Need Project Podcast

Dennis Blaisdell is the pastor of Access Christian Church. It is a place where you can come as you are. We know going to Church can be intimidating. But rest assured, Access Christian Church is made up of imperfect people doing their best to serve God and serve others. We have a laid back atmosphere where you can feel comfortable and not have to worry about pretending to be perfect. We invite you to become part of our family, no matter where you are in your journey with God. We look forward to meeting you!

Sarah Nolan is the Respite Programs Specialist for The Resource Exchange(TRE). We discuss all the respite programs TRE offers for children and adults in El Paso county.

Randy and Kesti Suggs are the founders of Reigning Hope. Their mission: To provide life changing therapies at our sensory-rich farm clinic. Their hope: Children with disabilities struggle to reach developmental milestones and to be independent. A combination of therapies and supportive community can help these children reach their goals. At Reigning Hope we provide life changing therapy for the entire family at our sensory-rich farm clinic.

Christopher A. Noll,  MA, CAA Director of Athletics & Activities District 11 schools. We discuss the school district's Unified Sports Program and how D11 students can get involved.

Team Impact with Sarah Sapiro, Regional Executive Director, West Emily Burns, Matchup specialist Jackie Avila, Case Manager and Shikha Shah, Regional Director, Programs. Team IMPACT matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, creating a long-term, life-changing experience for everyone involved. See more at https://teamimpact.org/

Family Voices Colorado is a grassroots organization run by parents of children with special healthcare needs. The support you receive is free of charge and provided by someone who understands the many challenges of having a child with special health care needs in their life.

Every day we give parents the information and knowledge they need to navigate complex healthcare systems to get things like wheelchairs, oxygen, or surgery for their children. With our help, parents can be the heroes their children are counting on. Parents also receive information about other systems they should access based on their child’s diagnosis and needs.

Maranatha Charity Trust is an organization in Romania. It's about children who didn't have the chance to grow up in a family. Maybe it's because their parents left too soon to watch over them from above, or maybe it's because their parents - biologically speaking - didn't know how to receive and appreciate them as a blessing into their lives.

Children for whom "home" was far from being a real home. Children who did not enjoy the warm hugs of a parent, who do not remember a rich lunch taken with their parents, who did not have anyone to talk to about school, about what they want to become when they grow up or about how beautifully they draw. And they are not the ones to be seen as guilty.

In fact, we are not even looking for people to blame. We do not need to point fingers. We only need solutions. https://asociatiamaranata.ro/en

We talk with Tasha Noble about the mission of Special Olympics and what it means for families in Colorado.

Kevan Chandler is the founder of We Carry Kevan and the author of the book of the same name. We discuss the beginning of We carry Kevan and how a big dream lead to the book, a documentary, and a non-profit. We carry Kevan works to connect families with backpack carriers which allow for up to 60 pounds, and they are about a lot more.

Marcia Nathai-Balkissoon is the author of a new book "Lighting the Path: Leaning into a Hopeful Future as a Special Needs Parent". Marcia is a storyteller and educator who believes that we each have a powerful purpose that should guide our lives. As one of her children is brain-injured and bedridden, Marcia and her family have traversed significant challenges. She is passionate about helping special needs families to feel more connected, gain visibility, access and support, and tap into their resilience.
Marcia helps others to connect deeply with their purpose so they can experience more joy and fulfillment. Through intuitive and logical interventions, her work seeks to shift mindsets, build habits, foster creativity and curiosity, and enable people to live their best lives each day, trusting they are enough.
As a tenured lecturer at the University of the West Indies, Marcia is most drawn to the fields of health, safety and wellness, business and personal strategy, and teaching and learning. She is a certified Parent Skills Master Trainer and enjoys working with her husband to adapt interventions for their daughter and helping other parents to do the same for their children.