Jodi Hill of Shares, Inc. spoke to Greenfield Kiwanis about the programs Shares offers to their developmentally disabled clients in their three county service area. Shares serves 150 clients in Hancock County, 120 in Shelby County and 50 in Rush County. The goal of the pre-vocational skill training is to allow the clients to function in the community while earning a wage. In addition to the vocational services, Shares provides life skills in cooking, laundry, housekeeping, reading and mathematics.
Don Collins, the District Administrator of Kiwanis Aktion Clubs spoke following Ms. Hill. Aktion Clubs provide service leadership for adults living with disabilities. An Aktion Club is sponsored by a Kiwanis club but can also be sponsored by a group of clubs or a division. There are Aktion Clubs in Shelbyville and Noblesville. In all there are 24 Aktion Clubs in Indiana.
Aktion club members attend meetings to learn about community issues, plan service and fundraising projects, and enjoy fellowship with others. Club members perform community service such as park beautification, food drives, and nursing home visitations. Members make visits to zoos, museums, and sporting events to share time with one another.
Mr. Collins summed up the evening by saying that in his work with Aktion Club members he has discovered that the member’s abilities exceed their disabilities.
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