Adults with special need inspire photos
Collaboratory will host a photo exhibit featuring campers who have attended Trailways Camp, which is dedicated to adults with special needs.
The exhibit, which begins April 11, features more than two dozen portraits shot by photographer George Waters.
“It’s all about awareness,” said Sharon Miller, who established Trailways Camps Inc. in 2012 and has since run 40 camp sessions in LaBelle. She and her husband, Jerry Miller, created the camp to develop and provide unique experiences for adults with special needs and provide respite for their caregivers.
“We’re in our 80s now,” Sharon Miller said. “We want these people and their needs known. These adults live among us, but do you know that they live among us?”
Sharon and Jerry Miller understand the social isolation experienced by adults with disabilities. Both of their sons, Robert and Benjamin Miller, who passed away due to the complications around their special needs, are also featured in the exhibit. The Millers estimate that about 1,000 young adults graduate from special education programs in Lee, Hendry, Glades, Charlotte and Collier counties each year, and most have few opportunities to participate in the community.
The traveling exhibit is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will run through April 25, 2025. For more information on Trailways Camp visit trailwayscamps.org.
ABOUT COLLABORATORY
Collaboratory is a regional community foundation with an evolved mission committed to coordinating the solving of Southwest Florida’s major social problems by 2040. Not alone, but with everyone—the entire community working together across all five counties: Lee, Hendry, Glades, Charlotte and Collier.
Collaboratory provides community leadership, raises and coordinates funding, and disburses funds to organizations that are helping solve the problems our donors and the community have identified as priorities. Collaboratory also provides capacity building with training and resources for regional partners. Given the complexities of the social challenges in our region, Collaboratory ensures we are all working together and that every generous donor achieves the biggest impact with their funds. By using and sharing data to track progress, we ensure that donor dollars are best invested to move the needle on improving social issues.
Connection and collaboration are at the heart of our mission. Since 1976, we have made over $130 million in grants to individuals and organizations across the region to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations. It is upon that legacy of a commitment to community we will collectively achieve our 2040 goal. To learn more and get involved, call 239-274-5900 or visit www.collaboratory.org.
PHOTOS: Examples from the Not Forgotten Faces Exhibit produced by photographer, George Waters. More photos on request
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Contact: Francesca Donlan, APR, cell: 239-464-4205, pr@francescadonlan.com
