‘Out of my comfort zone’: New program for special-needs and senior Pennsylvanians

January 27, 2025 ABC 27 By Seth Kaplan

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LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) — Leaders do their best to put special-needs students in this unique-to-the-county program in roles that suit them. So watching Valeriya Redcay interact effortlessly with seniors whose rooms she cleans, you might assume that part of the job was always a strength.

But the truth is even better.

“Val was so shy,” said Erin Garcia, executive director of Juniper Village at Lebanon, an over-55 independent and assisted-care home. “Val barely spoke the first time I met her.”

Val — like Damian assembling furniture in the maintenance department and Brittney playing games with Patrick, a resident, in the lobby and other high school seniors washing dishes in the kitchen — is a senior in high school in a work immersion program, helping seniors in life at Juniper.

The program is organized by Intermediate Unit 13, which serves Lancaster and Lebanon counties. There are already three such “classrooms” in Lancaster; this is the first in Lebanon.

The students have learning disabilities or intellectual disabilities that might make transitioning to the working world a challenge, explained Megan Brown, their teacher. The program serves as a “bridge.”

“They just need that extra bit of support,” Brown said.

The students spend some days in what indeed resembles a traditional classroom, taught by Brown, and other days getting on-the-job training.

“Lois, can I come clean your room?” Redcay said to a resident before entering and proceeding to mop and clean the bathroom.

“We’ve seen Val come a long way, said Brian Heibel, her mentor, who oversees housekeepers at Juniper. “When she first came to us, she was a little — you know — held back.”

“It’s helping me step out of my comfort zone,” Redcay confirmed. “I used to not want to do anything — like i was kind of scared of leaving school. And this has been a nice transition for me…. I feel better. I feel a lot more confident in myself.”

This, to be clear, might be an act of kindness — but is not an act of charity — by Juniper. As America ages, senior living facilities are a fast-growing industry struggling to hire enough workers.

“It is a tight labor market,” Garcia said. “And some individuals don’t realize how much of a blessing it is working with seniors. You gain so much knowledge, and you just have such positive experiences.”

She said four students in the current class are likely to land full-time jobs at Juniper after they graduate — good for the students, yes, but also for the company.

“We were really worried we weren’t going to have enough students,” Garcia said. “And now we had two open houses, inviting future students to come and see if they’d be interested in the program, and they were full.”

Garcia’s recommendation, after her first semester working with the program?

“I really would encourage any type of business to participate in this type of program,” she said.

To be equally clear, the learning — mentors with special-needs students — is not a one-way street.

“They kind of question you: ‘Well, why that way?’” Heibel said. “And then you’re like, ‘Well, maybe there is another way.’ So, you know, they really bring something with them, also, for us to learn from.”