Max HIGBEE Community Recreation CENTER Max HIGBEE CENTER

The Weekday Program provides 40 hours per week of group recreation programs for teens and adults with developmental disabilities. Diverse program activities include yoga, library visits, dance classes, rock climbing, art classes, kayaking, gardening and more. This program aims to support and empower participants to build their health and happiness, to increase their community engagement, to pursue life-long learning, and to socialize and create friendships. Individualized, goal-based services are offered to individuals who need higher levels of support or for those participants who have specific personal goals they would like to work towards with support from a staff member. The Weekday Program supports families through respite care, affording family caregivers an opportunity to have a break from caregiving roles and responsibilities while their loved one with a disability is in a safe and enriching environment. Respite care is critical to family stability, resiliency, and well-being by providing support to family caregivers to work, seek employment, take care of family obligations like grocery shopping, and rest and recuperate. In 2023, Weekday Program served 174 individuals with developmental disabilities and provided respite care to 118 families.

The seasonal Higbee Hikers Program meets every Saturday and runs 8 months out of the year to support participants in outdoor recreation and to increase access to local trails and paths. This program works to remove barriers and promotes inclusivity in the outdoor community. Staff are trained to plan accessible routes, offer mobility assistance to participants, create route modifications as needed, and provide individual support and encouragement to participants. Like all of MHC's programs, the Higbee Hikers Program incorporates education, life-long learning, and transferable skills. The program teaches participants how to use the bus to access local trails so that they may access those trails independently or with other caregivers outside of the program. Public transportation is a valuable skill that benefits participants in their social, recreational, school, and work lives as well. The program offers educational experiences through topics like plant identification, outdoor skills, and trail etiquette. In 2023, Higbee Hikers served 31 individuals with developmental disabilities.

The Weekend Program is held Friday and Saturday evenings and creates a welcoming environment for people with developmental disabilities to socialize and enjoy typical weekend recreational activities together. This program offers movie nights, dances, bingo, games, and supported outings to explore downtown Bellingham and engage in community activities like the monthly Art Walk. Individualized, goal-based services are offered to individuals who need higher levels of support or for those who have specific and personal goals they would like to work towards with support. The Weekend Program supports families through respite care so that family caregivers may have a break from caregiving roles while their loved one with a disability is in a safe and enriching environment. In 2023, The Weekend Program served 87 individuals with developmental disabilities and provided respite care to 57 families.