Special Leisure Services Foundation receives $15,000 Grant from the UPS Foundation
Rolling Meadows, IL- (May 18, 2018)- Special Leisure Services Foundation (SLSF), the fundraising arm of Northwest Special Recreation Association (NWSRA), received a $15,000 grant from The UPS Foundation, which drives global corporate citizenship and philanthropic programs for UPS (NYSE:UPS).
The grant will be used to toward the installation of a Snoezelen Sensory Room in Hanover Park. Through technology and innovative design, the Snoezelen Sensory Room is a controlled multi-sensory environment that helps to create a therapeutic alliance between the client and Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) as well as a safe place to develop life skills. NWSRA's vision for the room is to have meaningful, therapeutic and productive play through therapy sessions. The goals of the sensory therapy are individualized and change from client to client. Each Sensory therapy session is unique to each client's needs. Staff work to create a balanced sensory life through goals related to:
• Physical Improvement: fine and gross motor
• Cognitive Improvement: problem solving and decision making
• Emotional Improvement: cooperation/collaboration and increased confidence
• Affective Improvement: regulation of feelings and emotional expression
• Social Improvement: verbal and nonverbal communication
• Linguistic Improvement: utilizing descriptive and expressive language
The Snoezelen Sensory Room is designed to deliver stimuli to various senses and is used to provide multi-sensory or single sensory focus. By allowing an individual to participate at their own free will in a safe environment, the CTRS will help to maximize the individual's potential to focus, feel in control, make choices and reduce pain and anxiety both mentally and physically.
SLSF President Tracey Crawford stated "We are very excited to have UPS return as a supporter of SLSF and NWSRA. Their support will provide the necessary funding for us to provide unique sensory therapy that will benefit children and adults with disabilities throughout the northwest suburbs of Chicago."
Established in 1951 and based in Atlanta, Ga., The UPS Foundation identifies specific areas where its backing clearly impacts social issues. In support of this strategic approach, The UPS Foundation has identified the following focus areas for giving: volunteerism, diversity, community safety and the environment.
In 2017, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $118 million in charitable giving around the world. The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at UPS.com/foundation. To get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/rss.
"The UPS Foundation is honored to support the SLSF efforts to implement the Snoezelen Sensory Room," said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer at UPS. "Our goal is to fund powerful programs that make a lasting difference to the global community."