If you’ve had the opportunity to meet Jenny, you’ll know she’s always bubbling with energy and loves to show off her freshly done nails. Known to her staff and friends as ‘J-Lo,’ she exudes positive energy and makes it her mission to make everyone comfortable.
Jenny has been a member of Goodwill of Central Iowa’s Day Services Program for two years now, working on self-sufficiency and self-encouragement. The Day Services Program is a comprehensive program accredited by CARF that focuses on developing essential life skills for those with disability barriers. Life skills range from emotional management, communication, healthy living habits, money management, and many more that support everyday life. Her personalized care team identified her need to develop healthy eating habits, manage her money, and strive for independent living. Together, they developed activities that catered to her needs, allowing her to build success for herself.
Jenny has the chance to develop her money management and food choices through various experiences throughout the week, allowing her to learn and grow in real-life situations. “One of Jenny’s goals is to learn money management to become more independent. When she wants to buy something on our outings, we’ve been teaching her to understand when she does or doesn’t have enough money to purchase something. Frustration and disappointment are a common emotional response when she can’t get something, but we’ve been working on overcoming those emotions together. She’s come a long way and can make money decisions for herself,” said Audrey Smithson, her Day Services Instructor.
Healthy Habits Outside of Goodwill
Along with excelling at Day Services, Jenny has an even more impressive resume outside of Goodwill.
To complement her healthy lifestyle goals, she actively participates in the Special Olympics. Jenny enjoys playing volleyball and is known for her swimming accomplishments. She has won over 35 medals in the butterfly stroke!
Like her co-day services participant, Andrew, Jenny has worked at Hy-Vee for 12 years! During that time, she has performed various tasks, such as bagging groceries, keeping things clean, and greeting people as they entered the store. “I like to stock groceries and greet people when they come in,” said Jenny. Not only does she work at Hy-Vee, but she also volunteered for the Polk County Senior Center, where she decorated the various art boards around the facility, set dinner tables, and cleaned the art rooms. She is known amongst her Day Services friends as someone who loves to volunteer.
“A lot of our outings focus on getting involved in the community and volunteering. Jenny is an individual who is always excited to see new people and help whenever possible. Volunteering in the community teaches our participants communication skills and evokes a sense of purpose and fulfillment by helping those in need,” said Audrey. Jenny enjoys going to the homeless shelter and serving food.
Jenny’s Success
She has developed healthy habits while participating in the Day Services Program, like choosing nutritious food options and reducing her sugar intake. She is known for being a caring and attentive person who always ensures everyone feels included and comfortable. Whenever new participants join the program, she warmly greets them, gives them a tour, and ensures they feel welcome.
When asked about what she would say to a new Day Services Program participant, she said, “You’ll meet new friends, and the staff is nice. We do a lot of fun things like going to the Civic Center.” Goodwill has taught her how to balance her choices with her activities to make her successful in living independently. Her story serves as a testament to the power of dedication and positivity, inspiring those around her to believe that they, too, can achieve great things with the proper support.
Furthering Goodwill’s Mission
To learn more about the Day Services Program or other programs offered by Goodwill of Central Iowa, please visit our Programs Overview blog!
