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Community Connections Project Fact Sheet-John Doe

Mission of the Project -

to assist people with developmental disabilities in establishing relationships through shared interests with community groups and organizations.

How will this mission be accomplished? -

A person called a Social Guide will be paired up with John and they will spend time together for about a month in order to get to know each other. During this time, they will do such things as going out to eat, watching movies, going shopping, spending time together, talking on the phone perhaps, and other social activities that interest them.
After about a month, an informal meeting will be held with the Social Guide, John, the Project Coordinator, and the Support Staff. This group will brainstorm with John to see what he would like to do in order to meet people who have similar interests. Some examples may involve joining a soccer team, taking an art class, joining a bowling league, meeting people at the local coffee shop, or getting to know his neighbors. The opportunities are endless. Whatever John has an interest in, the Social Guide will assist him in finding a group of people who share the same interest, and then assist in the development of relationships.
This process will be different for everyone involved and the length of time taken for a connection to be made will vary for each person. A connection is when new relationships have begun to develop. The Social Guide will continue to support John throughout this process.
Social Guides work part-time and have flexible hours. There are no set times or activities. John and the Social Guides can get together whenever it is convenient for both parties. As with all of us, these times are likely to change week by week as personal schedules and activities change.

By all of us working together, this can become a successful and positive experience for John. If you have any questions, or if you would like more information on how to support John in getting more connected to his community, please do not hesitate to contact Scott Osterfeld or Heather Nebiolo, the Project Coordinators, at 861-5233.

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