GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — A group of teens at D.A. Blodgett-St. John's (DABSJ) is gearing up for a trip they never could have dreamed of, until now.
In July, workers at DABSJ plan to take six teens in the residential treatment program to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
"This for me is the first time that we've done an activity where it truly is about a youth having a true childhood experience," explained Holly Anderton, Director of Program Impact and Residential Services at DABSJ. "If you ask any typical youth, like, where would you want to go? Almost always you hear Disney."
The idea came to life largely due to the determination of Jenna Pasfield, a social work intern at DABSJ.
"I took it all on and I was like, I'm gonna find an Airbnb, I'm gonna price out the transportation, and I'm gonna go do the full nine," Pasfield told FOX 17 News. "Just to take them out of the day-to-day struggles of just juggling the foster care system and just taking them away and feeling relaxed, and that sense of enjoyment, just to just give them that for five days would just be amazing."
Pasfield and others donned Disney gear and Mickey Mouse ears to surprise youth with the news in May.
DABSJ workers will pair up with a teen sharing similar interests during the vacation.
"If there's a staff who loves roller coasters, and a youth who loves roller coasters, we're gonna put those two together," Anderton said. "It's so much more fun, they get to go on the older youth rides, experiences shows, Disney has something for everybody. That's the best part about Disney."
While they have fun and make memories, going to Disney will also serve a serious purpose: helping to improve mental health, and build social skills and connections.
The trip is projected to cost roughly $20,000 and DABSJ is asking the community to help pull off this magical vacation.
So far, the group is nearly halfway to the fundraising goal.
"I can't imagine what they're going to say when they come back from a trip like Disney," said Anderton. "I think the outcomes of this will not even be measurable... I think the impact on these youth is going to be so unbelievable. And we're so appreciative of every community member who's given $5 or brought a bag of donated hand sanitizer, anything that we need for this trip. It really does make an impact and we're so grateful for everyone's excitement around this trip."
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