2nd Sam 9 gives everyone a place to belong
Scott and Teresa Roberts鈥� daughter was born with an extremely rare genetic disorder, characterized by intellectual limitations, motor skill difficulties and autistic traits.
Often, youth with disabilities have resources for education, physical therapy, occupational therapy and even social interaction but the question continued to haunt the Roberts: what will we do after high school?
The Greene County couple knew others who had similar concerns and in 2012, decided to take matters into their own hands.
The started the Waynesburg-based nonprofit, 2nd Sam 9, named after an Old Testament story in the Bible. In II Samuel, Chapter 9, an individual with a disability was given a place of honor in the home of King David.
鈥淲e wanted to develop a program with a Christian focus because we believe spiritual development is equally important to our focus on social, emotional and pre-vocational development,鈥� Scott Roberts, president of the nonprofit蘑菇视频 board.
The adult day program offers activities for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities to maintain or enhance life skills.
A typical day involves prayer and praise time, a Bible or educational lesson, music and crafts. Sprinkled in, is a variety of field trips and fun, aimed at improving life skills and experiences.
Program attendees can engage in cooking skills, including planning a meal, going to the grocery store to purchase items and preparing the food. Other classes involve housekeeping, proper hygiene, safety and community resources available.
Volunteers from Waynensburg University have invited the 2nd Sam 9 friends to dance lessons, music events and led tours of their facilities.
鈥淲e regularly go on community outings to practice social skills and independence. We have fun and volunteer at the food bank,鈥� Scott Roberts said. 鈥淔or many of our friends, 2nd Sam 9 is their primary social outlet and we鈥檝e heard comments about the program being 鈥榯he best day of the week.鈥� Families share stories of the quality-of-life progress they鈥檝e witnessed.鈥�
To continue providing those experiences, the nonprofit relies on donations from individuals and local churches. Through that generosity, the organization was able to purchase a van and a building for the program.
鈥淔or our first nine years, we experienced limited accessibility for those with more significant physical limitations,鈥� Scott Roberts said. 鈥淩enovations to our new building allowed us to install a lift to make both floors accessible, two new bathrooms, new flooring, and volunteers recently installed a beautiful new gazebo in the yard.鈥�
The new building has also led to growth among participants and volunteers.
They are welcoming new friends to attend the program and plan to hire additional staff as needed.
鈥淥ur long-term goals include an expansion to accommodate more friends, a larger kitchen area, a laundry area for life skills activities and developing a small business so our friends can develop vocational skills and be more active within the community,鈥� Scott Roberts said.
For more information about enrolling in the program or volunteering, call 724-627-0609 or email 2ndSam9@windstream.net. Donations can be mailed to Second Sam Nine, Inc., 100 Bonar Ave., Waynesburg, Pa., 15370.