Studio on the Block Story

By: Izzy Ruiz

John, a long time participant at our Westminster Heights MicroCamp, lives with a disability that requires him to use a wheelchair. Unfortunately, the only wheelchair he had access to was a manual chair, designed for sports. With the use of only one hand, this made it nearly impossible for him to move anywhere freely and safely, let alone to and from camp, which is 3 blocks away from his home. The only way my teammates and I would know if he was interested in participating in camp was to go out the park gate, look down the street, and see if he was waiting on his porch for someone to help him. If he was there, we would greet and assist him to camp. We noticed that navigating his wheelchair on the broken sidewalk and steep slopes between his home and the park was difficult even for us. 

After a few conversations, my teammate Kinsey learned just how badly John wanted more freedom and independence to move on his own. After asking within the community to see if there were any resources that could help John, Kinsey and John decided to start a fundraiser to get the right wheelchair for his needs. When camp participants learned about the fundraiser, they were more than eager to support John. During each session that followed: Kinsey and I worked with the neighborhood kids to put their artwork together to use towards the fundraiser. Within 48 hours of sharing the campaign, the donation goal was exceeded! Not only did John now have enough to get the proper wheelchair, he had extra to help pay for any repairs he might need down the road. 

This moment helped our teammates and the children in the neighborhood experience the value of community and how all roles within it can help make a life changing difference to someone. Not only did NOMAD staff and camp participants get to be a part of this experience, they also saw firsthand how their contributions made an impact on a member of their own community. Seeing John moving about the neighborhood on his own with the biggest smile on his face continues to bring a smile to the faces of everyone he passes.  

This is a story of community, and like everything we do, it's only possible when we work together. If you want to be part of making more moments like this possible, you can become a monthly donor or event sponsor, to help fund future MiroCamps (and stories) like this one!