During National Volunteer Month, PALS is celebrating and honoring each volunteer that contributes to our mission. As a volunteer-led organization, PALS relies on the dedication of volunteers to make our programs happen. Sharaf was a volunteer at PALS Spring Break, a pilot program in partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University. Here, he shares about his experience of being in community with people with Down syndrome and what he learned.

I joined PALS during a transition period in my life. I had just moved five hours away from home and entered a new graduate program, unsure how to find my place. I was looking for ways to engage with my community and remembered a friend posting about PALS and decided to check it out. Stepping onto Cabrini’s campus for my first program, I felt at home.

Today, we hear from Ian and Laura. Ian is a Partner who attended PALS last summer. Laura is Ian’s mom and a parent within the PALS Family. He went to PALS summer camp for the first time last summer and LOVED it!

As an organization serving individuals with Down syndrome and their peers, we at PALS look for opportunities to connect and engage with the larger Down syndrome community across the globe. At the start of March, members of the PALS Staff team attended the Annual Leadership Conference hosted by Down Syndrome Affiliates In Action.

One of the greatest benefits of being an ACA-accredited camp is access to a wide network of resources and opportunities that enable us to further our mission by connecting with and learning from other camps and industry leaders. This year, our Recruitment Coordinator, Lauren Gibeault, and our Program Coordinator, Kirsty McDonald, attended the American Camp Association’s National Conference in Orlando, FL. The focus of the conference was “Building Communities of Belonging,” which aligns perfectly with our mission to “inspire a world of belonging”.

This WDSD, I am celebrating all of the amazing gifts we've been given as a result of having Gabby and being introduced to this amazing community of people. Gifts such as true friendship, compassion, patience, laughter, and living in the moment. Our lives are so much richer because of Down syndrome. Through PALS, Gabby was able to have the absolute time of her life and create long-lasting bonds last summer in San Francisco.

We often ask members of our PALS Family "Why PALS?" to learn how our mission has impacted their lives. This month, Jenni, Co-Founder and Executive Director of PALS Programs, and Jason, one of the first participants at PALS, share in honor of World Down Syndrome Day approaching on March 21st. 

At PALS, our mission is to create inclusive camp experiences for individuals with Down syndrome and their peers. We know the impact and power behind one-to-one friendships that are created in the week-long experience during the summer. As a sibling of someone with Down syndrome, this is why I initially gravitated towards PALS.

Black History Month provides us with an additional opportunity to reflect on the diversity of our community and the value that comes from the many identities we all share. This month in particular is a time to honor the rich history, contributions, and experiences of Black Americans.  In our mission to inspire a world of belonging for all, celebrating diversity and inclusion becomes core to our work and impact as an organization.

We often ask members of our PALS Family "Why PALS?" to learn how our mission has impacted their lives. After Vanessa joined PALS in 2022, she wanted more people involved. Just a few months later, Joseph, her close friend, joined her at PALS Holiday. 

The primary focus of PALS will always be our week-long summer camps with all the trimmings: one-to-one pairings, karaoke and dance parties, fun off-campus adventures, and of course PALS Olympics. But the PALS Magic is something that keeps us going all year round. We wanted to create spaces where our friends, both old and new, could get a little taste of that Magic while summer still felt far away. So we tried something new: PALS Pop-ups.

As the Recruitment Coordinator on PALS Staff, one thought continued to come to mind. If each person could commit to inviting one new person into the PALS Family, our volunteer spots would be filled for 19 programs this summer- and thus, the Who's Your One campaign was born!