We have a membership of over 50, including spouse and volunteers: annual dues are $100.00 . The Center is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. serving an average of 15 members per day. One Wednesday evening a month, an average of 21 members go out to an early dinner and to play bingo at a local handicapped-accessible restaurant.
The Life Center is wheelchair-accessible, and is located at 54 Haverhill Street Suite #100 Brockton in the Hamilton Wade Community Room. Many arrive by Dial-A-Bat wheelchair transit. It is a place to come together for friendship, support, and socialization. We offer a free continental breakfast and lunch program, as well as free transportation to and from the center provided by a grant from Howard Home for the aged Pilgrim Foundation and donations. Important functions are providing information, referral and advocacy assistance for members needing help in obtaining medical, social, and legal services, plus public benefits, entitlements, and housing.
In addition, the Center offers a wide variety of programs. We often have outside speakers from both medical and legal professions keeping us apprised of current information, a medical equipment exchange and loan program, and emergency food distribution are also available.
Our craft program provides therapeutic and occupational therapy and serves as a fund raising purpose as well. We sell some of the items we make at local bazaars and craft fairs. Other programs are bingo, cards and board games, cribbage, knitting and crocheting. We also have wheelchair bowling every other Monday at Westgate Lanes in Brockton.
Since the members have been coming to the Life Center, they have gained back their confidence and self-Esteem, and regard one another as family. Many of our members live alone and the Center is their only opportunity for social contact. We use a wheel-chair accessible coach for our trips to museums, theatre, and outings to various locations partially paid for by other grants. This allows our disabled members to invite their family members and friends with whom they have been unable to socialize since becoming disabled, due to transportation problems. Member’s families pay for their own trips and transportation.
We publish 100 copies of a monthly newsletter, which is distributed to various medical offices and agencies to tell people about the Life Center, which is open to any disabled adult from any community. We currently serve people from fourteen area towns.
The Executive Cindy DiScipio manages the Center daily and is governed by a board of Directors. There are 18 volunteers, 16 of who are disabled members that help run the Center.