Noblesville First United Methodist Church, 2051 Monument St., will once again offer a Respite Night from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 19 for parents and caregivers of children ages 5 to 18 with mild to moderate disabilities and limited behavior and medical concerns. Caregivers can drop their child and his or her siblings off at the church with educated and trained volunteers and enjoy an evening of relaxation.
March will be the one-year anniversary of the quarterly Respite Nights for the Noblesville community. Previous themes have been Superheroes, Luau, Winter Wonderland, and March’s theme is the Circus. Event organizers will decorate to reflect the big top, play classic circus games, and watch a circus-themed movie. The goal is to provide a safe, fun environment for the children with mild to moderate special needs and their siblings to allow their caregivers a well-deserved break for a few hours. The church intentionally partners with local therapy and resource centers for families with special needs within the community.
The goal of respite nights is to improve the overall health and psychological well-being of parents and caregivers, while simultaneously providing the children an opportunity to have fun and improve their social skills through interaction with peers.
“We hope you are ready for some big top fun because our theme this month is circus,” said the church’s Director of Family Ministries Ally Hall. “Bring on the lion tamers, clowns, and flying trapeze artists for an evening of sensory-safe fun.”
Noblesville First is also seeking volunteers to assist with Respite Night. No experience is required but volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and must attend a mandatory training to receive education related to various disabilities and conditions, behavior management strategies, safety protocol, and communication techniques. There is also an Occupational Therapist on site for the training and the event who helped design the program to ensure the highest care possible for the children. The training will be held on Zoom from 6:30 to 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, March 10.
Find more details and online registration for participants and volunteers at NoblesvilleFirst.com. Questions can be directed to Ally Hall at ahall@NoblesvilleFirst.com or by calling the church office at (317) 773-2500.