Active Re-Entry has a long history in Eastern Utah. The community-based program serves seven counties providing people with disabilities the assistance they need to live independently.
It is also the only program in the nation that assists people with disabilities of all ages. According to Active Re-Entry’s Director, Nancy Bentley, the local facility has assisted disabled people from before birth to the final days of their lives.
“We have helped unborn children that tests have shown will be born with a disability,” she said. “We do this by providing equipment and training to the child’s mother and continue to assist once the child is born. We also assist the elderly who need help as their health deteriorates.”
With such a wide range of consumers, Active Re-Entry touches countless lives each year. Although highly successful, members of the organization feel that improvement will come with the addition of a volunteer program.
Outreach Volunteer Coordinator Margaret Colosimo is excited to get the program up and running.
“Our goal is to do as much as we can to help people in our community who are living with disabilities,” she said.
Having worked as a hospice volunteer coordinator for over 13 years, Colosimo understands the difference a volunteer can make in someone’s life.
“There is nothing more rewarding than helping people,” she said. “Making a difference in their lives also makes a huge difference in ours.”
Currently, Active Re-Entry is in the beginning stages of establishing its volunteer program. Anyone age 18 and over who wants to make a difference in someone’s life should contact the facility to sign up. Colosimo explained that volunteer schedules are flexible and referrals are accepted for those who may need assistance from the program. There are many members of the community who live with a chronic disability that are not benefiting from Active Re-Entry’s services. With the help of volunteers, more disabled citizens may be assisted through the program.
Because the program serves citizens throughout Eastern Utah, volunteers are needed in all service areas. These areas include Carbon, Emery, Grand, Dagget, Duchesne, Uintah, and San Juan counties. Anyone interested in finding out more about becoming a volunteer should contact Active Re-Entry by calling 435-637-4950.
Colosimo concluded by saying, “Looking in the faces of the people we are helping and seeing happiness is the best reward anyone could ever want.”