Walking Together BETHSHAN RESIDENTS AND VICTORIAN VILLAGE RESIDENTS FIND COMMON GROUND
Friendships can be one of the most meaningful components of a healthy life. Unfortunately, for old- er adults, as well as for adults with disabilities, social opportunities can be difficult to find. That’s part of what makes Victorian Village’s new friendship with Bethshan so special—their unique friendships have highly enriched their lives. Much like Providence Life Ser- vices, Bethshan was founded because a group of Christians saw there was an unmet need. In the case with Bethshan, children with developmental disabilities were cared for and nurtured throughout their schooling years by ministries like Elim, but af- ter graduation, there was really nowhere for these students to go. Bethshan now fills that gap, providing 14 residential facilities, 14 CILAs (Community Integrated Living Arrangements) and 2 ICFs (Intermediate Care Facilities), as
well as occupational training, for adults with disabilities. For the past year and a half, Bethshan Life Enrichment Director Bill Schepel has worked with Victorian Village’s Life Enrichment team to schedule monthly bingo
Bill Schepel and Bethshan residents join Vic- torian Village residents and Life Enrichment Director Tammy Tjoelker for bingo.
lage for dinner,” Bill Schepel says. “Some of our residents are also older adults, and there’s a great deal of common ground. It was a great opportunity for some of the Bethshan women to connect more deeply to Victorian Village women and form meaningful friendships.” As Bethshan residents plan their monthly calendars, Bill is hoping for more life enriching opportuni- ties where the two organizations can join together. “We’ve seen so many authentic relationships form, and we know this is just the beginning.”
nights that have proved to be a blessing to both organizations. “Our residents have made great friendships with the Bethshan residents,” says Diane Giglio, a Life Enrichment Director at Victorian Village. “The residents are always asking when we can get together with Bethshan again.” Bethshan residents don’t feel that a monthly bingo night is enough when it comes to spending time with their new friends. “A couple weeks ago, our residents invited some people from Victorian Vil-
28 PROVIDENCE MAGAZINE | Issue No. 2
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