CLEARWATER, Florida, October 2017– Tampa Bay hosts many events through the holidays for individuals with special needs, the secret is knowing where to find them. Help Us Gather [HUG], a new nonprofit, has made these events not-so-secret and organized them into one easy-to-use calendar.
A difficult aspect of managing special needs that is often overlooked is the time is takes to scan the web, research and coordinate things to do. This struggle is amplified throughout the holiday season to find joyful, festive activities to participate in.
There are over 20 holiday events and activities listed on the HUG website.
HUG’s mission is to organize the events and activities for individuals with disabilities in the community so people can spend more time on what’s important, having fun!
The HUG website is easy to use and caters to people of all age groups and all disabilities. Users are able to search through events by age group, date, location, host and keyword. This allows individuals to find events to attend quickly and effortlessly.
HUG posts events year-round, however, this tool is especially useful through the holiday season.
There are over 70 organizations using the HUG website that host events in the community for individuals with special needs. There are currently events and activities happening every day for the remaining 2017.
Robin Lally, founder of HUG, knows first-hand how challenging and onerous it can be to find fun social events geared toward those with special needs. Lally created the HUG website after moving her brother to Clearwater in 2015.
Lally said, “Finding him medical and job assistance services was straightforward, but helping him build his social circle was difficult! It took persistence and nearly a year of searching to get him connected in the community. I kept thinking that there should be a website to organize all of the wonderful things our community has to offer. So, in 2017, I started Help Us Gather, or HUG for short. My hope is that this tool will make it easier for others to connect to the community, to enjoy fun events and activities, and to find new friendships just like my brother did.”
The HUG 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/ and on Instagram and Facebook @helpusgather.
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 and interview requests contact: Robin Lally, President at (513) 324 – 5230 or email robin@helpusgather.org.