ARISS – Hopewell Children’s Homes is introducing its first Snoezelen Room, a multi-sensory environment, after receiving a $50,000 donation.
Rowly and Willie Martin’s donation was recognized on Aug. 17 in Ariss at the official grand opening of Hopewell Children’s Homes’ Snoezelen Room, honouring Manijeh, their adopted daughter, who passed away on Dec. 25, 2020.
“Manijeh … left her footprint wherever she went, whoever she touched,” stated Rowly in an Aug. 17 release.
“She left Iran to be free, she rejected race, gender and religious bondage and embraced the freedom of Canada.
“Manijeh’s Room at Hopewell reflects that freedom for the people who can enjoy it. I knew Manijeh for 18 of her 20 years in Canada and watched her generous interactions with everyone she met.”
The new Snoezelen Room, named “Manijeh’s Room,” will provide benefits not only to those residing at the Ariss location.
All 36 Hopewell residents across seven homes will have access to the new space.
“We are extremely thankful for Rowly and Willie’s generosity and honoured to be celebrating this grand opening with them, their family and all of our Hopewell team.” said Maria Zegarac, executive director of Hopewell.
In an interview with the Advertiser, Holly Lorentz, fund development coordinator, said the room was always on the organization’s radar, but there were usually other things they had to put the money towards.
“It was always a want, something that we hoped to be able to implement in the future, but was far beyond our means,” she said.
“This was something that was very much a dream, and they were able to fully fund it for us.”
Snoezelen multi-sensory environments are spaces, intended to be relaxing, that help reduce agitation and anxiety, but also engage and delight the user, stimulate reactions and encourage communication.
“[It’s] kind of like sensory therapy,” Lorentz explained. “So it helps specifically people with developmental and mental disabilities.”
“It works in regard to all of our senses, as well as our deeper senses where somebody like you or I might not necessarily recognize them, but it can help to educate, stimulate, relax or calm,” she added.
The room offers a relaxed atmosphere with pleasant surroundings, soothing sounds, captivating aromas, tactile experiences, massage and vibration, vibrosonic sensations, and gentle movement.
“These individuals are able to enhance their relaxation, offer more self-awareness and allow them to communicate even a lot better and interact with others, because they’re in a space where they’re able to concentrate,” Lorentz said.
The room “really works on all of the senses,” she explained.
“Again, it just enhances that relaxation, offers them more functional independence and allows them to better interact and communicate with others which is pretty significant.”
If an individual is getting frustrated, the Snoezelen room acts as a space for them to collect themselves and become more self-aware, Lorentz explained, adding “when you see the individuals in there you really see that difference.”
For more information about the Snoezelen multi-sensory environments, visit www.snoezelen.info.
For more information about Hopewell Children Homes visit www.hopewellchildrenshomes.com.
With the new space, Lorentz said it allows residents more independence in a relaxing environment.
“Here at Hopewell, we really focus on enriching the lives of the individuals that we support, because we want them to experience a full life similar to ourselves,” she said.
“And something such as this Snoezelen room really pushes that enrichment piece and allows these individuals to go beyond what government funding allows us to do and create this warm and comforting room that they can turn to.”
