It’s More than Family Fun
We all like to have fun - with our families, with our friends and even with our community! For families with disabilities, going out in the community to enjoy events with their families can be hard and without the proper supports, practice and accommodations in place it can be next to impossible type of hard that only people who live this life can truly understand. And - this gives our surrounding community an opportunity to make their facilities or spaces more accessible and accommodating to families with extra needs.
With Pause families, there is a joint understanding of what other families might be going through. They have walked their shoes, they understand new places and new people can be hard to navigate. They understand kiddos might have a hard time making friends or might say or do things that are hard to understand. This awareness leads to compassion and that compassion allows families to show up as they are, free from judgment or worries about what other people think.
Niederman Family Farm has created a space for families to do just that! They have welcomed Pause for our annual Fun at the Farm event for the past 4 years! This year's event was extra special because it was the highest attended Family Fun event in Pause history serving over 485 kids and caregivers!
Kids had fun connecting with their families, ran around the farm engaging in all the fun, reconnected with Pause friends and made new connections too! Smiles were happening all around! Some families shared with us…
“The fun at the farm event made me feel happy that there was a safe place my kids could explore and be themselves and if they struggled we knew we were in a place of understanding and compassion and not judgment.”
“The kids had a blast, and my husband and I were able to enjoy ourselves as well, knowing that our child's neurodiverse behaviors were not being judged in a neurotypical environment. The event far exceeded our expectations. My child, who struggles with free play with neurotypical kids, was able to play football with other kids who have both visible and invisible disabilities in an inclusive environment, surrounded by other families who get it.”
“It was a blessing! I am so thankful for everyone who put this together and volunteered. It was some much needed time with the family, we had a wonderful time. You made us feel important and appreciated. I hope that once my children are grown and I have a little free time I could volunteer and do something like this for families. Unless you have a child that has a disability you don’t understand the hardship that families go through. Thank you for recognizing that and bringing all of us some hope!”
Niederman farm - thank you so much for giving our families space to be themselves without judgment. It’s more than family fun. It’s acceptance. It’s inclusion. It’s friendship. It’s compassion. It’s love.
This is CAN DO. This is COMMUNITY. This is YOUR SUPPORT.
