Aaron’s Acres’ Ongoing Commitment to Providing These Essential Resources

Since the creation of our organization, we have been committed to supporting our families through providing meaningful programs to their children as well as sharing resources to support and assist our families through their journey of caring for their loved ones. Years ago, a parent shared the following: “Raising my child who has a disability is not the challenging part as much as figuring out what resources are out there that I can tap into in order to support my child.” At Aaron’s Acres, we have always wanted to address that statement and share pertinent resources with our families. 

In raising a child with varying disabilities, caregivers need to understand what services are available for them within the school setting as well as what financial benefits their children might qualify for through county, state and federal entities. In addition, there might be therapeutic services that would help their loved ones (physical, occupational, speech, and recreational). All of this information can be overwhelming, and the challenge might be where to start and how to start exploring all of these potential services. Our organization believes in supporting the familial unit beyond just sharing information about our recreational programs. The overall mental health of each member of the family is one of our priorities as we want to help them navigate all of these systems. 

Having virtual and in-person seminars has been a constant within our organization. We have invited professionals from the community to speak about a variety of topics over the years, covering the following areas: financial planning, advocating for your child within the school system, how to manage your teenager as he/she goes through puberty, how to take care of yourself and prevent caregiver burnout, how to connect with other organizations to create meaningful experiences for your child and for you, and how do you begin to plan for after high school graduation. 

In addition to providing these informational seminars, we have had several Resource Fairs, inviting other organizations to attend and provide information about their services. We are excited to host a Community Resource Fair & Family Fun Event scheduled for Saturday, August 24th from 10:00-12:00 at Manor Church in Mountville (530 Central Manor Road). It is a family fun day, focusing on wellness.  There will be approximately 20 organizations in attendance (promoting programs for those who are typical as well as for those who have disabilities). Two food trucks, entertainment, a bounce house and carnival games will be available to all at no charge. Daniel’s Den accessible playground is also located on site for all to enjoy.

Our goal is to create a safe place for families to attend, enjoy entertainment and fun while obtaining pertinent information about community resources for their families, focusing on general health and wellness. 

When raising a child, regardless of having a disability or not, there is an expression that states that, “it takes a village.” At Aaron’s Acres, we want to help build that village and create new connections and relationships for families which will strengthen them as well as the entire community. We hope to see you at our event on August 24th. For more information, visit our website, www.aaronsacres.org or contact Kate Mullen, our Director of Development and Community Outreach at katemullen@aaronsacres.org or at 717-917-6101, ext. 105.