Moods were high and smiles were plentiful at the first meeting of a new social club for Brown County’s special needs population earlier this month.

The club, called Sunshine Friends, met for the first time under that name in the basement of Nashville United Methodist Church on March 7 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The first meeting was themed as a Bring Your Favorite Board Game night.

Before the games were played, members of the Sunshine Friends and their loved ones in attendance helped themselves to snacks and refreshments including nuts, cookies, popcorn and juice, while they worked on a craft themed around St. Patrick’s Day.

Two members of the group then stepped up as the night’s stars in a short Bible drama about the story of Moses’ building of the ark.

The group then split up to play their favorite board games for the remainder of the meeting. The games they chose were Sorry! and UNO.

Towards the end, members had the opportunity to express prayer requests or share anything positive going on in their lives.

Lastly, the group sang Happy Birthday for all those who were born in the month of March or earlier.

The environment in the church basement was welcoming and fun. Members laughed and smiled while socializing, snacking and singing.

The idea for Sunshine Friends came from Jenny and Tom Endicott. They, along with their son, Joe, attended a similar program at their Methodist church when they lived in Noblesville.

Last week, Jenny said they missed the group when they moved to the Nashville area in 2021.

“We began going to the Methodist church here, where Randy and Pam Boer are members. We talked about getting a group started for our adult special needs children and I suggested bringing the Sunshine Friends idea here to Nashville,” she said.

“Pastor Mary Cartwright was all over the idea and church members have been so incredibly supportive.”

Before officially starting up Sunshine Friends in Brown County, Jenny said members of the group met a few times to eat and to socialize, but they wanted to make it a more routine thing.

“We met a few times for dinner in town, which was fun for all, but we were more interested in finding a permanent place to meet on a monthly basis,” she said.

“Often times our special needs friends need more structure and a safe place to be comfy and we’re hoping our spot is just right for them.”

Nashville United Methodist Church had all the necessary amenities for a successful first meeting, and Jenny said the group is planning to keep meeting there in future months.

“It is in the basement, but we have an elevator for use,” she said.

“We have a large space to meet, a stage for our fun dramas and a kitchen if need be for snack preparation.”

Themes will be different for each month, according to Jenny. For next month’s meeting, a registered dog trainer, Alice Waltermire, is scheduled to come in and showcase some of the things training dogs can do, and how they are trained to fill specific roles.

In May, the meeting will take the form of a dance party — Jenny said they hope to have a local band come and perform some music for the group.

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Bringing sunshine

Jenny said she wished to bring Sunshine Friends to the Brown County community because of the social interaction element of it, and how that can benefit those nearby with special needs.

“Friends make the world a better place. Our special needs population often does not have an outlet to meet others, and develop friendships. Once the school years are over, they lose the daily interaction of others that they can relate to,” she said.

“Sunshine Friends was created to provide a place for our special needs population to meet and do the things friends do — have fun, laugh, enjoy a snack, sing happy birthday or celebrate other life events that are more fun when we get to do them together.”

Jenny also said she and the others who have helped organize and participate in the group are thankful for the encouragement they have received. She hopes that Brown County’s Sunshine Friends can grow in number, as the need for this sort of social group is great.

“A person can’t have too many friends — they bring sunshine to our lives,” she said.

“We are so encouraged by the many people who have heard about us and are cheering us on. I am thankful to the Nashville community for their open hearts and being supportive to our special needs friends.”