Monroe hoping to start Michigan’s first special needs Exchange Club

Monroe, Michigan: Jasour – News Desk
A 50-year-old woman with special needs in Mooresville, N.C., said the Able and Ready Exchange Club saved her life. “It gave her purpose and an extended family. She is very enthusiastic,’’ said Julie Harman, a member of Exchange Club of Monroe and the regional vice president for the National Exchange Club’s Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and Michigan region.

Mooresville’s Able and Ready is a new Exchange Club concept geared toward people with developmental disabilities, although anyone can join. There are just a handful of the special needs club in the country, and some go by different names. The Exchange Club of Monroe’s Harman and Don Spencer want to bring an Able and Ready club to Monroe. It will be the first such club in Michigan and just the fifth in the country.

Monroe’s Able and Ready could start in the spring. An hour-long informational meeting is set for 6 p.m. Nov. 12 in the Michael Newman Community Room at Monroe Community Credit Union, 715 N. Telegraph Road in Monroe. Potential members and mentors are welcome.

“This is the first informational meeting, so we are just reaching out to talk about Exchange and to determine interest,” Spencer said. “We want to speak with those community members with and without developmental disabilities who are interested in making our community more inclusive and a better place to live for everyone. I want to emphasize that this club is open to those with disabilities and those who are non-disabled. We will need mentors, but the club members with disabilities will drive the club leadership and activities.”

Spencer is a retired Monroe County Intermediate School District superintendent and a former special education director and teacher in Monroe County. He also is president of the Michigan District Exchange Clubs. He learned about special needs Exchange Clubs about a year ago. “I became aware of this model through the National Exchange Club. It is a trend that is gaining momentum,” Spencer said. “I have been speaking with the Exchange Club of Mooresville, North Carolina and recently saw a presentation by the Clark County, Ohio Tigers Exchange Club. I also will be reaching out to the club in Texas.”

The North Carolina club started two years ago and already received a national award for its work, Harman said. According to posts on the club’s Facebook page, members have been involved with projects like making Valentine cards for nursing home residents, bingo games and bowling. Spencer has a lot of plans for the Monroe club.

People with disabilities already contribute to our community in many ways. This is simply opening another door for our citizens,” Spencer said. “I foresee this Exchange Club partnering with other organizations that serve veterans and first responders, promoting the prevention of child abuse, handing out flags at community events and volunteering to help support local charities, just like other Exchange Clubs. We are looking to possibly partner with other organizations that serve people with disabilities, such as MON-ARC, Special Olympics, Goodwill, the Intermediate School District, United Way and Community Mental Health.