Help Zack's Place have a lasting legacy.

Zack's Place was founded in 2006 by Norm and Dail Frates in Woodstock, Vermont for their son Zack who was aging out of the school system. Zack Frates who had a brain bleed at birth,  was  diagnosed with cerebral palsy which caused him to be a spastic quadriplegic. His muscles were in a permanent state of contraction and he had very little motor control.  Zack spent his life in a wheel chair and he could neither walk nor talk but he had a lot going on inside of his head and he communicated with his eyes, smile and contagious laughter. Zack loved people, school, his job and his family. He gave everyone he met a warm smile and waited earnestly for them to return that smile. In his school he made life long friendships and he did not enjoy summer vacation and holidays being away from his friends. Zack's Parents were concerned with what life would be like for Zack after he graduated. He would not be going off to college or to a vocation. He also had friends who shared the same dilemma. Zack's parents founded Zack's Place as a solution to this dilemma. The center started with humble beginnings in a small building off of Central St. in Woodstock which was walking distance to all the town has to offer, library, museums, theater, schools and parks. Volunteers rallied and taught programs and participants attended. Zack's Place was launched and as time went on more and more people attended programs, more people volunteered, fundraisers began and ZP grew into the center it is today, which provides enriching programs to more than 60 people with special needs from all over the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire. All programs are offered free so that no one is denied a valuable day. Zack passed away in 2011. His legacy lives on through the center. 

2016 marks Zack's Place 10th anniversary and families, board and staff would like to insure the future of this great center by launching an endowment campaign. The goal is to raise over $3,000,000 in the next 3 years.

Mission:

To provide a free weekday setting for pre and post graduate individuals with developmental disabilities to explore various art forms, education, business, and fitness, while developing bonds of friendship amongst each other and members of the community at large. Our approach engages participants in hands on programming with instructors in specific areas, and with volunteers in others.  Through these programs our participants become part in the community sharing their talents and abilities while forging new relationships and friendships with people who might never be touched by this special needs group of people.

 

History:    

We are a 501(c) (3) community enrichment center whose mission is to empower people of all ages with special needs to express themselves through literacy, art, music, dance, and athletics while developing bonds of friendship.  Programs are provided at no cost to participants, their parents, or guardians.  In pursuit of fellowship and creative outlets for their disabled son, ZP was founded by the parents of a special needs teenager ten years ago.  In subsequent years, event income and strong donor-based support facilitated the ongoing delivery and growth of the enrichment programs. 

 

Our programming offers employment, social and life skills training, cultural, educational, artistic, fitness, and social programs providing participants with a full day of planned activities. Morning programs include a business greeting card program, photography, arts and crafts programming, and volunteer work for other local nonprofits. Mid-day and afternoon programs include: art; music; dance; theater; reading and writing; science;  fitness; nutrition; cooking; adaptive sports including skiing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and horseback riding; and two Special Olympic teams featuring snowshoeing and skiing. The continued delivery of these programs is vitally important to our participants who anxiously wait for our doors to open so that they can begin another day of activities where they are not only fully engaged in programming, but where they have a great social life as well.

 

In July 2010, ZP relocated to a central street in the Village of Woodstock within easy walking distance of the public library, the Town Green, the elementary school, a public athletic field, playgrounds, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park, the Dana House Museum, the Woodstock Recreation Center, Town Hall Theatre, and Billings Farm.  We utilize all of these facilities in any given month.  The building contains a first floor art studio and a large comfortable area which serves as a multipurpose room for various activities such as yoga, exercise, the business/greeting card program, and socialization.  In May 2014, we successfully completed a six month capital campaign to raise $442,000 to allow us to buy the building which the owner was seeking to sell, all with private donations and grants. We have since painted the exterior of the building, and have just completed some necessary renovations such as adding a second restroom facility.

 

Community Need:

Participants currently vary in age from 7 to 55, with special needs resulting from physical, cognitive, and developmental challenges such as cerebral palsy, Autism, and Down syndrome.  Less than half  of our constituents live in Woodstock while others routinely travel from distances of up to 40 miles.  ZP serves the special education community in a unique way,  offering programming that complements the public school system by augmenting and reinforcing the educational and social bonds offered through those programs. A recent program combined  a summer elementary school student special education program with participants and activities taking place at our enrichment center. The students visited  ZP weekly, joining us for special art and cooking projects.  Last spring, the Woodstock Union High School student council organized a prom for ZP with decorations, refreshments, and a DJ.  We joined with high school students, family members, teachers, and volunteers to dress up and dance for hours in the high school gym.  In addition to serving the special needs population, ZP also serves as a learning center for mainstream students, administrators, teachers, and community members who join us as instructors or volunteers, or as partners in special events.  These are people who might never know or be touched by the abilities and talents of our ZP population. In additon to this, ZP has over 400 volunteers that serve in one capacity or another each year.

 

Population Served:

Sixty  individuals with special needs participate in our programs in a given week coming from all over the Vermont and New Hampshire Upper Valley. Our center benefits not only participants, but their family members and caregivers.  ZP  offers respite for those who might otherwise be unable to lead their own productive lives due to the constraints of caregiving needs.  They can earn a living, maintain their homes, and socialize outside the realm of the special needs population.  Many of our participants require aides and they too have become part of the fabric of ZP.  Their time is spent working side by side with our participants in art, exercise, music, and relaxation.  It enables them to offer a more quality experience to their charges than if they had to attempt to devise entertainment or exercise projects of their own.   In addition, community members have become an integral part of ZP by acting as volunteers or partnering in our inclusive programs.  Our 400 volunteers work hands on with participants,  give in-kind, stuff envelopes, volunteer to work fundraisers, help maintain our building, or sew when we are making costumes.  Our fundraisers bring ZP front and center into the community through our Dine Around themed dinners, and the Turkey Trot (the 5K race held on Thanksgiving morning that brings out over 1,200 people who run or walk).  Indeed, over 1,500 people participate in our fundraisers each year.