In The Community

San Diego County’s beautiful year-round weather and numerous events and attractions provide multiple learning and leisure opportunities for Home of Guiding Hands’ (HGH) residents.

The Community Activities program is an important component of HGH’s Residential Services LinkENTIAL PAGE] which provides round-the-clock training, care and support via 27 neighborhood homes located throughout San Diego’s East County area. The staff at each home encourages maximum community interaction for the residents in their care.

“The program enhances quality of life for our residents and at the same time uses the community as a training environment to build independent living skills, self confidence and self esteem,” said HGH Executive Director Carol Fitzgibbons.

HGH’s 2008-09 Community Activities program is generously sponsored by SDG&E, a Sempra Energy utility. Program activities can include visits to local museums, theatre productions, theme parks such as SeaWorld and Disneyland, and the San Diego Zoo. Trips to local shopping malls and venues such as Seaport Village, parks, movie theatres, and the beach are also common.

HGH’s residents are not the only ones that benefit from this program. “The presence of our residents in public and social settings helps promote awareness and greater understanding of those who live with intellectual and physical challenges – creating a more educated public that is sensitive and accepting of persons with disabilities,” explained Fitzgibbons.

The Community Activities program allows HGH’s residents to participate in and learn from the San Diego community in which they live and supports personal growth.

The program offers the following benefits for HGH’s residents (to name a few).

• Improves self esteem and confidence in social and public situations
• Increases speech and verbal expression
• Fosters a sense of belonging to a larger community/society
• Encourages the development of personal choices/preferences
• Increases utilization and awareness of community resources
• Increases interaction with the public/society
• Enhances cultural awareness and education
• Promotes an active and healthy lifestyle

Special Thanks to SDG&E for its Grant Support
of the 2008-09 Community Activities Program!

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