July 13, 2011
Vol 13 No 28
July 22, 2015
Working hand in hand Two St. Charles organizations form a partnership that improves the lives of others
Recipe
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By Brett Auten Two St. Charles organizations have built a two-way street of need and fulfillment. Since early 2015 a group of volunteers from Community Living’s Support Services for Adults program have lent a needed hand to Renewed Treasures, a local resale shop. Participants of the organization’s Support Services for Adults program are volunteering their time to assist with a range of meaningful tasks at the store. “We sort hangers, we check games and count pieces and see if they’re missing or not,” Aimee Weatherford, a member of the program, said. “I like doing the game pieces. See what’s missing and what’s not. I’m helping other people. It’s fun to do and it keeps you busy.” Alan Ryan, another Support Services for Adults program member, gets to showcase his versatility. “I bring items to the center and clean up a little bit,” Ryan said. “I have a good day and have a lot of fun over there.” Renewed Treasures keep its doors open solely through the help of volunteers. Cindy and Tom Besselman opened Renewed Treasures in the summer of 2013 to benefit the work of Christian missionaries. The motto has always been, after all the store’s bills are paid, the remainder of its profits is divided among worthy missionaries. “We are always looking for volunteers to help out in the store,” Cindy Besselman said. “I was overwhelmed with gratitude that Community Living would want to partner with us in this way. We were so excited that they wanted to be part of our community.” The relationship between Community Living and Renewed Treasures began when a light bulb went off in the head of Kim Paglusch. Paglusch has an oar in both waters as she is a Renewed Treasures volunteer and a Support Coordinator at the Marion Lonning Center, one of the four St. Charles County locations where Community Living’s Support Services for Adults program is housed. She thought that Renewed Treasures could offer ample opportunities to individuals with disabilities taking part in Community Living’s Support Services for Adults program which is de-
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Submitted photos ABOVE:Mike, a participant at Community Living’s Lonning Center, works on putting a puzzle together for Renewed Treasures, a resale shop located in St. Charles. Before the shop will sell donated puzzles and games, Community Living volunteers will take these items back to the center to make sure the pieces are all there. BELOW: Seth, a participant at Community Living’s Lonning Center, and Lori Gilmore, volunteer manager at Renewed Treasures, go through a box of donated books. Seth checks the books to make sure there are no tears or scribbling inside and will also check the binding to make sure the book will not fall apart.
signed to help participants who want to have a productive day but are unable to work. Each Tuesday and Thursday, Support Services for Adults participants can be found at the shop accomplishing a variety of tasks, including checking for torn pages in donated books, sweeping the floors, pairing shoes and sorting hangers, clothes and books. Participants also take puzzles back to the Lonning Center, where they assemble them to verify that all the pieces are intact. “They are willing to help with any task given to them,” Cindy Besselman said. “They are a vital part of our team. They are amazing. We are so grateful for the impact they have on our store.”
Paglusch said that the relationship with Renewed Treasures is a win-win because the store is providing Community Living’s Support Services for Adults participants with a unique opportunity to exercise their mental and physical strength. “(Renewed Treasures) is more than happy about it,” she said “They have a lot of busy work so sometimes it’s hard to get some of that done. They can have volunteers actually run the store and take care of it rather than coming and doing the stuff that we do here now. It frees up a lot of their time to actually take care of the store. Both ends are really benefiting from it. It’s a really good relationship.” In addition to providing volunteer opportunities to individuals with disabilities, Community Living’s Support Services for Adults program also gives participants the chance to take part in physical or occupational therapy, helps them improve upon various life skills and learn how to access their communities. The program provides services to 110 participants each year. For more information on Community Living’s Support Services for Adults program, individuals can visit Community Living’s website at www.cliservices.org, or call 636970-2800. To learn more about the Renewed Treasures resale shop, visit www.renewedtreasures.org.
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