By ROYCELYN BASTIAN
For the Kingwood Observer
Updated: 09.30.09
Houston, TX
An organization geared toward helping people with developmental disabilities, New Caney New Horizons’ goal is to make them more self-sufficient.
"They have dreams and goals just like you and me and we want to help them achieve it,” Sherry Lemley, executive director and guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Humble Intercontinental, said.
New Caney New Horizons began in 1992 with active parents and community members who were involved in the Special Olympics. Once the organization began to see high school graduates and residents in the area with developmental disabilities not applying the skills they learned, New Horizons decided to do something about it. With a certificate from the Department of Labor, the organization began employing people with developmental disabilities to work at its resale shop in 1995.“
When they go through vocational training and graduate from high school, their future is to go home and do nothing,” Lemley said. “This was not acceptable to the parents for their children to learn the skills and not be able to apply them, so we broadened our program to include vocational training and employment.”
Today, patrons also work at the nonprofit’s Lone Star Gallery shredding documents, packaging and labeling items, performing house and ground-keeping duties, along with other assignments. Through New Horizon’s vocational program, patrons are learning how to cook, read, manage money and other skills that can help them live an independent lifestyle. Utilizing skills, they have built birdhouses, benches and other woodcraft products.
In addition to the vocational program, patrons also participate in recreational activities on the weekend, such as going to the movies, eating at restaurants, water skiing, and attending the Houston rodeo, dances, parties, Mardi Gras in Galveston and more.
“We have parents or volunteers that take them (patrons) out on the recreational activities and they (patrons) just absolutely love doing it,” Lemley said. “For water skiing, we go to Texas Adaptive Aquatics and even those who have severe developmental disabilities are able to participate.”
New Caney New Horizons is a grassroots organization that makes its money from its resale shop located on Community Drive; Lone Star Gallery on the feeder of Highway 59 South in New Caney and by fundraisers in the area.
According to the organization, it is committed to serving citizens with mental retardation and related developmental disabilities by providing social and recreational activities, employment opportunities, vocational and functional skills training and independent living alternatives.
rbastian@hcnonline.com The Kingwood Observer,
Community News Section, Houston, TX
http://www.hcnonline.com/
http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/09/30/kingwood_observer/news/39konewhorizons.txt
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