Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
DOVES program youths participate every Wednesday in "Hands For Growing" in Legion Park. On June 28, the youths identified plants and flowers, and then wrote the names on stones. The time is also used to provide instruction on forming healthy relationships. The youths learn to not only get along, but identify what they're looking for in a friend. The program, in its 10th year, is a collaboration with St. Patrick's Catholic Church.
Sidney's Office of Human Development and the DOVES Program both visited Legion Park Wednesday for a morning of gardening.
OHD, which serves adults with developmental disabilities, brought six clients to Memorial Gardens for a morning of planting and maintaining the grounds.
"This is just an activity to get them out and about, something just to help them learn a skill," Nick Hays, OHD staff member, said. "It gets them out in the community. They love getting out. They have a lot of fun doing it. We try to do a bunch of different things like that. Gardening is just one of the things we do."
He added, "And it helps better the community."
With each week, Hays has seen the clients' skills grow.
"They've been doing pretty well," he said. "The more we get them out, doing things, with practice, they do very well."
Lisa Hedglin, OHD staff member, said clients benefit from the experience.
"It's good to get them out into the community, let them learn more daily living skills," she said. "The satisfaction comes with seeing them happy. And we like to have people out in the community see our clients, and see they are regular people."
Subscribe to the Sidney Sun-Telegraph to read the rest of the story.
(308) 254-2818
817 12th Ave. Sidney, NE 69162
http://www.suntelegraph.com/subscribe
Reader Comments(0)