SMILE Mass has sprung into spring by continuing to positively impact the community and improving the lives of those with disabilities. Whether through their popular Club SMILE Mass program, donation of Floating Beach Wheelchairs throughout New England, rental of their Cape Cod adapted vacation condo or partnering with local businesses to help people with disabilities, SMILE Mass has the region abuzz.
The Sudbury-based non-profit, whose mission is to help families raising children and adults with disabilities to enjoy happy, healthy lives through education, recreation, and vacation experiences, recently appeared on a segment of WCVB-TV’s “Five for Good.” The episode was filmed at Atkinson Gym in Sudbury, MA and featured clients, coaches and families who participate in Club SMILE Mass.
“We have received dozens of inquiries from families and organizations struggling with the lack of available services due to the labor shortage in the healthcare sector. These services were previously available to this vulnerable population but dried up during Covid,” continued Diomede. “Through Club SMILE Mass we are providing much-needed daily activities with a focus on movement. There are currently no existing clubs for someone with disabilities, which is a huge problem, and this is why Club SMILE Mass has become so popular.”
Club SMILE Mass consists of hybrid classes to stimulate clients mentally and physically. Classes include access to one-on-one gym or small group classes, one-on-one swimming classes at Atkinson Swimming Pool in Sudbury, in-person social group, and seven-day-per-week access to any LA Fitness in Massachusetts. The program also includes music therapy, storytime, Bingo, book club, and so much more. Each client will also receive a bike evaluation performed by a Physical Therapist. All trainers of Club SMILE Mass are specially trained and had extensive experience working with the special needs population.
“There has been a steady flow of donations from new and existing donors because of the “Five for Good” segment. We are a grass-roots organization that receives no state funding. All our programs are made possible through grants, fundraising, annual sponsorships, and donors like you who knows just how impactful smile-mass is for the communities at large, and what it does for the population of the disabled and their families.”
The episode shared SMILE Mass’ plan to purchase land, which will be the home of “Club SMILE Mass, as we refer to it a Community within a Community,” to help bring a sense of equity and inclusion to the severely disabled population in MetroWest.
“We have been working to come to an agreement with the owners of a property in the MetroWest to complete the acquisition of the property. This will allow us to bring our Club SMILE Mass program in-house and provide immediate relief to the nearly 10,000 families in Massachusetts without the services they need. This is why fundraising is especially critical,” explained Ms. Diomede.
“This is our biggest undertaking yet,” continued Lotte. It is an opportunity for those who believe in equity and equality to resolve a national crisis following the pandemic. We are relying on our existing donors, new donors, and sponsors to take us through each phase of the three-phase Capital Campaign. There is a donation level for everyone, regardless of your financial means.” To donate to the Capital Campaign, visit SMILE Mass’ website at smilemass.org or call Lotte at 617-967-7755.
In addition to the needle-moving news segment, SMILE Mass has had a very active first quarter of 2024, including a Public Service Announcement featuring WCVB news personality Maria Stephanos, which has been airing on Audacy radio stations WEEI, WMJX, and Mix 104.1. The PSA urged listeners to donate to the Club SMILE Mass campaign by texting SMILEMA to 53555.
“Maria Stephanos is a long-time friend and supporter of SMILE Mass,” added Lotte. “We were overjoyed when she and the station agreed to provide the voice for our very important message. The campaign has been very successful as people can donate easily via the text campaign.add text number Any amount is helpful, whether it’s $5, $500, or $5000, there is something for everyone regardless of their philanthropic goals.”
Additionally, several local businesses participated in round-up campaigns during March, during which patrons could round up their checks to support SMILE Mass.
“We are grateful to Sudbury Pizza, Nan’s Restaurant, Assabet Co-op Market, and Sobre Mesa for participating in the Round-Up Campaign, raising funds, and spreading the mission of SMILE Mass. People enjoy shopping at businesses that promote a cause, and we work hard to make the collaboration mutually beneficial for sponsors by promoting their businesses while they promote SMILE Mass. We were also selected as the chosen Non-profit by the 1898 Company in Newton, which is raising funds among their employees during March and April and volunteering for us at upcoming events.”
Early this summer, we will be adding an additional six floating beach wheelchairs through our SMILE Mass Floating Beach Chair Award. To date, we have donated 180 adapted beach chairs around New England to help make our ponds and beaches accessible to any family wishing to enjoy a beach vacation. The additional Floating Beach wheelchairs will be awarded before Memorial Day to beaches in Franklin, Nahant, Amesbury, Newburyport, Standish, ME, and the Mass Audubon’s Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary Beach in Barnstable. We believe the little things in life can make memories that last a lifetime. Beach days for all!”
“We provide services to help families navigate the challenges of raising family members with disabilities. We are there to answer questions and provide solutions to manage the day-to-day challenges we, as parents of disabled family members, face every single day. It is how I begin every conversation. “How can SMILE Mass help you?”
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About SMILE Mass: Small Miracles in Life Exist (SMILE Mass) is a 501 C3 non-profit organization dedicated to helping families raising children or adults with disabilities enjoy happy, healthy memories through vacation and recreation experiences. For more information, visit www.smilemass.org
Contact information: Lotte Diomede- President-Founder lotte@smilemass.org617-967-7755
Susan Brown-Vice President- Co-founder susan@smilemass.org 978-460-7410
Todd Civin- Director of Communications-todd@smilemass.org-978-502-1453
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