This year we had our 5th Annual Turkey Bowl, and it was stuffed with tons of fun! Every year we do our best to improve our agency, and especially how we serve our members. We had inflatables, a bounce house, 9 Square in the Air and lots of fun crafts and games. While serving both our special needs adults and foster care youth, we like to be inclusive. We had a few giveaways and raffles, and one of our special needs adults, Devin, had his eye on a giant plush animal. He wanted it soo bad that he wouldn’t stop asking his staff about it! His staff told him he should pray for it—an inside encouragement that they give. As they started to announce these winners, Devin’s name was called! He was shouting and telling his staff that “God does answer prayers!" We love any hope we can give at Ohana, and that day Devin left with more hope. We also had a guest appearance from The Grinch and his dog Max!

What a beautiful morning serving with your community partner, Christ's Church of the Valley. We had over 100 volunteers show up and show out. A lot of big projects got accomplished thanks to the selfless hard work. We appreciate all the help we can get serving all of our special needs adults and foster youth. The impact is immeasureable!

Over at Ohana we have three main pillars we like to focus on with our youth. One of those pillars is Faith Development in Community. This Saturday morning three of our foster youth homes participated in a painting project with an elderly community. It’s a beautiful picture to see our youth that struggle with purpose and self worth to be able to give back to the community. The elderly owner of the home was filled with joy as our youth helped paint their home. And to be honest, their painting skills weren’t half bad…they may be ready for hire soon!

Meet Christian, one of our foster youth. In July his doctor recommended Christian be more active and eat healthier. Although it is tough for him to break his old habits and keep the weight off, his persistence is paying off and he’s already down 15 pounds and counting! He’s been an inspiration to the staff and his house! Way to go, Christian!

Meet Devin. One of Devin’s dreams is to be a firefighter. The Ohana staff has encouraged Devin to make fitness a priority, and he has taken on the challenge by exercising multiple times a day. We are all extremely proud of Devin’s initiative and know he has an incredible future ahead of him!

Meet Cristina. She has come such a long way since moving to Ohana. Our Direct Care Worker Natalie has worked with her to improve her mobility and now is improving her health with exercises every day. One of Cristina’s favorite things to do is play Sorry! She also continues to amaze the staff with her abilities, growing her vocabulary and even learning sign language. Everyone loves making memories with Cristina!

This summer, Ohana Athletics conducted a basketball clinic for kids in 1st - 8th grade. Every Saturday morning, boys and girls learned the fundamentals of basketball while staying active and having fun. It was particularly great seeing several of our special needs Ohana kids displaying their skills.