Getting out and about

You can hear much laughter coming from the adults in the Peninsula Counseling Center’s Out and About program during their weekly meetings every Thursday at Temple Am Echad in Lynbrook. The group members love to tell jokes, inspire smiles and share stories with one another.

On many magical mornings, the “small and tight-knit” group, as described by Coordinator of Volunteers and Special Events Audrey Goodman, comes together for some good old-fashioned fellowship. They have many great opportunities to hear guest speakers, educational presentations and fun entertainment.

“Their disabilities often prevent them from getting out to socialize and interact,” Goodman said of group members. “The experience is exciting for them. All the guests are stimulating.”

The Valley Stream-based Peninsula Counseling Center sponsors this group of about 10 members, which consists of adults with physical disabilities. Members, who may utilize Able Ride services to travel to meetings, meet to discuss whatever is on their minds in a relaxed and social atmosphere. “It is a nice group,” said Director Peggy Grosman. “We started the group really to get people together because they had no place to go. What really formed was friendships between people who had not seen or met each other.”

With a group that consists of writers, comedians and even a retired scientist, the focus is on socializing, according to Grosman. “Anytime people have a problem, we might discuss it,” Grosman said. And many disabled adults from Valley Stream and other neighboring communities have been coming out for around 15 years to mix and mingle.

Member Linda Napolitano-Manning, who has been with the group since its beginning, loves being there. “It is great,” she said. “We all have physical disabilities, but we also have a lot in common. If you need to talk to someone about your disability, you have someone to share it with and to give you advice.”

Not only do members get to talk, but they see movies, go out to lunch and celebrate holidays and birthdays together. They play word games and even get massages, according to group Co-Coordinator Alice Laby. And they share in common interests and events like a very special singing event back in April with Strong Side Studios.

During the event, group members got to sing and record their favorite tunes on CDs, which delighted Studio Owner Darryl Granum. “The day we spent at the program was an amazing experience,” Granum said. “They are a great group of men and women. It was very special seeing these people with all the reasons in the world to sit and have pity parties be so alive and friendly and willing to do whatever and have fun.”

And recently, the group sat with famous body builder and author Dan Lurie on Aug. 12. The group got to hear Lurie tell his life story full of fond memories, which ended with a magic trick. “The trick was a special surprise,” Goodman said. “He told us about how he became a body builder, how he became well-known and met many celebrities and how he and his wife raised their children...he is a great storyteller and his audience, though small, happily shared their memories of him.”

Many events like these two are very enjoyable for the members including Bob Manning, a four-and-a-half-year veteran of the group. “The group was my introduction to New York,” he said. “ I love it and I have met a lot of neat people. It is a lot of fun.”

For more information about the group, call Grosman at (516) 569-6600 ext. 1365.