Community Connections, because of volunteers and utilizing donated community space, is able to offer FREE sports, arts, and support programs for an average of only $150 per year, per child.

Your donation will positively impact the life of a child, teen, or young adult living with an intellectual or developmental disability.

You may also sponsor your child(ren) by writing a check and handing it in at the auction check out desk.

Sponsor Spencer in Swim, Flag Football, and Pet Kids Club for 1 year

Spencer lives in Conway and participates in Swim and Flag Football. In previous years he has also taken part in bowling. Of course we always try to be at the Neighborhood Pet Club, as Spencer loves animals.
Spencer was diagnosed with ADHD and High Functioning Autism Spectrum. He is very smart, especially in math and had greatly improved in his social skills due to Community Connections and now to Compass Academy where he is at school.
We have noticed that in neurotypical activities for his age, he does not always grasp the rules and other information about the activity the children are doing. What is great about Community Connections is that the information is broken down to better help each child's understanding as well as having a "buddy" with each of them to help guide our kids in the activity.
Spencer has made numerous friends in his time with Community Connections, which really makes us overjoyed. His social skills have improved greatly with these activities.
So far we have loved all the programs that Community Connections offers.

Sponsor Mary-Micah for art, soccer, and Acts Jr. Theater for 1 year

Mary-Micah, has participated in Community Connections activities for about 7 years. We have done art, soccer, and acting all in Conway. Mary-Micah has autism and sometimes group activities can be overwhelming due to loudness or even the speed at which the activity is moving. We absolutely love all of the Community Connections activities we have been involved in because she loves the camaraderie she has with other kids and the helpers. She thrives in the activities and we love to see that confident girl shine. The helpers with Community Connections never get upset if she is having difficulty in transitioning to another activity. They work with her and that acceptance and help is what you hope for as a parent. We love to see that big smile she is usually wearing after any Community Connections activity.

Sponsor Wyatt for 1 year of Community Connections activities.

Diagnosis - Cerebral Palsy, ADHD and Autism
Wyatt has participated in TOP Soccer-LR for 4 years.
Programs with Community Connections give him the opportunity to participate in programs like his siblings. As parents, we love seeing the pride and encouragement it gives him participating in a team sport.

I would love for funds to be available for horseback riding again as that is something Wyatt really enjoyed.

Carson Maxwell has been participating in Community Connections since the beginning of 2022. Carson has participated in the Pets Club, Garden Club, Sports Clinic and RUFL Ball. He was diagnosed with ADHD and ASD within the past two years. He is full of energy and enthusiasm when learning about new things. One of his favorite sports is basketball. He thoroughly enjoyed the one day sports clinic for basketball earlier this year. That was the first time that he was in a sports setting and I wasn't concerned about whether he fit in or not, because he did. He made friends almost immediately. I breathed a sigh of relief. I love for my child to participate in community connections because it gives him the opportunity to learn and participate in sports and other social activities without fear of judgement from neurotypical peers. Carson requires a lot of one on one attention during activities, which can be hard to accommodate in a neurotypical environment. We are so appreciative to those that contribute to and sponsor the programs. If it wasn't for this organization, he would not be able to have the opportunity to play sports with such caring and encouraging people.

Savannah has been an active participant in Community Connections since the age of 3. She started with art as her very first activity and art still remains her favorite activity/hobby. This class has brought out her potential and gifting in the various art she creates. Savannah has also participated in bowling, swim, respite care, volleyball, basketball, cheer, sports camp, soccer and ceramics camp. Every buddy is Savannah's best friend! Her lifelong Community Connections relationships have encouraged Savannah with her autism to be who God created her to be, and not her diagnosis. Savannah spreads sunshine in everything she does and everyone she meets. We have Community Connections to thank for helping her light shine.

Evan

Conway: Martial Arts (2nd season), ACTS Jr (2nd performance), Swimming (1st season), Respite Library Program (1 session),

Cerebral Palsy: "Barriers"... Evan's disability affects his balance and coordination, so he uses assistive devices to perform gross motor tasks like standing, walking, etc. He struggles to fully participate in a typical world without full accommodations.

We enjoy Community Connections because it allows Evan to participate, without question, in activities that would otherwise be unavailable to him without us trying to advocate for him to have a place/space. Advocating for your disabled child is part of daily life, but it is wonderful when there is a place that parents do not have to do that... their child is accepted just as they are.

Evan loves looking at the different activities offered and having so many choices. We went from a small town with zero choices for him, to a place that he has a huge buffet of options! He LOVES going to ACTS Jr to let out his creative juices with all the cool college kids, martial arts to practice being a ninja, and being part of a swim team like his sister.

Since moving to Conway, a little over a year ago, we have met so many wonderful people through Community Connections. I am so grateful for the support and confidence these programs give to kids (and parents) in the disability community.

Thank you to everyone that puts all the hard work into Community Connections! It is a blessing to our family!

Caleb first joined Community Connections in 2020 or 2021, I honestly cannot remember. He was referred by his PT at Pediatrics Plus to come out and try TOPS soccer. Caleb was instantly hooked. After that he tried Karate, tennis, and Pet Club (he has a special place though for Pet Club due to his love of all animals), and he is interested in more activities than we are able to do. He hopes to try acting, golf and volleyball in the future and recently became interested in football, so that may be on our radar as well. Caleb was born with a genetic condition called Nemaline Myopathy, because of this genetic defect he has hypotonia (low muscle tone), and other Developmental Delays. His muscles do not work or develop as well as most. He has tried sports with peers his age but everyone quickly sees Caleb just cannot run, jump, and play like other children his age. He fatigues extremely fast and has lots of pain in his legs and other limbs most days. He is only 7 years old and honestly he doesn't let this slow him down but he has begun to realize, or other kids have pointed out, his limitations and his skills and abilities are not that of his classmates. When he is at Community Connections though he doesn't notice these things. Caleb git his first trophy from Community Connections and was so proud!
We would love it if more programs were closer to home for us, we live in Cabot and most central AR activities are in Conway and/or Little Rock. He has been limited to weekend activities only just cause it is too hard to get out to Conway or LR after school and me working in LR.
Thank you to community connections for all you do for these kids and families like ours and thank you to Mr. Josh at Pediatrics Plus for telling us about this program.

Mason is 7 and has been participating in Community Connections programming in Little Rock since he was about 3 years old. He loves Top Soccer and art and absolutely loved the Hearts & Hooves horseback riding program a couple years ago. He wishes CC offered horseback riding, martial arts, and basketball in Little Rock. He has Erb's Palsy and severe sensory processing disorder and struggles to participate in regular group activities. He always feels welcome, included, and loved at Community Connections!

Jacob is 14, he has participated in swimming, bowling, respite care, and cooking class in Conway over the past 7 years.
Jacob has cerebral palsy and autism. Jacob walks with a walker and often times it's challenging with typical activities and sports.
With Community Connections he is included and his walker is not an issue.
His favorite activity is bowling.

Dakota has participated in Conway RUFL football for the past 3 years.
He's autistic and nonverbal so he cannot participate in neurotypical football.
Coach Hunt is amazing with Dakota and all the other kids. The first practice we went to, I was amazed that Coach Hunt had my boy running and moving the entire hour and with a smile on his face! He LOVED it. He loves the way Coach Hunt encourages them like a real football coach and just loves being out of the field with everyone. We would do football year round if we could but are grateful and look forward to it every Fall.

My name is Darnell.

It takes me a little while to understand what people are saying. I need one-step directions.

I love sports. I've played soccer, football, basketball, and tennis with Community Connections in Little Rock and Conway for many years.

I didn't have to worry about not understanding what I was supposed to do. I could just do what I thought the coaches said and it was okay if I didn't get it just right. No big deal. It was for fun, but I learned a lot too.

I've also made some really good friends through the teen game group and the Young Adult social groups in Conway and Little Rock. I can relax and be myself a little more there.

I play keyboard by ear and would love for Community Connections to start a music program where I don't need to read music.

Jaya
Conway, participated in
iCan dance (current)- 2 years
Swim (current) - 2 years
Bowling- 1 year
Art- 1 session
Respite neighborhood pet Saturday - 1 time

Ataxia Telangiectasia- rare, progressive disorder, she is in a wheelchair and has trouble with fine motor skills. Hard for her to keep up with kids her own age and they usually just leave her behind

Jaya loves getting to interact with the other children and her helpers. Just to be able to participate and feel more independent is really important to her.

She's been wanting to try cheer but it hasn't been offered for a while.

The first program Jaya participated in was swim, she really loved it and loved feeling independent in the water. Her smiles and happiness are priceless to us.

Savannah lives in Conway and participates in
teen game group, Acts Jr, and volleyball. She has a 17q12 duplication, intellectual disability
She doesn't have the same physical or mental abilities as "normal" children her age. She also feels self conscious when participating in "normal" activities, but feels right at home with community connections

Fear thou not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine.
Isaiah 43:1

Alayna is from Searcy. She nost recently participated in volleyball in Conway. She previously participated in the Conway triathlon. She has autism from her genetic disorder, GRIN-1, an anxiety disorder and epilepsy. She really enjoyed the volleyball, especially the day the women's volleyball team from Hendrix came. She enjoys Community Connections because there are always plenty of volunteers who interact with her.

Joe lives in Conway and participates mostly in teen game group and ACTS Jr. but also has taken swim, art, summer camp and super science Saturday. Think he has done this for 7 years, honestly I'm not sure.

Joe is autistic

In his words "place to socialize. I don't usually have human to human interaction" again those are his words.

Bring back the movie making group, more creative based groups for older kids if possible.

Met his best friend at the summer camp

Miranda
Participates in Conway- cheerleading, Art, Acts Jr., volleyball, young adult class, pet club & science group for 7+
Diagnosis: ASD
Miranda loves CC because it allows her to express herself in many types of activities that most kids can not participate in normally.
Thanks to CC Miranda been enjoying getting out more with others & showing off her creative side.

This is Brady. We recently moved from Conway to NLR. Brady attends The Farm by Pediatrics Plus in Conway so we primarily participate in the Conway programs.

For the past 7 years, Brady has participated in soccer, art, bowling, tennis, football and swimming. Brady is nonverbal and has Autism and needs many supports including an 1:1 buddy at all times. All the program Directors are amazing at pairing him with the perfect buddy who understands his needs. We are unable to mainstream Brady and he would not be able to participate in any of these activities if it weren't for Community Connections. Seeing Brady be able to make touch downs in football or hit a tennis ball is amazing, but I'm most thankful for the swim program. Teaching children with Autism to swim is so important. Coach Craig Conner and the Conway High Swim Team taught Brady to swim and continue to work with him on his swimming skills. I know Brady enjoys participating in all the programs but participation in the swimming program could potentially be life saving. We love everything about Community Connections and we're so thankful for the directors and volunteers who pour into our kiddos week after week.

Thank you again for all the hard work that goes in behind the scenes to help make all these programs happen for our community. We are so grateful!

Ca'Nyla has been participating in Community Connections' programs in Conway for 6 years. Some of her favorites are basketball, soccer, cheer, volleyball, tennis and triathlon, but nothing tops her # 1 of all times, FOOTBALL! At times, she has to be reminded it's flag football and not head on tackle. Ca'Nyla was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 2. With the support of so many family and friends as well as programs like Community Connections, she's blossomed into this beautiful butterfly who's learning how to reach new heights on her own. She has made so many forever lasting friendships through Community Connections with many more to come. The confidence she has gained has allowed her to believe in her self and now she's helping others to do the same.
Without Community Connections, our kids wouldn't have a platform like this to enjoy
the many opportunities given to others.
Our family, along with so many others, are truly blessed that Community Connections has an open door policy for our kids,
Come Just As You Are!

Eloise loves participating in Community Connections activities. Soccer and basketball have been her favorite activities. We love seeing her learn new skills and develop a love for sports.

Sponsor Eloise for 1 year of sports and arts programs

This is Mark!
He's 13 and has autism.
This year he has participated in RUFL Football and the Pets Club for the first time. He's enjoyed other programs throughout the years but football seems to be his favorite.
He enjoys participating in Community Connections because it isn't as competitive as typical sports - it's just about learning and having fun.
Mark said he likes to Community Connections because he gets to play football with his friends. He is very excited about going to every practice.
Another program suggestion would possibly be a choir. Can you imagine all these beautiful faces serenading a crowd?

This is Sawyer. He lives in Conway, and he has enjoyed participating in many, many programs offered by Community Connections over the last 5 years. He has participated in basketball, swimming, art, bowling, sports camps, respite care events, fishing, and tennis. He is currently enrolled in football, golf, and Acts Jr. Sawyer has myelomeningocele, the most severe type of Spina Bifida. He uses a wheelchair to get around and has some slight developmental delays. Both of these barriers make it more challenging for Sawyer to participate in activities created for neurotypical children. Sawyer has a lot of fun participating in Community Connections programs, but his favorite part of any activity is getting to hang out with the volunteers. Participating in these programs has helped Sawyer grow in self confidence, gain better social skills, and stay active. We are so grateful for the opportunities this program allows Sawyer and our whole family.

Kristopher has been familiar with Community Connections since he was 5 years old. He attended the developmental preschool at Pediatrics Plus for almost two years. After he transitioned to public schools, we found out about Community Connections. He has been involved in Top Soccer the longest, followed by martial arts, and most recently, the Neighborhood Pet's Club programs. Kristopher has bilateral conductive hearing loss and wears a bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA). It has been difficult to participate in some sports and activities, such as football and water play due to his hearing aid, water and sweat, and equipment barriers. He loves to run around and play with sports balls, so he fell in love with soccer. Top Soccer has been a blessing for us as he gets to run around the field and kick balls. It also helps with following directions, following rules for sports, and listening. He still has some difficulties with these concepts, but he has made great gains since his first beginning with the program. Martial Arts teaches these same concepts and helps with his core strength and gross and fine motor skills, which is a plus. Being able to watch Kristopher in action during these programs makes me appreciate the time, effort, and patience these volunteers have for my son. They are truly a blessing. Community Connections has so many programs to offer, and I am happy with the variety and locations of the programs available. There is truly something for everyone. If I had the time and energy, I would participate in all of them, but I am so grateful for the many options and opportunities available.

Mason Starr - Age 13
5 years in Community Connections (Little Rock - Sports Clinic, Conway - Bowling, Basketball, Football, BRAVES Baseball, Swimming, Morrilton - Karate)
Diagnosis: Multiple Disabilities (Intellectual Disability) receives OT, PT, ST. Easily emotional and very dependent on his grandma "G". He struggles to make friends around his age because of his mentality, but loves to be with others.
Mason loves CC because it allows him to be himself. He feels comfortable around the volunteers and the kids.
He loves everything sports and looks forward to CC activities every season! Mason has participated in the programs for 5 years. During this time he has lost his grandmother "nana" and grandfather "papa" who helped raise him until he was 9, transitioned to new schools (public to private - Compass Academy), had Covid and was hospitalized for weeks, and now the loss of his "G" this past June. Community Connections has stayed his constant and because of these programs and staff, he has had the opportunity to just be himself and escape into fun enriching activities a few times a week.

Jonivan
Little Rock, Pet Club, Acting
Autism / physical delays preventing participation in neurotypical sports
Jonivan enjoys Community Connections because it allows him to engage in activities with other kids who share his unique perspective on the world.
Jonivan would enjoy participating in basketball as well as horse riding and any outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, etc.

16x20 Canvas Art by Beauty from Ashes Custom Designs

Each piece of custom artwork is one of a kind and was made with love and prayer. This ministry was born out of the devastation and destruction of the E4 tornado in Mayflower, April 2014.

Every piece is created by including something broken, damaged, or discarded, and is then turned into something unique and beautiful in the same way that God takes us and fashions us into beautiful creations.

Donated by Renee Bridges