On October 30, Yucaipa’s community spirit was displayed in abundance at the ribbon cutting and grand opening of Praise Day Program. Local dignitaries, business owners, residents, and clients gathered at the Church of Christ of Yucaipa, which houses the program, to celebrate and tour the facility, marking the debut of an accepting and nurturing environment designed to enrich the lives of local adults with developmental disabilities.
Praise Day Program is the culmination of a dream that Executive Director Judy White, M.Ed., BCBA has held for over 25 years. When White was presented with the opportunity for early retirement from her position as a special education teacher with the Adult Transition Program in Redlands, she and her husband Brian White, siezed the opportunity to adapt the program design she had created as an educator to her long-awaited dream. Eight months of development resulted in the creation of a safe space with room for recreational activities and training in vocational, independent living, social, community integration, and self-advocacy skills and funding provided by the Inland Regional Center.
“Seeing it come to life at the grand opening was everything I had envisioned and more. The outpouring of love and support from our clients, their families, and the community truly showed how much a program like PRAISE is needed and appreciated,” White commented. “ I hope our outreach continues to promote and advocate for all the special needs groups we support, and I am committed to making PRAISE a place where participants can find purpose and happiness every day.”
The event kicked off with participants visiting 12 vendor booths, all of which sponsor or were run by individuals with disabilities. Calimesa’s Down Right Brewed provided a variety of hand-crafted caffeine drinks. Happy faced mini pancakes were sold at DeeAnn’s PAAS Kids booth and the Praise Day Program booth offered cake pops and other merchandise supporting the program. Flower bouquets and arrangements were available from Terrier Blooms, operated by the Redlands High School Transition Class, and students from the Yucaipa Unified Transition Class manned a booth with merchandise.
As Elijah Gutierrez, owner of DJ Beats Mode, rocked the packed house with current hits and favorite oldies, guests perused the offerings from other booths, including Miracle and the Beads, Grant W. Art Work, Create With Mustard, Urban Earth Care Farm, Nate’s Fruit Fusion, Yucaipa Valley America Little League, and the Purple Turtles, a bowling team for adults with disabilities.
After booth browsing and facility tours, the ribbon cutting ceremony began with a warm welcome from White who spoke about the need for a person-centered approach and an environment in which social preferences are respected and clients are given a voice in choices. White was presented with certificates of appreciation from representatives from the office of Congressman Jay Obernolte, Senator Rosilicie Ochoa-Bogh, SB County Board of Supervisors Dawn Rowe and the Yucaipa Chamber of Commerce. City Council Member Chris Venable spoke of the City’s pride in the establishment of a program that will build unity and provide opportunities to some of our citizens whose disabilities can limit their capacity to participate fully in society.
Liam Rowe, a Praise Day Program Client spoke of his feelings about the program. He said, “I like it. I have my friends back. It got me a job decorating (the facility) every month.” He loves having a purpose and learning new skills. As a bonus, Rowe’s parent reports that his ability to control his diabetes has improved since he is able to use the facility’s fitness room to exercise and reduce stress levels. Rowe said that his favorite activities at the program are in “probably the gym and helping others” in his role as an assistant to the director.
Praise Day Program’s services and resources are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. With 19 employees, Praise Day Program currently provides training and behavioral support to 40 clients. Their location is 33981 Yucaipa Blvd. For more information visit their website https://www.praisedayprogram.com or 909-797-9100. Praise Day Program is a proud member of the Yucaipa Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Photo Caption: Ribbon cutting for Praise Day Program was attended by residents, clients, supporters, and local leaders