LifeTown is an educational facility that simulates real-life encounters such as banking, shopping, crossing the street, etc, for people with mental disabilities. BRI, in conjunction with students at OUHCOM, will be volunteering in the various booths to help teach these people how to succeed at life tasks.
Information from RSVP form: You need to do a background check via https://chabadcolumbus.volunteerhub.com, but this can be filled out later once we get more information on this part! Casual dress and no ripped jeans. Each volunteer will be role playing. Look at www.lifetowncolumbus.org to get a small taste of what LifeTown is!
POST-EVENT SUMMARY: Four medical students were assigned stations in LifeTown. Among the booths we filled, were the hair/nail/massage salon, the medical station, the theater, and the arts and crafts studio. Participants helped teach students how to count and spend money and encouraged them to use terms such as “please, thank you, and excuse me.”
“My experience at LifeTown goes beyond what I can describe with words. In times of stress, I find myself going back to that magical moment where I was giving a hand massage and manicure to a loving, giggling child who admired their blue, pink, and purple nails as they told me about how much fun they were having as they learn about how to take care of pets, ride their bike (as they followed the rules, of course!) and listened to the doctor. Fulfilling moments like those don’t come unless you seek them and I implore every person I know to spend their morning with some absolutely endearing children at LifeTown and have their outlook on life completely change.” ~ participant Kinza Sheikh, OMS-II
The medical station helped teach young students the importance of hygiene such as washing hands and brushing teeth and eating nutritiously. In the theater, students could buy pop-corn, candy, and tickets and were also taught the importance of timeliness—the movie played at strict times posted on the wall. The art studio encouraged participants to make cards and gifts for their mothers for mother’s day. The salon allowed students to relax and appreciate what it’s like to buy a direct service from another person. It also gave them a sense of pride to spend money on their appearance.