing apartment building Main Street to open Soulfull Café, a coffee shop in the bottom of the building. Soulfull Café held its grand opening on Wednesday and “soft opened” last week, Dawson’s owner Bart Yablonsky told Bethesda Beat. [...]
Dawson’s Market Opens Soulfull Cafe
ROCKVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INC. (9/16/2020) - Dawson’s Market is pleased to announce the grand opening of Soulfull Cafe at Main Street, which is an extension of Dawson’s Market and a the result of a partnership with Main Street Connect. Soulfull Cafe celebrates inclusion and great taste. Its vision is a [...]
Family celebrates opening of affordable apartments inclusive of people with disabilities
For Copelands, yearslong project inspired by their son BETHESDA MAGAZINE (7/31/2020) - The founders of an affordable residential building in Rockville that seeks to include people with disabilities celebrated the complex’s opening in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. Jillian and Scott Copeland of Main Street were ecstatic as they stood in [...]
Inclusive, affordable residential building, community center coming to Rockville
WUSA9 (7/13/2020) - VIDEO - A new inclusive and affordable residential building and community center in Rockville, Maryland, is opening later this month. The 70-unit building, called Main Street, offers unique amenities for people with varying mental and physical abilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 [...]
Brookings Institution Online Event: Affordable Housing for Special-Needs Adults
BROOKINGS INSTITUTION (July 10, 2020) – WATCH - The Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program hosted an event exploring strategies for addressing housing and community engagement for adults with disabilities. Brookings Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon moderated a conversation between Jillian Copeland, the founder of Main Street, a multi-purpose and inclusive apartment complex [...]
Sound of Collaboration Podcast about Main Street Connect
MONTGOMERY COUNTY COLLABORATION COUNCIL (March 2020) – LISTEN – In this episode of the podcast The Sound of Collaboration, we hear from Jillian Copeland, Founder and Executive Director of Main Street Connect. ### The Sound of Collaboration is presented by the Montgomery County Collaboration Council. Designated as a Local Management [...]
Parents of adult children with disabilities fill housing gap
ASSOCIATED PRESS (1/3/2020) — Luke Humble and Conor Gunderson have settled into a comfortable rhythm since moving into their own home in Phoenix three months ago. Humble, 26, says he likes eating breakfast with his best friend before they go their separate ways to work. “Conor goes to Fry’s,” said [...]
About Rockville: What’s New
THE WASHINGTONIAN (11/4/2019) There’s No Place Like Home Main Street, a new residential building opening next year at Rockville Town Square, will cater a quarter of its units to adults with disabilities—making it the first apartment complex of its kind in Washington. The units will be wheelchair-accessible and come with [...]
Journey Skills Podcast: Building an Integrated Future
JOURNEY SKILLS PODCAST (5/13/19) - LISTEN - For most of us being part of a community is essential for our wellbeing and often starts where we live. This week’s guest is Jillian Copeland from Main Street, an organization not just building a community but actually building the space where that [...]
The MoCo Show Podcast
THE MOCO SHOW PODCAST (4/10/2019) – LISTEN - Main Street Founder joins MoCo Show hosts Alex Tsironis and Steve Solomon as a guest on their podcast from Dawson's Market in Rockville Town Center.
Navigating The ‘Services Cliff’: What Happens When Adults With Special Needs Turn 21
THE KOJO NNAMDI SHOW ON NPR / WAMU 88.5 (4/1/2019) - LISTEN - Transitioning to adulthood can be daunting. And for those with special needs, the process can be especially challenging. Although the population of adults with special needs has skyrocketed, options for many education and occupational therapy programs shrink [...]
Rockville family develops affordable housing community for adults with disabilities
FOX 5 DC (3/20/2019) - VIDEO - A Rockville family with a special needs child is using their experience to help others. Their inclusive, community-centered real estate development, Main Street Connect, will provide affordable housing for those who need it the most. Jillian and Scott Copeland have a unique vision [...]
Rockville parents build a rental complex for their son to share with other adults with disabilities – and also be part of the community
THE WASHINGTON POST (2/12/2019) - Twelve years ago, after struggling to find a local school that was a good fit for their young son who had epilepsy and developmental disabilities, Jillian Copeland and her husband, Scott, started one. That school, the Diener School, continues today in Potomac, Md., serving [...]
Rockville Breaks Ground on Inclusive, Affordable Housing for People With Disabilities
BETHESDA MAGAZINE (10/19/2018) - Main Street to open in 2020, providing 70 apartments near Rockville Town Square When Nicol Copeland was 8 months old he began to have seizures that would rock his body, leaving him in a fit of convulsions. His seizures, though currently controlled, caused some developmental disabilities [...]
Hogan Administration Announces Awards for Affordable Rental Housing
PRESS RELEASE (8/30/2018) - 21 Projects Across the State Will Create or Preserve Approximately 1,147 Units; $47 Million in State and Federal Funding Will Leverage Over $94 Million in Private Sector Capital ANNAPOLIS, MD – The Hogan administration today announced funding recipients for the Maryland Department of Housing and Community [...]
Families of Developmentally Disabled Adults Struggle to Avoid ‘The Cliff’
MARYLAND MATTERS (5/9/2018) - Annie Taubenfeld is a 27-year-old from Baltimore with three part-time jobs. She collects and washes eggs at a farm, sorts and folds clothes at another job and organizes silverware and other tasks at Sam’s Canterbury Café. Annie, who lives with her parents, also designs her own [...]
Parents of Adults With Disabilities Often Look to One Another for Help, Solutions
MARYLAND MATTERS (5/9/2018) - “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Jillian Copeland of Rockville likes to quote this proverb, often attributed to Plato. But she adds her own twist, “Those inventions are created by a mom of special needs.” When Copeland’s son Nicol, now 19, was in his early school [...]
Transforming Lives in Rockville
THE CONNECTION NEWSPAPERS (1/3/2018) - Potomac’s Jillian Copeland is a woman who provides innovative solutions for tough problems. She wanted her son Nicol to have the best possible education; thus, she founded and led The Diener School, a school serving special needs children from kindergarten through sixth grade. For the [...]
Rockville Project with Inclusive Community for Disabled Adults Could Break Ground in Fall 2018
BETHESDA MAGAZINE (1/3/2018) - Most of the 70 apartment units for Main Street at 50 Monroe Place will be considered affordable A local couple is gearing up to start construction on a Rockville apartment complex that would offer adults with developmental disabilities the opportunity to live independently. The project, called Main [...]
Main Street Hosts Community-Builder Event
POTOMAC ALMANAC (7/18/2017) - Main Street, a Rockville development project that describes themselves as inclusive and community focused, held a community-builder event during the Bethesda Big Train game on Wednesday, July 12. A community builder aims to bring people in the community together in a supportive environment, according to Main [...]
Rockville Couple Plans Affordable Housing Project for Adults With Disabilities
BETHESDA MAGAZINE (4/25/2017) - Main Street would provide educational, social opportunities A local couple is working on an innovative project to provide inclusive, affordable housing to adults with developmental disabilities in Rockville. The vision shared by Jillian and Scott Copeland is to build a 70-apartment community called Main Street where [...]
