From recycling to office work, rec centers to libraries, participants in CAREERS’ Ambition In Motion – AIM program, explore Putnam County, looking for life experiences to master and community needs to be filled. The program, launched in September, has been so successful that we plan to expand to include another group in Putnam, as well as an AIM group in Westchester County.
Participants in our day habilitation program without walls are learning the life skills they need while enjoying volunteer and recreational activities. The program was created to provide services to developmentally disabled individuals, encouraging them to take an active role in the world around them. It is tailored to the abilities of each participant and creates opportunities for those who do not yet have the skills to participate in a supported employment program. We teach each participant how to interact with, and contribute to, the local community at whatever level they can. This unique concept goes a step beyond traditional day programs and workshops by providing a sense of independence and self-reliance through diverse experiences.
We tailor activities to the interests of our participants; going to The Guitar Center in Danbury is one of Doug’s favorite outings!
Through AIM, we also bridge the gap from school to life as an adult by teaching skills needed for independent day-to-day activities. Participants are regulars in area food stores and parks, are learning how to navigate laundromats and libraries and have favorite shelter animals and deli specials. We even have a garden plot in the Tilly Foster Garden that our AIM group enjoys digging into!
AIM members learn office skills including shredding and mailing documents, and life skills such as cooking lunch and doing laundry, with the added benefit of socialization with new friends and the community in which they live.
Transportation is provided to AIM participants in Westchester and Putnam Counties. If you have questions, or know someone who would benefit from joining one of our groups, call Program Coordinator Rebecca Appleyard at (845) 225-8007 x101 or e-mail: [email protected].
Filled with recyclables, gardening tools or supplies for lunch, our “AIM” vehicle always carries the potential for a day of new adventures for program participants.
