The nonprofit has an opportunity to tell the story of how the organization adapted to tremendous external changes in the last year.
When Benevilla closed our Birt’s Bistro social enterprise in March 2020, we created a task force comprised of employees, volunteers, members, and residents from the communities that we serve, to identify and address our member’s needs and ways we could repurpose our bistro space to meet these needs while also advancing our mission to enrich lives. West Valley residents were quick to express they were interested in a recreation center, like a fitness center or gym, that accommodated their specific needs related to aging and various medical conditions. Through a community survey and a community needs assessment, Benevilla learned that many older residents did not know how to exercise properly, did not have access to proper adaptive equipment, and did not receive adequate support from gym staff who were used to younger gym members, and often lacked the patience and understanding for the specialized needs older individuals or individuals who are differently abled. From the task force’s findings, Benevilla envisioned, developed, and is now in the process of repurposing an existing section of our facility into an adaptive wellness center that will open Summer 2022. This project, the Benevilla Benefitness Adaptive Gym, will serve older adults and adults with physical disabilities, as well as their caregivers.
The adaptive gym will offer modified equipment for individuals in wheelchairs, people who have limited motion, and those who are differently abled so they can meet their health and wellness goals. In addition, the gym will have an array of equipment that is not specifically “adaptive” that can be utilized by members to meet their health goals. The gym will also offer Rock Steady Boxing classes, a high-intensity, non-contact exercise to “fight back” against the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (i.e., stiffness, slowing of movement).