Serving up independence: Islanders with intellectual disabilities learn cooking and other skills
CBC
The kitchen at Harbourview Training Centre in Souris looks just like any other, but it makes more than food. It's about making a better life for Islanders with intellectual disabilities.
When CBC News visited a week before Christmas, about 30 clients were at the centre to learn skills to become more independent.
Harbourview's kitchen is always busy, often with dozens of recipes on the go. People cook here year-round, but it's extra busy in December as the team works to fill holiday orders for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
"We have about 150 dozen squares to make. We already did a portion of the order of the cinnamon rolls and fresh rolls for them," said Judy Hennessey, executive director of Harbourview Training Centre. "Everybody has a job and we just got our heads down and we're all participating and getting it done."
Loretta Hennessey, who's 76, has been coming to the centre to cook for decades.
"I just like to work here. I don't want to go anywhere else," she said.
Sarah MacDonald is a client who also likes the work at the centre. Last week she was busy making peanut butter balls.
"I do rolls, bake loaves, depending on what they need done… just being able to sell products to people," MacDonald said.
She likes seeing how much the community enjoys what they make at the centre, she said. "We sell it at the Co-op. Everyone works together."
MacDonald recently got a part-time job at a local cafe, "helping them make coffee," and is excited at the thought of earning more money.
Someday, she hopes to move into a place of her own.
"Some of the clients have a goal to live on their own, have an apartment of their own, so all the skills that they're learning here will give them the confidence to know that they can do it on their own," Hennessey said.
There's also a wood shop at the centre where clients refinish old furniture, build new pieces and make a wide variety of wooden products.
Christine Cheverie spends a lot of time painting in the workshop.
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