Students in my Writing for Digital Media class wrote stories about Noah’s Ark, an organization in Lakeland that helps developmentally disabled adults and their families. Below, you will find excepts from their stories. To read the whole story, click on the story title.

Featured Stories

A Light of Hope For Parents of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities by Nick Tedeschi

Almost every parent looks ahead with mixed feelings to the point in their child’s life when they will finish school and move on to become independent young adults. However, this is not always the case, especially for those who are parents of children with developmental disabilities. These parents have to face the reality that 93% of children with disabilities will be unemployed upon leaving the public school system and most will remain unemployed for their entire life.

Jack Kosik, founder and director of Noah’s Ark, informed me of how parents with children with developmental disabilities have a neglectful mindset when it comes to their child’s future. “Many families just try to get through a day, or a week and pray that the future will take care of itself. They do not understand how challenging it becomes when an individual with a developmental disability exits the school system to a life of video games and soap operas.”

Healthy Eating Starts with a Garden by Mikelle Liette

Food shortage has been a growing concern for many Lakeland families as the economic downturn has left families scraping from the bottom of the barrel just to come up with the funds to purchase enough groceries to feed their family. According to the 2010 US Census, 14.9 % of Lakeland families fall below the poverty line.

Jack Kosik, executive director of Noah’s Ark of Central Florida, has recognized a greater concern for developmentally disabled adults. As many supportive services are being cut, community members with disabilities have been left without enough money to live independently, or to purchase healthy and nutritious foods. Noah’s Ark is a home that daily supports the developmentally disabled and assists them by educating them on important issues of guardianship, special needs trusts, and available services. In addition to the weekly array of social and recreational activities that Noah’s Ark hosts, Kosik has plans to begin a community garden….

Hope and Healing by Melanie Shoults

The green ball, flawless except for three small holes, rumbled down the lane in a swirl of color and plowed into twelve perfectly placed white pins. A cheer erupted from spectators and smatterings of high-fives were exchanged. Smiles spread from face to face, regardless of who was winning.

The cheerful group of adults appeared to be having the time of their lives with just a round of bowling. But this wasn’t just a game. As a fund-raiser for Noah’s Ark, an organization that aids in rehabilitating adults with developmental disabilities, the event was much more meaningful than that….

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Post by Barbara Nixon of Public Relations Matters read more of this blogger's posts at http://publicrelationsmatters.com