WOW! Hats off to our VLSA clients and staff!The second Monday Night Out event (Monday, Aug. 3rd) was a wonderful success!
Our amazing VLSA clients had a blast, and everyone was a winner, be it at bingo, Pictionary, or Wii Bowling!
Hamburgers were made, delicious desserts were made...and, most importantly, new friends were made.
While these events are open to all our clients, most are male so there are usually more males than females that attend. One of our young women was feeling a little nervous about being around so many of our young men. At the beginning of the evening, she was hesitant to participate, hanging back and saving her input for VLSA staff. However, later in the night, one of our young men recognized the video game emblem on her shirt, and that was all it took to start off a friendly, spirited conversation between them. After that point, she opened up and shared her knowledge of video games, her artwork, and even her literary passions with many of those in attendance. Everyone was able to see what a talented, intelligent and sensitive person she is, and her participation made the evening all the richer.
Sometimes, all we need is just a little encouragement, and the right opportunities...it is especially wonderful when that encouragement comes in the form of a new friend with common interests.
Jeri Wheaton, a VLSA mom, was kind enough to write to us and tell her how special the evening was for her son.
"I can’t thank you enough for last night. He actually asked me the next one was almost as soon as he came out of the room. He actually said he wanted to come back!"
"On the drive home he talked excitedly about his time, (excitably for him!) He said he had fun! I asked if he was happy and he said he was… OH MY Goodness, He was happy, he had fun! I can’t even tell you the last time that I have seen him happy. Thank you a million times over, I am thrilled that he had a joyful evening! He told me 'I taught Ken how to bowl on the Wii and when he did good I cheered for him'… Oh My Goodness… my son cheered??? I am just beyond ecstatic that he had a great time!"
"Thank you for helping my son have a great time last night. He told me you were interested in his drawings, and the young lady in his room started it all off perfectly with him - asking for his help setting up the Wii, telling him he was a rockstar and making him feel special!!"
"Everyone seemed to genuinely care, and my son reads the genuineness really well so all of you must have really made him feel that you were truly interested in him for him to open up and talk so much."
"Words cannot explain how much joy it brought me to drive home with him happy and talkative. It is hard for a lot of people to understand, but my son is not a happy young man and it meant so much to me, that if for even one night, being at your event, brought him happiness."
Feedback like this means so much to our VLSA staff. The events are fun for us, too, and we love to see our clients enjoying themselves. Words of honest encouragement like Jeri's serve as an additional and much-treasured reminder of the importance behind the work we are happy to do.
A big thanks to all who attended - we hope to see you out next time!
Do you have a story about Monday Night Out, Aug. 3rd that you'd like to see here?
E-mail Amanda at aakdere@autismcenter.org.
