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Exceptional Opportunities available for children and adults with special needs

Diane A. Rhodes

Special to Village News

After 23 years as a teacher for students with special needs, Cheryl Stark was ready for a change. Stepping away from the classroom, she still wanted to make a positive change in the lives of children with special needs so she founded Exceptional Opportunities Inc., a nonprofit based in Murrieta.

"The mission of Exceptional Opportunities is to enable children, with special needs, to be active family members, successful students and productive members of the community, by providing specialized community events, adapted equipment and assistive technology for the home environment," Stark said.

Stark added that her vision of being "a grant writing, donation seeking, fundraising machine" has expanded since starting the nonprofit less than a year ago. She said Exceptional Opportunities was borne out of the needs of these children and the onset of COVID-19's social distancing mandates. The organization created and carried out one-of-a-kind events that cater to children and adults such as "Exceptional Fishing Days."

"The Exceptional Fishing Excursion is a day where children and adults with special needs are able to go deep sea fishing on a chartered fishing boat out of San Diego Harbor," Stark said. "All the fishing gear, expert assistance and meals are provided free of charge. Each child or adult with special needs will be able to bring a chaperone, also free of charge." The next fishing trip is scheduled for Oct. 16.

Another program that will begin as soon as funding allows for the purchase of enough adapted tricycles and a trailer to transport them is "Rifton Rides." It will provide weekly opportunities for children to have access to and be able to ride adapted tricycles. "They can ride next to their parents, typical friends and/or siblings or their BFF with special needs," Stark said. "We will provide the adapted tricycles and helmets, if necessary. Children can ride at the local park or even their own neighborhood."

Stark began teaching in 1997 in San Diego, followed by 16 years in Temecula starting in 2004. Her first semester of teaching was Adapted PE so she knows the importance of finding ways to keep children active and as mobile as possible. She also started a peer buddy program that was an elective for students who were in general education classes. "It was amazing," she said. "They were the same-age, typical peers that allowed for 1-to-1 interactions and assistance."

While in college, Stark was on track to being a physical education teacher and was hired to work at the Adapted PE Clinic at her community college.

"I worked with post-stroke patients," she said. "The director, who was also my cross-country coach, told me I could do this for a living with children with special needs and I was hooked. I completed college and got my teaching credential in Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education. My first year out of college, I obtained a long-term sub job as an Adapted PE teacher and then a partial contract as a classroom teacher for children with special needs."

Stark then had to make a choice which route to go and went back to school to earn her classroom teaching credential for working with children with special needs. For the next 22 years, she was a classroom teacher, working primarily with children that had the most severe needs.

Even before starting the process for this nonprofit in August 2020 and receiving its 501(c)(3) charitable organization status in December 2020, Stark helped families in any way she could. A few years ago, she wrote a successful grant for a wheelchair accessible van for a Temecula girl. When Makayla Paulson's mother died, her 65-year-old grandmother took her in but needed help with transportation and getting Makayla in and out of the van. "I love restoring people's faith in humanity," Stark said.

A program that Exceptional Opportunities Inc. did not start but is supporting this year is "Exceptional Families Christmas Picture Day." Stark said, "This is an event like no other. They provide a private meet and greet with Santa that is captured by amazing photographers. Photos are emailed to families, and they own all pictures free of charge. Children are given goodie bags and families receive a carefully thought-out gift. Families have come from as far away as 60 miles to take advantage of this one-of-a-kind event. In 2010, two moms, Jackie Hunter and myself, hosted 10 families and in December 2019 Exceptional Families Christmas Picture Day hosted almost 80 families and captured amazing Christmas memories that would not have otherwise been possible." This year's event will be Dec. 4.

Stark's nonprofit also accepts applications from parents for adapted equipment or assistive technology that they are unable to financially provide for their child(ren). There isn't enough funding to fill all requests yet but so far, the nonprofit has been able to fund two pieces of equipment and is working on putting on the aforementioned special events. Stark hopes that will change as additional funding becomes available.

Part of the group's fundraising efforts includes the ongoing virtual "Exceptional Opportunities Run, Walk, Push or Pedal 5K" event. Started in January, participants can complete the 5k in one day or over multiple days through Dec. 31. After signing up for the event, they receive a fun souvenir race bib to wear on the day they choose to race and a medal for participating.

"I've asked people to take pictures of themselves wearing their race bibs and medals and send them to me," Stark said. "I then put them on our social media pages."

Direct donations, with 100% going directly to Exceptional Opportunities Inc. can be made at http://www.justgiving.com/campaign/exceptionalopportunities. Also ongoing is the ability to donate just by designating the nonprofit when shopping through Amazon at https://smile.amazon.com/ch/85-3047627.

For more information or to sign up for the virtual 5K, exceptionalopportunities.org or on Facebook.

 

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