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Copper Lake Mom Blazes Trail  A
touching article was in the News-Press in early March about a beautiful
little girl named Rachal, who is mentally and physically handicapped,
and an unfortunate incident at her middle school, that changed
the course of her family's life. Ironically and fortunately the
incident inspired Rachal's mother to develop an educational program
to teach students compassion for their mentally and physically
challenged classmates.Lisa Cronin-Miller watched horrified as her daughter and ten other physically and mentally challenged students were laughed at made fun of and rejected, during what was to have been an exciting time, their first school dance! It was at that moment that Lisa's idea was born to develop a Sensitivity Awareness Workshop, Inc. (SAW), to teach students how to interact with their special needs classmates, and some of the every day challenges of being physically and mentally handicapped. she was convinced that these "typical" students were acting out of ignorance, not cruelty, and that an awareness program might help them understand what it's like to "walk in the shoes" of someone who has learning disabilities and special needs and that these special children are just like them in many ways. Rachal's teacher and the principal of the school were enthusiastic about the opportunities that this type of program could provide and they urged Lisa to schedule her first workshop. It was a tremendous success and all of the feedback from teachers and students who participated in the first Sensitivity Awareness Workshop, Inc. was extremely positive. The workshops begin with a short video of Rachal's life and participants are asked to "perform ten different tasks that simulate physical, mental or learning disabilities. Based on the results of these workshops, participating students have been profoundly changed and they have a new-found appreciation for their exceptional classmates with learning disabilities". Lisa's husband Ray is now on board full time as Director of Development, and together they hope to take their workshops across the state.....it is their life's mission. Their oldest son Benjamin has become involved with some of the Task Centers and it probably won't be long before their youngest son Joshua will be involved. Congratulations to Lisa and Ray for their vision and perseverance.....they never gave up.....it was never an option.....it's people like the Miller's who make the world a better place and we're proud and honored to be their neighbors! You can learn more about the Miller's Sensitivity Awareness Workshop, Inc. by going to their website at: www.sawoneheart.com or call them at 239 466 6344. SAW
of SWFL, Inc. is a Florida 501(c)3 Non Profit Corporation. All
gifts of cash or securities are fully tax deductible under IRS
law. A copy of the official registration and financial information
may be obtained from the division of consumer services by calling
toll free (800-435-7352) within the state. Registration does not
imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state. |
