“LET’S GO FOR A WALK!”
Need to be Healthy
Jenny was born with Down syndrome. It’s been hard for her but now she is happily living on her own. When she moved out of her parent’s home, she had a hard time eating right and exercising. She gained weight and was not healthy.
Getting Fit
Then she joined the Healthy Lifestyles class at the Western Michigan University Center for Disability Services. Her life changed! She learned how to plan and make healthy meals. She keeps pictures of fruits and vegetables in her kitchen. If she goes out to eat, she will stop before she gets too full and ask for a box to go.
She also started walking. “I walk like crazy all over town, sometimes with my mom and dad, sometimes by myself, sometimes with my Healthy Lifestyles Coordinator, Amanda.” Jenny also loves bowling, softball and doing track at Special Olympics. She has lost 27 pounds in a year, and she wants to lose more!
Jenny continues coming to the class. “It’s fun! I’ve made friends at the Center, too. Sometimes I even tell staff, “Let’s go for a walk!”
Getting Help
The Center for Disability Services at Western Michigan University provides extensive, daily ongoing training and support required for community living. Through the Center, Jenny has learned how to eat right and be active. Today she works at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and has made many new friends. With the right help from caring people, Jenny was able to change the story.
Education
To give children the greatest chance to thrive, we invest in early childhood programs that help each child start school ready to learn. We also support programs that provide quality child care and after-school activities, get families involved in their children’s education, and help children become leaders.
Income
We’re helping families become – and stay – self-sufficient by investing in programs that help them stay in their homes, through rental assistance, budgeting and financial counseling. We also help people become financially stable by supporting job training and retention programs, and through the Tax Counseling Initiative and the Emergency Food and Shelter program.