PFI NORTH is a program of Phoenix Frontier, Inc. and has been providing day in Niagara County since 2002. Our location is in Niagara County in the town of Wheatfield near the Erie County /Niagara County border one block from Niagara Falls Boulevard. Although we are a OPWDD (Office of People with Developmental Disabilities) certified site, our program operates as a day habilitation without walls, meaning we are in the community most of the day. Individuals who attend our program may live in Erie or Niagara County.
OUR SERVICES: Program participants choose their activities in PFI-North based on their interests. Therefore, the volunteer opportunities and other activities correspond to the interests of the individual. If a person has a desire to do a certain activity, every attempt will be made to develop opportunities in that area of interest. They will also be encouraged to try different activities in order to make choices based on their own experiences. Throughout these activities life skills are taught: social skills, basic education, including arithmetic and reading, problem solving, and money management.
OUR GOAL is to achieve excellence in our purpose; empowering those living with developmental disabilities to be a part of their communities as independent and confident people, and to help ALL people, both in the program and in the community, to recognize how any accomplishment, from any person, is a great contribution to shaping their own lives, as well as the communities they live in. Quoting one of the program participants, "I like coming to PFI, it gives me the opportunity to go places and hang out with my friends." Monica (another program participant says "I have been a part of PFI North for 10 years, I love it here and the staff."
OUR PROGRAM is based on the idea that people learn most when they do things they enjoy. Since the program's foundation is essentially the program participants themselves, they are able to give their ideas, input, and feedback at monthly participant meetings. This gives them the opportunity to build the monthly scheduled activities based on individual and group interest. Involvement in new activities and "stepping outside the box" is encouraged, in order to promote continuous growth in independence, finding individuality, and becoming comfortable with taking on new experiences.
WITHIN EVERY activity offered, life skills are continuously, but subtly, being taught. The activities schedule is provided in advance, and reviewed one on one with each individual. Although most activities do not require payment to participate, some do involve a minimal fee.
SOME ACTIVITIES that have been selected in the past include, but are not limited to:
* Community volunteering
* Shopping
* Computer classes
* Fitness & nutrition
* Dining out
* Cooking Class (meal, baking, candy making etc.)
* Field trips (museums, art galleries, Amish country, County Fair, etc)
* Music appreciation
* Animals (Equistar Horse Stable, SPCA, etc)
* Arts and crafts
* Picnics/monthly birthday celebrations/ holiday parties
* Recreation (golf, bowling, swimming, WII, etc)
* Gardening/Nature involvement
* Many other exciting activities
PROGRAM HOURS are Monday through Friday. Individuals are picked up between 8:00 am and 9:00 am and are returned home between the hours of 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
ELIGIBILITY: Approved participants must be OPWDD (Office of People with Disabilties) Medicaid eligible for waiver services, as well as transitioning or already out of high school. Individuals may live in either Erie or Niagara County.