PRIDE WEEK

June 2022

For the Livingston UI family, it was another week and another wild Fun Friday! In honor of Pride Month, the clients chose the first week in June to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community by going completely rainbow crazy. During our Wednesday event planning meetings – which consist of over 30 clients and staff both in-person and on Zoom – the group decided on three focuses for Pride day: donuts, decorations, and a parade.

All throughout the week the clients volunteered for various responsibilities in preparation for our Fun Friday. Some clients created decorations and art to hang throughout the day program; others were put in charge of shopping for supplies and of ordering themed masks, while other groups put together music playlists and researched their favorite Pride quotes and phrases. We even baked homemade donuts in our weekly cooking groups that were colorfully decorated (and happily eaten) by the clients.

While our vocational program, Tru, always leaves us in awe at their artistic ideas and creations, all the departments at Universal were just as festive and energetic. The entire building of clients, therapists, and staff seemed to be wearing smiles all day long. The celebration culminated with a group walk around the building made up of anyone who wanted to participate. We marched our parade one purposeful lap around the building waving flags, holding posters, and expressing ourselves in as many ways as we wanted.

More than anything, it was a day to have fun, to celebrate equality, and to support every unique individual both in our organization and in our lives.

Don’t Hide Your Pride – Be YOU!