If you happen to be walking the halls of Mary Cariola Children’s Center school, don’t be surprised to see some four legged friends sharing the hallway with you. Animals have long been recognized as being a positive force when brought into multiple therapeutic environments.

At a time when the practice was and experts believed, children with disabilities should be institutionalized, Mary Cariola felt that every child had potential regardless of any disability. Mary founded our organization first as a daycare facility then a school.

Over the years as a social worker and in my time as President/CEO at Mary Cariola Children’s Center I have seen the simplest gifts provide the most joy--after all, who doesn’t like a meaningful gift?

In the next month or so Mary Cariola Children’s Center will be launching our annual giving appeal. It is a period of time that as an independent non-profit agency, we ask for your gift and generosity in order to continue fulfilling our mission.

What’s the difference between a job and a career?  A job is something you do simply to earn money; a career is a series of connected opportunities

The three-year “We Will Shine” Capital Campaign has come to a close but make no mistake, the impact of your gift will continue on for many years to come

No doubt you have heard the phrase, “it takes a village to raise a child.”  While use of the phrase gained popularity in 1996 here in the United States, it is actually a very old African proverb.  Regardless of its origin it’s a saying that is never too far away from my thoughts as I walk through the hallways of our school and visit our residences. When I think of the full range of services that Mary Cariola Children's Center offers it is clear that it does in fact take a village. 

Holiday songs fill the airwaves, lights frame houses in holiday cheer and shoppers intensify their search for that perfect gift.  People exchange gifts to celebrate Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanza.  It seems to me the perfect gift is one that comes from the heart and is given with pure intentions.

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Adoption is wonderful and rewarding, and when it happens to be a child who has disabilities, the experience can be incredibly fulfilling for both parent and child.