From our Participants

I feel happy being involved with Friendship Adventures. It gives me something to do, and I make new friends and have more friends. I love the dances, especially when I can dress up. I like to be involved with sports, and go on trips with my friends to see things I have never seen before. It makes me feel good to help people who need help. I feel like a big family and everyone helps each other, we get stuff ready for trips, dances, and just about anything. If we did not have Friendship Adventures to bring us all together we would be sitting in our house all day, and not getting out and doing stuff. Maureen always has things for us to do. – Michelle

From Families of our Participants

I found this by accident when I was adding new Participation Registration forms to our email list from the dance. I saw that this parent had their own website and I’m always curious as to who there are, what they do. So I went to www.schario.com and here’s what it said posted with a picture of their son dancing at our dance. I don’t always share the unsolicited testimonials but think it is important for everyone to know what an impact FA is making on people’s lives!! Thank you all for being a huge part of our success! – FA Founder, Maureen Browning

We can’t tell you enough how important Friendship Adventures is to our family. : )  To be able to have all these wonderful events to send our adult Brad to—without having to plan things ourselves—it’s just a priceless gift to him and to us!  We can’t imagine his life without it!  So so lucky and grateful!  Thank you! – Janet

“Last night my son Josh and his friends attended Friendship Adventures’ Valentine Dance. I am at once struck by the notion that by enhancing the quality of life of individuals with disabilities to whom we are committed, we also enhance our own quality of life and those of all we hold dear. Certainly, by finding activities that Joshua would enjoy and accompanying him to them, I get to know many other people like him and find my life to be richly blessed just by being there. Twenty or thirty years ago, Josh and his friends would not have had such opportunities; I am forever in the debt of those who have brought about inclusion not as an accommodation but as an invitation.” – Anonymous

Friendship Adventures is the coolest!! Maureen Browning (and her crew) love working with people with developmental disabilities and it shows! The program has grown hugely over the years as Maureen is constantly coming up with new adventures, trips, avenues from which to partake! Because of Friendship Adventures, my son, Ben, who has Down Syndrome has “traveled the world”, it seems! And because of Friendship Adventures, Ben’s mom and dad have traveled affordably to new places (Jamaica, Grand Caymen, Alaska) with great company! We feel very fortunate to have made the connection with this great group of leaders ,parents, caregivers and participants! Friendship Adventures is a program that has added a huge dimension to our lives! Without it there would be a huge hole! – Connie

After my sister graduated from Pacific School in North Seattle at age 20, it was pretty much the end of her interactions with other people. Our family just kept her guarded at home and with no friends to talk to or visit and have fun with; she just seemed to lead a boring and lonely life for 20 plus years. Now at age 44, she is now involved with Friendship Adventures and has a new excitement in her. She marks her calendar for the next event that she can attend and talks to us (her family) about it all the way until it comes. It’s wonderful to see her happy and enjoy things that my brother and I enjoyed throughout our lives… going to dances, camping, and day trips. Thank you FA for enriching the life of my sister and everyone else involved. – Krystal

Our daughter is one quarter of a century old and has a fantastic job at an athletic club, cleaning equipment and the women’s locker room. She lives in a group home and has enjoyed Friendship Adventures activities from before her Dad helped file for tax status. Over the years, we have met so many super folks and appreciate the support that many give back to make sure that events happen with gusto. We took the best trip on a bus, ever… a few years ago for the fall adventure to Leavenworth where we watched some really good videos over and back, ate a great lunch on picnic tables “in the woods” and enjoyed the horse drawn wagon ride and the doings of that alpine tourist spot.

We want to thank Maureen for making the world of folks with different abilities, so much better. The ideas, execution, compassion and attention to having a wonderful, fun, recreational life, is part of the reason we return through open doors for sometimes repetitive season Friendship choices and sometimes one-of-a-kind opportunities.

This past October 2007 Halloween dance was great. We had a blast. So many smiles, so much comraderie, so much good food. The joy of getting together, being with a community that continues to blossom with energy and delight, is a world that we don’t share with everyone, but we are blessed to participate in. We invited Tony, a new guy, to come with his caregivers this time. He had fun; Tony is a hard one to please. He smiled, moved in place to the music and just watched the goings on, getting out of his world safely and finding another experience that was OK. He took a huge step, moving into the adult world at 21, becoming an eagar participant for another time and another place of connecting. Truly it was a huge and beneficial step of trust. So thanks for the variety and number of offerings. Thanks for providing another great outing. With appreciation for the gift of joy that is brought to so many. – Les & Nancy

Over the years I have been able to watch so many young people grow up in wonderful adults. Friendship Adventures has helped me give my daughter the opportunity to enjoy life with many wonderful friends. While doing so, I have made many friends that will last me a lifetime. I feel like part of a big family. – Sue

We’ve been going to Friendship Adventures activities for years! Our son Nick is 24, with Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Disabilities. It can be hard to find appropriate activities for Nick to do and enjoy, so it is absolutely wonderful to have a place specifically geared to his world where he can go and have a blast with his peers. The dances are wonderful – great music, lots of dancing, food and prizes. My son is always up for one of these events. My husband and I always have a great time too – there is absolutely nothing in the world like watching all the participants! Each and every one of them are a wonder. Their overall lack of inhibition, friendliness, go-get-’em, non-judgmental, everybody-have-fun attitude is an absolute joy to behold. I never get tired of going to these events with my son just to watch and be in the presence of such bountiful happiness. Thank you Friendship Adventures! – Nancy

Our daughter as been involved in Friendship Adventures for about 3 or 4 years now and has really gotten so much out all the activities she has attended with them. She’s made some really great friends and has been able to maintain and continue previous friendships by being involved with F.A. Having activities that she can do with her friends and really enjoys is not only important to her social development but also for her emotional development. When we found out a couple of years ago that work programs were too stressful for her and she became severely depressed, we were glad to have the activities that F.A. provided to help keep her interested in getting out of the house and over coming her depression. We also appreciate that the activities are family orientated, allowing us to participate whenever necessary and providing really great chaperons when needed. We haven’t seen any other program or organization that provides what Friendship Adventures does. Thank you for putting this together Maureen! – Barbara & Greg

The musical was well attended by Friendship Adventurers and was an excellent performance. Thanks for putting this one together. I really appreciate what you do; it makes a real difference in people’s lives. – Rick