TORONTO — The Abilities Centre is a place for people of all ages to learn and enrich their quality of life.
The state-of-the-art facility, located in Whitby, Ont., offers individuals the opportunity to spend the day engaged in sports, fitness, the arts, and life-skills.
“Abilities Centre is a 125 square-foot facility. We opened our doors about three and a half years ago, but we’re continuing to grow and expand every day,” said Programs Manager Melissa Rudan.
One of the many programs being offered is Thrive, an adult day program for individuals with disabilities aged 21 and over.
“The focus of Thrive is to really improve the overall health, well-being, independence and community access for participants to thrive in different activities,” said Rudan.
“Individuals can remain in the secondary school system until they’re 21 but after that, many individuals have really limited opportunities.”
Thrive runs five days a week Monday through Friday, where individuals can participate in a variety of activities including sports, fitness, arts and music programs as well as cooking classes.
“I think it’s really important to volunteer your time when you get a chance to do something that’s this important,” said volunteer and instructor Susan Osso.
“A lot of people that come here don’t really have anywhere else to go in the community and it’s because of the volunteers that a lot of the programs are able to run.”
Thrive has helped participants in the program focus on improving their health, well-being, and independence through a variety of activities.
With the help from volunteers and other participants, individuals are able to make successful transitions into independent living.
“We see triumphs every day both big and small, and we’ve also seen instances where someone’s self confidence has improved to such a degree that they are able to go out and find employment,” said Rudan.
Not only has Thrive helped program members, it has also helped parents and caregivers find a place to lean on.
“Until you have a child or you’ve worked with a family that has a child with an exceptionality, I don’t think you can really understand how important it is,” said Osso.
The environment volunteers and program instructors have created for Thrive members, has given many the opportunity to grow and experience skills and activities that they love and want to pursue.
“It’s a place to go and it’s a place to meet my friends,” said Thrive participant Ashley Ferguson.
The fairly new program focuses on creating an active learning program for it’s members while also giving them a place to socialize and connect with their peers on a daily basis.
” I think we really have created a place where everybody feels that they belong,” said Rudan.
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