New Leaf Link widens its canopy

Oct 07, 2010

Photo: Participants, staff and volunteers at the New Leaf Link Educational Centre in Sydenham,l-r- Kyla, Sam, Ian, Margo, Claire, Christian, Paul, Karin, Joel, Jo and Amy.

Launched just around 18 months ago, New Leaf Link (NeLL), is fast becoming a program of choice for adults with developmental disabilities in South Frontenac and beyond.

Run out of the St. Paul's Anglican church in Sydenham, New Leak Link is a non-profit charitable organization designed for the community inclusion of adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities that include autism, Down syndrome, acquired brain injuries, and other neurological disorders. The centre has seen its clientele double in just over a year and currently is serving eight adults who are enrolled in the program, which offers two full days per week of educational programming designed to promote well being, independence, health and employable skills for its clients.

Programming falls under the umbrella of three main areas: functional skills and literacy, arts and crafts, health and recreation.

On Wednesdays participants take part in the Entrepreneurial Arts ll program, which is designed to combine arts teaching with the development of entrepreneurial and computing skills. Participants work under the guidance of a variety of artist/mentors to develop their skills in abstract art, printmaking, photography and computing. Currently participants are working with artist/mentor Howard Smith and are learning about photography, how to take photos and how to create their own slide shows.

On Thursdays Jo Lyon instructs the Food for all Seasons ll program, through which participants learn about nutrition, menu planning, food preparation and more. Different themes are introduced weekly. When I visited the centre on Sept. 30 participants were gathered in the kitchen preparing Memories of Childhood Rice Pudding and later would be updating their individually kept food journals.

Health and fitness are also an integral part of the Food for all Seasons program and new to the program this year is a personal fitness component that is run every other Thursday by Dawn Sheldrick, a therapist who specializes in adapting exercise programs to people with disabilities.

Dr. Karin Steiner, the founding executive director of NeLL and her son Nicholas, both participate in the program, Steiner as staff and Nicholas as a participant. Steiner attributed the increase in enrollment this year to the fact that word is getting out. “When Nicholas graduated from school two years ago there was no programming for him in the community. This year three of our new participants have just graduated from school this past June which is exciting especially since now there is local programming available to them.”

Steiner continued, “The increase in participants shows that there is real need for our services and I'm quite sure that we have not even really begun to tap into the people who need our programs in this area.”

Steiner also emphasized the fact that NeLL receives no government funding and operates solely on the generous donations of individual donors, service clubs and some grants.

Volunteers are instrumental in allowing the educational programming to take place and Steiner said, “We cannot do what we do here without them”. Mrs. Catherine Burrell and Ms. Margo Gallagher have dedicated countless volunteer hours to the program and NeLL welcomes new volunteer Mr. Roy Huntly this year.

Steiner informs me that NeLL is always on the look out for new volunteers who can join the team on a regular basis, but also invites volunteers with specialized knowledge and skills be it in arts, crafts, health, fitness,or cooking to make a guest appearance.

New and just launched in August is NeLL's website where potential clients of volunteers can learn more about the centre and its various programs. Included on the site are examples of art products produced by participants. Donations can be made online via Canada Helps, a service that manages online donations for charities.

All donations go solely towards programming costs.

For more information visit www.newleaflink.ca