Building Dreams
For
over fifty years, under the sponsorship of the Sisters
of St. Francis of Assisi, Cardinal Cushing Centers have provided
caring, innovative approaches to education for thousands of children
with special needs, regardless of race, national origin or religion.
By emphasizing individual strengths, community involvement and
vocational training, the organization helped those it supported
to reach their highest level of independence and personal support.
Throughout the years, the needs of those individuals supported
by the organization have continued to become increasingly complex.
Those facilities that were once state of the art could no longer
adapt to individual needs of today's students. As a result, the
Cardinal Cushing Center at Hanover embarked on an aggressive building
campaign which substantially enhanced the organization's programs
and services.
The centerpiece of
the project was the construction of eleven, six bedroom residential
units. These homes incorporate the "feel" of a traditional
family home. Every individual residing in the home has their own
bedroom, access to a private bath, a full kitchen, and spacious
living and dining areas. Furthermore, each home is handicapped
accessible, alarmed and sprinkled, and hard wired to provide the
individuals we support with access to the latest technological
advances.
These residential
structures provide nurturing environments designed to provide
a wide range of experiences. In this supervised setting, students
will acquire the skills and more importantly, the self-esteem
necessary to successfully transition into community-based settings
later in life. The new residential homes fulfill the needs of
today's students but they are also designed to meet the ever-changing
needs of students we will assist in coming years.
In
addition to the new residential homes, the organization is in
the process of constructing a recreation complex for use by our
students. Recently completed was a 3,000 square foot recreation
center designed to host a variety of enriching activities. Students
can relax with their friends and play traditional recreational
games such as pool, air hockey or foosball. The center also is
equipped with a projection screen and surround sound and is perfect
for movies and
video games. The recreation center also hosts a variety of special
events such as dances,boy/girl scout troop meetings, and craft
classes. The new recreation center allows use to offer programming
designed to enhance a student's self-esteem and offer a wide-range
of social activities.
