Integrate for Good is incredibly grateful to Paul Davis of Berks and Montgomery County and our wonderful volunteers for turning our Sleeping Mat Project on Martin Luther King Day into an immense success.
When we reached out to the community earlier this month seeking a host site for our Sleeping Mat Project on Martin Luther King Day, Paul Davis of Berks and Montgomery County said “we have space!” and warmly opened their doors at Paul Davis Restoration.
Their generosity set the stage for a transformative event where over 40 volunteers and five incredible leaders with disabilities joined together to build an inclusive community. Our shared goal: turning plastic bags into sleeping mats for community members experiencing street homelessness.
Our exceptional leaders, Eric, Tyler, and Mark, who have autism and are recent graduates of our Empowerment Lab program, combined with Heather and Cara, two of our rock star leaders who live with Down syndrome, led two impactful sessions for families, children, and adults. They not only taught volunteers how to create sleeping mats but also demonstrated that our community is stronger when we empower leaders of all abilities.
As temperatures dipped below freezing and snow blanketed the county over the weekend, the need to support community members experiencing homelessness became even more apparent. Our students with disabilities demonstrated their ability to meaningfully contribute to projects that make a difference in our community.
A heartfelt shoutout to Paul Davis for their generous space, our dedicated volunteers who poured energy into this project, and our leaders with disabilities who led the way. Your collective efforts have made a lasting impact, and we're excited to share the meaningful stories that emerged from our day of service throughout the week.
A special shout out to the Cobb family for volunteering with three genertions! Our youngest volunteer, at 5 years old, volunteerd for the first time and her grandmother hopes it's the beginning of a life-long habit!
