12 On Your Side has put together a wonderful piece about Abby – someone who loves PARK365 and all things pink and purple. She and her family have finally found “the light at the end of the tunnel” thanks to two new treatments for her rare disease.
Community & Volunteers
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RMC Nursing and Adult Day Support Build a “Win-Win” Partnership
The success of SOAR365’s Adult Day Support is sustained by a skilled staff, engaged volunteers, and participants who join in a wide variety of activities and special events. Beginning this year, a new group has made an important contribution to the Adult Day Support success story.
Dominion Energy Returns to Camp Baker With Passion!
For the fourth consecutive year, a team of more than 20 volunteers from Dominion Energy joined us at Camp Baker to work on outdoor tasks after a busy Summer Camp season.
The Dominion team worked on mulching; painting the Retreat residence hall; clearing out small trees, branches and shrubbery; and creating more space in the trail system to improve access to the fishing hole in the woods.
Kim Lynch Shares Nursing Expertise at Camp Baker
After a 33-year career as a Registered Nurse (RN), SOAR365 volunteer Kim Lynch brought her valuable skills to Camp Baker this summer. There, she served a group of campers who benefited from her expertise and attention to detail gained through decades of working with patients and their families.
When Kim saw counselors greeting incoming campers, she said they made “an instant connection.”
![2024 NGC Leadership Workshop [VIDEO]](https://soar365.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Copy-of-Web-Article-Template-800-x-600px-21.png)
2024 NGC Leadership Workshop [VIDEO]
SOAR365’s Next Generation Council hosted its 5th annual Leadership Workshop on Saturday, September 21. This year’s theme was “Your Young Professional Life: Finding Meaning in Balance and Giving Back,” giving attendees the opportunity to hear from two esteemed speakers: T. Jeffrey “Jeff” Conley and Rohana “Ro” Meade. NGC members Dean Browell and Laura Faison facilitated the discussion.
![Discussing Disability Podcast – September 2024 [AUDIO]](https://soar365.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Copy-of-Web-Article-Template-800-x-600px-20.png)
Discussing Disability Podcast – September 2024 [AUDIO]
Each month, SOAR365 collaborates with local independent radio station WRIR to produce and broadcast a radio show and podcast focused on disability.
This month, we talked with Hannah Smith about her experience as an athlete with a disability, representation of disability sport in Virginia, and the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
Jacklyn Cheely & PARK365 Are Growing Together
This summer, Jacklyn Cheely arrived at PARK365 with a group of EAB colleagues. They were planning to tackle a one-day beautification project – a great fit for Jacklyn’s green thumb. But what she didn’t know is that she would be returning again … and again … and again! Jacklyn fell in love with the park environment that day. She’s happily volunteered as a gardening assistant for Adult Day Support and Youth Services ever since.
VCU Volleyball & Synergy Technical Team Up With SOAR365
Smiling faces. Enthusiastic cheering. And post-game hugs! Adult Day Support participants and staff had a great time watching the VCU Volleyball team play at the Siegel Center in September. “It was especially thrilling to see the players and coaching staff interact with our participants after the game,” says Vandal Truong, Director of Adult Day Support and Youth Services.
Val Pace: Contributing to Ladybug Success!
The annual Ladybug Fund Winetasting & Silent Auction is SOAR365’s largest fundraising event, and its success depends largely on volunteers like Val Pace, a member of the Silent Auction committee. Val was introduced to SOAR365 about 15 years ago by Kim Watson, SOAR365’s former VP of Community Engagement.
Giving Back to Pay It Forward
Dr. Joe and April Niamtu donate generously to SOAR365, where their sons received pediatric therapy. When parents first learn their child has a disability, it can be a disorienting experience. “You don’t know what to do. You’re lost,” says Dr. Joe Niamtu. He and his wife, April, are parents to two sons with cerebral palsy: Joey and Evan. When...
