Transforming Lives: Hope and Belonging for Families with Special Needs

^“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

John 1:5

“To be included, you must simply be there but, to belong you must be missed!” – John Swinton

Families living with disabilities long to find a true place of belonging. That’s why we’ve designed our Joni and Friends^® Family Retreats to provide just what they are seeking. At the same time, Joni and Friends^® aims not only to welcome families at our Retreats & Getaways but to help them find that place of belonging all year long in Christ-centered churches where they will feel loved and supported.

In partnership with Joni and Friends, Willowdale Chapel has become that place of belonging for many people struggling with disability.

It all started in 2001 when Butch and Nancy came to visit us at our Joni and Friends Pennsylvania office. A few months before they had lost their daughter Jenny, who had a significant disability. They were looking for a place to give back! We invited them to join our Family Retreat men’s and women’s teams, and thus began our relationship with Butch, Nancy, and Willowdale Chapel.

The following year our Ministry Relations Manager did a disability ministry training at the church and invited people to serve at Family Retreat. Their lead pastor came as our retreat pastor; and from there, a robust disability ministry was born at Willowdale, with Alison Kelisek becoming their Director of Disability Ministry in 2018.  

Fast-forward to 2025… Alison became part of our local Joni and Friends Church Network where we provided her with the opportunity to connect with other disability ministry leaders, both locally and nationally.

Alison says, “I soon realized I was fortunate to have taken on an established ministry, but knowing how to take the next step or even what the next step is, I needed guidance from others in the field.” 

Many ideas were shared during our Church Network calls: respite night plans, ways to connect with families during Covid, Night to Shine ideas, and post-Night to Shine involvement of guests into the life of the church. 

Our Joni and Friends network was there to support Alison on next steps… and the ministry at Willowdale Chapel kept growing! Soon they had a Sunday morning Buddy Ministry, monthly respite events, Night to Shine events, mom support groups, monthly lunches for parents after church with buddies provided for their children, and even an accessible playground!

Butch and Nancy have made such an impact in the lives of families living with disabilities. As many families from Willowdale attend our Family Retreats, the Willowdale team volunteers make “Welcome Baskets,” which has turned into a two-year service project. And, for over ten years, Butch and Nancy have served as leaders, facilitating this fruitful ministry partnership.

This past summer, Alison brought fourteen volunteers from her ministry at Willowdale Chapel to serve at Family Retreat.

“It was a diverse team ranging in age from 11 to 65! All had a connection to our ministry at Willowdale Chapel Disability Ministry. Everyone had such an uplifting, spiritually fulfilling, and fun time. It truly felt like how church should always be.”

After Family Retreat, Alison and her team had a renewed passion to continue serving families living with disability and give them a “place of belonging” all year.

Thank you, Butch and Nancy, for sharing our vision! Thank you, Alison, and Willowdale for creating a community within the body of Christ… And thank you, our faithful friends, who come alongside Joni and Friends to share the light of Christ with individuals and families living with disability.

Your gift will enable Joni and Friends^® Pennsylvania to continue this life-changing ministry.