champions place news
June 2021
Partnership with Brenau University and the College of Occupational Therapy
“I love that I am learning to do these everyday things for myself.”
Students from Brenau join us at the house to teach and encourage our residents through exercise, cooking classes, budgeting workshops and even some social emotional skills.
Champions Community Foundation has always nurtured mutually beneficial partnerships whenever possible. This is definitely the case with our day to day partnership with Brenau University and the College of Occupational Therapy.
Each day, students from Brenau join us at the house to teach and encourage our residents through exercise, cooking classes, budgeting workshops and even some social emotional skills to help manage stress and frustrations that we all face on a regular basis. It’s a joyful experience for both our residents and the students with much excitement and laughter.
Our residents provide rave reviews for all the offerings that have come through the Brenau students - especially “Sarah’s Kitchen” - the weekly cooking class. Josh Cusick put it best.
“Before coming to the house, I didn’t need to cook for myself and might have even been nervous to try. But I made French toast! Who knew it was that easy? I love that I am learning to do these everyday things for myself.” By the way, Josh’s favorite is the classic version with a little cinnamon and vanilla.
“I really appreciate the opportunity of this partnership with Champions Place. To be able to live in an environment that promotes independence is extremely important for the residents as they become young adults.”
In the words of our partner and coordinator of the Brenau program, Windy Cruz - “I really appreciate the opportunity of this partnership with Champions Place. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of getting to know a couple of the residents as former OT clients. To be able to live in an environment that promotes independence is extremely important for the residents as they become young adults. For my students, it enhances and promotes how the information they have learned throughout their professional reasoning is put into practice. In other words, it helps to complete the puzzle. The best part is it offers such a great learning platform in the areas of occupational performance such as cooking, recreational activities, conflict resolution, problem solving and collaboration with both the residents and the caregivers. This is a very valuable experience to be able to assist the residents to become as independent as they can be in this rich environment.”
With every partnership we develop through Champions Community Foundation, we are able to develop programs and tools that will extend beyond Champions Place to benefit all our Titans who are still living with their parents.
Thank you Brenau University and students for being part of our family!
See the partnership with Brenau University and the College of Occupational Therapy in action!
