Welcome to On My Own
About Us
The founders of On My Own are blessed to be the parents of a beautiful daughter with a disability. As parents, they understand and share the rewarding—and at times challenging—journey that many of you experience, directly or through someone you love.
Kristi Messer, Hannah’s mother and the CEO of On My Own, is dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for personal and professional growth for adults with disabilities. Through years of advocacy, training, and unwavering love, Hannah has successfully maintained employment for more than ten years at Publix as a Customer Service Representative.
The vision for On My Own grew from a desire to build on Hannah’s success and extend similar opportunities to others. Our organization is committed to providing essential hands-on activities, training, education, and social engagement to empower adults with disabilities. At On My Own, we are excited, passionate, and determined to help adults with disabilities achieve dreams they may have never thought possible.
"Millions Dream of Having A Job and Living Independently, But Sadly…Some Never Will"
A staggering 61 million adults in the United States live with a disability, or approximately 26% of the population. Adults living with disabilities are more likely to be obese, smoke, have heart disease, and suffer from diabetes (CDC, 2019). Sadly, they are also more likely to die 16 years earlier than the general population. The employment gap between the working-age individuals with and without disabilities is 42% (Disability Status Report, 2017). These inequities are simply not fair. On My Own is passionate about changing the way adults with disabilities are perceived in the community and in the workplace by demonstrating to others that a disability is not a limitation, but a gift. On My Own’s independent living skills and job training programs are helping to pave the way for individuals with disabilities to create a life of independence, freedom, and employment.
Welcome to On My Own
From Inequity to Opportunity: Transforming Lives of Adults with Disabilities
A growing number of Americans live with disabilities — more than 70 million U.S. adults, or about 28.7% of the population, reported having a disability in 2024 (CDC, 2024). This includes a range of challenges, from mobility and cognition to self-care and independent living. Unfortunately, health disparities among individuals with disabilities remain stark. According to the CDC (2025), adults with disabilities are significantly more likely to suƯer from chronic diseases (heart disease or diabetes), or engage in behavior that impacts overall health (smoking, high calorie diet leading to obesity).
People with disabilities face higher rates of mental health challenges. For example, 43.6% of adults with a disability reported experiencing depression in 2022, compared to 13.7% of those without (CDC, 2025).
With respect to employment, persistent inequities remain. In 2024, the employment-population ratio for people with disabilities was just 22.7%, compared to 65.5% for those without disabilities (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
These differences in health, mental health and employment are unacceptable. At On My Own, we believe a disability is not a limitation — it’s a different way of engaging with the world, and often a source of unique strength. Services provided by On My Own are rooted in this belief. By offering hands-on training, social engagement, and employment support, we aim to help adults with disabilities build lives defined by independence, purpose, and possibility.
A Will to Win
Bring a winning spirit to our community, our work, and everyone we meet.
Passion
Committing to the whole person: heart, mind, body, and spirit.
Integrity
Remaining true to our morals and values, with the client remaining the central focus in all that we do.
Leadership
Demonstrating courage to shape a better future for our clients and our communities.
A Will To Win
Bring a winning spirit to our community, our work, and everyone we meet.
Independent Living Skills Training
Living alone is challenging without a disability, imagine with one. We are committed to helping our students become independent by providing a wide variety of services and training.
On-Site Job Skills Training
What better way to prepare for the work force than to train in one! On My Own is committed to ensuring our students are prepared for their first job debut for when the big day arrives!
Mission
Our Mission
The mission of On My Own is to provide training to adults with disabilities to support the attainment of independent living skills, overall employability, job sustainability, and community engagement with the overarching goal of successful employment and independent living.
2024 On My Own Accomplishments
My Own continues to make great strides in helping clients build independent living skills and experience life On Their Own. Many of our clients have successfully moved out and are now living.
WHY SUPPORT US?
Our Promise
We promise to positively impact adults with disabilities in our community by providing the following services:
Independent Living Housing Opportunities
On My Own is currently looking at housing solutions to provide alults with disabilities the opportunity to live independently and experience the freedom they deserve.
Meet the Founders
Kristi Messer
Eduardo Fajardo
Check out our Gallery
Socialization
On My Own provides a virtual and face-to-face platform for our students to share life together. Relationships, no matter who you are, make life worth living.