In the spring of 2018, Shares, Inc. was awarded a grant in the amount of $7,505 from Cycle I of the Community Grants Cycle for the purchase of musical instruments and training for staff with a certified music therapist.  The goal of the project was to help adults with disabilities enrolled in Shares, Inc. programming acquire the skills to be more productive in a workplace environment and in daily living.  Music therapy is a form of expressive art therapy that is used to improve and maintain the physical, psychological, and social well-being of individuals. Another purpose of music therapy is to achieve a non-musical goal. In this platform it is used to express or change behaviors by tapping into parts of the brain that control auditory processing, motor control, emotion, and memory.

Shares clients have intellectual disabilities that can include groups of conditions due to impairments in physical, learning, language, or behavior.  Music therapy uses music to achieve improvements independence, decision making/problem solving, impulse control, and developing fine motor skills. Board members and donors were recently invited to visit Shares to see the music therapist interact with the adults with disabilities during music class.  This very rewarding session involved teaching and reinforcing patience, verbal skills, and following instructions.  Although this sounds clinical and controlled, it was all accomplished through FUN!  The Shares clients were attentive and very interactive.  Putting your work to music just allows for an enjoyable atmosphere and eases inhibitions.

The Rush County Community Foundation’s unrestricted endowment funds and several field of interest funds make these grants possible. The following funds have supported the most recent distribution to important causes within and for our community:

• Laura May and Howard H. Brown Memorial Fund
• Kenneth and Kathleen Dean Fund
• Helen and Jim Ewing Fund
• H. N. “Doc” and Thelma P. Jaggers Fund
• Wayne L. and Evelyn J. Miller Community Fund
• Gerald W. and Anita J. Mohr Community Fund
• Charles E. and Jane Power Niccum Fund
• Martha Perin Community Fund
• Pioneer Hi-Bred Fund
• Rush County Community Fund
• Pat and Martha Todd Charitable Fund

Pictured are Shares, Inc. clients and employees along with Rush County Community Foundation board members and donors after a recent Music Therapy class.