St. Sebastian's School Partners with HOPe

Ten years ago, parents of children with developmental challenges were hard pressed to find quality programming for them in Massachusetts, not to mention respite care to give themselves a break from constant caregiving.

Today these parents as well as their extended family members have hope, in the form of HOPe – the House of Possibilities on the grounds of the Stonehill College Campus in Easton. This home-like setting, the only one of its kind in the state, has been providing exceptional care and programming to thousands of children, adults, and extended family members since 2009.

HOPe’s hallmark program is Overnight Respite (ONR), which gives caregivers much needed respite while their children and young adults (ages 8-21) enjoy a Saturday overnight with their friends. ONR is free of charge to families.

HOPe also offers integrated programs of activities and therapies on weekdays for adults and a variety of social programs on the weekends for children. HOPe programs bring clients into the larger community for skill building, integration and recreational opportunities.

The community of hope created by HOPe has a strong Needham component. Since its inception, St. Sebastian’s school has played a key role in HOPe’s development. Every spring, students do their Senior Service Project at HOPe, spending several hours each school day working with clients and providing valuable services for the people and the facility.

“Volunteering at HOPe really opened my eyes,” said Declan Walsh, a Needham resident and St. Sebastian’s senior. “I’ve met people who are struggling with life and don’t have the advantages I’ve had. Yet all the people at HOPe are incredibly happy, much happier than many people I meet outside of HOPe. I could definitely see myself continuing to do community service in a place like this while I am in college.”

Paula Kavolius, the Founder and CEO of HOPe, emphasizes that the organization’s programs are not self-sustaining and that HOPe needs support to enable it to carry out its mission and continue to build its community of hope. She will be co-chairing Endless Possibilities, HOPe’s Annual Gala, to be held on Thursday, June 23, at 6:00 pm at Gillette Stadium.

Hosted by Fox 25 Morning News anchor Gene Lavanchy, the Gala will include a cocktail reception, dinner, and silent and live auctions. Keynote speaker will be Dr. Ronan Tynan, world-renowned Irish tenor, physician, recording artist and paralympian.

Tickets are $150 per person; proceeds will go towards HOPe’s programming to foster the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of each person who comes through its doors.

For more information on House of Possibilities, go to www.houseofpossibilities.org.

For Gala information, contact Karen Santo at 508-205-0555 or k.santo@houseofpossibilities.org.