People First has had a really huge impact on me and I will never forget this amazing experience. The first day I got to the site it was a bit hard to communicate with some of the consumers. (Consumers are what we call the persons with developmental disabilities at our site). However as the days went on it seemed like a perfectally normal schedule . I grew as a person and the awesome group I had the honor of working with grew too. Looking back I can see we not only had an impact on them but they more importantly impacted us.
At this site we worked with persons with disabilities but more importantly are their abilities. I meet some really fantastic people, one who liked making puzzles and was really sweet. Another liked Japanese anime and wanted to be a photographer dedicated to just taking photos of those dressed up as characters from Japanese movies. I also played kickball and soccer and it was honestly amazing seeing the consumers have so much fun playing with us. Today I meet a man who could not speak but he was really funny and I got to learn a bit of sign language and communicate. Lastly I meet a woman who had a great big heart, she drew me pictures and I drew her pictures and just sitting there drawing pictures. We made small talk and we did some painting too. I felt a connection even after only knowing her for four hours and that's how I know my site has truly been a pleasure and a great experience. These moments brought smiles to my face and also to the faces of my peer group.
We learned about People First language and how we shouldn't just say mute or blind but instead say a person who can't speak or hear. This is really important because it is respectful. They are people too. They have emotions and they are aware of their surrondings. At People First the staff their are super and the environment the consumers get to live in are fantastic. Please consider donating to this cause, you will truly be making a difference.