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Surpise Ice Cream Celebration

On Tuesday, April 13, a surprise ice cream social celebrated a dream come true for one Child’s Way® volunteer. Michelle Goetz, who is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, had the lifelong dream to work with children. With the help of The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh and Lemieux Family Center, Life’sWork of Western PA and Ben and Jerry’s in Squirrel Hill, this dream became a reality.

The ice cream social marked the one year anniversary of Michelle’s volunteering at Child’s Way. Life’sWork is a not-for-profit organization that provides employment preparation and job placement for people with disabilities or other barriers to employment. It was through an anonymous charitable trust grant that Life’sWork was able to secure a position for Michelle at Child’s Way.

“They can look up to her as someone who may have some special needs, but can still do what she loves. It’s an inspiration to all of us” said Child’s Way Educational Coordinator, Arran Harland.

Volunteering with the children of Child’s Way has been a true blessing for Michelle. She enjoys her time and interaction with them, while participating in circle time and reading stories aloud. During the ice cream social, Michelle read to the children before everyone enjoyed tasty Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, provided by the Squirrel Hill Ben & Jerry’s PartnerShop. One of only seven in the US, PartnerShops give young adults with disabilities and at-risk youth hands-on training in the retail industry and customer service fields.

“I love working with little kids!” said Michelle.

Check out pictures and a video from the ice cream social and watch the news story from KDKA. You can also learn more about Life’sWork and the PartnerShop.