What is New Horizons?

It’s a year round, community based, socialization and recreation program designed to expand the horizons of developmentally disabled adolescents and adults. Meaningful and constructive leisure-time activities provide an accent on fun, independence and normalization. It provides much needed respite care for parents and care providers.

Goals of the program:

• To improve quality of life and add a meaningful dimension to the participants’ lives.
• To help participants develop autonomous behavior, self -expression and self-control.
• To provide appropriate experiences to develop social skills and improve desirable attitudes and habits.
• To provide specialized programs in a group setting that will maximize personal growth and development.

New Horizons is a place to make new friends in an atmosphere of acceptance and provides opportunities to enjoy experiences typical to other non-disabled person. Participants gain social skills, motor skills, language skills, camping and travel skills, and group sharing skills.

Participants gain a sense of independence as they explore their community and surrounding areas without the aide of parents or other family members. They gain the satisfaction of knowing that they, too, are capable of learning new skills, making new friends, and taking care of their own basic needs. Their lives are enriched through visits to museums, theater productions, athletic events, educational exhibits, amusement parks, and much more. They become recognized as productive, significant human beings entitled to all of life’s pleasures.

New Horizons is staffed by trained counselors and volunteers. You can become a volunteer leader and help someone special, enriching your own life and teaching valuable skills to the participants. Volunteers must be 18 years of age and older. For information, please contact: (714) 852-6018 and newhorizons@ymcaoc.net