At Pine Tree Society’s Community Services, new abilities are discovered every day. While adults with disabilities often experience isolation and the feeling of being alone, at Pine Tree Society Community Services they are part of a supportive family.

Twenty-eight people are enrolled in the program and attend on different days.  The program is designed to serve people diagnosed with developmental disability, traumatic brain injury and Autism.  Our participants travel from Cumberland and York counties.  Some rely on public transportation and one participant even drives herself in.  The program’s foundation is built upon functional daily life skills to ensure the participants have the skills necessary to be as self-reliant as individually possible.

Community Services is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Our staffing ratio is three participants to one staff person.  Our participants are teachers as each person has skills they can share with their peers.  The staff members provide support as necessary, but encourage the participants to be the leaders of the program. 

Many different community and center-based events are offered each day.  On Mondays and Fridays, we offer a participant led walking group at the Maine Mall.  On Fridays, we offer a participant led swimming group at the South Portland Recreational Center.  Every Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, our participants relax with hour-long yoga and Tai-Chi sessions led by professional instructors. 

Our program weeks are broken down into small group sessions which focus on learning functional life skills necessary to become self-reliant.  The program has three groups which meet three times a week to focus on individualized goals.  Currently, the program has a cooking group, a fine motor skills/arts group and a money matters group.  Each group has seven participants supported by two staff members.  Whether it’s following a recipe, making change for a dollar or visiting the local planetarium, the participants are guaranteed to be active during the day.  Each activity has a foundation for learning and also for developing friendships with their peers.

If you are interested in visiting the program, please feel free to contact Joe Pannozzo at (207) 386-5952 or jpannozzo@pinetreesociety.org.  The program is located at 51 US Route 1, Scarborough.  Our participants are always willing to make a visitor feel welcome as soon as they walk through our door.