Lotus House
The clubhouse model was conceived over 50 years ago, by Fountain house
in New York City as a community of people with disabilities and staff
working side- by-side in the running of their club house. The program
is first and Foremost a club with rights of their membership, balanced
by member responsibilities. Members are expected to run their clubhouse
by taking on essential tasks. When the clubhouse is doing well, credit
must be given to the membership upon whom the clubhouse is dependent
for its survival. A clubhouse sends clear message to its members that
they are capable competent, and needed. Work, as a volunteer service
within the clubhouse, is the focus of Integrity House.
The following is a speech read by one of our members, Thomas during our first Annual Lotus House BBQ:
Hi, my name
is Thomas. I’ve only been a member for a short time. In that short
time I’ve made awesome friends.
Programs I
attended before coming to Lotus House were dull, boring, and people there treated
me like a child instead of an adult. Here at Lotus House you have a chance to
become a productive member of society. My old program did not offer that. Here
it’s up to the member what they want to do and how they want to contribute to
the clubhouse. Your voice is heard and you can contribute ideas to the
clubhouse. Every member finds a reason to be here. Every member has taken on a
more productive, motivational situation for themselves. It’s amazing what the
mind kind do. Other programs close the mind, here it’s not that way at all.
People have the freedom to do what they can for the clubhouse and themselves.
The goal at Lotus House is to motivate the person to think for themselves.
I think that Lotus House is an asset to
developmentally disabled people. No one can explain Lotus House, someone has to
experience it. I really enjoy being a member and am looking forward to being
here in the future. It’s such a warm feeling in Lotus House. It’s such a good,
awesome thing.
Thank you
very much and welcome to Lotus House. I would especially like the thank members
and staff of Integrity House, our sister clubhouse, for their support and
contribution to the development and betterment of Lotus House and its members.
If you have
any questions, please ask me or any of the other members.
