ADEC is moving full speed ahead towards Christmas and the end of 2022! On Christmas morning, our Wish List program will once again thrill over 100 people living with disabilities who otherwise may have had little to look forward to. At this moment, all but a single client has been spoken for and the (new and unwrapped) gifts have been pouring in all week long. The generosity towards friends and strangers this time of year never fails to astonish, and this year has been no different, with gifts ranging from the small and necessary (gloves, shoes, coats, bedding) to the astoundingly generous (iPads! Guitars! Game Systems!) The Wish List Elves have been busy, and so has Courtney, ADEC’s Community Engagement Specialist. (You’re doing a fabulous job, Courtney! Remember to take breaks!) Today is the deadline for gift drop-offs, so if you need another couple of days, please let us know!
Additionally, Tuesday, Nov. 29th was #givingtuesday and we had A LOT going on. We partnered with Ignition Music in Downtown Goshen, and they originally committed to donating 10% of that day’s sales to ADEC, but then decided to donate 100% of their Tuesday sales AND turned one of their regular customers into a donor as well, matching their gift! (Shop at Ignition if you’re into hard-to-find-music and/or vinyl!)
Also on Tuesday, we had an in-person Holiday Kick-off Event, where everyone from our Day Programs or Skills & Training, as well as the public, were invited to visit Santa, have cookies, make crafts, and just celebrate the beginning of the winter holidays. Zach from Froggy 102.7 did a four hour live remote, and we had so many helping hands in the form of delightful volunteers from the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership. Thank you to the Goshen News for awesome coverage and thank you to the Globe radio station at Goshen College for the shout outs as well!
Our holiday season is amazing so far, and it’s only Dec. 2nd! If you’re in Middlebury this weekend, check out the Gingerbread Jamboree, and see the amazing Gingerbread house created by the folks at our Middlebury Day Program. On Friday, Dec. 16th, remember to visit Wellfield Botanic Garden for ADEC Day during their Winter Wonderland Holiday Lights show and check out our tree decorated with ADEC colors and client-made ornaments. Stop into our Gaining Grounds Coffee Shop for a Polar Express Frappe, the December Special, or shop for gifts in the Art by ADEC Gallery, both located on our Bristol campus on State Road 120. And FINALLY (phew!) keep an eye on our social media this month, where we will be posting a new Santa or Holiday client photo everyday while we count down the days until Christmas!
Interested in getting involved at ADEC? Reach out to us at [email protected] or 574-848-7451.
