Activity Program Resource Awards
Every year, Helpertunity collects recreation resources, craft supplies, and technology items for residents in care facilities and shelters. These items are carefully packaged into "Activity Kits" and are distributed to Activity Professionals attending continuing education seminars, retreats, and directly to Care-Facility Activities Staffs by a personal visit from Helpertunity.
By packaging and distributing items in this manner, Helpertunity raises the odds that these brand new and gently used goods will be properly cared for, and used by a trained professional, to improve the quality of life for their elderly, disabled, or homeless shelter clients.
Often the items provided exceed the typical facility resource budget, and are far beyond the personal financial means of the clients it will be shared within a facility activity or adaptive-class setting.
Often the items do more than simply fill a few hours of time for the clients. Many time's the items are re-usable, or may be enjoyed, and then incorporated into a facility's annual event decor, or painted/crafted and sold to raise donation funds for additional resources at the facility where they were given.
Helpertunity's Creative Volunteers have even used their Gift-Resources to hand-make trinkets to give as rewards and educational incentives to school children and pediatric patients. And, over the years; volunteer-crafted items are distributed through: A Gift for Teaching, The Health Care Center for the Homeless, The Coalition Women's Shelter, Loaves & Fishes, the Hope Community Center of Apopka, and Barberville Pioneer & Settlement & Heritage Education Center. Each of these high-impact charities is located in Central Florida.
In addition to crafts and game equipment, the activity kits and resource baskets have included "kitchenless-cooking" appliances, "silly science" senior workshop experiments, software, and gently used technology tools.
In addition to dropping off resources directly at Ender Care Facilities during the charity's travels; by presenting the resources at a low-cost gathering, which attracts Activity Professionals from around the State, Helpertunity is able to eliminate the cost of packing and shipping of these useful items, thus providing greater funding for additional resources.
The project also helps to reduce the tendency for Activity Professionals to purchase activity supplies, for their residents, out of their own limited paychecks.
Often the facility clients are as anxious and excited to see; "what their Activity Professional is bringing them back from the conference..." as their Activity Professional is in having their name drawn for the item they most needed. Professionals who are unable to attend the conference are also given the chance to receive resources; by participating in periodic Activity supply Give-Away Drawings on Helpertunity's Facebook page.
To be a part of the Activity Resource Awards & Prize Basket Collection & Distribution Efforts:
Please contact Helpertunity directly if you feel you may have items that would be useful to contribute to the distribution event.
To provide funding for the careful selection and purchase of new and useful items, please be sure that your donation to Helpertunity is marked with "Activity Resource Supply Prizes" on the memo line.