Our Community Based Day Habilitation Team have been getting ready for Halloween and recently celebrated with a costume party! Everyone came ready to have some fun, dressed in their costumes and Halloween apparel. They helped make spooky crafts and decorations to hang around the room, enjoyed a nice lunch and participated in fun Halloween activities. There was also a costume contest where everyone got to vote for their favorite costume, with the winner receiving a prize. Thanks to our staff for organizing this event!

Our Specialized Day Hab recently put together their new pool table at 1377 Abbott, which was purchased with a mini-grant. The group wanted to purchase a new table because the old one needed replacing and it is an activity that many of the participants enjoy. Our Specialized Day Hab Team have created lessons around the game of pool to build skills in teamwork, fairness, principle and more. The group was very excited to help put the table together and are ready to shoot some pool!

Our day programs spent the last few days of summer weather enjoying tasty treats. Our wonderful friends at Out of the Blue WNY donated ice cream treats to our day programs to help celebrate the end of summer. All of the ice cream treats were individually wrapped so everyone could enjoy them safely. Our program participants even made signs to show their thanks for the delicious desserts. Thank you Out of the Blue for bringing smiles to so many faces!

In late July, we were very excited to welcome all of our friends back to our day programs!

After nearly five months of quarantine and social distancing, people were able to see their friends and staff members for the first time.

Everyone was greeted by decorative signs and balloons to welcome them back to programs. People were able to participate in fun activities, crafts and spend some time outside catching up with friends all while wearing masks and following safety guidelines.

We are so thrilled to be getting back into the swing of things and to see everyone’s faces! Thank you to our staff for getting everything prepared for our programs’ return and for continuing to follow all guidelines to ensure everyone remains healthy.

Our Community Habilitation Team is working with folks to come up with safe activities to promote active and healthy lifestyles. They have tried new recipes, putting a healthy spin on some favorite restaurant dishes, such as mock Subway sandwiches and protein pasta. Our team has also encouraged people to go on walks and visit some favorite outdoor spots such as West Falls, Canalside and the Outer Harbor. The Community Hab Team is also continuing to celebrate birthdays in a special way. Thank you to our team for coming up with creative, fun and healthy ways to stay engaged during the pandemic!

One of our Southtown residences thought of a fun way to make their masks more creative. The residents recently spent a day tie-dyeing masks and t-shirts with vibrant colors and cool patterns. It’s great to see our IRAs thinking of others’ safety by wearing masks while also showing off their artistic skills and having fun!