A TYPICAL DAY

As a member of Side by Side Clubhouse, I am fortunate to have been able to experience a typical day in both the business unit and the kitchen unit. I began attending the business unit five days a week and then decided to divide my time between the kitchen unit and the business unit. Side by Side Clubhouse opens each morning at 8:30 a.m. until 9:15a.m. During the unit meetings, enouncements are made and tasks are assigned for the day. Members generally volunteer for tasks. After the unit meetings, members work until noon, when lunch is served. At 11:30 each morning two members from the business unit collect money from members after the announcement is made. At approximately 1:00 members return to their respective units to continue the workday. The workday at Side by Side officially ends at 3:00.
In the business unit there are many clerical tasks to be done. Answering the phones is an important task since Side by Side is a business and the members are responsible for the day-to-day operations. Members in the business unit gain practice with money handling by collecting lunch money and counting the money before and after the daily collection. Writing thank you letters to people who have made donations to the clubhouse gives members the opportunity to say in their own words how the clubhouse has benefited them. Keeping track of daily attendance is a very important administrative task because accurate attendance tracking is essential for correctly billing, organizations such as Vocational Rehabilitation and Worker’s Comp.

In the kitchen unit members plan and prepare a hot lunch four days out of the week. On Fridays are leftovers available for a reduced price or members may bring their own lunch or buy lunch at a nearby restaurant. This gives the hard working kitchen unit a much deserved break. The kitchen unit prepares a variety of dishes; lunch can be anything from a simple meal of fish sticks to a more elaborate dish such as lasagna. The kitchen unit goes to the grocery store on Friday to purchase food for the coming week. While it may seem like a simple thing, this weekly outing gives members pratice in comparison shopping and visually scanning for items that they are looking for.
By Lia Neel
Clubhouse member

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