New Elkhart program provides opportunities for adults with disabilities

NOW: New Elkhart program provides opportunities for adults with disabilities
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ELKHART, Ind. -- The Elkhart Community Schools Young Adult Program has repurposed a classroom into a makeshift studio apartment to help teach adults with disabilities various life skills. 

The project was aided by Mary Gallardo and the staff of Woodland Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, who provided the apartment with towels, silverware, and various cleaning supplies. 

There the employees of Hart City Coffee Company can practice activities such as bedmaking, folding and putting away laundry, doing the dishes and more. 

"I obviously love it a lot. It really helps to bring people build up and I just love all the staff and every child and kid that comes over here. And we have a good time over here," said Dawn, one of the program's participants. 

“Some of them haven’t even practiced some of these skills up until we showed it to them here. We have a lot of community sites as well where they clean, they use the vacuum, they mop, things like that. So to not only do it out on the job site but practice more as a home skill, life skills is the most important key," said classroom teacher Megan Benicki. 

The program coordinators stressed how much activities like these will prepare them for the future. 

“It just means so much seeing them grow and learn and being able to take it to their future and their home," said Registered Behavior Technician Miranda Mese. 

To learn more about the Elkhart Community Schools Young Adult Program, you can visit their Facebook page

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