Day Program - New Employment Exploration and Opportunities

A Pathway to Success

We’re excited to introduce a new program: Employment Exploration and Opportunities. This innovative initiative is specifically designed to inspire and empower individuals in our Day Program by laying a strong foundation for job exploration and increased community participation. This initiative was introduced to our agency through the DDS initiative, Reimaging Day. At UCP, we believe in exploring new ideas as new choices become available.

Building Skills for Life

This program is a good option for individuals seeking a foundational introduction to employment and a way to enhance community inclusion. Participants gain essential training, take part in social and recreational activities, and, most importantly, become active members of their communities.

Each week, our participants engage in thoughtfully crafted activities such as:

• Cooking and grocery budgeting: Planning nutritious meals, budgeting, shopping for groceries, developing life skills, and everyday independence.
• Honing social skills: Each activity is planned as an opportunity to practice communication, cooperation, and self-confidence.
• Volunteering at Gourmet Gallery and Stonington Library: Participants learn about the inner workings of a local catering business, building job and teamwork skills. By volunteering at the Stonington Free Library, they nurture a love for learning and strengthen their sense of involvement with peers.

Exploring Entrepreneurial Talents

One exciting venture this year has been our Vending Project. Participants select and purchase snacks and drinks from local grocery stores, stock a vending cart, keep inventory, and sell items. This hands-on experience opens a window into entrepreneurship and develops practical math and customer service abilities. When volunteering at our food pantry, they also learn inventory management, expiration date control, organizing, and shelving donated food items.

Innovation in Action: The Cricut Project to Honor UCP’s Golf Sponsors and Donors

UCP individuals have also spent the year exploring new technology with our electronic Cricut machine. This powerful, adaptive technology tool opens creative doors for people with disabilities—enabling crafting without the barriers of traditional scissors and cutters. Through the Cricut project, our individuals launched a mini-business, designing and crafting custom tumblers.

Their first big order?

Creating special tumblers as heartfelt gifts for sponsors of the UCP Annual Golf Tournament. Then they schedule presentations with our sponsors and personally deliver the gifts, in gratitude for their support.

Thank You

Thank you to our supporters, DDS, UCP staff, and participants for making new opportunities possible every day at UCP.