This year marks the 50th anniversary of Sacramento County’s
Therapeutic Recreation Services (TRS) Division, making February’s Recreation Therapy Month even more special. For five decades, TRS has been dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities through meaningful and inclusive recreational programs. Recreation Therapy utilizes leisure activities to improve physical, cognitive, emotional and social well-being, helping participants build skills, confidence and lasting connections.
As TRS celebrates this milestone, we recognize the incredible impact of its programs and the passionate professionals who make them possible. This month, we are highlighting some of the dedicated team members behind TRS and the invaluable work they do to create opportunities for independence, growth, and joy.
Meet Our TRS Staff
Jenn Wilson-Marchino, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
"I have been with TRS for 30 years! I feel like my job is to create programs that provide opportunities for people with disabilities to be their most independent and to live their most fulfilled lives. It is super important to me that our participants get to make friends and experience things that make life worth living!
"I do what I do because it brings me so much joy to see our participants try new things, blossom socially, expand their horizons and just enjoy life! I get tremendous pride from knowing that we work hard to create an environment of acceptance and joy that our families trust us to care for their loved ones."
Liz Koewler, Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
"I have been with TRS off and on since 2014. My job is to plan, implement and assess for the future all the programs that we come up with for our participants, which include things like cooking classes, trips, sports and special events.
"My older sister is the reason I do what I do. She was born with several disabilities and she kind of set me down this path. I’ve always been a caretaker and in college, I initially began as a pre-nursing major but that just wasn’t for me. During one of my nursing classes, we had someone come to talk about recreation therapy and that just felt like the right path for me so I changed majors and never looked back. I love the work that we do at TRS."
Eric Bodas, Recreation Leader
"I have been with TRS off and on for about seven years, starting in 2015. My role is to basically support planning and implementing the programs we provide for our participants. I feel like a big part of my job is to acquire whatever random skills are necessary to keep programs running – I’m a bit of a fixer, I always find a way to make things work.
"I do this job because I find it rewarding. I really enjoy watching our participants grow and overcome situations they find challenging. I have a very clear picture of a baseball road trip we went on where we had two participants who didn’t know each other at all before the trip and by the end of day two, they were absolutely best friends. They were telling each other stories and laughing so hard they cried – it was so fun to watch these two strangers grow so close, and they are still close to this day."
In addition to the staff members highlighted above, TRS has 9 other staff members and an army of volunteers.
Here are some fun facts about the TRS Staff:
- Five staff members are Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists
- Two more have completed their BS in Recreation Therapy but are not yet certified
- One Recreation Therapist is a full-time student
- Four staff members are professionals in different fields but love to spend their extra time working with our wonderful participants and call TRS their “happy place” for a second job
- Six staff members have been working with TRS for well over 10 years, including two of at 25 and 30 years
- All Recreation Therapy staff were educated at Sac State (Stingers up!)
Throughout February, we encourage the community to learn more about the benefits of recreational therapy and support programs that make a difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities. TRS remains committed to fostering inclusion, connection, and personal growth through its dynamic and impactful programs.
