Bradley SERVE, the volunteer organization on campus, hosted guest speaker Molly Hogeboom of Easterseals Central Illinois on Oct. 4 and invited participants to create sensory blocks and thoughtful cards for children in Easterseals programs.
Easterseals is a national non-profit organization that provides support services to children with a wide range of disabilities. The organization offers a variety of therapy services and academic support, partnering with families for a holistic approach to help children reach their potential.
“[We provide] specialized pediatric therapy resources to children with developmental delays, disabilities and other special needs,” Easterseals Community Engagement Manager Hogeboom said. “And our goal is to help that child reach their full potential, whatever that potential is for them.”
Hogeboom shared detailed explanations of Easterseals’ services and shared her own experience with Easterseals as a child.
“I was born with something called right hemiplegic cerebral palsy,” Hogeboom said. “Cerebral palsy is a neuromuscular disorder and it affects many people differently … so my right arm and leg are partially paralyzed.”
Hogeboom offered a demonstration, asking participants to attempt to tie a shoelace with one hand, illustrating the challenges children with cerebral palsy face while working through occupational and physical therapies.
“When I was little, I received physical and occupational therapy from Easter Seals, and I would not be where I am today without those services,” Hogeboom said.
After the presentation, participants constructed sensory blocks as a gift for children with sensory regulation challenges. They fixed Pom-poms, fake grass, assorted beads, buttons and stickers to wooden blocks. To finish, they wrote positive messages on the blocks and in cards for children and support staff.
Members of Epsilon Sigma Alpha (ESA), the service sorority on campus, attended the event.
“One of our philanthropies is Easterseals,” senior communications major and ESA president Liliana Mendoza said. “And with that, we have a service executive member who promoted this event because it was a good opportunity to learn about [and] volunteer with them.”
Students learned about Easerseals’ services and gained a new appreciation for what children with special needs require to be supported in the best possible ways.
“It’s cool how many different services they have because a lot of these kids need more than just one, so it’s super nice that they can get them all at one place,” sophomore communications major Kylie Klopfenstein said.
The event helped students understand the importance of spreading awareness for programs like Easterseals.
“It’s not something people would think about in their daily lives: going to help kids with disabilities,” sophomore nursing major Adeline Woosley said. “So I think bringing awareness to it is super important to make sure people know what’s out there.”
Some attendees discovered how their career path could align with some of the work of Easterseals and similar organizations.
“[I want to] go into physical therapy that has to do with neurological conditions and I feel like that’s something that I could look into,” sophomore kinesiology and health science major Elsa Diaz said.
Hogeboom presents information about Easterseals at colleges, corporate events and other venues to raise awareness for the work that Easterseals does for individuals with special needs.\
“I don’t know who could be our next star physical therapist in this room. I don’t know who could be a business major who could be the next CEO of a nonprofit organization. I don’t know who is a future parent of a child with special needs,” Hogeboom said. “My job is to connect people with the mission… so they can take it as they need it.”
