December 2-30, 2021

Eric Dwinnells has worked with adults with developmental differences at Advocates Life Skills and Learning Center in Ashland, MA since 1999. For the past several years, he has been the Senior Case Manager for the Community Based Day Services (CBDS) PROGRAM. The CBDS program is dedicated to exploring the abilities and interest of program participants with a special focus on helping them develop skills to attain gainful employment and become fully participatory members of their community. When not exploring the community, program participants stay onsite working on various skills including arts and crafts. Because masks are still required at the Life Skills and Learning Center, Eric thought it might be interesting and fun for the CBDS group to learn about how and why different cultures from around the world wore masks and to try to re-create some themselves. Each individual was assigned a culture to research and a mask to attempt to recreate. Working mostly in paper mache, it took several months to make masks for each participant, but the CBDS program worked together to create over 20 masks representing diverse cultures from many different eras.

About Advocates

Advocates champions people who face developmental, mental health, or other life challenges. We partner with individuals and families to shape creative solutions to even the greatest obstacles. First, we listen. Then, together, we do what it takes to help people thrive.

Advocates provides a broad range of services for people facing life challenges such as aging, autism, brain injury, intellectual disabilities, substance use disorders, and serious mental health conditions. With Advocates’ help, thousands of individuals and families living in Massachusetts are finding the supports they need to lead healthy, productive, and rewarding lives.    www.Advocates.org