Community: BCR's music room gets new look

Apartnership between a community leadership group and BCR “a place to grow” has resulted in a spiffy renovation of BCR's music and exercise room.

Thirteen participants in the Burbank Neighborhood Leadership Program raised funds to complete the makeover, which included patching holes in the walls, adding a chair rail and painting the walls. Members also updated the soundproof covers and purchased exercise equipment, yoga balls, a sound system, exercise mats, a flat-screen TV and Wii system that will lead BRC clients in exercise inside when it is too hot to exercise outdoors during the summer.

BCR is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation that began in 1963 and provides day activities and extended day care programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Four groups use the room on a rotating basis every day, said Lonna Dunson, BCR executive director. They exercise, listen to music played on the piano and rehearse for their annual holiday program in the room.

“The leadership class did so much more than we ever dreamed of,” Dunson said. “They were resourceful in knowing who to contact to get things done, were efficient, and are just nice people to work with.”

Maria Diliberto, program supervisor at BCR, thought the change was “fabulous,” she said.

“I think that the clients always deserve the best,” she said. “And the more they are able to do here, the more self-confidence they have going out into the community.”

The leadership program is part of the Connect with Your Community Initiative and Burbank's Park, Recreation and Community Services Department. Participants meet once a week for educational workshops starting in January. They must complete one community project during their semester, said Viviana Ardila, community resources coordinator with the city of Burbank and supervisor of the leadership class. They graduate in June.

The group raised $2,300 with two events, said project chair Elle Fernandez. They had a coffee and doughnut sale and a Picnic Around the World in which members cooked a special dish that represented the country they were from originally. They sold tickets to family and friends. They also raised more than $1,600 in in-kind donations of labor and materials.

For more information on the Burbank Neighborhood Leadership Program, call Viviana Ardila at (818) 238-5322. To contact BCR, call (818) 843-4907.

Pavelka scholarships presented