Share the Spirit

Amy Parham

Photo Credit: Anda Chu/Staff Photos, Bay Area News Group

So often we hear about how our open door and welcoming hearts provide the help and hope that many families have difficulty finding in other places. At the DSCBA, we aim to empower, inspire, and support all individuals with Down syndrome and their families, friends, care givers, teachers, therapists, and others in our community. Participating in DSCBA programs early-on can result in truly positive, life-changing benefits for children with Down syndrome and their families. New and experienced families are drawn together to share stories of success, support one another in challenging times, and celebrate the joy that our loved ones with Down syndrome bring us. We understand one another and we advocate for inclusion and acceptance. We learn that we are not alone.

On Thanksgiving Day, our music therapy program was featured on the cover of the East Bay Times as part of their Share the Spirit partnership with the Bay Area News Group and the Contra Costa Crisis Center. Read our story here: http://www.sharethespiriteastbay.org/bay-area-nonprofit-supports-people-with-down-syndrome-and-their-families/

This story is but one example of the grassroots efforts we make each and every day to share with the greater Bay Area community that individuals with Down syndrome are much like you and me. We all dance, laugh, cry, and love. We educate medical professionals and law makers on the importance of inclusion. We partner with educators and therapists to provide research-based best-practices on educating our children. We support new parents with up-to-date, accurate information on DS. We work hard to ensure the lives of individuals with Down syndrome are the filled with meaningful relationships, activities and employment. And we will continue working now and into the future to empower, inspire, and support our loved ones with Down syndrome.

We hope that this holiday season fills you with joy that outshines the sun itself. Thank you for your ongoing support of the DSCBA.

Share the Spirit Grant Program’s mission is to enhance the November/December holiday season for the most needy residents of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties by helping to fund nonprofit holiday programs and outreach.