Weekly bowling, Red Sox outings, movie nights and more: Yachad New England provides recreation opportunities for neurodivergent individuals, with a twist. Participants have fun alongside volunteers ranging from high-schoolers to senior citizens. Some participants have cognitive disabilities. Others are on the autism spectrum. Many might find it difficult to make independent social plans. And all relish the chance to have fun with peers.
“We offer a sense of being valued in the community,” says Stuart Salzberg, Yachad New England’s director of community partnership and volunteer engagement.
Based in Brookline, Yachad New England operates under the auspices of the Orthodox Union, although they attract members from across the Jewish community and beyond. The organization works closely with community partners such as Gateways, Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters and Jewish Family & Children’s Service, as well as a network of New England synagogues.
Yachad operates programs ranging from weeks-long semesters to one-off outings to destinations like the New England Aquarium or Fenway Park. There are also weekly dates, like the popular Monday night Matzo Bowl League at Boston Bowl.
Many events have a therapeutic component: On Tuesday nights, there are music and movement sessions hosted by yoga and dance instructors; Thursdays, there are art projects and Movies and Mitzvahs, complete with a kosher dinner and games in the Yachad Lounge. Instead of a traditional movie screening, coordinators use movie clips as prompts to refine participants’ social skills; Yachad members talk about what they saw and reflect on what they would’ve done in the same situation.
Volunteers play a crucial role in the program, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie among Yachad members. Many young adult volunteers come from Repair the World, the Jewish service organization: Salzberg is especially proud of their gleaning program. In the past, they’ve met at Allandale Farm to harvest fruits and veggies for Rosie’s Place.
“This is really important: Many of our participants receive lots of support in financial and other ways. This allows them to have the opportunity to really understand and experience giving to someone else,” Salzberg says.
Conveniently, Yachad’s headquarters are attached to the 2Life Community’s Brown Family House; many senior residents volunteer with the program, particularly their arts and crafts projects, and they love it just as much as the participants.
“In their earlier years, many of the seniors were very active in their communities or their synagogues. And, again, we have Jewish and non-Jewish volunteers coming out of 2Life. They get a sense of purpose, and our organization values their time and effort. They’re just tremendous,” he says.
Yachad is always eager to welcome new volunteers, either for one-off events such as baseball games and concerts or for longer commitments. The main qualification? Enthusiasm.
“Volunteers don’t have any professional responsibility; if a participant has a challenge, our staff is here to take care of that. We just want our volunteers to enjoy the program with our members. That’s really the goal,” Salzberg says.
Sound fun? To volunteer, get in touch here.
