The Beloved Community Project is a local effort to help young adults in Dona Ana County living with intellectual and developmental disabilities feel more a part of the community.
The Beloved Community Project was started a little over a year ago with grant money from the Department of Health, and is currently serving 23 young adults between the ages of 17-25. Project Manager Kay Lilley says the goal is to make these young people feel like they belong in the community.
“The Beloved Community Project is a community building project to help young adults with developmental disabilities find their place for connection and contribution in the community.”
Lilley says they work with project participants to find out what they are interested in, and help them develop those interests. 20- year-old participant Rebecca Gurrola takes various art and theater classes.
“Art, theater, music,” Gurrola said. “Eat, sleep, breathe music, every day. If I’m not singing, I’m writing, and if I’m not writing I’m listening. That’s pretty much it, I’m either writing singing or listening to music.”
Lilley says in addition to specialized opportunities for individuals they also hold group classes and events.
“Some of the opportunities that we have developed,” Lilley said. “That are not only available to folks in the project, but to the community as a whole are pick up and play sessions where we gather in public settings, and we experiment with different instruments, and get a jam going, and that’s a really nice, liberating, connecting way to build community.”
They also hold independent living classes to help the young adults with basic life skills.
“People with disabilities have the same desires that the rest of us do,” Lilley said. “And when you get to be 19, 20 years old. Then a lot of us, including people with disabilities envision life outside of our family home. Yet for whatever reason, either having to do with the disability, or perceptions of the disability. People have not gained the independent living skills that they might need to live on their own.”
Lilley says the participants have also grown socially since the program began.
“I’ve seen these guys in getting together on a routine basis really open up,” Lilley said. “Really develop confidence. Among each other, but not just among each other, they are learning social and communication skills that are carrying through their other interactions and relationships beyond the class.”
Lilley says they encourage community involvement in their events.
“We wanted to invite community members,” Lilley said. “To engage with the folks that are in our project, and get to know that there is more to all of us then meets the eye.”
For more information you can find The Beloved Community Project of Las Cruces on Facebook.
