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.
Success Stories
Success Stories
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Meet Rachel!
Rachel Danielsen loves to listen to music. “The Beatles are one of my favorite bands. Paul McCartney is one of my biggest, favorite, famous Beatles people,” she gushes. Her top songs? “All You Need Is Love,” “Baby I’m Amazed” and “Rocky Raccoon.” “Did you know Ringo Starr is a stage name? His real name is Richard Starkey,” Rachel shares. “And...
Meet Trey!
Nobody was sure what to expect when Trey Hope returned to Adult Day Support in 2022, after suffering abuse and neglect during the pandemic. “When the van driver opened the door, and I saw him grinning from ear to ear, that just warmed my heart,” says Supervisor, Josh Rubino. Trey has cerebral palsy and autism. On weekdays, you can find him...
Meet Rusty!
Rusty Graham’s favorite things are playing sports, creating art and making new friends. It’s no wonder, then, that if you ask him his favorite part of SOAR365’s Summer Camp, he says, “Everything!” Rusty, who has Down syndrome, is 27 years old and full of energy. From the time he was a toddler, he’s played sports in a variety of programs for...
Volunteer Stories
Curious about volunteering at SOAR365? You can learn more by browsing our newsletter archive, our photo gallery and our collection of volunteer profiles.
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...