Our mission is to help people build a lifetime of healthy relationships.  In order to better understand parents who have children with special needs (20.9% of the families in Ohio), SweetenLife conducted a yearlong research study.  A powerful intervention we discovered was the importance of empathetic listening. 

Some of the most effective and supportive people in the lives of our research families are season adults - often referred to as senior citizens.  It seems that this population not only has the time, but also the wisdom and patience that is needed to be supportive, encouraging and empathetic.

We have been working with organizations over the last year to develop groups of volunteers to become friends with parents and help them be more connected to the community.  Read the article below that was published in Steve Sjogren's Serve! e-newsletter in September.  Do you know some seasoned adults who might want to REFIRE by reaching out to parents who have children with special needs?