This year has been wonderful as we celebrated our 25th anniversary! It is so difficult to capture all that we have been celebrating but here’s just a sample for you.
In 25 years:
- We have never turned away a child because of having a specific disability—children with a variety of disabilities are accepted into our programs –all children are accepted.
- We have never turned away a family because of financial limitations—we provide scholarships to families in nee.
- We have created programs because of families expressing a need for their children who have challenges.
- We have provided meaningful internship opportunities for undergraduate students studying social work, special education, speech therapy, physical and occupational therapy, recreational therapy, psychology, and music therapy.
- High school students have volunteered as “buddies” and are positive role models for our participants, resulting in breaking down barriers and creating connections and relationships among people of all abilities and disabilities.
- We have partnered with a considerable number of non-profit organizations, having our older participants (ages 13-21) volunteer and make a difference in the lives of others, rather than always being seen as recipients of services, in our Acts of Kindness program.
- We serve families from 7 different counties in central PA.
- We have always expanded the ages of our participants (now serving participants over the age of 21!) to continue to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities and will continue to do so moving forward.
The list can go on and on. There are so many memories to cherish along with so many families and staff. Our donors are the ones who we embrace because as a result of this support, we have been able to exist for 25 years and do what we have done!
As we end 2023, we feel most fortunate to have had such community support. Our theme for 2024 is “Building beyond the building”. It is our goal to expand our programs as there continues to be a tremendous need for recreational programs for individuals with challenges, focusing on socialization and communication.
Thank you for being a part of our journey for the first 25 years. We hope you will continue this journey with us for the next 25 years!
Throughout this year we celebrated some of the important programs, partnerships, and events that have been integral parts of our 25-year history at Aaron’s Acres on our blog.
If you missed any of these 25th anniversary blog posts, click below!
Volley for Kids (VFK) & Annual Golf Tournament
