There are lots of people who are affected by mental disorders. My brother is one, and he has Cerebral Palsy. He was diagnosed with it when he was just four months old. He may have this disorder, but he is one of the smartest and caring people I know. As my parents got older, it became harder for them to care for him, so he now lives at Center Of Family Love which is a disabled living facility. I want to bring awareness to this wonderful place and all the amazing people who work for it.
Center Of Family Love is one of the best organizations I have ever come across. I wish everyone knew how great they are. Their mission is “To provide quality lifetime care to individuals with developmental disabilities,” and they do just that. They are a non-profit organization based out in Okarche, Oklahoma. I went and volunteered out here and saw how great the employees were and how they treat their residents with such love.
On top of having such sweet employees, they also have amazing residents. The residents are all so full of love and can make you smile no matter what. That being said, like mine, a lot of parents are unable to care for their children so they send them out here. Center of Family Love is the only disability living center in Oklahoma, so it's often harder for parents to come out and see their kids. Sometimes parents will drop their kids off and never come back to see them. Some residents even get left during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For fun, the residents have workshops that they go to every day. In the workshops, they get a jar of marbles and have to separate colors, or they get on a computer program called Proloque where it shows a picture of a bird and they have to match it with the corresponding bird. All the things the do in the workshops strengthens their minds. Doing these workshops they then earn money that they can use to buy sodas or candy or whatever they want. They also go on field trips to the Zoo, a park, or free holiday events that are going on. There is gym that is used for movie nights and dances. There is always something to do for the residents to keep busy.
Because this is the only disability living facility in Oklahoma they have limited space. There are currently only about 200 residents living there right now, leaving very limited space for others to come. In order to reside here, you have to fill out an application and get approved much like a nursing home. They get so many applicants that they have built new buildings so they can bring as many people as they can.
Since they are a non-profit organization, they don't have much money to pay all of the employees, who then leave to pursue other jobs where they can make more money. This sometimes leaves this short-handed, meaning they need more volunteers.
All together, they are a compassionate and kindhearted organization. They deserve to be more well-known and appreciated for all the hard work the employees do. Along with this appreciation, it makes the residents happier knowing people see what they can and are doing. What may be simple tasks to us, are a milestone for them.
