Bittersweet Spectrum | Fall 2019
Achieving Goals through Community Service
Betty’s Farm in Lima is diligently achieving their goals through community service. Through helping others, they have found a way to become more involved in their city.
This sense of belonging to the community directly impacts the locations in which Betty’s Farm participants dedicate their time each month. In building these partnerships, Bittersweet is extremely grateful and excited to have new opportunities to explore. Betty’s Farm has volunteered at Lima City Parks, Our Daily Bread, Shawnee Police Department, Equestrian Farm, Habitat for Humanity Restore and many more! The impact the participants have in the community is huge – from January to June of 2019 they completed over 1,200 service hours. Not only are the participants learning meaningful work skills, meeting new people, and helping the public, they are becoming a bigger part of the community.
“Two of the biggest goals from the parents of the participants, as well the participants, is to gain more independence, get out into the community, and experience new things,” says Jerry Hunt, Betty’s Farm Day Program Manager. “By the participants coming to Betty’s Farm and volunteering their services to help others in the community, they gain life skills and job skills that help meet both of those goals as well as advance them closer to rewarding employment. The parents and participants all volunteer and truly understand the importance of helping others, meeting new people, and the value that it brings to the participants.”
One of the many success stories from Betty’s Farm is Terrell, who joined Betty’s Farm this year. Terrell participates five days a week in the Day Program. After several months of experiencing daily routines, Terrell began showing signs of understanding direction, politeness, and compassion. Terrell displays love and concern for the other participants and demonstrates a commitment to the work skills he has learned.
Terrell’s team decided that he was ready to begin outside employment at the Lima City Parks one day a week. Terrell continues to progress not only in the Day Program but in his performance working at the Lima City Parks. He’s been so efficient that he was promoted to working two days a week! Terrell has gained a solid confidence in himself and is making big strides in achieving his goal of working in the community.
