Meet Kyle and Marcos – The Heroes Helping Adaptive Design and your Animal Shelter!
Anderson Community Heroes Kyle and Marcos arrive at Adaptive Design Hudson Valley located in historic Kingston, New York. Greg Dette, Cofounder of the organization, warmly welcomes everyone who came to volunteer. Both Kyle and Marcos are eager to start and immediately grab all the tools they need.
Today, they are making cat scratch boxes which will be donated to the Dutchess County SPCA.
Adaptive Design Hudson Valley is a multifaceted organization which works with volunteers and paid staff to create inclusive opportunities and adaptive devices that enhance the life of people in our community. Each device utilizes materials that are designed to withstand but are also easy for volunteers to work with.
Marcos grabs a T-Square ruler and begins to measure strips of cardboard. With precision, he measures and marks 7.75 by 2 inches on each strip. He then cuts the corrugated cardboard using a box cutter. These will be used to create the sturdy interior of the cat scratcher.
“I feel good about myself helping others” Marcos said with a big smile on his face. He knows that his hard work today will have a direct impact on his community.
Hanna Fisher, an instructor, helps Kyle on a challenging step – adding in the final pieces into the cat scratcher. “It can be a tight fit” Hanna mentions to Kyle. The cat scratchers need to be packed tightly so the cardboard pieces don’t fall out when a cat uses it.
“Helping makes me smile…and it makes other people smile too!” Kyle says when asked about why he helps out. He emphasized that when a person smiles, it makes the world a better place.
When asked about both Kyle and Marcos’ devotion, Mr. Dette stated “Kyle and Marcos are valuable team members at Adaptive Design, consistently contributing to our production efforts. Their expertise and reliability have significantly enhanced our output of cat scratch boxes (donated to the SPCA), weighted boxes (donated to Anderson Center Rehabilitation), and garden stools (also for Anderson). Kyle excels as an assembler, efficiently performing his gluing tasks in groups of three, which accelerates the workflow… Their commitment to accuracy is essential to our success.”
Adaptive Design Hudson Valley seeks to create devices that solve accessibility issues within the community. It does so with the help of individuals who may be occupationally disadvantaged. These devices include arm rests, seat inserts for children’s posture support for extended learning days, wheelchair trays, tablet table holders, and more.
To discover how you can be a community hero like Kyle and Marcos, visit Adaptive Design Hudson Valley’s Website.
You too can be an Anderson Community Hero!
Consider a donation with us today to help us fund programs like these to better our community. Together, we can make the world a better place!