Miami Autism Dad Victor Antunez interviews Marquia Robinson, CEO of Hope for Miami, and Program Manager Mercy Parada, about a Miami-Dade nonprofit that serves over 6,000 people a year and made a deliberate choice in 2012 to open its doors to children with disabilities. Marquia and Mercy break down the afterschool and summer programs that give working families a safe place when school lets out, what it takes to get a student with disabilities to high school completion, and what a modified diploma really means for a kid the standard track was never built for. They tell the story of Jada, a student at their John A. Ferguson site whose mom just wanted a safe place for her daughter, and lay out the dream of one building where the whole family is served under one roof. The episode closes on the line that drives the organization: HOPE starts with you, see and treat your neighbor as yourself.
Connect with Hope for Miami:
https://www.hopeformiami.org/
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