Program Overview

An Overview

Brother’s Keeper provides comprehensive learning opportunities for participants. Our focus is to help them develop intellectually, spiritually, vocationally, physically, and socially in an individualized environment. Each person learns differently so our days are carefully planned with the purpose of working to meet the mission of our program as well as individual goals. Through a variety of learning opportunities, community exploration, and serving others, we are able to enrich the lives of our participants. The programs at Brother’s Keeper seek to discover each individual’s unique gifts and abilities, assist these individuals as they fine-tune these gifts and abilities into a skill set, and equip them to engage with the community by using these skills to serve others, thereby enabling them to experience success and satisfaction. Our encouraging staff and volunteers affirm these adults as they learn and apply new skills.

Brother’s Keeper is unique to our region because the curriculum and program are tailored to the needs, and special abilities of each participant. The benefit of individualized instruction is far more important for a person with an intellectual disability; they need practical education in accordance with their own abilities. Additionally, we have developed microbusiness enterprises which teach skills that equip our participants to contribute. This offers them purposeful work and builds self-confidence. We make hand-crafted items such as beautiful canvas art pieces, note cards, and dog chew toys to name a few. These work enterprises are challenging but also create tangible ways for our participants to showcase their talents. The proceeds from these enterprises flow back into the program budget. Our enterprises give our participants a chance to shine and show the community how special they are and what THEY can contribute.

A week could include working on reading, comprehension, vocabulary, learning about money, tending vegetable gardens and more. Going out into the greater community enriches the lives of our partici­pants as they learn more about the community they live in. We also serve in the community to give back and they understand how they are helping others through their service. We make hand-crafted items such as beautiful canvas art pieces, note cards, and dog chew toys to name a few. These work enterprises are challenging but also create tangible ways for our participants to showcase their talents.