I have been associated with Easter Seals since I was 5 years old. Every year, I would join the fun walkathons conducted by them at the Houston Zoo along with my parents. Then, I did not understand what their purpose was, but the atmosphere was fun and people were always cheerful. Some people were in wheelchairs and few others were assisting those who could not walk.
But in recent years, I am starting to understand their agenda better. Their purpose is not only to serve the Specially-abled in our community, but also be a support system to the care-givers of the specially abled. The parents of Specially abled children are usually physically and mentally exhausted as they guide their children to become independent. These parents do not get even a few minutes to themselves.
The Parents Night Out Program, organized by Easter Seals, gives these parents a couple of hours of free time once a week, when volunteers take care of their kids, playing games and involving them in group play. In Houston, this PNO program takes place at The Caroline School, a school for children with disabilities. Some evenings, I volunteer here and spend a few hours taking care of and playing with kids who come here. These kids get attached to volunteers quickly as they start recognizing repeat volunteers. They gasp in excitement as they hug the volunteers.
Easter seals tries to get these kids 1-1 volunteer attention. Last time I was there, I could baby sit and play with an amazing 12 year old specially abled kid: Adam. Adam has been diagnosed with Autism and faces delayed growth. He cannot speak, so he relies on a specialized iPad to communicate by pressing buttons. Surprisingly, he’s quite smart and can even communicate in French using his iPad. Adam enjoys being active, often running around and engaging in playful activities with building blocks. When he’s tired, he uses his iPad with a cheerful smile to express his needs. His absolute favorite meal is spaghetti, which always brings him joy and provides him with an energy boost for the evening.
The pictures are from the Easter Seals website. All volunteer activities with Easter Seals prohibit taking pictures inside with children to ensure their protection.
Later that night, when his mom picked him, he was thoroughly exhausted and ready to give a good night nod to me. His mom was extremely thankful as she got to complete a few chores and get some time to herself. In all, it was an evening well spent and I look forward to seeing Adam and his friends again soon.
About Easter Seals:
Easter Seals is over 100 year old America’s largest nonprofit health care organization that serves individuals with disabilities and their families across the United States. Easter Seals is committed to the comprehensive health and wellness of the more than 1.5 million people it serves each year and is prepared to respond to the needs of the one in four Americans living with disability today. Easter Seals help kids from birth to any age, including service members, veterans and their families (since WWII). Their mission is to provide support, services, and resources to help people with disabilities live life to the fullest. They assist in getting people scholarships and job opportunities to set them up for a successful life and enabling them to actively participate in our community, live fulfilling lives. The Easter Seals Greater Houston establishment is over 75 years old organization founded in Houston in 1947. Easter “seals” are stamp-like seals that were first created in 1934 to raise money for services benefiting children with disabilities. Every year, more than 14,500 families in the Greater Houston area benefit from Easter Seals services. Easter Seals Greater Houston has over 200 partnerships with physicians, therapists and other professionals improve services for people with disabilities.
Click here for the link to volunteer: https://www.easterseals.com/get-involved/volunteer/
Easter Seals Greater Houston needs volunteers to assist with:
- Adult Day Program
- Saturday Bowling
- Family Day Out
- Parent Night Out (PNO)
- Camps
- Mentoring Programs
- Walkathons (Walk With Me)
The ‘Walk With Me Events’ with Easter Seals are huge. It is a noncompetitive 5k or shorter family fun walk in the Houston Zoo. There are hundreds of walkers walking for the cause, and Easter Seals gets sponsored by many big companies for this events. The next Walk With Me will be 20th April 2024.
