Cape residents can head to a local pizza parlor next week to enjoy a slice while supporting a nonprofit organization.<\/p>\n
Participants from Cape Coral\u2019s Freida B. Smith Special Populations Center \u2014 Special Pops \u2014 will serve pizza to the community during a fundraiser Wednesday, July 15.<\/p>\n
Special Pops participants will be at Lelulo\u2019s Pizza, at 3123 Chiquita Blvd., S., from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., serving pizza to support the 6th Annual VIP Staff Day.<\/p>\n
VIP Staff Day is an event held in partnership with Lelulo\u2019s Pizza and Guardian Angels for Special Populations (Guardian Angels), a volunteer, non-profit organization that supports Special Pops\u2019 programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur participants from Special Populations will work alongside the waitresses and waiters at Lelulo\u2019s,\u201d said Special Populations Supervisor Milena Park. \u201cThey help with taking orders, bringing out food, getting drinks and handing them out.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s event will include silent auctions and raffles. A percentage of food sales and all other proceeds will go to Guardian Angels to help support Special Pops in continuing its mission to promote independence through exposure, education, experience, and encouragement in a safe, caring environment. Programs include life skills development, adult day training, and after-school, evening, and special events.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best part is that the individuals get to work in that restaurant atmosphere and get to experience it and they have so much fun,\u201d Park said. \u201cWe just have a great time with it. The waitresses and waiters, and even the staff in the kitchen are amazing with our individuals and we\u2019re treated like everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
The current and encompassing mission of Guardian Angles is to provide the Freida B. Smith Special Populations Center with the volunteers needed for its programs and events; to organize and conduct fundraising activities to help support the center\u2019s special funding needs; to increase community awareness of individuals with intellectual\/developmental disabilities and the Freida B. Smith Special Populations Center in Cape Coral.<\/p>\n
The Special Populations Center is a dedicated facility that provides a variety of programs and services for adults and teenagers with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its mission is to promote independence in a safe and caring environment by offering experiences that foster growth, connection, and confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a life skills program,\u201d Park said. \u201cIt can be anything from washing your hands, to doing your own laundry. We have cooking classes here where the individuals pick what they want to make every week and cook for everybody. So for them to be able to do that, and then kind of go into the restaurant atmosphere and see that other side of it where you\u2019re serving people, taking orders \u2014 just the public interaction and then seeing how a kitchen works\u2026 those life skills are very valuable for some of them, especially if anyone\u2019s interested in possibly going into the restaurant business.\u201d<\/p>\n
There will be just under 20 members of Special Population members at Lelulo\u2019s next Wednesday, comprised of an afternoon and evening shift (two different groups). <\/p>\n
The ages of those in Special Pops can range from late teens to those in their 70s and beyond. <\/p>\n
Silent auction and raffle items are made up by Lelulo\u2019s, as well as Special Pops. Individuals do not need to be present to win a raffle or auction. Lelulo\u2019s, which is owned by Jorge Mazur, is also providing food for the entire Special Pops program that day. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very grateful that they do that,\u201d Park said. <\/p>\n
With some of the proceeds benefiting Guardian Angels for Special Populations, the funding goes back into the all-volunteer organization. <\/p>\n
Park said the kitchens were just renovated and made more accessible for Special Pops members. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnytime we get an opportunity to fundraise, it all comes back into the program and helps our individuals grow and learn and just build life skills,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
For additional information on Guardian Angels, please visit myspecialpops.org<\/a>. <\/p>\n