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Meredith, a member of Humanim\u2019s Meaningful Day program since 2011, has blossomed into a social butterfly! Before this year, Humanim staff remember Meredith as reserved and quiet. She often kept her head down, saying very little throughout the day while hiding her smile and personality behind a face mask.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Since the beginning of this year, staff members and program participants alike have noticed a new Meredith. Bill, the Director of the Meaningful Day program, remarks, \u201cevery morning I see Meredith, she greets me with a loud hello and a big wave. She would never do that before.\u201d Steve, Linda and Kate, the DSPs of Meredith\u2019s group, attributed her transformation to the trust they and her peers developed within her.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAfter working with her for three years, I noticed Meredith had a quiet presence. So, I started encouraging her! On a day she wasn\u2019t wearing her mask, I let her know she has a lovely face and that we love hearing her speak up\u201d comments Kate. By making deeper connections with the DSPs, Meredith grew more comfortable with everyone in the day program and began embracing her smile.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She\u2019s even opened herself up to new foods and activities, like bowling. Linda recalls that during bowling outings in previous years, \u201cMeredith preferred watching everyone play, but the last time we went bowling, she brought her bowling shoes and started knocking pins!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Now, Meredith can be found throughout the day chatting away with friends about her weekends, day program activities, and her cat, Toby. She looks forward to every single day at Humanim, and shares that her favorite activities are \u201cthe dance and cooking class.\u201d She also enjoys watching movies and looking at picture books of cats.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At Humanim\u2019s Meaningful Day program for adults with developmental disabilities, we provide a safe space for individuals to be themselves and explore their interests. Through a person-centered approach, we empower participants like Meredith to build confidence within themselves and connect with the community. Ensuring those we serve have the opportunity to grow and lead fulfilling lives.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Meredith, a member of Humanim\u2019s Meaningful Day program since 2011, has blossomed into a social butterfly!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28996,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,21],"tags":[34,16],"class_list":["post-28995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-our-impact","tag-developmental-disabilities","tag-human-services"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n