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Community wall spotlight: Chase’s Place

04/06/2022

This week, we’re proud to shine the spotlight on Chase’s Place, one of our Community Wall organizations.

We sat down with Scott Simari to hear more about Chase’s Place, how he got involved, and ways we can all support the organization.

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Tell us about Chase’s Place.​

Chase’s Place is a Dallas-area private non-profit school, serving students with moderate to severe developmental disabilities including Autism, Cerebral Palsy, traumatic brain injuries, and neurological disorders.

Chase’s Place has a 2:1 student/teacher ratio and programs are individualized for each student. Programs focus not only on traditional academics, but also on social skills, self-help skills, functional living skills, and community skills.

It’s a special place for special people!

When did you first hear about Chase’s Place? How long have you been involved?

I first heard about Chase’s Place shortly after joining Sendero in 2014. Initially for me, Chase’s Place was synonymous with the incredible artwork sprinkled throughout our office. I quickly learned that these “little masterpieces” are the result of collaboration between students at the school and professional artists. Chase’s Place’s main fundraiser each year is a gala where the art is auctioned off.

In 2017, Sendero launched a Community Rock program. This program was focused on delivering management consulting services to non-profit organizations in our community. The very first Community Rock was for Chase’s Place, and I was the project lead. This was when I really fell in love with the students, staff, and parents. When these families were seeking education and care for their children, they faced constant rejection. Their students, for a variety of reasons, were not a fit or accepted into what we commonly understand as special education programs. Rather than giving up, they created a new option, Chase’s Place, so their children and others like them have a school where they can grow and flourish! I was hooked from then on.

Following the completion of the Community Rock I joined the Junior Board that formed as a recommendation from the project. Eventually, I joined the Board where I now serve as Vice President and Fund Development Officer.

What have been your most impactful experiences with the community organization?​

Can I say everything I do with the school is impactful for me!? While I love the work I do for clients as a management consultant, the work I do for Chase’s Place is fulfilling in different and important ways. It provides a healthy perspective on what’s important in life that I wouldn’t have without Chase’s Place.

One thing I’ll never forget, and take great pride in, is our response to COVID. I was a part of the committee that led the school’s protocol development and response. I think everyone experienced the uncertainty and turmoil of COVID, and as a society we’ve come to more fully appreciate the value of school and education. Navigating that for a group of people who are more acutely at risk, who cannot easily transition to virtual learning, and often cannot adhere to the standard health and safety recommendations was a huge and constantly evolving challenge. To date, we have overcome everything COVID has had to throw at us, and I can’t emphasize enough how proud I am of the students, staff, and families for their strength, flexibility, and trust through all of it!

How has Sendero supported Chase’s Place over the years? Walk us through that history.

Chase’s Place may have the richest history of all of Sendero’s Community Wall Organizations. Senderoans at all levels of the company have supported Chase’s Place for more than a decade. They have and continue to volunteer at the school and annual gala. They’ve provided professional services via Community Rocks. In fact, there is a Community Rock in-flight right now that is going to launch a sustainer program for Chase’s Place in the coming months.

Senderoans have also served on the Junior Board and Board of the School. As a member of the Board, I’m constantly talking with current and former employees who are interested in helping the school! As a Senderoan myself it brings me a lot of joy, and as a Board member I can’t underscore enough how important this support has been and continues to be for Chase’s Place.

How can people get involved and support Chase’s Place? Are there any immediate needs?

For the first time in all the years I’ve been involved with Chase’s Place, we’ve had to deny or defer applications to the school because we are simply at capacity. We’ve gotten as creative as we can within our current facility to serve as many students as possible, often as the result of teachers and staff making sacrifices within their own spaces for the students. In order to grow and serve a larger community of families while staying committed to our standards for quality and education, we need to continue to grow the community of individuals supporting the school.

You’ve heard the saying “it takes a village to raise a child.” Well, it definitely takes a village to support these families and provide the quality education their students deserve. This is the primary reason we’re launching Chase’s Village, a sustainer program where individuals commit to recurring monthly donations to the school. The most impactful thing someone could do right now is to join Chase’s Village! We understand that some may be unable to make a monetary commitment right now but are still looking to help. Our ask for you is to share our story and encourage others to support!

To learn more about Sendero’s Community efforts, visit our Community Page. To learn more about how to support Chase’s place, visit their website.

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