MEET THIS ORGANIZATION: Founded in the early 1970s, The WOW Center is an Adult Day Training facility that helps people with developmental disabilities thrive in Miami.
WHAT THEY ARE DOING: The mission of The WOW Center is to “offer support, guidance and encouragement to adults with developmental disabilities in order to help them become more independent.” The non-profit organization accomplishes this through its vast programming and services, which include Life & Work Skills, Speech Therapy, Music Therapy, Arts & Ceramics Studio, Technology Lab, and so much more. Through The WOW Center’s Supported Employment program, participants get to intern and potentially transition to a job with partners like Publix, Taco Bell, and Baptist Health.
FUN FACT: Last year alone, participants went on 765 field trips to build on the skills they’ve honed at The WOW Center. The field trips range from outings to a grocery store, where participants make shopping lists and handle money, to movie theaters and museums, to farther-away trips to the Keys or the Everglades.
QUOTABLE: “We want [the individuals we serve] to get connected to their community and for the community to get connected to them,” Natalia Wong, Executive Director of The WOW Center, said. “All of our field trips are dual-purpose—participants use the life skills they’ve learned in our programs, and Miami becomes more inclusive.”
HOW TO GET INVOLVED: The WOW Center will raise money at Beers & Beats, where you can have a drink and listen to music by Bryant Del Toro and N3NA for a great cause. Find out how you can help promote this organization and support its mission, or give the WOW Center follow on Instagram.