November Residential Series: Getting Out and Having Fun!
During the month of November, we feature our residential program as we gear up for Giving Tuesday. The #SupportaHomeNotaHouse campaign is in its fifth year, and has raised thousands of dollars to support our nine residential homes. This blog post is the first in a series that will give you a glimpse at how your contributions support the 43 residents living throughout Metro North and North Shore communities.
Triangle CEO Coleman Nee is fond of saying, “We want each participant and resident to not just be in or live in the community – we want them to be an active part of the community.” It is this spirit that runs throughout our residential program and the dozens of dedicated staff members who support Triangle residents. Despite challenges brought on by the pandemic, Triangle residents were able to enjoy numerous community activities throughout 2021. Below are just a few highlights.
Beach:Ability 2021
With support from Save the Harbor / Save the Bay’s Better Beaches program, Triangle resumed a now annual event called Beach:Ability. Together with our partners at the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Universal Access Program, Triangle brought together 150 event attendees for a day of accessible fun at Constitution Beach in East Boston. Mobi-mats and sand and floating wheelchairs were available for Triangle residents and friends from the community to relax and enjoy a swim, while others enjoyed food, games, and music on shore. The event gained significant media attention as it highlighted the accessible fun to be had on Boston Harbor’s public beaches. See news stories and TV clips here.
Piers Park Adaptive Sailing
After a year off due to the pandemic, Triangle residents resumed their sailing lessons with our friends at Piers Park Sailing program, also in East Boston. Nearly 20 of our residents attended six weeks of classes on Saturdays this past summer, learning sailing skills while enjoying the sites from their boats on Boston Harbor. Not only was this a fun activity, but many of our residential families saw additional benefits of this program. The sister of one of our residents told us that her loved one used to reminisce mostly about events in the distant past, but after participating in this program, she now hears stories about the excitement and fun her brother had sailing out on Boston Harbor. More information about Piers Park’s adaptive sailing can be found here.
The Bashers
No description of Triangle’s recreation programs in the community would be complete without mentioning the Bashers, our Special Olympics softball team. Although there were no formal tournaments in 2021, the Bashers practiced and scrimmaged weekly at Amerige Field in Malden. This team of 25 includes ten Triangle residents. The scrimmages also brought out spectators from our homes, many of whom are now retired from the diamond. The Bashers season ended in September with an annual scrimmage against Triangle staff members and community members. In a tight contest, the Bashers prevailed to extend their record win-streak in the contest.
These are just three examples of how our residents have fun outside of their houses. As we approach Giving Tuesday 2021, we hope that you will consider a donation to the #SupportaHomeNotaHouse campaign to help Triangle continue these invaluable programs for our residents.