Splash! Splash! Splash!
One by one bodies fly from the mouth of a giant yellow water slide
as onlookers cheer and clap. Just up the twisting slide screams
of excitement can be heard as the next brave soul splashes her way
through the curves, finally being swallowed up in a pool full of
water, friends, and laughter. Off to one side more friends ride
the rapids of a meandering current pool, while still others lounge
in a steaming hot tub. Is this some kind of tropical fantasy, you
ask? Nope. Just the latest outing by a very hip club called The
Arc Recreation Club—right here in Portland, Oregon!
The Arc Recreation Club—formerly
YARC—is a social recreational club for adults 18 years of
age and older with developmental disabilities in the Portland area.
It is a program of The Arc of Multnomah-Clackamas and is staffed
and coordinated by Arc and community volunteers. A few times a month
the Recreation Club heads out into the community for various outings,
like bowling, movies, gardening, sporting events and, of course,
the pool party.
The club is self-directed;
that is, members help pick activities for the group. Recreation
Club members are also responsible for confirming their attendance
before each event, for getting themselves to the activities, and
for covering any cost associated with the outings. These responsibilities
build skills and confidence among members as they begin to take
ownership of their own recreational life.
Mostly, though, the Recreation
Club is about building relationships and having fun. “It’s
nice to know that people know me,” says Amy Bushman, a member
of the club. “And I like when people say nice things about
me, like when I’m bowling with them. That’s pretty ok.”
Former AmeriCorps member
Kori Christley is equally enthusiastic about the club. “I
love going to Recreation Club activities!” she says. “I’ve
met new people that I enjoy spending time with—it’s
fun to be with a group of people who like to laugh and joke around.”
Yet, despite its successes,
a year ago the Recreation Club (when it was still YARC) had nearly
disappeared. Due to staffing changes at The Arc of Multnomah-Clackamas,
YARC activities were suspended indefinitely last summer, and by
October things were looking grim for this once vibrant club of adults.
Enter the AmeriCorps team of 2003-04! AmeriCorps members learned
about YARC’s unfortunate fate and offered to take on responsibilities
for the club as a side project—in addition to their regular
duties as Inclusive Recreation Companions. Communication with previous
members was restored. New members were recruited. A kick-off event
was planned. And, whaa-la…YARC was back on its feet!
Former AmeriCorps Member
Maureen Paige has been glad to be a part of the club’s revival.
“I’ve been really touched by the fun and joy felt by
the group,” she says. “It’s so awesome to see
an individual timid in first meeting the group and then beaming
with joy by the end of the event. This tells me that YARC means
a lot to its members.”
Aside from all the fun,
Ben Bagocius, another former AmeriCorps member, feels that YARC
also sends a strong message to the community at large. He says,
“Every time YARC goes out into the community to enjoy ourselves
and each other’s company, we’re also showing the larger
Portland community that every single one of us, with or without
disabilities, enjoys a good movie, cheers when we get strikes in
bowling, and laughs when someone makes a funny pose on the waterslide.”
YARC now faces another period of transition.
Not only has the named changed to The Arc Recreation
Club, but The Arc's AmeriCorps grant expired. To
keep this club up and running, board members have decided to take
charge of the Recreation Club and utilize community volunteers to
help staff the events. In a bold move by the board, membership
has changed to include all adults over 18 years of age. With
a growing club membership and a committed group of board members,
staff, and community volunteers, The Arc Recreation Club will blaze
into the future with excitement, hope, and joy.
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