2018 Annual Newsletter
Bittersweet Spectrum | Fall 2018
Determined to Make a Difference
The participants at Betty’s Farm in Lima are determined to make a difference in their community. Located in Lima, Ohio, Betty’s Farm is an 80-acre farm that provides autism services and supports to residents from Allen and surrounding counties.
Every week, Monday through Thursday, you can find the participants volunteering at four different sites in their city. Mondays are spent at the Daily Bread Soup Kitchen, Tuesdays at the Encore Theatre, Wednesdays at the Habitat for Humanity Re Store, and Thursdays at the Equestrian Therapy Program. Each opportunity allows the participants to learn new job skills and how to work with a team.
Rob Foreman, Community Outreach Specialist, says, “The participants get so much joy out of volunteering. They love serving people meals at Our Daily Bread and working with the animals at the Equestrian Therapy Program – it teaches them that helping others is the right way to live. By participating so fully in the community, the individuals are learning good job skills that will prepare them for a job that fits their skills and interests.”
In addition to community volunteering, Betty’s Farm has many thriving recreational programs. The Social Living Club focuses on learning a new skill, such as cooking, photography, painting, music, and drama. Betty’s Farm also offers Friday Night Fun, a program for adolescents and adults that focuses on improving social skills among their peers.
“Through all of our social programs, we demonstrate how to be a role model and how to act in the community,” says Rob. “We teach the individuals in the programs how to take care of each other and how to support and encourage each other. We have seen tremendous growth in all the individuals. We have witnessed eight very determined individuals become independent and find jobs in the community.”
One individual in particular, Brittany, came to Betty’s Farm a very shy young woman, lacking many social skills. Because of the supports in place at Betty’s Farm, Brittany has worked hard to practice her social skills and increase her self-confidence. After a year of attending the programs at Betty’s Farm, Brittany is now independently attending activities that interest her, such as dance and horseback riding. She has been making new friends and enjoying time spent with her family.
“When I met Brittany she reminded me of a closed up flower,” says Rob. “Her parents were concerned about her social skills and her lack of interest interacting with her peers and even her own brother. I believe that because of our programs at Betty’s Farm, she has found the self-confidence to open up into the wonderful flower that she is. She now laughs all the time and even hugs her brother and tells him that she loves him. It’s good to see her so full of joy and having fun.”
Providing community-based volunteering, social opportunities, and activities to develop self-determination are the essential hallmarks of Betty’s Farm. The quality of services and programming are doing wonders to promote growth and self-confidence in the individuals served at Betty’s Farm.