Connecting Community, Non Profits and our Children
Last weekend, January 24, 2016, JAFCO in partnership with Florida’s Voice on Developmental Disabilities (FVDD) hosted a Sunday in the Park: An Afternoon Tea. The event was well-attended at the Children’s Ability Center, a resource, and respite center for children and families with special needs. The purpose of the event was to have a ceremony to dedicate the FVDD Butterfly Garden at JAFCO’s Children’s Ability Center.
Not only does the Ability Center offer families a safe, caring and therapeutic place for their children with developmental disabilities to feel welcomed, they also offer information, training, and support to help families better understand and deal with their child’s diagnosis. Back in 2011 when the Ability Center was in the planning stages, FVDD, a 501C3 organization, stepped up to help JAFCO’s non-profit by making a very generous donation of $36,000. At that time, I was on the board of directors of FVDD. Through generous donations, such as the donation made by FVDD, the Children’s Ability Center can put together various programs such as its Incredible Social Experience, Parent Evening Out, Summer Camp Kehilla, and support groups for Moms, Dads, and even Grandparents.
During the ceremony, Dr. Debby Corliss, a parent who uses the center, shared her thoughts, feelings and experiences for guests to understand what it is like to almost walk in her shoes. Dr. Corliss, who has a 10-year-old non-verbal son diagnosed with Autism, Epilepsy, and Angelman’s Syndrome, remembered back to her first memory of the Ability Center. “I knew during my initial introduction when Dr. Sandy Rizzo brought me on a personal tour, and the hair stood up on my arms with goosebumps as we walked from room to room. It was then that I knew in my heart that JAFCO was the perfect find for Joshua, me and my family.” She went on to explain how comfortable she feels at the Ability Center and how extremely excited her son is to be a part of everything the center offers.
I have served on the JAFCO Children’s Ability Center’s Advisory Committee for the past several years and feel proud to be associated with the wonderful programs and support the families I work with have available to them right here in Broward County.
In addition to the ceremony, guests had the opportunity to participate in guided tours of the beautiful, inviting campus. The Children’s Ability Center is centrally located in the heart of Broward County and offers services to Florida families who have a family member (birth through 22) with a developmental disability. Those interested in learning more about JAFCO’s Children’s Ability Center located at 5100 North Nob Hill Road in Sunrise, can go on-line to www.jafco.org/events/ or call 954-315-7033. It is a great way to learn more about the center, including its programs, services and volunteer opportunities. If you have any questions for me about JAFCO Children’s Ability Center, just let me know!
