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Date: 5/31/2022
HADLEY – Steve Lewis Subaru in Hadley has chosen Whole Children as its organization to donate $35,000 to from its 2021 Subaru of America Share the Love event.
“Our focus, our mission is on relationships and friendships,” Whole Children Director Carrie McGee said. “At Whole Children, we not only help people make connections, but we actively teach them the skills needed to have and to be a friend. These are skills they take with them in all aspects of their lives – their family, their school, and their neighborhoods. Our goal is to support everyone having meaningful and fulfilling connections of their choice, with the people in their own communities.”
Whole Children is a social and recreation center for families and students of all ages, philosophies and cultures with built-in skill-building components in every class and activity. Their website says they are not a therapeutic program and they do not adhere to any one system or approach to teaching or working with students.
“Families with children who have special needs know how crucial a supportive community is, but COVID[-19] has made that need even greater,” McGee said. “As most non-profits do, we operate with limited funding, and we have to rely on donations or charging fees for classes. Subaru’s generous donation allows us to keep our fees as low as possible and to provide scholarships so finances are not a barrier for families in need.”
This is Subaru’s 14th year hosting the Share the Love event where customers choose between four national charities and over 1,600 hometown charities. According to its website, Subaru of America and its participating retailers are on track to have donated over $225 million to charities over the past 14 years.
The 2021 event ran from mid-November through December and allows new Subaru owners to select from a list of organizations to receive the donation.
“We want the children and families that Whole Children serves to have the best opportunities possible, right here in our home community no matter what’s happening in the world,” said Steve Lewis Subaru General Manager Joe Clark. “And giving back helps everyone move forward.”
Whole Children is a project under Pathlight, an organization founded in 1952 by five mothers of children with developmental disabilities. Pathlight’s expanded services include Whole Children and Milestones which bring programs and services throughout Western Massachusetts and northern Worchester County.
Pathlight’s website says it was the first organization in Hampden County dedicated to serving individuals with intellectual disabilities. The aforementioned women shared a dream that their children would live and grow as valued members of their communities, despite the fact that this vision challenged prevalent societal expectations that people with developmental disabilities were best separated from their families and placed in institutions.
“We are actively looking for teachers and volunteers to help with programs and to serve on our advisory board,” McGee said. “Donations to programming and scholarships are always welcome and deeply appreciated.”