Page 20 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2016

COASTNOTES
south mississippi
special needs organization
story by Ed Lepoma
Aphotos courtesy of South Mississippi Special Needs Organization
lmost two years adulthood. We strive to work with ago, Donna Brewer the individuals and their families was a stay-at- to enhance their lives and lessen home mom taking the burden on family members and care of a teenage caregivers.”
daughter with Down Syndrome and a soon-to-be teenage son when she got a call from a friend that changed the direction of her life. The friend asked her to organize
an event for the community of special needs individuals with free entertainment provided by friends who are founders of the Mississippi Songwriters Alliance.
“I reached out to several of my other friends in the special needs community, and we came up with the idea to host a Valentine’s Dance and Social for teens and adults with special needs on Feb. 13, 2015. It was so hugely successful and well received that we knew we wanted to do more,” said Brewer.
Brewer formed the non-profit South Mississippi Special Needs Organization (SNO) and now serves as its executive director. “The organization serves Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties and is composed of parents, family members, service providers and those who have an interest in specific disabilities,” she said. “The age group ranges from birth to
This past February, SNO held its second Valentine’s Day Dance and Social and added a pageant for girls and ladies entitled, Beautiful Me.
In collaboration with the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center in Ocean Springs, the organization held a three-day mini-camp with classes in art, music and theatre. Last month,
in partnership with American Legion Post 13 in Biloxi, SNO held its second annual Crawfish Boil and Fundraiser.
“We are very encouraged by the support because we are not aligned with any national organization and rely strictly on partnerships and individual donations to fund our projects,” said Brewer. “We’re not anchored to a local city government or have reached a point where we can attract large grants, so we really are a grass-roots organization whose board members see a need and share a vision.”
SNO is governed by a 10-member board of directors. Their activities planned for the coming year can be viewed on their Facebook page and their website southmssno.com.
TOP: Olivia Watson, Hannah Brewer
and Tabitha Turnage enjoyed this year’s Valentine’s Day Dance. ABOVE LEFT: Astronaut Tucker Ward; ABOVE RIGHT: Tabitha Turnage at the inaugural Valentine’s Day Dance. BELOW: Trent Fedele with the Easter Bunny.
20 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2016
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