‘Belonging Is Not A Program’: City Honors Champion Of Inclusive Sports And Arts In Mill Valley

MILL VALLEY, CA — Mill Valley officials recognized a local woman in late September for what they described as three decades of sustained work to make the city more inclusive for people with disabilities and their families.

The council credited Janet Miller with founding It Takes a Village, a special‑education PTA that supports students with disabilities and their families; serving on the Mill Valley School District Board of Trustees; and co‑founding Project Awareness and Special Sports (PASS) with her younger son, Tyler. The council stated she "channeled her family's personal experiences into a lifelong mission to build a more inclusive, accessible town."

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The proclamation stated that PASS "continues to serve as executive director, providing transformative sports, recreation, arts, social, and community programs that foster belonging, independence, and meaningful connections," and noted that Miller helped expand Challenger Baseball into Ross, San Rafael and Novato.

It also cited her role in creating Artists Without Boundariesto support participants facing language barriers and her work producing the documentary "The Art of Belonging" in partnership with Splicer Films.

I am truly honored by this recognition, but the truth is that what we've built through PASS has never been about one person," Miller said. "Like many parents, I wasn't looking to create a nonprofit. I was just trying to create a place where my child belonged."

She described how the effort grew over time.

"Families showed up, volunteers showed up, teachers, coaches, businesses, and community members showed up," she said. "Little by little, what began as a small effort grew into a community that has changed lives, including my own."

Miller said the 25‑minute documentary "The Art of Belonging," scheduled to be shown at the community center on November 4, captured that evolution.

"It shows that the impact isn't just on the families we serve," she said. "Some of the most powerful stories come from the volunteers who tell us that what they gained, they gained lifelong friendships, a new perspective, and a deeper understanding of what it means to truly include somebody."

She closed by offering a definition of the value she has tried to build.

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that belonging is not a program; it's a choice a community makes every day," she said. "At the end of the day, people may not remember the programs we built or the events we held, but they will remember how it felt to be included."

Vice Mayor Caroline Joachim said her own family's experience with Miller started on the baseball diamond through Mill Valley Little League.

"We're so lucky to have you as part of our community," Joachim told Miller, "and please keep doing everything that you do."