Last month, Trellis clients supported by our Direct Support Professional (DSP) team visited the Willow Creek Railroad Museum in Salem, Oregon, for an afternoon exploring the museum’s large-scale model railroad as a part of the 20+ events per month hosted and organized on the Trellis Community Activity calendar. These events are designed to provide social experiences and learning opportunities outside the home for clients benefiting from additional supportive environments, often alongside their employment journeys. All clients are picked up, driven to, joined and driven back home by their dedicated DSP, who offers the level of support each individual wants and needs.
It was many clients’ first time seeing the layout of the model railroad at Willow Creek up close, with its impressive winding track, detailed miniature towns and working trains running the full circuit from station to station. The museum has been open to the public since 1975 and is dedicated to providing a historically accurate rendition of what early steam and diesel railroading was like — just on a smaller scale.
Outings like this one are part of what makes community-based support at Trellis so meaningful. Our Direct Support Professionals don’t just accompany clients to day-to-day appointments and errands, though those are important activities in many clients’ lives too. DSPs actively look for opportunities that match each person’s unique interests, whether that is trains, arts and crafts, music or something else entirely. While a trip to a local museum or a picnic in the park might seem somewhat simple, we know it’s also a chance to practice interacting within new environments, building confidence navigating public spaces, interacting outside their comfort zones — and of course, just enjoying something fun (we could all do with a little more of that!).
The Community Activity visit to the Willow Creek Railroad Museum is one of many community outings our DSPs have organized based on knowing the interest of their clients this year. It’s thoughtful events like this that really reflect what comprehensive person-centered support looks like in practice: getting to know what excites and interests someone, then helping make it happen!
We’re grateful to Willow Creek Railroad Museum for welcoming our clients, to the DSPs who made this visit possible and to our clients who came and experienced something new.
Learn more about our Community Activities here! Interested in joining the Trellis team? See open roles here.
