Wilton SWAG Officially Launches

Wilton SWAG held a successful launch party at the Wilton Playhouse on
Wednesday evening.

SWAG is an acronym for Supporting Work and Growth and is a non profit
(501-C) committed to continuing the work of Community Steps for individuals
with disabilities. Community steps has enabled students with disabilities to
remain in Wilton to receive education and support until the age of 21, rather
than being outplaced to other districts. SWAG is a non-profit organization
whose mission is to provide employment opportunities to young adults with
disabilities within the Wilton Community. It grew out of a group of diverse
individuals who have an interest in helping young adults with disabilities gain
employment in Wilton. This group includes teachers and administrators from
Wilton Schools and parent of children with disabilities. Before the Community
Steps program started two years ago, young adults with disabilities completed
their 18-21 education outside of Wilton and when they turned 21 and returned to
Wilton there was a lack of community support and resources to help them find
employment.

Andrea Leonardi, Assistant Superintendent of Special services said
"It's been a pleasure working with these folks over the last year. What
this Wilton group has achieved in such a short amount of time is incredible,
and is a testament to everyone involved. I want to give a big thanks to Mellisa
Barrett whose heart is here tonight, even though she is home with her new baby,
she has been a guiding light over the last two years.'

Board member Scott Ganse echoed this sentiment, "Thank you to all the
board members who made this happen. We have been through a lot of peaks
and valleys and we are so grateful for the support we have received for
our daughter. I volunteer because I want to give back, even when my children
have graduated and moved on, I will still be here helping. Its important to
understand that a disability is what someone has, not what someone is. We all
have challenges and hurdles to overcome, working through these challenges
brings self esteem, self respect, joy and happiness in our lives. These
young adults want the same opportunities so they can overcome their individual
challenges just like everyone else. We all have a profound commitment to our
community and a better life for everyone.'

The cessation of services at the age of 21 has historically been a
challenging time for many parents, the SWAG program aims to support students
and ease the transition from education to work for young adults with
disabilities. 'Parents of young adults with special needs often refer to the
time after the age of 21 as falling off a cliff' Said Ganse 'The analogy
is used to describe the feeling many parents have when their son or daughter
ages out of school programming both academic and social support are suddenly
gone and the footprint for the future remains unclear. Employment opportunities
and social connections are limited for these capable and engaged individuals
Some may not secure employment and social isolation often follows. SWAG means
supporting work and grown. Swags goals are to make these beautiful young adults
very valued and included in their community. SWAG attempts to provide
meaningful employment for these young adults while promoting social growth and
community awareness in Wilton.

SWAG asks for your support in 2 main ways, donation and employment
initiatives. We know that together we can provide a community that is
committed to the future for those with disabilities rather than falling
off a cliff, lets give these young adults the ability to climb the mountain
with all it's peaks.

What's next? The group are hoping to engage with Wilton Chamber of Commerce
members and people who have employed people with disabilities. Putting everyone
in the room together will provide an opportunity to educate potential employers
and provide information.

The group are active on Facebook and Instagram and have a website at
www.wiltonswag.com and they would particularly love to hear from employers who
may be interested in learning more about providing employment opportunities for
young adults with disabilities.