Appreciating Friends Who Make Life Richer

A note from Jim and Chris

Last week, in honor of the upcoming International Day of Friendship, we shared some friends who have been instrumental to our lives. We hope you will share your wonderful stories of friendship and the support and love you have felt from friends. This Sunday two other very important friends of ours come to mind – John Kemp and Walter Stockton. That is because today, July 26th, is the 30th Anniversary of The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This was an important milestone event for the lives of so many including our family as our brother, Kevin, has a developmental disability. Our friends John and Walter have spent many years advocating for the rights and serving the needs of individuals with disabilities. John Kemp – We are so proud of the work done by John Kemp. John co-founded the American Association of People with Disabilities. One of the primary purposes of AAPD is to further the implementation of the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. John is a terrific human being and a tireless advocate for improving the lives of others with disabilities. As a person with a disability who uses four prostheses, it is extraordinary to see what he has accomplished in his life, such as leading The Viscardi Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating, employing, and empowering children and adults with disabilities. We worked with John and his wonderful team to open a Smile Farms campus at the Viscardi Center. Notably, in 2006, John received the Henry B. Betts Award, which honors an individual whose work and scope of influence have significantly improved the quality of life for people with disabilities. Walter Stockton – Through visits to our brother Kevin's group home, Independent Group Home Living (IGHL), on Long Island, NY, we were introduced to IGHL CEO, Walter. Walter has become a good friend of our family. While visiting IGHL, we became aware of a troubling statistic: the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is 80%. Walter informed us that he and his team were finding it nearly impossible to find jobs for IGHL residents – this in part led us to founding Smile Farms, a non-profit organization creating meaningful work opportunities in agricultural settings for individuals who are differently abled. With Walter, and the IGHL team, we created the first Smile Farms campus in Moriches, New York. We are so grateful for Walter and all that he does for individuals with disabilities. Through our work with both John and Walter the 1-800-FLOWERS and Smile Farms teams have been able to do our part in helping individuals with disabilities. We are lucky to have friends like these – who not only make our lives richer, but fight to make the world a more accessible, inclusive place. We would love to hear about friends in your life who make the lives of others better. All the best, Jim and Chris   Jim McCann Chris McCann Gift Cards | Security & Privacy Manage Email Preferences | Terms of Offer | Unsubscribe View as webpage This email was sent to webmonster2.sq90rar@blogger.com on 07/26/2020 © 2020 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, INC. • One Old Country Road, Suite 500 • Carle Place, New York 11514-1801