Programs Employing People

Student Interns:

Aakanshya Aryal and Jiawei Deng

Aakanshya Aryal - "Miss H. Interview"

Background: Located in South Philadelphia, Programs Employing People (PEP) provides vocational, educational, recreational, and employment opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Below is a story of a staff; Miss H. who has been associated with the organization for eighteen long years taking diverse roles. Questions asked to Miss H. are bolded, and her responses are in italics.

How long have you been working at PEP?

- Oh! It has been a long time. I don’t exactly remember. I believe it has been about eighteen years.

As you said that it has been eighteen years, what roles did you take at the organization?

- I started as a volunteer at this organization. Eighteen years ago, the City of Philadelphia used to provide training to volunteers on adult literacy and connect them with agencies. So, I participated in the training and was connected with this organization. I took the role of a teacher in the General Education Diploma program at PEP. After working as a volunteer for some time, I got a full-time job as a service coordinator here. I worked as a service coordinator for the longest time. I then retired from the post but I am still working part-time as an art and literacy tutor.

Among all the roles you have taken so far, which one do you enjoy the most?

- I come from a background in Arts and have a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. Literacy and Art classes are the ones I enjoy the most. That is the reason I am still working in the organization part-time.

What do you want people who don’t know about your community to learn about it?

- Working with this community has been wonderful. I get to learn from them every single day. To those who don’t know much about the community; I would like to say that please don’t make assumptions about these people based on how they look or how they speak. It breaks my heart seeing people making fun of them and trust me there are many such people.

What do you love the most about your community?

- Most people are childlike and they easily develop a bond with the people they meet. I have developed a strong bond with them. Seeing them happy and excited to learn and share with me motivates me to continue coming here even after all these years.

If you could pick, what is your favorite memory of working in the community?

- There is a bundle of memories working here and it is very hard for me to pick one. I would say that my favorite memory is the art classes which we used to conduct from 4 to 6 pm after the program hours. It was so fun; with colors and paints. Other than that all the celebrations we do at the organization are very memorable.

What are the resources and strengths of your community?

- I think a strong sense of community is our biggest strength. Every staff and consumer feels that we are a part of this community.

In what way has COVID-19 affected your community?

- COVID-19 affected our community and organization in many different ways. We were not able to re-open the organization until the cases declined and we felt safe to meet in person.

Did you conduct online sessions during the peak of the pandemic?

- Yes, we did. The pandemic hit us badly in the month of March 2020 and from July we conducted online classes which I am very proud of.

How hard was it to conduct the online sessions?

- It was definitely very difficult but somehow we managed. All the consumers couldn’t join because either they didn’t have the devices or because of internet problems but a good number of them joined. We ran the classes throughout the day and the consumers were very happy seeing each other in such a hard time. We ran art classes, literacy classes, fitness classes, played games, fashion classes, dance classes, and many more.

What were the other impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic?

- After we re-opened, many consumers didn’t come back. I think many family members are still scared to send them. About a quarter of consumers stopped coming. Many staffs also left the organization. A dearth of funding led us to discontinue the General Education Program which I worked on as a volunteer and the program was very close to my heart.

I see that the pandemic impacted the organization in many ways but you were able to re-open the organization and run other programs; right?

- Yes, I am very happy that we were able to re-open and continue other programs such as the Community participation support program, Golden Branch Seniors Program, and others. Some consumers that don’t come in person take online classes. I conduct art and literacy classes online these days as well.

How many days do you come to the organization?

- I work for 16hrs per week now which includes both in-person and online classes. So, it depends.

What does cardiovascular health mean to you?

- Cardiovascular health is very important for everyone and one needs to be aware of the measures to maintain good cardiovascular health.

How important is cardiovascular health to the members of the community?

- Like for everyone, cardiovascular health is vital for our consumers. I believe they need some extra effort to maintain good cardiovascular health as the majority of them need someone to take them outdoors; limiting their body movement. Also, I see that many of them like sodas and chips which are not good for their health.

What resources in your community promote heart health/stress?

- I think the fitness classes which we conduct promote overall health. Also the dance classes are important as well.

At last, what motivates you to work with the community?

- I love this community; this is my community. Also, my home is nearby here which is a plus point.

Jiawei Deng- Programs Employing People (PEP)

This summer, I am doing the Bridging the Gap program at the Programs Employing People. PEP is a day program for adults with intellectual or physical disabilities. Disability is a term used when a person has certain limitations in mental or physical functioning and adaptive skills, such as processing information, communicating, taking care of him or herself, and/or social behavior. The program match individuals with activities and employment that fit their abilities, needs, and interest Tina, a camp collator at Programs employing people, was interviewed. She had been working at the camp since she was 13 and had been there for over 20 years. Her father had previously served as the camp's program coordinator as well. “Their spirit and passion and their positive attitude always bring a smile to my face” In addition to their disability, they may also have medical issues. The site's members are always cheerful when they arrive. They will always make things better, no matter what obstacles they face. In this community, everyone is treated equally. Make the member feel accepted and integrated into the community is critical. Being in the community may be difficult for them, but we are here to help. Members can choose to participate in community outings with staff, such as going to the corner store or grabbing a drink with peers. They also have integrated workshop, working at the Navy Yard or different site. Before the pandemic there are big trips monthly to museums, art fair or the park, but things had changed since then. If the members chose to stay back, they can play games and do creative art activities with the staff. “It is critical to be able to see the consumer and assist them with their real-life experience needs. Some residential consumers may not have any other options for learning than from us and their peers. We are there to help them with simple daily tasks like ordering a drink or going grocery shopping.” Most members have a goal they would like to reach during their days at the day program. They have goals such as communicating wants and needs or interacting with peers. Members gain experience and learn life skills at the site that they may not have had at home.

“…Childhood memories were the dreams that stayed with me after I awoke. Do you recall how clear the sky was and how colorful the classroom was? Do you remember the sun shining on our shoulder? … When I was in preschool, I looked forward to art class in the afternoon the most. Working on the construction site gave me the same sensation. This week at my site, I was able to assist and direct the members in more art activities. We are primarily focused in the Kinesthetic and Sensory Levels of Creative Functioning for the consumers. One example of the art creative is that we brought in macaroni and manicotti pasta. We let the members paint the pasta with acrylic paint of their choice. I showed them how to mix different colors to make a secondary or tertiary color. With the different pattern on the pasta member can see the different texture when stamping on the paper. Mixing different colors may appear simple, but it will allow the member to explore and observe using scientific thinking skills. After a few tries with cause and effect, some higher function consumers may be able to predict and compare the color. They can work independently and say, "Let's see what this twocolor make." Problem-solving abilities are also required when they receive an unexpected color. Some members who are mixing colors and using brushes are exercising a wide range of fine motor skills. The hands-on learning experience are important for them. The descriptive language and creative thinking skills also came when naming the color, Lemon Green, Fire red. Color recognition is important for this population. The color represent dangerous are needed to be reminded to the consumers. Such as Red in traffic means stop, Green is go, Follow the white walk sign is important. The color play is an important role in the overall aesthetic of a space, It is also impacting the individual’s mood, emotional wellbeing, productivity and learning. We used string to go through each pasta to make a necklace or bracelet after we painted it. This exercise challenges the consumer's patience and fine motor skills. While making the necklace, they are also recognizing pattern with color and shape with the different pasta. They are not making them for themselves but also for their loved one. Sharing and caring in this community always warms me.”