Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Book club helps those with Down symdrome
Name: Irene Apolinar Age: 52
Residence: Boynton
Beach
Birthplace: Wantagh,
N.Y.
Family: Husband, Mark; daughters, Brianne, 21, and Danielle, 19; son, Vincent, 19
Career: Early childhood
education
Organization: Gold Coast Down Syndrome Organization, whose mission is to be a proactive, dynamic support group for people with Down syndrome and their families. The Next Chapter Book Club is one of its programs. Agroup of five to eight people with intellectual disabilities and a wide range of reading skills gather with trained facilitators once a week to read a loud and discuss a book. All facilitators go through training, and manuals are used to guide the sessions.
Q: Why do you volunteer?
A: It enriches my life and exposes me to new situations and opportunities I might not otherwise experience.
Q: Why did you choose this organization?
A: While looking for community service opportunities for my son and daughter, I found the perfect opportunity for me. In 2010, the [group] was looking for a Next Chapter Book Club facilitator. I found happy, confident people who savored things in life that I often took for granted. The “can-do” attitude was contagious, and with some training and time with a co-facilitator, I learned to do something
new.
Q: Describe your volunteer role.
A: I facilitate either a book club or a writing club for adolescents and young adults with intellectual disabilities. We meet once a week for an hour at the Boynton mall to socialize, read and write — activities that provide the groundwork for lifelong learning and self-expression. Q: What are your goals?
A: To provide people with opportunities that might not otherwise be available to them, to make a difference, one hour at a time, to expose people to new ideas and ways to express themselves, [and] to gain an understanding of what it might be like to walk in someone else’s shoes.
Q: What challenges have you faced?
A: Mainly, learning the best ways to engage struggling readers.
Q: What have you accomplished?
A: I’ve gotten peoplewho struggled to read learn to enjoy reading. Also, since we meet in public areas, it lets the community see people with intellectual disabilities reading and writing and integrated within the community.
Q: Are any special events coming up?
A: On Oct. 20, our big event, the Buddy Walk, will be at John Prince Park in Lake Worth. On July 31, we’ll have a Buddy Walk Uncorked Wine Tasting in Boynton Beach. Information is on ourwebsite.
Q: What does your organization need?
A: More volunteer facilitators so our [book club] can expand to other locations.
And facilitators for art or exercise classes at the resource center.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: Our club members are role models for patience and fun. The atmosphere is one of unconditional acceptance where contributions large and small are equally celebrated. But we never take ourselves too seriously. Come read with us and leave feeling appreciated.
For more information, visit www.goldcoastdownsyndrome.org, email gcdso@bellsouth.net or call 561-912-1231. If you know a Palm Beach County residentwho deserves recognition for volunteer work, email the information to robertsbanet@gmail.com. The nominations should include volunteer’s name, city of residence, a contact name and phone number, and a brief description ofwhy this person deserves special recognition.