Six Tips to Help Your Respite Event Go Well
I have recently been given the privilege to come on staff with our church to work alongside our Director of Special Needs Ministry.
Since we arrived in Lynchburg in 2014, Tom, Amy, and I have been volunteering in various capacities in this ministry and have had great opportunities to get to know parents and kids whose families are affected by disabilities.
Now, I get to serve in an official capacity.
Just recently, I participated in a Parents Night Out respite event for our families. I want to share what I witnessed as working beautifully to make this event a great success. Here are six tips that may be helpful to you as you consider offering a respite event to the families affected by disabilities in your church.
At Drop Off – Warmly Greet the Parents. In any childcare situation, all parents need to know that you really are happy to have their children. Many special needs parents have had experiences where leaders were not so eager to see their kids, some of them even being turned away, or asked not to come back. So, it is especially important to greet the parents with a warm smile.
Help each child/adult with a disability and each sibling feel welcome. Opening the doors, making sure each guest has a name tag, pairing with a volunteer buddy, and guiding the volunteer to interact with their assigned attendee are things that will help each guest (those with disabilities and their siblings) feel a bit more secure in joining you.
Encourage volunteers to engage with the guests and thank them for the specifics. College students from a nearby university are the volunteers for these respite events. They are part of the local chapter of a professional club that provides support and information for children with disabilities, their families, and those who work with these children. One thing I love about this is that not only do our “guests” get to have one-on-one support, the college students get practical hands-on experience. You might want to recruit college or highschool students for your respite event. As leaders in these situations, we can help the volunteers connect with the guests and point out things they are doing that are helpful.
Have a plan but be flexible within the plan. It is very important to be organized with these events. You will need to decide whether a meal will be served and what activities you could plan into the time together. You’ll want to have a rhythm of the order of things. However, you also will want to be able to easily slide into a Plan B if needed. For example, if the person picking up the pizza runs into a snag at the restaurant or a downpour slows them down, you’ll want to consider if you need to fit another part of the rhythm into that time frame while you are waiting. For example, can we do playground time while we are waiting? Another example of flexibility is if everyone is enjoying a certain activity, build in the freedom to extend it a little longer. Our plan for the night included a pizza dinner, time to play at our indoor playground, time in our disability room which includes sensory activities, and a movie and popcorn time.
Communication is key. As in any event that includes many players, communication is so very important for things to go smoothly. Communicating to the parents the expectations for registration, drop off, and pick up is essential. Communicating to the volunteers when to arrive, what is expected in their volunteer role, and when they will be done is also essential.
Be cheerful and forgiving. It is important to remember all throughout the event – no matter what happens – to be cheerful and forgiving. Expect challenging behaviors. Expect to be flexible. Be willing to modify and adapt. Expect to lean into help from the One who calls us to go beyond what you think we are capable of. God is ready to supply you with what you need to love His people.
This being my first respite event, I was super impressed by the organization, the welcome, the efficient care of each guest, the safety protocols in place, and the genuine desire to give the guests an evening that blessed them.
Have you considered doing a respite for the families in your church who are affected by disability?
If you would like support as you consider providing respite, starting a disability ministry, or as you journey through your already-in-place special needs ministry at your church, feel free to reach out to us. We can jump on a Zoom call, a telephone call, an email exchange and share resources with you.
Much love,
Julie
CONNECT WITH US:
We invite you to connect with Tom, Julie, and Amy through:
Email: champions4parents@gmail.com
Phone: 410-746-9010 (Voice or Text)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Champions4Parents
Don’t forget our website: www.Champions4Parents.com
And check out Amy’s websites at
https://amychristinemeekins.com/
https://amystories.wixsite.com/heartrecharge
If you would like to support us financially as we provide love and support to Parents and Caregivers as well as Ministry Folks who serve families impacted by disability, please go to our donor page on our website: https://www.Champions4Parents.com/donate
