Community Services Southern Maine
Since 1967, Creative Works has pioneered exceptional Community Services that provide critical community-based daytime activities for adults with disabilities and autism. What began as a grassroots venture serving just a few people has blossomed into a network of five locations throughout southern and central Maine that now serve over 200 people. Through our many years of growth, our mission remains the same: creating communities of inclusion.
Our three service locations in southern Maine – York Community Services, Cumberland Community Services, and Saco Community Services – are places where people can come together to explore what makes them curious, develop avenues for self-expression and cultivate natural connections. Our locations are shared spaces full of rich resources like art studios, fully-equipped kitchens where delicious meals are prepared jointly, bountiful gardens, technology centers, and exercise rooms.
At each of our locations, we offer an array of classes and opportunities for community involvement focused on capturing the unique, wide-ranging interests and goals of the individuals we serve.
Our extensive curriculum is completely customizable. Each individual can sample from the full array of activities, and individually tailor a daily or weekly schedule of both on-site and off-site activities. New choices are developed frequently, based on participant feedback. If desired classes or community activities aren’t yet offered, we develop them based on interest and we hold quarterly forums where folks have the opportunity to give feedback on services and direct decision-making. For example, we now offer an Outdoor Exploration module for those who want to experience some of the great gifts of outdoor life in Maine—hiking, fishing, horseback riding, rock wall climbing, etc. For those who wish to give back to their communities, there are many volunteer opportunities, including work at animal shelters, Meals on Wheels, and other meaningful ways to engage. Participants work together and with qualified Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) to form a community of people who are pursuing their passions on a daily basis!
Community Services offer an extensive curriculum including:
Community Discovery
Nature Education and Outdoor Exploration
Studio Arts (painting, charcoal drawing, woodworking, pottery, sewing, weaving, glasswork, mixed media)
Cooking and Nutrition Classes
Volunteering
Exercise and Yoga Classes
Computers and Technology (including Online Safety Education)
Movies and Other Media
Hobby Exploration
Music Courses
Communication Skill Building
Math and Budgeting Development
Cultivation and Gardening
Career Exploration
Men’s and Women’s Groups
Questions? Visit our FAQ page for information on how to access services and more. Visit our Trainings page for a complete list of required certifications for all Creative Works DSPs.
We are happy to provide tours! For more information, contact:
Tom Dixon
Program Manager
207.282.4173
tdixon@beingcreativeworks.org
Saco Community Services
Recipes for Success
From the outside, Saco Community Services (SCS) looks like a large, ordinary building set in an industrial park, but on the inside, it’s a place that’s bursting at the seams with creativity. When you first enter SCS, there’s so much to experience: the eye-popping colors of our vibrant Studio Arts program, the scents and sounds of a restaurant-style kitchen run by our Culinary Arts program, and the buzz of people sharing fully accessible community spaces.
SCS is all about people: it’s a place to grow, develop friendships, create community and make choices. Serving adults with intellectual and physical disabilities, our talented, passionate staff are dedicated to delivering an array of group classes, engaging activities and opportunities for shared and individual pursuits. In addition to our Studio and Culinary Arts programs, participants are encouraged to take the lead and explore new forms of expression in our Technology group, get moving in our Physical Enhancement group or get competitive in a Games group. Whatever schedule of classes a participant chooses to develop, our staff are committed to providing customized support guided by their interests, desires and goals.
Our commitment to community inclusion stands out through our “Community Connections” program. Designed to increase access, SCS staff support participants while they explore what their greater community has to offer. Participant schedules evolve with the seasons, from hikes and beach days in the summertime to enjoying local winter sports and holiday events.
At SCS, we provide every ingredient so that participants can whip up their very own recipes for success!
We are happy to provide tours! For more information, contact:
Elizabeth Beals
Saco Community Services Team Leader
207.282.4173
ebeals@beingcreativeworks.org
York Community Services
The Next Step
In 2017, York Community Services (YCS) opened its doors in Saco after we recognized an increasing need for community supports dedicated to enriching the lives of maturing adults with disabilities. Serving folks aged 55 and older, including those experiencing memory loss and dementia, our specially trained staff use a compassionate approach to support focused on maintaining quality of life.
As individuals grow older, they may begin to feel like they’re losing control over certain aspects of their lives. At YCS, we focus on programming that enables personal choice and independence while also recognizing that group-centered, community supports help individuals thrive.
Folks can join sessions where they explore their individual interests while also sharing experiences with friends and support staff. Whether enjoying a community outing, chatting about the past in a reminiscing group or discovering talents through our art and technology courses, participants are supported by patient, caring staff who are dedicated to providing the best, most personalized supports possible.
At YCS, we treat everybody with dignity, focus on strengths, navigate through challenges and enjoy every moment!
We are happy to provide tours! For more information, contact:
Elizabeth Beals
York Community Services Team Leader
207.710.2597
ebeals@beingcreativeworks.org
Cumberland Community Services
Yes, you can!
Located in an expansive, open-concept community space in South Portland, Cumberland Community Services (CCS) provides outstanding support to people with intellectual and physical disabilities. At CCS, we celebrate diversity and believe that there are many paths to personal success.
Our compassionate, skilled staff support participants who are non-verbal, need help with mobility, utilize adaptive tools and who benefit from hands-on assistance. To ensure folks receive the tailored support they need, CCS offers a high staff-to-participant ratio so that no need goes unmet.
CCS offers a wide array of classes focused on inspiring creativity, building skills and exploring the community. Every class is customizable and curriculum is always guided by the interests, desires and goals of participants. Our blooming gardening program, flourishing culinary arts program and exciting technology program are each successful because of the passionate people who participate in them.
In July 2019, based on participant feedback, CCS launched “Community Connections,” a program designed to boost community access and choice. Participants develop schedules with the support of staff to explore their greater community. Since its inception, Community Connections has enabled people to go out for shopping trips, take walks at local parks and nature exhibits, visit animal shelters, public libraries, tour farms, visit radio stations, watch planes take off at the Portland International Jetport and more.
At CCS, there’s no limit to what we can do when we work together!
We are happy to provide tours! For more information, contact:
Kirsten Broad
Cumberland Community Services Team Leader
207.282.8387
kbroad@beingcreativeworks.org