A group of over 30 young adults, advisors and alumni from Our Place enjoyed a therapeutic field trip last week, traveling out to Long Island for an evening of paintball.

The trip was part of Our Place’s extra-curricular program, which arranges multiple annual outings under the direction of Rabbi Steve Moskowitz, a dynamic and well loved teacher from the Five Towns who is known for his unique and innovative programs and has recently joined the staff at Our Place.

“I am very exciting to be working with Our Place and to have the opportunity to help the many boys and girls at Our Place realize their fullest potential,” said Rabbi Moskowitz.

The excursion took place at Island Paintball in West Babylon. As paint balls exploded everywhere, the Our Place group, which also included clinical director Sony Pearlman, spent the evening strategizing, loading and reloading their weapons and taking the occasional snack break. In addition to providing participants with an evening of exhilaration and fun, the paintballing trip was a golden opportunity to build camaraderie and to strengthen team building skills as participants worked together to win each subsequent round.

“One of the boys approached me and told me that this was the best trip he has ever taken,” reported Rabbi Moskowitz.

Our Place fields sixteen outings each year, with eight trips each for boys and girls groups.

“The bonding that can take place on a trip or on an overnight is a powerful experience,” said Rabbi Aryeh Young, executive director at Our Place. “While we accomplish so much at our drop-in centers, the emotional ramifications of an event like this are infinitely more intense and are a crucial part of our program.”

To find out more about Our Place, visit them online at www.ourplaceny.com.