Opening doors to service for those with special needs

Members of the Parker Rotary Community Corps

By Kam Breitenbach, a member of the Rotary Club of Parker, Colorado, USA, and advisor to the Parker Rotary Community Corps

I have had the privilege to get to know and help support a terrific group of individuals who belong to the Parker Rotary Community Corps (RCC). The RCC, patterned after and sponsored by our club, provides an amazing growth and enrichment experience for teens and adults with special needs.

Through RCC and Rotary, these special individuals are learning about service, growing, and making friends. Here are just a few of their stories, taken from a book we recently put together about the program:

“I am 26 years old and joined RCC because I like being involved with my friends and community. I have ADHD, schizoaffective and I don’t learn as fast on spelling or reading and sometimes I write big or small and forget to put punctuation marks in my sentences and paragraphs. Even with these obstacles, RCC has made me proud to be alive. RCC has made me feel more involved with the people around me and my community ….” Caroline

“I am 21 years old, and I have Autism. It is a total drag, but some of my coolest friends have autism too and we have fun! I’m new to Colorado and wanted to join the Rotary Community Corps to meet other people and join a fun group. Through RCC I have met all kinds of people. Some are like me and some are very different. I have been to a few of the dances and Prom-Us. I’m not really a dance kinda guy, but they were ok. I would really like to do the Police Academy someday! When I first got here from California I missed all my old friends. I didn’t know anybody here yet. Now I have this big group of people and I’m not so lonely anymore.” Kevin

“I’m 27 years old and have cerebral palsy. I drive a power wheelchair. I talk with an augmentative icator called an ECO. I also have vocabulary on my iPad and iPhone. I joined RCC because I like being with all my friends. The people at Village Inn, where we meet, are really nice. I like the speakers too. I really like using my talker to say the Pledge of Allegiance at the meetings. I am really accepted at the meeting and I like to help however I can to serve the community. RCC has changed me in that instead of being helped, I learned that there’s a lot that I can do myself for others. RCC has made me proud and give me confidence in myself.” Amy

Amy’s parents note “I am amazed and so proud by how far these wonderful young adults have come and what they have done in RCC. I can’t wait to see what the future holds. It has been an amazing adventure for all of us.”

The club began in January 2010 and now has 40 members from Parker and surrounding communities. Members recently assembled 1,000 toys for a local charity, take part in Adopt a Family at Christmas, and do other community service projects throughout the year. Thank you for your support of Rotary, which makes great programs like this one possible! For more information about the program, email me at kamieb1234@gmail.com or