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Michele Dean |
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Michele Dean, Erik Clark, Scott Scales and Brian Tapp
Four of The Arc of Multnomah
- Clackamas’s skill training clients from Clackamas County
are setting an example for their entire community on the meaning
of “giving back.” Each of the clients -- Michele Dean,
Erik Clark, Scott Scales and Brian Tapp – has a developmental
disability, and each has made it clear: they want to spend some
of their personal time in volunteering to help others.
Many of The Arc’s clients in the skill training program have discretionary time in
their training plans – hours when they can choose an activity that is purely social
or recreational. Most clients opt to go bowling with their skill trainer, to take in a movie
and dinner, to
go the mall, or to do other things that are “just fun.”
But Scott, Michele, Erik
and Brian have each expressed their desire to be useful as well,
and have asked their skill trainer– Devon Driscoll–
to find volunteer activities during these “free” periods.
During The Arc’s annual Friendship Dinner in December, Erik, Michele and Brian spent
five hours at the Mt. Tabor United Presbyterian Church, helping to set up for, to serve,
and to clean up after the dinner. Not only did they work hard, but they went out of their
way to
be friendly, in the full spirit of the occasion.
“It was fun,” Michele said after the dinner. “I think we helped people
feel at home. That was important.”
Also in December, Scott and Brian chose to spend their monthly social-recreational outing
at The Arc office downtown, helping to wrap gifts for the annual Sharing Tree.
Of the four, Erik Clark has shown the biggest commitment to volunteering, with a regular,
three-times-a-week stint at Clackamas County’s animal shelter in Oregon City. On
most weeks since January, Erik has spent three full days at the shelter, feeding and exercising
the animals, cleaning
cages and helping with intakes on stray animals.
“Erik helps show the animals for adoptive families,” says his skill trainer, Devon. “All
the shelter staff have told us how much they appreciate him. Everyone there just loves him.”
Erik receives an important benefit from volunteering. Before he took on this responsibility,
he had too much energy and time on his hands. Now he spends them on caring for the pets – “A
great exchange”, says Dow Hokoana, field supervisor at the animal shelter, since
the dogs “also have too much energy and time.”
Still another skills training client, LeeAnn Nolin of Oregon City, has been a regular
volunteer in the past, at a local retirement home. LeeAnn has asked to begin serving
the community
again, so her skills trainer, Devon, has contacted the Clackamas County Volunteer Connection
to find
a volunteer job that is just right for LeeAnn.
Michele D. of Oregon City asks her skill
trainer to find a volunteering assignment for her as often as possible.
When Michele assisted at a holiday dinner sponsored by The Arc of
Multnomah - Clackamas, she enjoyed helping guests feel “at
home.”
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