You Don't Want to Miss...
We hope and pray you all fared well from Hurricane Milton. In the midst of the challenges, we have been inspired by the resilience of our community as everyone gets back to work. And that’s what we’re doing too…
On Saturday, November 9th, Grace Community Church will be hosting our 1st Annual Stride to Thrive - a family friendly fundraising walk benefiting our innovative Work & Enrichment Program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This 1-mile walk will begin at 9 a.m. and is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. The walk will start in Grace’s parking lot and end there with a Family Fun Fest including food trucks, music by DJ Mike, a bounce house, yard games, Marty the Marauder, a hitting station, face painting, vendor & non-profit booths, the chance to win some great prizes - and a special performance by our very own Suncoast STARS that you don’t want to miss! 😊 Bring your family, friends and neighbors!
Register Here: Suncoast Stars Stride to Thrive (runsignup.com)
Here’s Why You Should…
At Suncoast STARS Community we are working tirelessly to give adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities opportunities to develop their God-given potential and experience a sense of purpose in a place where their limitations are understood and accepted, and every accomplishment is celebrated.
Here are some of the opportunities we make possible for our STARS…
Our Work & Enrichment Program
We recognize that our STARS thrive in a well-structured environment with regular routines, stimulating activities and positive peer support. Our days are filled with classes such as improv, chair Pilates, book club (recently the biographies of Louis Braille and Simone Biles), dance, life skills, Bible study (and Bible Jeopardy!), sports talk, fire safety, dance and lots of fun fitness and nutrition challenges. Do YOU know how many grams of protein you eat every day?
In addition to our enrichment classes, we are continuing to develop our own business enterprises so our STARS can enjoy meaningful productive work in a place where they can be successful. This past summer we made the decision to suspend bakery operations to focus all our energies on our greeting card studio where all our STARS can participate in production. We have been refining our processes and working to improve our techniques and our efforts are paying off.
Our STARS are involved in paper selection, cutting, punching shapes, stamping messages, assembly, gluing and packaging - none of which are simple tasks for folks who struggle with fine motor skills, motor planning and coordination. Not only is the quality of our cards improving, but our processes are also becoming more efficient and, best of all, our STARS are enjoying a sense of pride in their accomplishments. Stay tuned as we plan to officially launch and make our cards available for sale in early 2025.
We are so grateful to the Tabernacle Church for hosting our Work & Enrichment Program and making these opportunities possible for our STARS!
Club 21
On Friday, July 19th, Grace Community Church graciously opened their home to host Suncoast STARS’ pilot social and recreation program, “Club 21”, designed to give our STARS a weekend evening out with friends in a safe and supported setting. Volunteers from Grace’s Exchange Ministry (their 20s & 30s group) supported our STARS as they spent the evening playing games and practicing dance moves. The evening ended with a devotion and time of worship. The excitement and energy in the room was invigorating! It’s amazing what a couple of hours of kindness can do to the soul. In the words of one of our STARS, “It was spectacular!”
Given the success of our pilot program, we are working on plans to offer Club 21 on a regular basis in the new year. If you’re interested in volunteering, please email info@suncoaststars.org.
Our Terrific Teaching Team
Our robust work & enrichment opportunities are only possible because of the talent, experience and creativity of our teaching staff who share the passion to empower the lives of adults with special needs. Liz Raedeke, a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, has been with us from the beginning and is continually exploring ways to expand and elevate our health & fitness program and assist in other areas of organizational development.
Sarah Carlin joined us in July. As a former home educator and registered behavior technician, Sarah brings her creative teaching techniques and great problem-solving skills to help our STARS access new learning opportunities.
In August, we were excited to engage Kristen Makowske, a master’s level Special Education Teacher and Board-Certified Behavior Analyst, as our program consultant to provide staff training and support as we prepare for growth.
We are fortifying our foundation with gifted and dedicated professionals - and a wonderful group of talented and dedicated volunteers. What an amazing journey!
We need YOU to help us grow!
Join us on Saturday, November 9th at our STRIDE to THRIVE at Grace Community Church to help us raise money to expand our life-giving programs to adults with special needs.
Register Today: Suncoast Stars Stride to Thrive (runsignup.com)
To support us financially go to Donate | Suncoast STARS
For more information, email info@suncoaststars.org or call 720.480.0950
“He counts the STARS and calls them all by name.” ~ Psalm 147:4
Comments