CLEARWATER, Florida, October 2017– Help Us Gather (HUG) is a new, free website that organizes social events and activities in Tampa Bay that caters to people of all age groups that live with disabilities. The HUG website organizes community events into a simple, easy-to-use calendar. There are currently over 70 groups on the site with multiple events everyday through 2017.
Robin Lally founded HUG after moving her brother to Tampa Bay in 2015 and struggling to find social activities for him. She was inspired by her struggles to create a website that was easy-to-use and organized, making it easier for families with special needs to have fun.
Lally said, “Social activities are a highly important part of life that significantly increases quality and builds community. For individuals of different abilities and their families, it can be a challenge to know where to start looking for welcoming venues and appropriate events.”
The HUG website can be utilized by people with disabilities, parents, caregivers, and organizations that host events.
If you are a person with a disability, parent or caregiver, the HUG website can help fill your calendar with fun, social activities. The primary search filter is by age group. You are also able to search through events by specific dates, location and keywords.
Rachel Barcellona, an International Spokesperson for the Center of Autism and Related Disorders, is a strong advocate for HUG. She stated, “This website is an amazing opportunity for people of all ages with disabilities to connect with one another. As a young child and now a young adult, I struggled with social interactions and it is nice to connect with others that share the same challenges. This website [HUG] is so beneficial in helping promote positive interaction between those with disabilities.”
If you are an organization or company that hosts events or offers inclusive activities, you are able to create your own group page as well as manage and post your events.
The Help Us Gather team is active in the community. They love to attend events listed on their calendar and connect with the people who motivate their work every day. Follow them on Instagram (@helpusgather) and Facebook (facebook.com/helpusgather) to see where they end up next.
HUG will soon expand and replicate the website in other cities as well, with Orlando next in line.
HUG’s new website and social media will be updated on a regular basis with news of our organizations, HUG milestones, and events. People and organizations are encouraged to explore the website at http://www.helpusgather.org/.
ABOUT
Help Us Gather is part of The Helping Project, a public charity with 501c3 status. Robin Lally founded Help Us Gather (HUG) in 2017. Help Us Gather is an easy, no-cost way to find or share events for people of all abilities in Tampa Bay. For more information contact: Robin Lally, President at (727) 489 – 5885 or email robin@helpusgather.org.