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VOLUNTEERING OPENS THE DOOR TO MORE CHOICES

Contact: Jim Grice
Phone: 313.278.3040, ext. 204 8AM – 4PM
E-mail: jgrice@stepcentral.org

The volunteers from Services to Enhance Potential don’t care that Governor Granholm has proclaimed this week as Community Rehabilitation Organization Week. They’re just glad to be helping people who might go hungry without home-delivered Meals on Wheels.

James E. Grice, President and CEO of Services to Enhance Potential, a Wayne County rehabilitation organization serving people with significant developmental disabilities, understands why this group of volunteers is so eager to help others.

“In our society, individuals with developmental disabilities rarely are recognized for their talents and abilities,” he said. “Our organization helps the people we serve discover and develop their strengths, and supports them in achieving their personal goals.

“Participating in volunteer activities like Meals on Wheels gives them a chance to help others. Just having a choice about where or whether they volunteer can be exciting to people whose entire lives have been under other people’s control,” he said. “To know that they have the ability to make a difference in the world is even more important.”

For senior citizen Barbara LeClair, the smiles and friendship the crew from Services to Enhance Potential delivers are just as important as the food. “They brighten my day. They’re like a new family for me,” she explained recently.

The staff has seen how volunteering can transform the lives of participants. “By experiencing a wide variety of environments and activities, they can develop more self-confidence and a better understanding of the options available to them,” Grice explained

Those options can include seeking a job or becoming a small business owner. The Services to Enhance Potential staff works with individuals to help them identify and overcome barriers that interfere with their ability to achieve their goals.

Additional current volunteer placements include the Michigan Human Society, public libraries, churches, a day care center, and historical sites. Nonprofit organizations with potential volunteer opportunities can call Services to Enhance Potential at 313.278.3040.

Services to Enhance Potential currently serves more than 1,000 people throughout Wayne County. The organization has facilities in Detroit, Dearborn, Livonia, Wayne and Wyandotte.

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