[upbeat guitar music] - I am Heather Burgiss, and for 10 years, "My Home, NC" has traveled the state, sharing the stories that make North Carolina home.

What keeps you coming back out here after really bad days?

- The feeling that I get when I accomplish.

That feeling is absolutely so rewarding.

- [Artisan] Each one of my pieces have a certain narrative.

There's some sort of story, but I'm not so specific as like, "This is what this means."

- [Heather] So join us as we honor the past, celebrate the present, and turn the page on the next chapter of "My Home, NC."

[bright music] Come along to meet some incredible people building stronger communities through passion, purpose, and connection.

- Every day Raimee teaches me that disability is not the same as inability.

You're amazing and smart and resourceful.

- [Heather] Whether growing beauty or preserving stories, their work is deeply rooted in North Carolina.

It's all on "My Home" coming up next.

[relaxing upbeat music] All across the state, we're uncovering the unique stories that make North Carolina my home.

♪ Come home ♪ ♪ Come home ♪ [tape whirring] - The story, my story is fun.

- Okay, listen.

- [Rebecca] I think Blawesome is the destination we were always walking towards and didn't ever really know it.

- [Interviewer] Which is your favorite?

- Yellow sunflower.

- [Rebecca] It just sort of grew up alongside all of the steps that we took to move Raimee through his life and to help him accomplish all the things that he was capable of accomplishing.

- Thank you.

- And because he's now in his adulthood, we hope that this is the thing that's gonna take him through that and hopefully something that can be a part of many lives for many of his friends and for our greater community.

[birds chirping] - [Raimee] My name is Raimee David Sorensen.

♪ Oh, Puff the magic dragon ♪ ♪ Lived by the sea ♪ - I'm Keith Sorensen.

- I'm Rebecca Sorensen.

We're Raimee's parents.

Raimee and I are the co-founders of Blawesome Farm in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a 4 1/2 acre flower farm and design studio.

♪ And frolicked in the autumn mist ♪ - Choose love.

- Oh, Raimee, if you took music and joy, and you wrapped it up in skin and bones, [chuckles] [Keith chuckles] that is Raimee.

- [Keith] Look at Rai's natural smile.

- I know.

- That's a really good smile.

- [Rebecca] So cute.

- Always loved the beach.

- Babies.

So Raimee's 27.

He came into the world, I had just turned 23.

Mm.

This one, so this is right when he was diagnosed.

Yeah, I think he's got your keys or something.

He was 18 months old.

We had a pediatrician.

We were regular in our visits and doing all the things we were supposed to do.

And then I noticed he stopped looking at me.

He was sitting in his car seat in the backseat as normal, and I was waving at him through the rear-view mirror, and he was not, like, paying any attention to me.

Like, it was I like wasn't there.

I don't remember the drive to the hospital.

I don't remember any of the conversation that happened prior to the moment when the doctor said, "We believe your son has autism spectrum disorder."

And I remember when he said, "Don't expect him to be potty trained.

Don't expect him to speak."

He gave us a terrible book, and he shook our hands and said he was sorry.

- When we received the diagnosis, I think we're both shocked and really just trying to think through.

What does this mean for Raimee?

What does this mean for us going forward?

Just having no idea what that meant for the future.

- Right.

- And it's really in Rebecca's nature that, you know, as soon as we got home, she just started reading and doing research.

- You know, we're just gonna do all the research that we can do.

We're gonna talk to everybody who will talk to us.

You know, if nothing else, we're gonna do the absolute very best thing that we can do by our kid.

And at the end of the day, we just love him.

- It really wasn't too long after that that, you know, she started bringing up resources and going to conferences, and it was just opening the door on the journey we were about to embark on.

- Grit, that's right, and this is a?

- Airplane.

- Good.

Someone who drinks from a bottle... - [Rebecca] We were at the time doing this home therapy program called applied behavior analysis, and Raimee in between was going to school.

- While on the course of his life, you know, it's been a mix of great things with the school and not so great things with the school.

And it had been sort of culminating in the background, but it really became what it was when Raimee's high school closed down.

And you know, when that happened, we really were faced with this, "What next?"

- [Rebecca] Ironically my area of study in graduate school was the intersection of nature-based interventions and positive health outcomes for folks with autism.

- You know, and that's where Rebecca came up with the idea for Blawesome.

[film projector whirring] - [Sayde] Have you taken your morning vitamins yet?

- Yeah.

- Oh you did?

Nice.

We're gonna plant some things today.

I think we're gonna transplant the snapdragons and- - [Raimee] I'll do 'em.

- Yeah, and then you'll have choir this evening.

- [Raimee] Okay.

- So Sayde is Raimee's housemate, and she's also his social care farmer.

So she supports him in his work on the farm.

- Do you like peanut butter on your pancakes?

- Mm-mm.

- I've never seen you do that.

- You know, sometimes you just meet somebody in the universe who just has this beautiful vibe and this sweet connection, and she is that person with Raimee.

- This opportunity came up with Raimee to live with him and provide support but also friendship.

And me and my husband Jacob have been living here since the beginning of June.

- It's really, it's all that we hoped for.

We didn't want to have some sort of like staff-patient arrangement.

We wanted it to be more organic and to feel like, "I'm gonna learn how to live independently as an adult by living with a person who's also living independently as an adult."

- And, I mean, the friendship Raimee gives us and the care is really so sweet and so life-giving.

So it really is a win-win for all of us.

[film projector whirring] - A typical summer day at Blawesome will have Raimee arriving at the farm around 8:00.

- [Sayde] Ah, it's a nice morning.

- It is.

- Yeah.

- [Rebecca] And they go and spend about five minutes just sort of setting some intention for the day.

- [Raimee] For this ordinary day.

- [Sayde] Yeah, it's really nice.

- And then they come back, and we all go over what are the things that we need to accomplish in this day.

If we finish that, we can start working on Gomphrena.

If it's summer, we'll typically start off with a harvest.

Go team.

- You ready?

- Right?

- Mm-hm.

- All right.

- We each take a row and then kind of work our way down into A and B, Althea and Bertha.

How's it going, Rai?

- [Raimee] It's going good.

How's it going?

- Good.

- [Rebecca] Raimee at this point knows how to do that really well and independently.

- Just put them in each bucket.

- We put 'em in the bucket, and then they get made into- - [Raimee] To bouquets.

- [Sayde] Bouquets, and then they go where?

- [Raimee] Each house.

- They go to each house that's out in the community.

- [Raimee] Yes.

- [Sayde] Put them in the bucket, and we'll move on to the marigolds.

- [Rebecca] Raimee is a strong farmer, a reliable farmer, a funny farmer.

- You gotta be on the top of one of those, just so you know.

[laughs] - Poo!

[sighs] - [Rebecca] And he loves to grow flowers.

- [Raimee] Flowers are important to grow.

They make people very happy.

- [Sayde] What colors have you been seeing for the zinnias so far?

- [Raimee] Red and yellow.

- [Sayde] Red and yellow?

- We decided to grow flowers because I wanted to attach beauty to a population that isn't often associated with beautiful things.

- [Raimee] Hmm, that one's not ready yet.

- [Rebecca] Each flower is unique.

Each variety has a special thing that they need you to pay attention to.

- Wait for it till it blooms.

- [Rebecca] And flowers because when you deliver flowers to people, the response is always joy and gratitude.

- [Keith] What days do we deliver, Rai?

- [Rebecca] Wednesdays.

- Wednesdays?

- So the whole idea is, you know, we grow this beautiful organic product, but we want people to know that just because someone has a disability, it doesn't mean they don't have something beautiful to give back to the world.

[Rebecca chuckles] Thank you.

- You're welcome.

- [Sayde] Rai, it's time.

- [Raimee] Okay.

- Good work.

- All set.

- Awesome.

Are you looking forward to choir?

- Yes.

- Yeah.

- Keith had actually heard about this group called Reality Ministries in his professional circle.

And I think when Raimee hit 14, and we were kind of in that hard age, we were struggling to find social groups where he fit in.

- [Facilitator] Rai, what you got?

- [Raimee] Here are your flowers.

- Aw.

- Raimee, good to see you, brother.

- [Raimee] Good to see you too.

- And so he does a Monday night social club with Reality Ministries, and then on Tuesday he's a part of the choir.

- [Facilitator] We even pray for those that are struggling right now that doesn't have a home.

- I've always struggled a bit with faith-based organizations, and I had a lot of resistance around that.

♪ Open the eyes of our ♪ - And I have never felt so much love and warmth and beauty in a room.

Reality Ministries just changed Rai's life.

- Uh-oh, Raimee, come on, Raimee.

[laughs] - You feel it.

You just feel that warmth, that love, that connection.

[attendee vocalizing] - [Rebecca] I am forever changed by that experience, by this community.

♪ This little light of mine ♪ - And they put their hearts into it.

They sing, they celebrate, and everybody's in harmony in the ways that really matter.

- [Facilitator] Everybody, everybody.

♪ This little light of mine ♪ ♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪ ♪ Oh, oh ♪ ♪ Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine ♪ [attendees cheering and applauding] - [Facilitator] Good job, Raimee.

Give a shout for Raimee.

[Raimee speaks indistinctly] Yes!

[film projector whirring] - [Rebecca] So delivery day is Wednesday.

- We're doing some deliveries every Wednesday.

- Every Wednesday, going to everyone's door.

Hopefully we'll see a few people today.

- Yes.

- Yeah.

You love deliveries.

- [Rebecca] So he gets to take the fruits of his hard labor out into the world and see the response that's received from that work.

- [Raimee] Flowers for the day.

- [Customer] These are so beautiful.

Thank you, Raimee.

- See you soon.

[Sayde laughs] - Raimee, just like everyone else in the world, likes to have someone say, "Good job," or give you the pat on the back.

And I think this gives him the opportunity to shine and have people really acknowledge his capabilities.

[gentle upbeat music] [birds chirping] - [Customer] Thank you, Raimee.

- [Raimee] You're welcome.

- [Customer] I love it.

- [Sayde] Yeah?

- Yeah.

- Aren't they pretty?

- [Keith] I just feel like a lot of that feeds into Raimee's disposition.

- What do you think?

- They're gorgeous, right?

- Yep.

- They're beautiful.

- You know, I just feel like all these ideas that Rebecca came up with for Blawesome, you know, seeing it come together and how it impacts Raimee has just been amazing.

- Rai, can you wave?

I love what it's done and what it's been for him and for our family.

I wouldn't wanna do it any different.

[film projector whirring] - [Raimee] Okay, everyone?

- [Rebecca] Wait, is everybody here?

Do we say we're waiting?

- Nope.

- My name is Rebecca, and this is Raimee, and we co-founded the farm together in 2016.

So I'm a macro social worker.

I look at big systems, and I like to see how they can impact large populations.

What I love about Blawesome is how it has been such a great vehicle to support Raimee and has helped him achieve so many personal goals as a young adult.

- We call this space the original garden because it is the original garden.

[Rebecca chuckles] We started... - Our vision for the farm is to really become a hybrid of a business and a program for individuals with and without disabilities but really targeted more towards adults with disabilities to come out and be farmers for a day.

- Any questions about Cassidy?

Anyone?

- I think all of us crave jobs that are fulfilling, and to me, this is the most fulfilling work I've ever experienced.

- And farming is North Carolina's number-one industry, and farmers are struggling.

So how wonderful if we could diversify our business models to include people with disabilities to not only, you know, grow food to feed the bodies of our communities, but also food to feed the souls and the spirits of our community.

- Toast to Blawesome.

[glasses clinking] - [Rebecca] Of course I think Raimee is unique because he is, but I don't think those gifts, I don't think this ability to bring light and love and beauty is unique to him.

And I feel that if we could create spaces like that for everyone, we would be a better community.

We would be a more beautiful world.

[water splashing] - Whoo!

♪ Imagine all the people ♪ - To us, we think about the world that Raimee's gonna live in when we're no longer here.

And to find an area that has such a wonderful, supportive community for Raimee and his peers, it feels good.

- Boy, if the whole world [laughs] could do that, I just think of how we might show up different for each other.

And I'm so incredibly grateful for this person who has made my life so rich and so meaningful in ways that I can't even begin to describe.

♪ And the world will be as one ♪ - Whoo.

[all applauding] - [Sayde] Beautiful.

- Every day Raimee teaches me that disability is not the same as inability.

You're amazing and smart and resourceful, and it's really a gift to be able to have a space where I get to see you lean into that part of your life.

[tender music] - That was Rebecca Jean Sorensen.

[Rebecca laughs] [interviewer speaks faintly] Oh, she's my mom.

- [Rebecca] Mm.

[gentle music] - I prefer to read in the evening.

I like to read before bed.

I always have to have a cup of tea.

Reading to me is just like that sigh of relief like I can finally relax.

And so when I get lost in something, and I don't want to put the book down, I stay up until one or two o'clock in the morning.

That was how it was when I first read "Pride and Prejudice."

That was how it was when I first read "The Art of Fielding."

You know, tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, I have these books that are my hills that I will die on.

I will hand-sell them to everyone.

I want Cleary's to feel like coming home as a reader.

Cleary's Bookstore is my little West Coast bookstore in North Carolina.

I'm originally from Seattle.

We relocated to the area.

At the time, I was working in publishing, and I realized there were openings to open a cute little bookstore in this town that we love.

- [Matthew] Everyone here has just welcomed us.

It's been fantastic.

- [Alison] We love Mount Holly.

[joyful music] - Seamus loves Michelle.

You wanna go say hi to Michelle and get a treat?

Yes.

- Aye.

- Good boy.

- Good boy.

Remember just two.

- Just two.

- Good boy.

Come here.

- I love Mount Holly because it is a quirky, eclectic town.

When you really tuck into it and get to know the people that embody the community, you have a large swath of people from different backgrounds, and everybody loves this town, and everybody loves the community.

I also especially like that a lot of the business owners on Main Street are women, young millennial women.

Mount Holly's kind of scrappy too, and I really like everybody's spirit around the city.

Oh, so good.

- I went back to Ireland for about two weeks, and somebody apparently got bored and ended up deciding that she wanted to run a business, to own her own bookstore.

- And he came back, and I had already had a meeting with the city, had a building and a landlord lined up.

And we were gonna go look at the space, had a business plan, and I was just like, "We're opening a bookstore."

[laughs] - Turns out all I had to do was go and wait for her to get bored.

That was it.

[Alison laughs] So we met back in Ireland about- - 11 years ago.

- Yeah, 11 years ago now.

I ended up going out with a couple co-workers one night.

I went up and saw her, and we kind of hit it off that night.

- Okay, I was being a nuisance.

His friend was trying to hit on the girl who was with me, and I was like, "No, no, no, no, thank you.

Please leave us alone."

So he went to his table of friends and was like, "Who would like to volunteer as tribute to come distract this girl?"

And Matt, sight unseen, Matt volunteered, and the rest is history.

- [Customer] Oh my gosh.

Weather's crazy.

- [Alison] I know.

I know.

Can I get you something?

- I would love something.

- What do we want?

Red or white?

The whole store is about the joy of reading and about the readers who enjoy Cleary's.

As you'll see from our book clubs, we're just a group of, like, yappers who love to talk about books.

- I just assumed it was like, oh, she sees another girl in trouble.

- Yeah.

- And she saw herself in her.

- It's a little chaotic, but we just try to have as much fun as we can with reading, which is really where the store gets its namesake from.

I named it after Beverly Cleary, who's a wonderful children's book author and librarian from the Pacific Northwest.

So, kind of paying homage to my roots.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

- Alison's made such a safe and welcoming space for everyone that you can hear all kinds of different opinions.

My favorite book clubs are the ones where people don't always agree on how they feel about it, when my opinion gets changed.

She has a bunch of different themed ones.

So it's different genres every week, like mystery, thriller, historical fiction, sci-fi.

And so you can come to as many or as few as you want, which I come to all of them because I'm obsessed.

I read 50 pages of this, and I read another book 'cause there was just so much detail explaining everything.

- We like to display our bestsellers right here just for people, and we keep it on week over week.

New books are up on the cash wrap and on the tables.

We always have like some good deals because we like to make sure that everybody can afford to read books at our store.

And then we have my beautiful genre wall, which is everything, mystery, thriller, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, romantasy, and romance.

And that's kind of like the bread and butter of our readership.

We keep everything within genre, and we don't actually merchandise by identity because we like people to be reflected on every single one of our shelves in the store.

So we really strive to curate a really eclectic and diverse mix of titles so that everybody knows that there is a story here for them.

I try for everybody to feel welcome, and the conversations that we get into at the bookstore are great.

A lot of people have made friends from coming to our book clubs and finding community.

I really just want it to feel cozy.

I mean, we've got the creaky floors.

We've got the exposed brick.

I've just always been a book girl.

So I knew that books were going to be in my future in some capacity, and I really, I did, I went from working at a bookstore in Seattle to working in publishing to owning my own bookstore.

And it's a labor of love, I would say.

It's a passion.

- Join us as we celebrate 10 years of "My Home" as we look back at some of our most iconic stories and where they are now.

[gentle music] So in 2016, we told the story of the last patternmaker, Chris Ellsberg, who was helping out Raleigh Denim.

She went to them and said, "I know how to make jeans, and I can help you."

And at that time, Victor and Sarah were just starting out their jeans company.

So the last patternmaker was a play on the fact that Chris does believe that she is the last patternmaker, the last person who can make this type of jeans by hand with patterns.

And a really fun fact about how this story came about, my father actually sent me a clipping from a magazine and a handwritten note saying, "This might be a good story for you."

And of course it was.

And I pursued finding out who Chris Ellsberg was and what this jeans company called Raleigh Denim was all about.

One thing many people may not know about Chris is she also has a passion for animals, and she makes fabulous dog coats and sells them at local pet stores in the area.

And my dog Ruby was actually the beneficiary of a beautiful Chris Ellsberg coat, and she had a special fitting and everything.

So it just brought a really special note to this story to see how folks live their lives and their passions beyond maybe what they're doing for a living.

This story was really one of our most popular stories, especially across digital and on Facebook.

And at last count, we have over one million viewers that have watched this story from across the world.

And since that story in 2016, Raleigh Denim has continued to grow in brand and influence, and they really do look back to kind of those early days to inform what they're doing now.

And I think that's really special that we were able to be there at the beginning.

[relaxing upbeat music] [relaxing upbeat music continues] [relaxing upbeat music continues] [relaxing upbeat music continues]