Nafeesah beams as she wears a t-shirt with pastel colors and cheerful bubble letters. The message? “Today is not the day.” That mix of sweet and sassy is well known to her family, friends and staff at SOAR365. But that wasn’t always the case.
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Meet Nathan & Sarah
Learn more about two of our Supported Employment participants: Nathan & Sarah
Nathan is currently working at Food Lion, where he has been learning new skills in inventory management, organization and customer service while on shift.
Summer Camp Application is Live!
Summer Camp is our favorite time of year, so we are already dreaming up fun activities for our 2024 campers. The application to join us for one of the ten summer camp sessions is now live. Submit your application today! At Camp Baker, kids and adults with disabilities get to enjoy all the traditional fun of summer camp. The 22 wooded acres are a...
Adult Day Support Celebrates Prom
Program participants worked hard to plan an event to remember. It’s prom season! And SOAR365’s Adult Day Support participants couldn’t wait to celebrate. Sunny spring days are perfect for socializing, and SOAR365 offers Adult Day Support at three locations across the Richmond area. “What’s a fun activity that we can all come together for?” wondered...
Meet Basilo
MOBILE CREW MEMBER EXTRAORDINAIRE Basilo’s work attendance is as reliable as the sunrise, and he has the warm, beaming smile to match. Each weekday morning, he travels on the city bus system to SOAR365 @Westwood, navigating (occasional) unpredictable schedules and making multiple transfers before arriving for his 7:30 am shift. But these obstacles can’t...
Meet Tony
TWISTED TACO WELCOMES TONYTony at Twisted Taco.jpgThe Twisted Taco at VCU is preparing to welcome a new employee! Tony has been a participant in SOAR365’s Supported Employment program since before the pandemic, and he has been patiently waiting for his chance to shine. Tony’s longstanding interest in kitchen work kept him focused as he and Leo Castro, his...
Meet DeAngelo
At SOAR365, it’s important to us that our Supported Employment participants with disabilities not only find work, but that they find the right job for them. Sometimes the journey is a winding one. When DeAngelo first came to Supported Employment, he had previous experience doing laundry — so a job cleaning bedding and other materials at the Richmond SPCA...
Meet Zachary
In June 2019, Zachary Owens started working on SOAR365’s contract with the Visitor Center at the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation base in Chesterfield County (also known as the Defense Supply Center Richmond at Bellwood). He was in a part-time position, and his primary responsibility was to verify credentials of people entering the base. Zachary quickly...
Meet Trey
At about 4:30 p.m. each weekday, the halls of SOAR365 come alive with the sound of music. Saxophone music, that is. And the musician is Trey, a tall, lean, dark-haired 18-year-old student who comes to SOAR365 after his school day at Godwin High School in Henrico County. “Early on, he had a knack for music. Seems like any instrument he picks up, he can...
Meet Samuel
Samuel is a shy, sweet 10-year-old boy and an outdoor enthusiast. Whether it’s horseback riding, exploring fields, or swimming, Samuel loves being outside in nature. In fact, he loves it so much, it was part of the reason his family moved to the country – so that they could have more space for Samuel and his siblings to explore. “I call him a horse...