Success Stories

Success Stories

Meet Samuel

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...

Meet Heather

Meet Heather

Heather Dyson is vivacious and friendly, and that is instantly clear to anyone who meets her.  “Heather has always been happy – it’s as if she doesn’t know anything about being mean,” remarks her aunt, Brenda.   Born with cerebral palsy, Heather uses a wheelchair, but she doesn’t let that stop her from bouncing up and down with excitement and glee when...

Meet Justice

Meet Justice

Melicka tearfully remembers her daughter Justice’s first five months: she couldn’t keep milk down, had trouble eating and was constantly vomiting. “We rushed to the hospital more times than I can remember and in fact, one time, on the way to the hospital, Justice stopped breathing, so I had to perform CPR in the car.” The doctors were finally able to...

Meet Mark

Meet Mark

When Mark came to SOAR365 in June 2018, he didn’t speak or respond, he couldn’t identify himself or his mother, Yadira, he had little (if any) attention span and he couldn’t communicate what he wanted. Today, he’s a totally different little boy. “He knows his name, he knows my name, he can tell you his address and phone number. He can say his prayers,” says...

Meet Leroy

Meet Leroy

As a Team Lead in Assembly & Logistics, Leroy Stanford manages a lot of moving pieces. He gets everything set up for the crew, demonstrates the tasks, answers questions and monitors everything to ensure accuracy. Witnessing the teamwork that results from this process is pretty impressive, and Leroy says that best part is seeing the excitement in...

Meet Dre

Meet Dre

DANCING WITH EVERYONE AT STAPLES MILLWhen you walk into the Adult Day Support program at SOAR@Staples Mill, you’ll likely find 25-year-old Shakur Spells, known as Dre, dancing. And not just moving a little bit, but dancing really well. Laura Yackel, a SOAR365 case manager Mill confirms, “He knows how to dance! Dre is always cheering everyone up, either...

Finding Friendship at Soar365

Finding Friendship at Soar365

PARTICIPANTS LEARN SOCIAL SKILLS AND SO MUCH MORE THROUGH SOAR365’S CHILDREN & YOUTH PROGRAMSam and Gavin’s faces glow with smiles when they see each other onscreen. Though they attend SOAR365’s Children & Youth program at separate locations, video conferencing often brings them face to face. It’s delightful to watch their interactions! Both...

Meet Caleb

Meet Caleb

When you first meet Caleb, you hardly get a chance to see the first grader … he’s a racing blur of speed. But once you catch up to him, it’s easy to see this little boy has a heart of gold. Caleb comes flying into SOAR365 (or PARK365) twice a week for speech and occupational therapy visits. Caleb’s mother, Valary, initially sought out SOAR365 because of its...

Meet Ronnie

Meet Ronnie

When he was nearing two years old, it became apparent Ronnie wasn’t meeting certain typical milestones (like crawling, walking, talking, and pointing). His mother, Kimberly, and her medical practitioners began to investigate. “It’s heart-wrenching to be told that you need to get your child tested,” said Kimberly. “It’s a hard place to be, but you can’t stay...

Meet Dori

Meet Dori

Chris Martin, Director of Employment Services, established SOAR365’s partnership with Underground Kitchen and its non-profit arm, UGK Community First. To date, UGK Community First has delivered over 175,000 healthy, nutritious meals to food insecure communities in the Richmond metropolitan area while prioritizing disability employment. SOAR365 is happy to...

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