NDA Celebrates the Holidays
Dec. 21, 2007 — National Deaf Academy has been very busy with activities to ensure our residents a warm and caring environment during this holiday season, a time when it may be more difficult for residents to be away from home.
While our residents predominately celebrate Christmas, we accommodate all beliefs and celebrations. Recently, NDA invited a Rabbi who signs to visit and share with the residents and staff the history of Hanukkah. Additionally, the Charter School educates residents on the many different celebrations of the season.
The staff assists residents in decorating the campus and activities are planned specific to the season. This year, in the theme of giving, the Recreational Therapy Department coordinated a can drive. Residents created posters to hang throughout the campus encouraging staff to donate can goods which they boxed up and delivered to a local area food bank. Residents were also given the opportunity to buy gifts with points earned for their behavior. They were able to send their gifts home to family members, give them to staff or to a peer here at NDA. The residents also wrote letters to soldiers in Iraq wishing them happy holidays and thanking them for their service.
"The month of December is a very festive time at NDA as we celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. Residents and staff alike participate in a celebration of sharing and giving which makes a happy holiday season for all involved," said Stephen Fahey, CEO.
One of the favorite and most anticipated traditions at National Deaf Academy is the annual holiday luncheon. During this event, staff from all departments, donning Santa hats, serve the residents a special lunch, including desserts prepared by the staff themselves. The staff worked diligently to make this event as special as possible for NDA's residents and give them the feeling of a home cooked holiday dinner.
Despite all the efforts made at NDA to provide residents with an enjoyable holiday season, it can still be hard on both the residents and their families to be apart. We encourage families to call, send cards and gifts and visit. Additionally, residents have access to video phones so they can have that important connection with their families during the holiday season and all year long.
National Deaf Academy, located in Mount Dora, Fla., is a residential treatment center serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing children, adolescents and adults with a wide range of psychiatric and behavioral issues. NDA also has a specialized program dedicated to autistic individuals with communication disorders.