MACF donates to Lunch Pals for Children with Disabilities

Posted: Apr 26 2022

The Minot Area Community Foundation has granted $10,500 to Independence, Inc. in support of their Lunch Pals for Children with Disabilities program. This grant was made through the Williamson Endowment Fund.
 
Lunch Pals for Children with Disabilities will allow for students to develop relationships with adults who have similar disabilities.  The program will create a partnership between Companions for Children and Independence, Inc. to provide students with a one-on-one relationship to increase their opportunities in life through their participation in school-based mentoring programs.
 
“At Independence, Inc. peer mentoring is one of our core services and core values. With this program, our mentors with disabilities will be given the opportunity to share their lived experiences with disability and to provide the students with role models who understand the disability experience” says Scott Burlingame, Independence, Inc. Executive Director. “We hope this will help the students to develop pride in who they are and the skills and abilities they need to dream of successful futures.”
 
Mentors will be people with disabilities, who have faced the challenges associated with their disability head on, fought back and are now thriving community members. Peer mentoring has a proven track record of improving life outcomes for students with disabilities. The Lunch Pals for Children with Disabilities program will begin this Fall.