ELORA – Centre Wellington recreation programmer Alicia Wysman looks forward to Tuesday and Thursday mornings at the newly renovated Jefferson Elora Community Centre.
That’s because she gets to see participants in Inclusive Connections, a program Wysman helped create for adults with special needs.
“I love getting to spend a little time with them,” Wysman said.
The program was developed after Wysman saw the need in the community.
“I wanted to bring some different programming to the community that we weren’t currently offering,” she said.
“A lot of families and adults have to travel outside of Centre Wellington to access programming. We do have the special needs swim time, but we didn’t have anything else.”
The newly renovated Jefferson Elora Community Centre seemed the ideal location to host the program.
Inclusive Connections runs each Tuesday and Thursday from 11am to 1pm through the end of June. Participants attend with their support workers.
The program offers a wide variety of activities.
“We are utilizing a lot of our day camp supplies. We have arts and crafts supplies, board games, and then more active games – backyard kinds of games like washers, beanbags and ladder golf,” Wysman said.
“Pickleball has been especially popular.”
Mike Patience waits to lobby the ball back during a game of pickleball. Photo by Lorie Black
While the program won’t run in the summer when day camps are operating, Wysman said it will restart in the fall.
“The response has been very positive,” Wysman said. “It’s nice to see this group of adults come in and be excited about trying something new.”
Wysman, who sets up the games and greets attendees, said she enjoys chatting with participants and finding out what other games and activities they would like to have in the program.
Wysman said Community Living Guelph Wellington has been accessing the program, but she would like to see more people take advantage of Inclusive Connections.
Jennifer Denneny, a direct support worker with Community Living, said she is grateful for the program.
Denneny said her clients “love coming here. There are lots of programs for seniors and for younger people, but this is just for them. It’s great to not have to go outside of the community.”
Participant Mike Patteson favours bowling.
“I went to the Special Olympics in Sudbury for it,” he said.
Patteson also enjoys music, and knew all the words to Beach Boys songs playing during Tuesday’s program.
Wysman hopes to grow the program in the fall to include after-school sessions for younger special needs groups.
Visit centrewellington.ca or contact Wysman at awysman@centrewellington.ca for more information.
