Burlington Helping Burlington gives over $5K to Woodview's sensory room

Woodview Mental Health and Autism Services has experienced an early holiday miracle.

Workers have been trying to raise $22,000 to renovate Woodview’s sensory room, which is regularly used by 80 learners. On Friday, volunteers from Burlington Helping Burlington (BHB) pushed them past that goal using an oversized novelty cheque. 

“Tonight, Woodview received an extraordinary surprise. Julie Neal from Burlington Helping Burlington organized a surprise donation event that left us speechless and even a bit teary-eyed,” said Michelle Bake-Murphy, communications and fundraising coordinator at Woodview.

“I had only been expecting a visit from two BHB representatives who had mentioned they wanted to make a small contribution to our sensory room project.”

Neal couldn't attend in person, but her colleagues at Burlington Helping Burlington were sure to include her in their messages. 

The sensory room was renovated only a few years ago, and once again is in need of TLC. The amount of traffic it gets, coupled with the needs of the learners means the room is subject to some harsh times. Flooring is ripped up, the ball pit is nearly empty, and it needs a fresh coat of paint. 

“This means we can get to work right away on revitalizing the sensory room,” said Bake-Murphy. “It means the autistic children and youth that we serve will get the beautiful and functional sensory room that they deserve, sooner.”

Burlington Helping Burlington, along with donors from Ryerson Steel and AB Sports Bar, collected the funds and surprised Bake-Murphy and Ashley Silva, program manager at Woodview, who were still there at 6 p.m. on Friday. 

“Julie Neal, one of my partners in Burlington Helping Burlington, came out to visit the facility last week and was touched by the fact they were only $5,200 shy of meeting their goal,” said Sean Campbell, one of the organizers. 

The sensory room is key for learners at Woodview as children with autism require self-soothing, said Burlington Helping Burlington organizer Gus Loukas. 

“They’ll be rubbing their arms, hugging themselves, and touching all sorts of textures,” Loukas said. “But they’ll also cover their eyes and ears to lights and sounds. I’ve found the care that my son has been getting has made him less sensitive to jarring noises, to the point where he doesn’t need to remove himself from being social with other kids.”

Loukas’ son is three years old, and non-verbal. He doesn't attend Woodview, but rather another centre with similar care. 

“When I heard that Woodview was renovating this room, I said this is fantastic,” Loukas said. “I know people in a similar situation as myself who have built sensory rooms in their own homes in small closets, with carpet on the wall and dim lights, just to get their kids to calm down.”