Happy 50th Birthday!

Fashion Passion 2022 

Friday, November 18

Textron Aviation Activity Center

An online auction option is available through RainbowsUnited.org/Fashion-Passion-2022 for everyone to participate and support the event. 

Donations are always welcome at RainbowsUnited.org/donate.

Rainbows United, Inc. is celebrating 50 years in the community, providing vital services to children with special needs and their families. The local not-for-profit was started in 1972 by Linda Weir, who at 23 years old believed children with special needs could remain in the community with their families if they had support and training. With the support of her church and several volunteers she founded Rainbows United starting with five children with multiple disabilities. This courageous endeavor gave families hope that their children might walk, talk, learn basic self-help skills and much, much more. Parents learned how to care for their child with special needs, received support from other families and gained confidence to advocate for their child’s unique needs.

“Where there is no beginning, there can be no hope.” — Linda Weir, 1972

Today Rainbows helps more than 4,234 children every year; that’s more than 62,000 children over the last 50 years. 

Early childhood interventionists — including speech language pathologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, early childhood special education teachers and social workers plus hearing and vision specialists — provide early intervention services to children under age 3 in the family home. Any parent or caregiver with a concern about their young child’s development is welcome to call for a free screening, and when a child qualifies for services the therapies are provided at no cost. “Families may call at the earliest concern. Our talented professionals can make a huge difference in those first few years of a child’s life, and that helps the entire family,” said Lindsay Kral, vice president of programs and services. 

Additionally, Rainbows provides early care and education through Kids’ Point. Childcare is available for children aged 2 weeks through pre-kindergarten at Rainbows’ K-96 and Oliver location. “We provide a safe, welcoming learning environment for children of all abilities at Kids’ Point,” said Michelle Croomes, early care and education coordinator. “It’s especially important for children who are medically fragile, use a G-tube or have other special needs, to have a place where those needs are accepted and cared for. Everyone grows and learns together here.” Early childhood mental health services and autism services, including applied behavior analysis (ABA), are also provided through Kids’ Point.

“They see your child. They love your child. They want what’s best for your child. They celebrated the victories with us and worked through the trials with us. I credit Rainbows with most of our successes. — Brayden’s Mom, DeAnne

Family support services for school-age children and youth with special needs are also available. Direct support professionals (DSP) care for kids in their homes when the family needs care, sometimes greeting a child as they come home from school and staying with them until parents finish working. Other times DSPs help out on the weekends and during school breaks when activities take families in other directions.

Rainbows provides targeted case management to help families connect with needed resources like medical equipment and home modifications. The agency also matches children and youth in foster care with specialized foster care families. 

“We have an incredible legacy thanks to Linda and her tenacity in starting Rainbows. The need for services continues,” said Gay Kimble, president. “We have talented professional staff members who make a difference for families each and every day. We can’t do it without funding. Fashion Passion is our largest fundraiser of the year and we appreciate everyone who sponsors and supports this important event.”