There is a special fundraiser taking place right now which is sure to spread joy to the community this Christmas season.
The adults who attend the Just Joy Activity Center have each created two paintings, one abstract and one Christmasthemed, which now are up for auction on Facebook. All the funds raised from the sale will help cover the expenses of the group’s activities and outings.
“We started this as a way for our clients to be able to contribute,” Kim Steinly said. Steinly worked as a paraprofessional at Weatherford Public Schools for 20 years before founding Just Joy Activity Center, and she shed more light on the organization.
“We are an activity center for adults with special needs,” Steinly said. “This is a place where adults can come throughout the day to hang out with their peers and have socialization. It’s a safe place they can meet while their caregivers are at work during the day, and the caregivers don’t have to worry about them.”
The activity center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday. Clients must be at least 18 years old to attend, and there is currently a group of six who attend Just Joy, but Steinly said they are hoping to grow and serve more community members.
“There was nothing in western Oklahoma for our special needs students once they get out of the high school level unless they get out of
Video available at ww.facebook.com/weatherford.dailynews Oklahoma,” Steinly said.
The experienced teacher said special needs students are surrounded by an inclusive environment at WPS, and graduation can be a difficult time. Friends move away for college or work, but those with special needs are left at home, without community.
Just Joy Activity Center helps to remedy that. “This is a way for them to be back with friends and be part of the community because they are a very valuable part of it,” Steinly said.
Not only does the center benefit the clients who attend, but Steinly said she has benefitted from working with the group. “They are just so happy all the time, and it makes me more aware of what I should truly be grateful for,” she said. “That’s why we’re called Just Joy, because they bring a lot of joy to a lot of people.”
To participate in the fundraiser and purchase a painting, visit the Just Joy Activity Center Facebook page and leave a comment below stating the bidding price. Those who wish to purchase a painting will need to check back often to make sure they have not been out-bid.
For those who wish to just make a donation, they can visit the First National Bank or they can visit the Just Joy Activity Center at the Family Center at First Baptist Church and meet Steinly and the clients. “They would sure get a nice hug for their donation,” Steinly said.