Special Kids Connect

Achieve a Better Life Experience in 2021! The ABLE Act allows individuals with special needs to accumulate wealth while still qualifying for government benefits. This FREE workshop on Wednesday, January 13 will help you learn (1) how to preserve and maximize needs-based government benefits and protect our loved ones with disabilities through a special needs trust, and (2) how the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act is positively impacting the lives of individuals with disabilities. Register here: http://lawoffice-lornajdrope.123signup.com//calendar/22368

As Monterey County's Early Start Family Resource Center, Special Kids Connect has the privilege of working with families like Ethan's. Two year-old Ethan is enrolled in Early Start and has been working on his socialization, fine motor, and language skills as a participant in our Zoom Lunches and in our REACH Art painting program. Your donation, made TODAY, at https://montereycountygives.com/skc will allow Special Kids Connect to provide these opportunities to even more children like Ethan in 2021. #MCGives #helpingspecialkidsreachforthestars #zerotothreethursday

#SILVERLININGS One of the bright spots of the pandemic has been our ability to get to spend some Zoom time with wonderful people that we might not have otherwise gotten to know. Our friend Casey is a perfect example. Casey has been a part of REACH Art, REACH Theatre Puppetry, REACH Musical Crafts and REACH Academy. Oh...and he drew a special picture for our visit with fireman Josh and was SO excited to meet Santa at an SKC Zoom lunch earlier this month. In this short clip, Casey shares what he has liked best about this past year with SKC's Emily Erling. It's not to late to make a year-end donation to keep our programs flourishing in 2021! Visit https://montereycountygives.com/skc before midnight tonight!

#GOODTIMES Carlos and his brother Christopher are Zoom lunch regulars, sharing DVD reviews and showing of the latest in t-shirt fashions. Carlos shares what he likes best about the lunches and some of our lunch guests, like the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Your year-end donation, if made TODAY at https://montereycountygives.com/skc will receive a percentage match through Monterey County Gives!

#GRATITUDE It's an honor to work with young people whose children have literally grown up in front of our eyes. Brandon has been a long-time REACH Basketball player and is a veteran REACH Theatre actor. This past year, we've seen Brandon's artistic side flourish as a participant in our online REACH Art programs. Best of all, we get to see Brandon each week in our Monday Zoom lunches. (It's the BEST 30 minutes of our week!) Help us broaden our REACH to more kids like Brandon in 2021 with a year-end donation: https://www.montereycountygives.com/skc.

María es la abuela de Yuliana, quien fue participante de REACH Academy. En este video, María comparte su gratitud por la información y el apoyo que Special Kids Connect ha brindado durante el año pasado. ¡Cada donación es importante! Visite https://montereycountygives.com/skc antes de la medianoche del 31 de diciembre (mañana) y ayude a más niños (y familias) especiales a alcanzar las estrellas en 2021. Maria is the grandmother of Yuliana, who was a REACH Academy participant.... In this video, Maria shares her gratitude for the information and support that Special Kids Connect has provided during this past year. Every donation is important! Visit https://montereycountygives.com/skc before midnight on December 31 (tomorrow) and help more special kids (and families) reach for the stars in 2021.

So much gratitude to so many for today's fabulous Halloween Drive-Thru Trick-or-Treat event. Thank yous go out to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County for allowing us to use their Salinas Clubhouse parking lot, to Matthews & Associates for their sponsorship and volunteer support, to Steinbeck Real Estate for their generous donation of pumpkin bucket goodies and volunteer support, to Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County, Inc. for their support, to Hidden... Hills Ranch for bringing mini-horse Shelby, to all of the wonderful agencies who provided information for parents and gifts for kids, to the California Department of Developmental Services for the donation of face masks for our families, to our behind- the-scenes volunteers who halped put things together, and MOST OF ALL to our extra special kids and families who made this day so incredible. Happy Halloween, everyone! See more

Happy Halloween!

So. Much. Fun.

All hands on deck for our Trick-or-Treat Drive Thru for Special Needs Families at the Boys & Girls Club in Salinas. The fun starts in 5 minutes!

A sea of green!! Our resource tote bags for parents are stuffed full and are ready to go! Can't wait for tomorrow's Trick-or-Treat Drive Thru for Special Needs Families at 11 am at the Boys & Girls Club in Salinas. "Sea" you there!

We have some awesome agencies in Monterey County who are anxious to share their information with families this Saturday at our Trick-or-Treat Drive Thru for Special Needs Families at the Boys & Girls Club in Salinas (85 Maryal Drive). Parents will get Resource Totes filled with information from nearly 25 agencies and services. Kids will get PUMPKIN BUCKETS filled with fun, fun, fun!! Registered families should arrive between 11 am and 12:30 pm. After 12:30, no reservations needed, while supplies last. We will be there until 1 pm.

It's a socially distanced Birthday Celebration at Special Kids Connect for our October birthday gals. Huge shout-out to Blue Aces Bake Shoppe for our Vegan Carrot Cake cupcakes. #sweetcelebrations

Sharing information from the Children's Health Council in Palo Alto. To learn more and to register for this free event, visit https://www.chconline.org//webinar-learning-challenges-b/

Happy Zero to Three Thursday and Happy Halloween Eve's Eve! Good old fashioned trick-or-treating is not a good idea in the midst of a pandemic, but there are still plenty of fun ways to celebrate the day with your little ones, like the ones offered here. Stay safe, everyone!

"I could while away the hours Conferrin' with the flowers, Consulting with the rain; And my head I'd be a scratchin' While my thoughts are busy hatchin'... If I only had a brain." Lots of brains behind THESE fun SCARECROWS as another REACH Art class comes to an end. HUGE thanks to Jess at Progress not Perfection Paint Parties for making this Halloween edition so much fun! We have a few spots left in our REACH Art Holiday Celebrations Edition. Sign up soon at http://reachartholidayedition.eventbrite.com. #helpingspecialkidsreachforthestars

Our Pumpkin Buckets are overflowing with Halloween Cheer! Join us this Saturday, October 31 from 11 am - 1 pm for our Trick or Treat Drive Thru for Special Needs Families at the Salinas Boys & Girls Club. Registered families should arrive between 11 am and 12:30 pm. Non-registered families can come by at 12:30 pm. (This is for families who have special needs children and young adults only!)

It's Get Prepared Wednesdays! We all know that Monterey County's 911 systems saves lives. But, do you know how the system works? Do your children know what to do if they need to call 911? Bring the entire family to this interactive Zoom event to learn from a member of the 911 team. Bring your questions! This Friday, October 22 at 6 pm. -----------... ¡Es miércoles de prepararte! Todos sabemos que los sistemas 911 del condado de Monterey salvan vidas. Pero, ¿sabes cómo funciona el sistema? ¿Saben sus hijo/as qué hacer si necesitan llamar al 911? Traiga a toda la familia a este evento interactivo de Zoom para aprender de un miembro del equipo del 911. ¡Traiga sus preguntas! Este viernes, 22 de octuber a las 6 pm.

This is a FREE conference (with an opportunity to make a $10/$25 donation to cover costs). To learn more and to register, visit https://med.stanford.edu/autismcenter/conferences.html.

Not to brag or anything, but we've got Hidden Hills Ranch's SHELBY coming to our Trick-or-Treat Drive Thru for Special Needs Families this Saturday at the Boys & Girls Club in Salinas. Registration for Saturday's event has ended. If you have a registration, be there between 11 am and 12:30 pm. No registration? No problem! Come by between 12:30 and 1 pm to get some Halloween cheer...while supplies last. #equinetherapy #barnyardlove #photoop