C.A.R.E
Several folks came out to join in on the luncheon fun, on August 12th , 2022 held at 10 a.m. – Noon and on August 18th held at 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. The event was offered two different days and times to accommodate folks that work or have other obligations during the day. The event was free to the community with the purpose of bringing people together to enjoy connection and to brainstorm. As the first of its kind, the group decided to call the event CARE. C.A.R.E. stands for Community Activities and Relationships Event. Both incredible C.A.R.E. days were held at Venango Human Service Building in Franklin, Pennsylvania, and consisted of two main activities.
First, there were presentations on nutrition and wholesome food. This was followed by an introduction to microgreens to review some healthy greens we can add to our meals. The Microgreens included mustard, red/yellow beets, cantaloupe, and many others. There was an array of colorful fruit and vegetables. The choices were endless and oh so good! Attendees could use the variety of microgreens to build a sandwich and/or a summer fresh salad with all the beautiful, fresh toppings.
Besides munching on the delicious, nutritious meal, attendees engaged in an active discussion around ways to become more involved in the community. The conversation grew around questions like: “What activities would you like to see happen?”; “What factors are important in building community relationships?” The participants were eager to share and provided many fantastic ideas for community events. There were so many ideas of what they would like to see, such as block parties, craft events, and cook outs. Other ideas included fishing, walking, and so much more.
It was such a joy to see this group of people engage in conversation around community relations and how they can get involved. People with intellectual/developmental disabilities have a wealth of ideas and creativity just waiting to enrich communities. How can we open up the conversation even more? How can we connect people with the community just outside their door? Talk to the people you support, your neighbors, your friends. Change can start with something as small as an idea. After you collect the treasure of a brainstorm, run with your ideas. Community events can be as common or elaborate as you like. The important thing is that we make human connections and rebuild that sense of community.
