Happenings & Stories
Highlighting Our S.A.P. Program!
The HDS Foundation Social Activities Program (S.A.P.) is a customized, social and life-skills program designed to enhance the lives of young adults who are attending a college or university, living in the dorms or partially independent housing. The program aims to...
Autism Awareness Month
It’s Autism Awareness Month- Let’s Light It Up Blue! In 2007, the United Nations recognized April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day to raise awareness for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). About 1 in 54 children have been identified with ASD according...
The B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Gardeners!
From little seeds, grow mighty trees – Here come the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Gardeners! Last week, the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. program had the opportunity to participate in a virtual gardening experience with their classmates! A week prior to the Community Based Instruction (CBI),...
B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Hammer Away!
Last Friday, our B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Builders were back at work, but this time they were building a toolbox! Students came prepared with safety googles, nails, glue wood pieces ready to hammer away. We have never seen them more excited! As facilitators Kathy Gorman-Gard...
HDS Gives Back and Spreads Joy this Holiday Season!
‘Tis the season to be Jolly! It’s the time of year where we look forward to gathering with friends and family, exchange gifts, and celebrate holiday traditions. In keeping with the spirit of giving, the HDS Companies is committed to supporting the overall well-being...
Veterans Day 2020
Where There’s a Whisk, There’s a Way!
The HDS Foundation B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program is always keeping things fun and exciting when it comes to our Community Based Instruction (CBI) activities. Now that we have been virtual, it’s important to keep our mission alive guiding the students to independent living...
University of North Florida THRIVE Program Director Receives Prestigious Award
A very special congratulations to Dr. Tara Rowe, Director of the UNF THRIVE Program, for being presented with the Marc Gold Innovative Practices in Transition Award. Dr. Rowe, the Director of THRIVE at the University of North Florida, received this honor at the...
National Bullying Prevention Month
In 2006, the PACER Center-Champions for Children with Disabilities founded PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. Through various partnerships with national parent organizations, PACER was able to provide schools, parents, and students with an abundance of...
Get the Door, It’s Domino’s!
Get the Door. It’s Domino’s! Last week’s Community Based Instruction (CBI) included ordering lunch from delicious Dominos. In preparation for this CBI, the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students attended a “drive by” at the high school to pick up their own individual Domino’s Gift...
Wings of Friendship
Friendship was the topic of last week’s Community Based Instruction (CBI) with the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. students! Special Guests Robb Armstrong and Samantha Novick from the Wings of Friendship, a non-profit organization, attended the class to educate the students about...
Presidents Day 2021
HDS Elves at Work to Spread Christmas Cheer this Holiday Season!
If this crazy, unpredictable, and difficult year has taught us anything, it has reminded us how grateful and fortunate we all are. This holiday season, the HDS Companies has chosen to support Children’s Harbor, a foster care organization whose mission is to keep...
Happy Thanksgiving 2020
If You Don’t Know the Sender, It Might Be a Pretender!
Today the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. class participated in a workshop hosted by Luke Wilson with Family Network on Disabilities. Since the pandemic, teens have spent an extraordinaire amount of time on their phones, computers, and tablets, either doing virtual school or...
Homestead Parent Meeting Was a SUCCESS!
Last night, the HDS Foundation hosted a successful Parent Meeting with our Homestead Senior High School BRIDGES (Self-Determination Class). We were happy to have the opportunity to meet the parents and share the programs and resources the foundation has to offer. The...
HDS Companies Come Together On National Unity Day 2020
HDS Companies recently came together for National Unity Day 2020 and wore orange to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion in our world. By doing this, employees took a stand that no child should ever experience bullying. PACER’s National Bullying Prevention...
Highlighting Our B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program
The HDS Foundation supports many programs to help teens and young adults on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) transition to their post-secondary journey. The B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Program is a school-based social and community life skills activities class designed to meet...
Self-Determination Skill Building
Students in the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. class had the opportunity to participate in the “Nuts and Bolts of Self-Determination Skill Building” workshop hosted by Luke Wilson with Family Network on Disabilities (FND). The focus of the workshop was to help students learn how to...
Mentorship Month
In honor of National Mentoring Month, HDS Foundation would like to shine a light and highlight Dr. Tara Rowe, Co-founder of the University of North Florida’s Transition to Healthiness, Resourcefulness, Independence, Vocation, and Education (THRIVE) Program. Dr. Rowe...
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas especially for the B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Class! COVID can’t stop us from spreading holiday joy. Every holiday season our B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Students participate in their class secret elf exchange which we were still able to make happen...
World Kindness Day!
Kindness - a universal language that binds people together regardless of race, religion, gender, political affiliation, and location. November 13th is World Kindness Day! World Kindness Day is an international holiday which was founded in 1998 and is celebrated around...
B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Has a Fang-tastic Halloween!
The B.R.I.D.G.E.S students let the ghoul times roll this past Friday evening celebrating Halloween as they dressed up in costumes and decorated their parent’s car with spiders, ghosts, and goblins. To add to the spooky fun, we also had balloons, candy, and music!...
We Look Forward to Tonight’s Homestead Senior High School B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Parent Meeting!
The HDS Foundation is very excited to host our Homestead Senior High School B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Parent Meeting, this evening at 7:30 PM. Parents will have an opportunity to learn about the programs and services that the foundation promotes for teens and young adults who...
Say No To Cyberbullying
In a digital age, teens have constant access to their electronics whether it is a cell phone, tablet, or computer to communicate and socialize with their friends. This makes them an easy target to be cyberbullied. Cyberbullying is the use of technology to harass,...