New Community Support Program Opens at Easterseals Midwest
For more than 100 years, Easterseals Midwest has been providing life-changing services to people living with disabilities. Today, the organization launched a new program to serve even more people to learn meaningful skills to engage with their community.
“The BRIDGE program starts in the community, and ends in the community,” says program manager Megan Vargas. “This program was designed to bring individuals out of their home and into their communities to learn, feel, and experience exactly how they can interact and leverage their local resources.”
The 12-month program focuses on a new skill each month, including managing routines, improving financial literacy, making friends, and more. Participants can choose to attend 2, 3, or 5 days a week, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. each day.
“Some of our individuals may have the skills to manage a budget, but they may have never been to a bank or used an ATM,” says Vargas. “The BRIDGE program was designed to help them learn those essentials skills. And they do it as a group, which reinforces social skills and even makes the program more friendly and approachable for those who enjoy learning with others.”
Participants will visit a new location in the community each day, such as the library, a bank, and local community organizations and businesses. They will learn on-site skills to help them integrate into their community while also developing social skills with one another.
The Need for a Bridge
Vargas began her career at Easterseals Midwest in 2025, and her task was to launch this program. Her background in special education proved valuable when designing the curriculum.
“After decades of working with individuals with disabilities, I also have experience and empathy for their families,” says Vargas. “Many families know their child has great potential, but it takes the right training and resources to reach it. That is where BRIDGE comes in.”
Vargas and her team selected the name as an acronym for Building Real-World Independence Growth and Engagement. The program is designed for individuals who want to learn those essential community skills in the “real-world” and want to grow and engage with others to learn in a social setting.
Ready to Connect
In less than a year, Vargas had the BRIDGE program ready to launch. The program is equipped to serve four individuals per cohort, and today is the launch of the first cohort.
“The desire and support for a program like this has been phenomenal,” says Vargas. “In our first cohort, we have four individuals who came to us in four different ways. Some were internal referrals, as this program is a natural next step for some individuals we serve. Others were external because this program is unique and provides support individuals cannot find anywhere else.”
Interest in the program continues, and individuals may sign up to join the waitlist at any time. Cohorts will begin as soon as a new group of four individuals are enrolled.
To learn more or to enroll, contact Megan Vargas at 816-442-4210.
