Recreation Program

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Individuals can enjoy many activities such as summer on Long Island Sound, the Winter Bowling League, trips to New York and Boston, night clubbing, shows at the Shubert Theater, visits to Yale University Art Gallery, dinner in downtown New Haven and hiking at Sleeping Giant State Park!  Sound like fun?  These are just a small sample of the over thirty recreational trips offered per month to Chapel Haven Recreation participants.

Chapel Haven's Recreation Program places a premium on variety, allowing individuals to explore new interests. The Recreation Program is included in the Chapel Haven's REACH Program fees. Community Members also participate in the Recreation Program, many partaking in trips and activities designed for the more mature set.

Chapel Haven encourages individuals from other local organizations into our Recreation Program, giving Chapel Haven clients the chance to expand their social circle.

The Recreation Program offers the following programs:

Weekend Recreation

Weekends are perfect for extended excursions, and Chapel Haven regularly offers trips to Boston and New York City, as well as venues around the state including Gillette Castle, Sleeping Giant State Park, and the Hartford Civic Center. Weekend Recreation provides opportunities for clients to sample nightlife available to all adults, including coffee shops, lounges, nightclubs and casinos.

"The Outreach Center"

There's always something to do at Chapel Haven. The Outreach Center, located in the Bershaw Boswell Center's spacious lounge, provides an organized socializing venue every evening from 7p.m. - 9p.m. Movies, Internet surfing, musical performances, karaoke, and bingo are typical offerings.

The drop-in center is equipped with a state-of-the-art entertainment center including a giant screen television, a VCR, a DVD player, video games, and computers.

Travel Club

In conjunction with other organizations that cater to the special needs population and create trips for them, we offer our clients the opportunity to participate in weekend or weeklong trips through out the year. From trips to Atlantic City, to Disney World, to Bermuda Cruises, we offer a wonderful assortment of trips from which to choose. Trips are designed specifically for adults with special needs. All trips are staff supervised.

Bowl-A-Thon

Each year the Chapel Haven Community participates in our annual Bowl-A-Thon. This event is open to the general community and aims to raise money which is used toward recreational/leisure purposes to benefit our clients. The participants of this event are responsible for finding sponsors. We also have various organizations and businesses that have graciously made donations and provided raffle prizes.

Summer by the Sea

Chapel Haven rents a waterfront cottage in Connecticut every summer. The cottage, which faces Long Island Sound, is available on weekends and weekdays after 5 PM for recreation activities.  During the week it is also used as an outdoor classroom.

Special Olympics

Chapel Haven participates in the Special Olympic program, both on the regional and state levels. Currently, we participate in bowling, track and field, swimming, and gymnastics. To date we are one of the largest competitors in the Connecticut Chapter. With plans to increase our Special Olympic offerings this program continues to grow. Staff is primarily made up of volunteers who help to prepare and instruct participants in this program for the regional and state games.

Campus Clubs

Created primarily by Chapel Haven students, the sky is the limit when it comes to our Special Interest Clubs. Sample clubs include: Yankees Club, Creative Writing, Football, Board Games, Skiing, and a Bowling Club.  These clubs are initiated by clients and along with a staff person, are responsible for running the club. Although staff will assist the client(s) with a club, the focus is on the client to facilitate the group.

Sports Program

The Chapel Haven Recreation Department offers a wide variety of sport classes that are sure to entertain each participant while ensuring that they are learning a new skill at the same time. From bocce, to golf, to basketball, we offer a different array of sports according to the season and encourage student suggestions regarding the kinds of sports they would like to participate in. We also participate in friendly competition with other area special needs schools.

Best Buddies Program

Participants of this program have the opportunity to create a one-to-one friendship with a local college student from the surrounding New Haven area. They will not only meet with their buddy on a regular basis, but will also talk on the phone, attend events together (i.e. go out to dinner), and take part in Best Buddy gatherings. This program takes place during the college school year and is a wonderful opportunity for our clients to participate in and increase their “circle of friends.” To date, we have the largest Best Buddies Program in the nation.