Every holiday has its unsung hero, and AOL’s video series “Holiday Heroes” highlights those individuals who are making a difference in their communities.
When Bonnie Schmidt’s daughter, Jessica, suffered a permanently debilitating seizure at 6 weeks old, Schmidt and her husband came up with a way to give Jessica and other young adults like her a productive life.
“When kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities turn 22, all the funding stops, all the programs stop,” Schmidt told AOL Lifestyle. “There really is nothing for [Jessica] to do that’s productive.”
Enter ScentsAbility. The Coral Springs, Florida-based organization strives to “provide job training, employment and supported housing to young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
The program takes into account each young adult’s abilities and what he or she really “shines at” — just like any other job.
“No matter what the ability is, however high-functioning they are or low-functioning they are, we can find a purpose for them here,” ScentsAbility’s development director Denise Anderson concluded.
See more of the incredible project in the video above!
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