Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA)

We are excited to announce that November’s Staff of the Month is Jack Shimkus. Jack has been an Inclusion Companion for over five years and has grown tremendously this past year. He faced the challenge of working with a new participant who exhibited difficult behaviors at the start of the school year. Jack invested significant time and effort into building rapport with this participant and learning strategies to manage and redirect future behaviors. He has communicated with NSSRA staff and the Park District about what he needs, contributing to the overall success of his participant. He is his participant’s favorite person! Thank you, Jack!

We're just under two weeks away from the most significant day to give back of 2024 - #GivingTuesday! Your generous donation helps us reach more individuals, fulfill more dreams, and ensure everyone can experience NSSRA and its benefits. Together, we can make a lasting impact. The Binstein, Leahy, and Slotnick families are uniting to match EVERY donation, DOUBLING all gifts up to $30,000! Their incredible generosity means your gift will go twice as far in making a difference. Give today: https://lnkd.in/ggFbqM4V

At NSSRA, we take pride in recognizing the incredible efforts of our teammates who go above and beyond. Kate exemplifies this commitment with her constant presence, active involvement, and infectious positivity in every interaction with our participants. Her dedication elevates the experience for everyone around her and sets a shining example for her colleagues. NSSRA is deeply grateful for Kate’s hard work and passion, and we are excited to see her continue to make a lasting impact on our community!

This month, NSSRA is highlighting the Inclusion Support Team. Throughout the summer, the team has worked incredibly hard at NSSRA’s partner agencies and has been at camps almost daily. The Team has worked closely with the Partner Agencies to make program adaptations, assist participants, and ensure that camp is an excellent experience for everyone! Daniel Galis Sam Greenfield Kate Clemenz Bella Troglia Maddie Sell Abby Anderson Brady Clark Thank you for a great summer!

Congratulations, Nadia, for earning our Inclusion Companion of the Week! Since her first day, Nadia has received recognition from the park district for being a stellar staff member. She will always go above and beyond to ensure her participants are having a successful time at camp, but she is also willing to lend a hand in helping out with other campers. Nadia brings a positive attitude to work daily and is enthusiastic about accepting new challenges. Thank you, Nadia, for all your hard work! We appreciate everything you have done to help us have a successful summer!

Congratulations, Katie, for being our Inclusion Companion of the week! Katie has been doing an amazing job this summer supporting her participant. She comes to camp every day ready to create a successful and inclusive environment to ensure her participant has an amazing summer. Katie is always willing to lend a hand to other campers and staff and has had outstanding communication from day one. We are so lucky to have her on our team; camp wouldn’t be the same without her! 

We are WILD about camp and fantastic staff! Adventure Seekers Nikki R. talks about her experiences with NSSRA and how they have helped prepare her for her future explorations. 

Celebrating Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA): Enriching Lives Through Recreation At the Helping Hands Network, we’re thrilled to spotlight one of our six incredible beneficiaries: the Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA) What is NSSRA? NSSRA is a beacon of inclusion, dedicated to enriching the lives of individuals with disabilities in our partner communities. Through quality recreation services, they empower children, teens, and adults to thrive, connect, and experience joy. Why We Support NSSRA Innovation: NSSRA leads the way in recreation, providing exceptional services that inspire and uplift. Community: Their programs foster connections, friendships, and a sense of belonging. Impact: NSSRA changes lives, one activity at a time. Join us in celebrating NSSRA’s unwavering commitment to inclusion! #NSSRA #InclusionMatters #HelpingHandsNetwork #hhngolf #hhngolfgames #specialneeds #inclusion #autismawareness #golfouting #charityevent #chicagononprofit #InclusionInspires #ChangingLives To learn more about NSSRA, visit https://www.nssra.org/

Congratulations to Daniel on being chosen as NSSRA's Camp Staff of the Week. 🌟 He has been nominated by three different staff for all of his hard work. Daniel is brand new to the field and fully embraces therapeutic recreation. He has had to change camp locations and camper groupings and work with new people he's never met without missing a beat.👏 Daniel is willing to learn and implement new skills every day, which has been very helpful for our campers. (He also rides his bike 45 minutes each way to work each day!) His dedication to his camp is second to none. We are grateful to have staff like Daniel on our team.

Congratulations, Purnima, our Inclusion Companion of the week! Purnima has worked amazingly with her companion at Kal Kids in Northbrook! She brings a positive attitude to camp daily and is a team player for the other counselors. This is Purnima's third year at NSSRA, and we appreciate your commitment to the participants. We look forward to your continued growth in this position!