IICF and Variety support young adults with disabilities in the Delaware Valley
This is the fifth and final part of a weekly series for the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation's Month of Giving.
For the past 89 years, Variety, the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley, has been working to enrich the lives of children and young adults with disabilities, ages 5 to 24, through social, educational and vocational programs that nurture independence and self-confidence, and prepare them for life. Through the decades, Variety has demonstrated adaptability in promoting the full inclusion of children and young adults with disabilities into the community.
Historically, Variety was known for their flagship overnight camps, as the first direct services they offered were an opportunity for a traditional, fun camp experience for boys recovering from polio in the 1950s. Variety has successfully adapted to the changing needs of the disabilities community by creating a comprehensive portfolio of programs offered throughout the year both on its 77-acre Montgomery County campus and at Philadelphia partner sites.
These services include After-School programs, Saturday camp, weekend retreats, summer overnight and day camps, Extended School Year, and an innovative workforce development model, VarietyWorks. The VarietyWorks model serves young adults with disabilities starting at age 14 as they develop skills to prepare for, obtain, and maintain community employment. Its educational and recreational programs serve as a pipeline into its vocational programs, allowing them to offer comprehensive services to individuals with disabilities across time. Annually, 750+ participants are impacted through intense direct services, and 10,000 are reached through at-play events and community outreach.
Variety’s rustic cabins, constructed in the 1950s as some of the first buildings on campus, require diligent maintenance. It is only through the generous time and service provided by organizations such as the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) that its property can be cared for. Their support ensures that Variety can continue to offer much-needed programs to the underserved, medically fragile population of children and young adults with disabilities. Most recently, through the efforts of 20 IICF volunteers, cabins used by hundreds of Variety participants and other community groups were preserved for the season.
Variety was also honored to receive a $30,000 gift from IICF in 2022. As a direct result of their contribution, youth with disabilities in the Greater Philadelphia area have an incredible opportunity to engage with the world around them, build confidence, develop social skills, and help reduce emotional isolation that they often experience.
A long-time participant of Variety’s, who has been in their ESY, Vocational, and Ambassador programs, said, “Variety gave me confidence and it got me out of my comfort zone [to] speak up more and use my voice…the staff here is very welcoming, open. I know that people are looking out for me. I made a family.” Variety remains grateful to the IICF for supporting our programs in a meaningful way that will impact generations to come.
As the IICF celebrates its Month of Giving, an annual event dedicated to celebrating volunteering and giving back, we hope you will join us in support of our youth and young adults with disabilities. To learn more about Variety – the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley, please visit https://varietyphila.org/.
(Courtesy photo)
Katie Bailey is grants coordinator for Variety, the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley.