By Sue Moore
If you happen to see painted rocks with happy faces around Vicksburg, Virginia Shaw asks you to admire them or even pick them up to put elsewhere around town. She asked the Village Council for approval to allow adults with disabilities from South County Community Services (SCCS) to paint and place these “feel good” rocks where people can admire them.
Her 16 charges, the Wednesday Winners, gather each week to have a meal that Shaw’s volunteers prepare and to learn new skills as part of their continuing education. They range in age from teens to seniors with different levels of capabilities. Shaw is assisted by Nancy Harper, Carol LaFrance, Delma Pelikan, Nancy Visel, Sharon Lints, Sue Kennedy, Aurelia Reed, Meg Christenson and Lorna Landrum.
The group has become like a family with the volunteers helping each week with crafts and games. It gives the people an opportunity to get out for an enjoyable and enriching experience, Shaw said. “We are all just a little bit goofy.” They meet from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. each week in the Taylor room of Vicksburg United Methodist Church.