April 2025

Dear Friend,

My name is Shelley Coolidge and I am the mother of a young adult child with special needs. I want to share with you how CherishAbility has changed our son’s life.

I learned about CherishAbility through a college friend, Julie Finnin Day, who serves as executive director of the organization. My husband Scott and I were so grateful to find an organization that supports Christian Scientists with special needs!  

We enrolled Daniel in several CherishAbility programs. We were delighted to see how quickly he developed friendships, and how willing he was to participate in activities outside of his comfort zone.

One of these programs—the Vocational Training Program—has been especially meaningful to us because it provided Daniel with the opportunity to develop work skills while living independently from us for a few weeks at a camp for Christian Scientists.

Last summer, Daniel spent a whole month working in the Vocational Training Program as part of the kitchen crew at Camp Owatonna in Maine. Under the shepherding wing of a CherishAbility-trained job coach, he developed his work skills. And what’s more, his confidence and independence grew. All with the support of Christian Scientists! (Read Daniel’s inspiring story here)

Daniel will be the first to tell you that having this job made him feel happy and purposeful. He’s looking forward to returning to Camp Owatonna this summer, where he will be joined by his friend Claudia, a fellow CherishAbility trainee. Nine others will be training at the A/U Ranches.

Friend, I am reaching out for your help to fund the cost of training these 11 workers. Right now, any gift you make will be doubled. So act quickly!

CherishAbility relies on donations to fund this impactful program. Won’t you consider supporting these trainees? Click here to donate today!

With gratitude for you,

Shelley Coolidge
Parent and board member

PS: Vocational training starts in June.