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Adults Celebrate Nature
In May 2008, UCP’s Adult program consumers and staff celebrated nature for a week.
After hours, UCP adult program’s Learning Consultant Marsha Mignery and other staff transformed the Academic Room into a jungle to surprise everyone on Monday morning. In the Jungle Room where live vines and lush green plants seemed to swallow shelves for the week, a colorful, lighted fountain and background music set a steamy, rain-forest-like atmosphere.
During the week, participants visited a local pet store, fed the ducks at a local pond, visited other outdoor spots, sang songs about the outdoors, and read about rainforests and other nature topics.
Tommy laughed when he said, “Those ducks at the park tried to follow us!”
Shane said he liked the trip to the Missouri River the best. “I like watching the river run past,” he said.
While at UCP, adults were visited by a conservation department representative with a snake. They also created art projects with and about nature and tasted mango, kiwi, bananas, coconut and other foods that grow in rain forests.
Jeffrey and Tom remember the snake. They agree it was big and heavy . . . and alive because it was moving.
A hallway at UCP reminds people of the fun week. It is lined with printed photos from a computer project in which adults chose a nature scene and then pasted their own pictures in the middle of their favorite nature spot.
UCP adults can expect more themed weeks this summer, including “Summer Week,” and “Pay It Forward Week.”
Over 80% of the people served by UCP have disabilities other than cerebral palsy. UCP is the only agency in St. Joseph with a day habilitation program that serves only adults with developmental disabilities, providing much-needed services and support for approximately 60 adults and their families. The program makes it possible for adult consumers to learn new skills, participate in activities they enjoy, and be involved in the community, volunteering with Meals on Wheels, taking recyclable items from various local senior housing complexes to the recycling center, visiting local nursing homes, bowling, etc.
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