April 2025 Newsletter

"It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed." ~ Napoleon Hill

Editorial 

Dear Dawn to Dusk Community,

The last Friday in the quarterly months of March, June, September and December are reserved for our whole team to come together for a day of learning, team-building and reflection. While our program is closed and it is disappointing to many of our participants, it has been our experience that they benefit from a stronger and more committed support team because of this approach. This, past Friday, March 28th, was our Q1 2025 Training day. Topics covered included updates and reminders on our purpose and our CARE (Compassion Action Respect Empowerment) principles, participants rights, policy and benefits, outings, behavioral support, which included verbal de-escalation, role play and Handle with Care (crisis management and intervention).  The later part of the day was reserved for completion of online training courses through the College of Direct Support (CDS). Starting this year, DDD NJ has developed additional mandatory training for staff and we are using a part of our quarterly training days to complete these requirements as well.

At the end of the day (or should I say end of the quarter), we see great benefits of doing this and this approach has resulted in a stronger and a better and more cohesive team willing and able to provide the best possible support to our participants. However, I also believe that it is a constant work in progress. It has also been my experience that as we approach the end of the quarter, it is indeed time to remind, reflect, retrain, and revise. Our approach towards continuing education is aligned with our ethos that Our Best Is Yet To Come.

When I had come up with our Center’s name as Dawn to Dusk Wellbeing Center, I had envisioned two components and purposes that the name would reflect- 1. Provide services from Dawn to Dusk, 2. Provide services aligned with the Wellbeing of our participants and their families, and most importantly, our employees, without whose wellbeing, we won’t be able to serve the wellbeing of our participants and their families. Over the past few quarters, we have dedicated a small portion of our quarterly training session on introducing additional benefits, discussion of existing benefits and on financial education. The physical, mental and financial wellbeing of our entire team is of great importance to me and I am committed to reflect this in our business practices and actions.

Wishing you good health and wellbeing always. 

~Sesh Subramanian

Life Skills and Growing Independence

As we step into a new month and welcome the change in season, the participants have been busy refreshing the center during the Household Chores activity sessions. Equipped with sponges and spray bottles the participants have been washing away the last traces of winter, clearing off snowmen and Valentine’s Day decorations that they had painted earlier this year. This hands-on activity lends itself to the reinforcement of general environmental upkeep and daily living skills, and also fosters a sense of ownership among the participants within the center as it is their artwork and designs displayed proudly all around the center. Each team holds the responsibility of cleaning the windows at the end of each season, then working collaboratively with the team to plan their next themed window design. By inviting the participants to actively engage in the visual design and upkeep of the center windows we seek to reflect the beauty and diversity of our community members within the center itself while continuing to build on these general independent living skills and creative outlets.

Self Expression Through Creativity

This month in Music Enrichment, participants have embraced the genre of traditional Irish folk songs in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The participants explored traditional Irish melodies, rhythms, and folk songs that capture the energy and joy of the season. Through the use of drums, rhythm sticks, and body percussion, they practiced extending short patterns into longer, consistent rhythms, working together as a musical ensemble to create harmony and fun. The group also explored tempo, as some songs were slower and required rests and pauses between beats meanwhile other songs demanded quick taps, claps, and pats with no breaks or rests between! Exploring the different types of instruments involved in the Irish folk music also allowed the participants to practice identifying familiar instruments like the guitar and drums, while learning about new instruments including the mandolin and the bagpipes! 

Physical and Mental Health and Wellbeing

In March, we introduced the Sensory Room to our teams’ monthly schedule, providing an opportunity to engage within this uniquely designed calming and engaging space aimed toward supporting self-regulation and sensory exploration and processing. Sensory rooms are specifically created environments that help individuals relax, focus, and engage with their surroundings in a way that meets their sensory needs. Our participants have been guided through how to utilize and engage with the space, learning about the different sensory items and input options available. Inside the Sensory Room, participants can explore a variety of sensory experiences, from tactile toys that encourage fine motor engagement, to larger mats, pillows, pads, rocking chairs and an inflatable catwalk for gross motor and sensory stimulation. Visually, colored foot pads and stepping stones, dimmable lighting, colorful sensory touch-lights, funny mirrors, and galaxy projector create a totally unique environment from the rest of the center in which the participants may explore lighting and visual engagement options. Additionally, some participants elect to participate in Tuesday afternoon yoga sessions in the Sensory Room with our wonderful Occupational Therapist, Lisa! As we continue to grow and evolve, we are always looking for creative and unique ways to support all aspects of wellbeing for the participants at the Dawn to Dusk Wellbeing Center. We are very excited to be able to provide additional sensory stimulation and engagement opportunities for all members of the Dawn to Dusk community!

Leisure and Recreation

Throughout the month of March, our Nature Club and STEM activity sessions teamed up to provide an in-depth exploration of volcanoes! Engaging in hands-on activities and interactive lessons, participants explored the science behind these natural wonders while making exciting discoveries along the way. The learning began with a deep dive into volcanic terminology, where participants matched key terms with their definitions and discussed the many different types of volcanoes. They examined real-world examples learning about the causes of eruptions, different kinds of eruptions and the impact volcano eruptions have on their surroundings. In culmination of this month-long topic, our activity facilitators brought the volcanology exploration inside the center! In the culmination of this lesson, the participants took part in a science experiment, using model volcanoes, baking soda, vinegar, and red food coloring to create miniature volcanic eruptions right in our center’s activity room! This collaborative effort between Nature Club and STEM not only provided an interactive and hands-on science lesson, but also encouraged teamwork, critical thinking and creativity! 

Community Corner

Community Outings: 

Our March outings took participants to a variety of engaging locations including Knob Hill Country Lanes for some friendly bowling competition; South Brunswick Library for a cozy reading escape; Walmart for a fun scavenger hunt and shopping for activities; and Quakerbridge Mall for some walking and window shopping. These weekly outings provide opportunities for socialization, practice of community safety skills, and community engagement with our greater local area. Through connecting with local businesses within our community we aim to provide the participants with the knowledge and experience to increase their own community connections and engagement, as well as opportunities to learn about how to safely access all that our local area has to offer. While the participants and staff have enjoyed our shopping outings, we are all starting to turn our attention toward the coming spring weather and are very much looking forward to returning to some of our favorite outdoor community outing destinations we have scheduled for April!

Lunch Outings: 

The Dawn to Dusk participants indulged in a variety of delicious meals this month during our scheduled weekly lunch outings. The participants visited CAVA this month, exploring Mediterranean flavors in salads, rice bowls, and the fan-favorite gyro sandwiches. We are committed to assisting the participants to order what they like to eat while also including opportunities to try familiar foods that are prepared in different ways to encourage the expansion of the participants’ dietary horizons. We also recognize that some of the participants may be committed to their dietary preferences, and we seek to provide lunch outing destinations that will afford everyone the opportunity each month to eat a familiar favorite as well as trying a new food! Our familiar favorites in March included Taco Bell for tacos and crunchwraps, and Perkins Restaurant for classic breakfast and lunch favorites like chocolate chip pancakes and chicken sandwiches. Of course, no month would be complete without our Lunch Choice outings, where participants get to decide on their favorite dining spots! This month, the popular participant picks were Olive Garden, Applebee’s, and the Monmouth Junction Diner. Please see our Team Community Outings list for all the lunch destinations in April!

If you have any questions or suggestions about the Day Program, please contact Emily at: emily@dawntoduskwellbeing.com          

Photo Gallery

Enjoy some special moments and smiles in our photo gallery here.