Unicorn Connection Club Plays BINGO
with ​The Brennity of Vero Beach
October 8, 2020

The Unicorn Children’s Foundation offers a weekly Connection Club for individuals with special needs. Connection Club is for teens and adults looking for fun and interactive ways to connect with friends. The group created their own greeting cards and became Pen Pals with senior residents at The Brennity of Vero Beach.  Because many of the club participants expressed interest in meeting their Pen Pals, the organizations hosted a virtual meet and greet BINGO game.

During COVID, isolation has had a dramatic effect on mental health in both Special Needs and Elderly populations.  Friendships are one of the most important factors influencing a person’s quality of life and influence both mental and physical health; however, research has shown that for many people with disabilities, significant interpersonal relationships are rare or non-existent, which contributes significantly to rates of depression, anxiety, and challenging behavior (‘I Get by with a Little Help from my Friends’: Adults with Intellectual Disability Discuss Loneliness, McVilly et al., 2006).