REST Program offers service opportunity on Martin Luther King Jr. 'Day of Service'
The REST Program is offering Bloomingdale Township residents a meaningful way to spend "Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service" by providing a free respite training course, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21, at the Marklund Philip Center, 164 S. Prairie Ave. in Bloomingdale.
The REST (Respite Education & Support Tools) course equips and prepares individuals to provide breaks for caregivers living in Bloomingdale Township, who are caring for individuals with intellectual disabilities, those who are aging, and those using mental health services.
The course is part of a one-year agreement with Bloomingdale Township Mental Health Board and Voice of Care to train a respite workforce to assist caregivers living in the township. These volunteer respite workers, called "Companions," will provide a minimum of eight hours of respite per month for one year to allow caregivers to take a break from their routine caregiving duties.
This pilot program has the potential to provide respite services to 100 Bloomingdale Township caregivers, providing them with a break to enjoy some free time, run errands, exercise, or meet a friend for lunch.
The REST staff is currently recruiting REST Companions who must be residents of Bloomingdale Township, attend the REST Companion training, and make a commitment to provide eight hours of respite per month for one year.
If you are interested in taking the REST Companion course, or if your organization can host a training, contact National Director of REST Lois Sheaffer, at lsheaffer@restprogram.org, or (630) 397-5655. For information, visit restprogram.org.
Based in Bloomingdale, Illinois, REST is an evidence-based respite-training program whose mission is to deliver education and support to those offering a break to caregivers. Currently, REST has trainers and companions in 29 states.
In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service. Called a "day on, not a day off," the MLK Day of Service calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our nation's most pressing problems.