Successful community living month wraps up in Revelstoke

Earlier this month, inside Cooper’s grocery store, a group of dedicated individuals were out offering coffee, hot chocolate, and other goodies. It was one of the activities going on as part of October’s Community Living month.

The people out there are part of the Revelstoke Community Living program, which helps adults with developmental disabilities communicate and socialize in the community at large.

“I think its very important for these guys to get out,” said Shannon Moorhead, a vocational worker with Community Connections, which runs the program in Revelstoke.

Every weekday the group gets together to take part in the individualized community inclusion program. They partake in numerous activities with the goal of promoting active and healthy living. Some like to go fishing, others knit, and others prefer playing bingo. They all go bicycling, hiking, and go to the gym together.

“We try to match different activities with people goals,” said Moorhead.

The goals are varied, from exercising regularly at the gym to seemingly simple activities as making a phone call. A few, with communication problems, are learning sign language.

They also take part in various fundraising activities, such as an ongoing bottle drive and bake sales. The group participates in the Relay for Life and raised more than $500 for it this year.

Community Living also provides a supported employment program to helps set up people in the program with jobs.

“It’s more or less matching the right person to the right job by goals, dream jobs, and ability,” said Shannon Moorhead. “We prepare everybody with job readiness, vocational assessment, and really matching skills and abilities with a willing employer.”

The positions vary: one woman, who is unable to speak, works at Community Connections shredding confidential papers because they know she can’t relay what’s in them. Another has worked at A&W for 12 years cleaning tables, pouring customers coffee, “and wearing a smile.”

There is also a program for seniors and a one-on-one program for those that require special attention to help them be able to go out into the community by themselves.

The program runs three homes in Revelstoke. Two are for adults and one is for seniors. The homes are staffed around the clock, except for when the residents are all out at work or taking part in the day program. Some individuals in the program live with families outside the homes.

This Saturday one of the homes is hosting a Halloween Party and everyone is planning on dressing up for it.

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