is recognized as the Easter Seals ambassador
of the year at the Easter Seals Recognition Reception.
St. Luke's United Methodist Church was recognized by Easter Seals for
its part in making the Discovery Club, a respite program for special
needs kids and their siblings,a success. Jenita Rhodes, the director of
children's ministries at St. Luke's, accepted the award on behalf of
the church during the annual Easter Seals Recognition Reception at the
Governor's Mansion.Rhodes said, "The Discovery Club came about when the Inclusive Community of Faith was looking for a way to bridge service providers and religious organizations and realized there was funding in Douglas County to create a program." She continued, "We partnered with Easter Seals to host the Discovery Club at St. Luke's. Ours was the inaugural group, a Discovery Club in Denver opened late last year and the goal is to add even more locations throughout the metro area."
The Discovery Club, founded at St. Luke's in 2006,
meets at the church from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the third Saturday of
the month, October through May, and provides engaging activities for
the children and some much needed time-off for their parents.
Nearly 30 children attend the Discover Club on a regular basis, Rhodes
stated. Peter, Christy and Kayla Kopp are one of those families.
Eight-year-old Kayla, who was named the Easter Seals ambassador for the
year in Colorado, has been attending the Club since the first day it
started. Her mother, Christy, says she immensely enjoys the Club,
"Kayla likes the Discovery Club because it is very active and she is a
very energetic, recreation-based child."
Christy added, "While Kayla enjoys being with her friends at the Discovery Club and being involved with the various activities, I like knowing that she's in a safe environment." In addition to adult caregivers, nurses are on-hand at all times to attend to children's medical needs, Rhodes explained.
Each month, Easter Seals of Colorado, the sponsoring organization for the Discovery Club, coordinates with several additional agencies including nursing student volunteers from Regis and Arapahoe Community College, Tri-County Health, Denver Options and St. Luke's.
Please invite families you know who might benefit from this program to call Nancy Hanson at (303) 233-1666 extension 237 and register.