This time of year is filled with holiday cheer! As we celebrate, it’s important to keep our friends and family members with disabilities in mind. The holiday season brings lots of fun, but may also offer certain challenges.
As a community, we want to do our best to make sure everyone feels safe, comfortable and enjoys the festivities. For both children and adults with disabilities, a little bit of planning and empathy can go a long way.
Vandal Truong, SOAR365’s Director of Adult Day Support and Youth Services, has compiled a list of 10 do’s and don’ts to keep in mind, so that everyone can share in the holiday spirit.
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Making Chesterfield County (Even More) Beautiful |
Last month, SOAR365 grounds maintenance crews completed two beautification projects in Chesterfield … and we’ve received so many compliments from our customers and from community members.
One of our grounds maintenance crews transformed a section of Route 1 near the Defense Supply Center Richmond, which involved 263 perennials, 70 shrubs, 100 yards of mulch, 28 yards of topsoil and ¼ acre of sod.
Several other grounds maintenance crews recently joined Chesterfield’s Department of Community Enhancement and Keep Chesterfield Beautiful team on the Ettrick–College Park Community Cleanup. This community cleaning project served 177 homes for debris and junk removal. Our teams removed and disposed of 6.78 tons of unwanted debris!
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In September, a team from SOAR365’s Business Solutions department attended the SourceAmerica Grassroots Advocacy Conference to advocate on Capitol Hill for better employment opportunities for people with disabilities. SOAR365 was represented by Leroy Stanford, supervisor of the visitor center at the Defense Supply Center Richmond military base, Trent McFadden, Assistant VP of Business Solutions’ AbilityOne Business Line, and Camille Jackman, Business Operations Analyst.
Leroy explains: “My role on the SOAR365 team was explaining what AbilityOne means to me, and how it has made a difference in my life as a person working with a disability.”
All the conference advocates met with politicians to discuss key issues, including growth for AbilityOne contracts and Social Security Income Reform (SSI). The goal of the conference was to personalize these issues for members of Congress so they could better understand how they affect people with disabilities in their home state or districts.
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Generous Holiday Volunteers |
Two wonderful corporate volunteer teams from Altria recently made a big impact on our programs. One team created 250 “winter party in a bag” celebration bags for our Pediatric Therapy department children. The bags included holiday crafts, books, games, and more, which our pediatric therapists delivered to each family’s home. A second Altria team built 10 Adirondack chairs for Camp Baker, which will come in handy year-round as our Adult Day Support participants and their families enjoy time outdoors at camp.
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It’s official – PARK365 is one of the top 100 things to do in Richmond! In Annie Tobey`s new book, 100 Things to Do in Richmond Before You Die, she includes an easy-to-use guide to attractions, hidden gems and tips to help readers enjoy their time in Richmond... and PARK365 is on the list!
PARK365 is an inclusive, accessible park that offers children and adults with or without disabilities an area to play together, learn and build friendships.
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Offices closed for the holidays*
Dec. 25-26, 2023 &
January 1, 2024
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Offices closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day*
January 15, 2024
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*Includes in-office programming |
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Nafeesah is a participant in SOAR365’s Youth Services program, and she and her mom take a minute to share about how important the Youth Services program is to them. We love hearing about how much Nafeesah has grown and accomplished … and what’s ahead for her! |
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