Easterseals haunted house to raise funds for special needs programs
Oct. 18—Easterseals Superior California of Yuba City will be hosting its first haunted house next week since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Organizers are very excited to bring this program back, not just for the public but for the creative clientele they serve.
"Our primary goal is to give the community awareness that we have a program here for people with special needs and to integrate the clients into the local art community," said Julie Kennard, Easterseals fine arts coordinator for the past 23 years. "They get to make all the props and drops with assistance from the staff that work here, and they get to be part of the volunteer group of performers."
Easterseals is a nationwide nonprofit organization with 73 locations across the country, including four international partners in Australia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada. Its mission is to empower people with disabilities by offering a wide range of services and leadership opportunities designed to encourage maximum independence.
In some cases, this can be as simple as learning to make friends or going on supervised shopping errands to practice money management and everyday social interactions.
"It's about helping them become functional members of society," said Jerry Jarrett, an individual success coordinator and a director of the Easterseals performing arts program. "We're not a daycare, we're a rehabilitation program. ... You learn some dark truths about people with disabilities from working with them. You learn that they don't have a lot going on in their lives, their food is regulated, their clothes are regulated, their bathing is regulated, everything. They can become very isolated from the world, so they really look forward to these outings and events."
According to Jarrett, some of the most common goals his adult clients set include behavioral skills, navigating social situations, and becoming more involved with art. Each year, many of the clients' artwork gets submitted to the Yuba-Sutter Fair and a number of them have won first place without the judges even knowing about an individual's disability.
Jarrett has worked with Easterseals for over seven years and is a diehard "Halloweenist." His love for the macabre began around the age of 11 and his passion for haunted houses is what first brought him to Easterseals.
"I had learned that they were doing a haunted house and I asked if I could volunteer, which eventually led to me applying for a job," said Jarrett. "Over the years, my clients have become like family and I look forward to seeing them every week."
During this time, Jarrett has either participated in or helped organize almost all of the local haunted houses including those hosted at the Packard Library in Marysville and the Teegarden Event Center in Yuba City. He even helped create a local independent production company known as Slashergeist Studios, which is billed as the co-sponsor of Easterseals' upcoming Carnival of Carnage.
"This will be our first one back in three years," said Jarrett. "The theme or backstory is supposed to be a carnival that was 20 years ago. The carnival was here but closed down after people went missing. Now it's returned and the question is, 'is it the same carnival or has something more sinister taken over?'"
This event specifically focuses on Easterseals ACE-IT III branch which offers specialized Adult Day Services with unique training opportunities and programs. Carnival of Carnage has been set up inside the Easterseals art studio located at 1670 Sierra Ave., Suite 401, in Yuba City.
"There's going to be a lot of hand-made props, glow paint, draping, and stuff like that," explained Kennard. "And many will be dressing up like clowns."
Staff and community volunteers will also be included in the cast and organizers view this as a unique opportunity for their clients to engage with the public and boost their own self-confidence. General admission costs $5 per person and all proceeds get donated back toward supporting Easterseals and its various programs, such as art classes, talent shows, and of course the annual haunted house.
Carnival of Carnage will open on Oct. 23 and will run through Halloween night. Daytime hours will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon from Oct. 23 to Oct. 27 and is geared toward families, children, schools and those who prefer a calmer experience with opportunities to have a personally catered tour. Nighttime sessions are for those who love a good spook and will be held from 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 26, and 6-9:30 p.m. from Oct. 27 through Oct. 31.
For more information, contact Jarrett at 530-673-4585.
