Acuity, Inc.’s Sustained Support to Jill’s House
Yields Long-term Impact Through Program Expansion
Donation expands respite care facility’s launch of new programs
to serve more children with special needs and increase respite hours to families.
Vienna, VA (July 31, 2012) – Jill’s House, an overnight respite care facility for children with intellectual disabilities, has received a sizeable donation from Acuity, Inc., a leading management and technology firm to the federal government.
“We cannot thank Acuity enough for their exceptionally generous gift,” said Cameron Doolittle, president and CEO of Jill’s House. “We are deeply grateful for Acuity’s continuing support of Jill’s House. It’s clear that Acuity is not only a great business, but a contributing part of our community that is deeply committed to giving back by serving those in need. As a result of their generosity, Jill’s House will be able to provide overnight respite care to hundreds of these special children and bring some much-needed relief to their amazing families.”
Jill’s House works to ensure that children have a safe, fun experience away from home by building friendships, independence and confidence through activities designed to meet their various developmental needs. In the process, Jill’s House allows their parents to get a much-needed break from the all-consuming demands of providing 24-7, “high-alert” care to children with intellectual disabilities. Ultimately, they get the chance to recharge and become better parents, caregivers and spouses.
Acuity’s previous grants helped Jill’s House open two of its three living areas, Wilderness Lake and Wilderness Exploration. With the continued support from Acuity, Jill’s House can expand to hire more caregivers to provide exceptional service to children, transport them safely in accessible vehicles, and give them a great time through activities like special visits from therapy animals, swimming in the indoor accessible pool, or playing on the specially equipped playground.
Since its inception, Jill’s House has provided over 110,000 hours of support to families of children with special needs in the Washington, D.C. region. No one is more enthusiastic about the new programs to serve families in need than Acuity. Their CEO’s commitment to helping sustain Jill’s House dates back to an impressive facility tour in 2010, as well as personally knowing a family in desperate need of such programs.
“This is a special place that transforms the lives of the people it serves so willingly and so completely,” says Acuity’s CEO, Rui Garcia. “The success of Jill’s House spurs our passion to continue to support such a worthy organization. I’m extremely excited to see them continue to grow and to make a life-long impact on children and families who are in desperate need of their services.”
“I can’t express the relief it brought our family,” says one Jill’s House parent. “We’ve been under a lot of stress…and just having the two days of break [each month] has given us grace to welcome [our child] afresh and care and serve him.”
The buzz about the groundbreaking services at Jill’s House is as evident as its impact is palpable. Its waiting list continues to grow, with more than 220 children on the list and a new family registering every day for respite at Jill’s House. In addition to expanding its current suite of customized services to include weeknights and day camps, Jill’s House is also piloting the concept of bringing the weekend program to other markets around the country.
About Jill’s House
Opened in 2010, Jill’s House celebrates special children and provides respite, renewal, and peace of mind to their families through overnight programs and day camps. Jill’s House offers an innovative 42,000-square-foot, 45-bed respite resort for children ages 6 to 17 with intellectual disabilities, and their siblings are also welcome. Receiving no direct state or federal funding, Jill’s House was created and is maintained through individual donations and foundation grants. To find out more, visit jillshouse.org or follow us at facebook.com/jillshouse.org.
About Acuity, Inc.
Acuity is a management and technology consulting firm to clients in the Federal, State & Local Government, Higher Education, Healthcare and General Business. Acuity provides IT strategy, architecture and design, mobile applications, custom software development, program management and IT operations management solutions to help clients achieve real, measurable results. Visit www.myacuity.com or facebook.com/AcuityInc for more information.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Melanie Celano
JILL’S HOUSE
PH: 703-639-5690
melanie.celano@jillshouse.org
Sharon Grevious
Acuity, Inc.
PH: 703-766-0977 Ext. 216
sharon.grevious@myacuity.com
