Variety…Helping Kids, Be Kids
Do you remember receiving your first bike and how you felt when you got it? I do. It was the summer I was 10 years old, and I was playing in the back yard. I turned around and saw my dad walking through the grass pushing a BRAND-NEW bike, and he was headed right for me! To say I was excited was an understatement…I was ecstatic! I couldn’t believe it; I got my very own bike. I thought it was the most beautiful bike I had ever seen. I jumped on it and took off riding through the yard as fast as I could. I will never forget how I felt in that moment. For many children that is their experience when they receive a new bike, but what about children with disabilities? Do they ever get the opportunity to experience that feeling?
While reading through a health insurance newsletter, I came across a program called Variety® – the Children’s Charity. This charity provides children with disabilities with unique programs, experiences, and equipment. Variety can be found throughout 71 counties in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. “Variety strives to enable kids with disabilities to live life to the fullest with a focus on mobility, communication, and social inclusion / interaction. Variety believes that no child should be left out, left behind, or isolated, and through its programs / experiences, Variety strives to give children opportunities to discover the possibilities for their own lives, and be a kid, first and foremost. Our main focus is on providing eligible children with life-changing adaptive equipment that’s individually made / tailored to meet the needs of each child.”
Variety is made up of three programs. The first program My Bike® was started in Western Pennsylvania in November 2012. Through its success, two more programs were created in November 2014, My Stroller® and My Voice®.
My Bike® provides individually customized, adaptive bikes for children with disabilities so they can have the freedom to ride a bike with their friends and family.
My Stroller® provides individually customized, light weight, adaptive strollers for children with disabilities and their families to have on-the-go mobility.
My Voice® provides children who have a communication disorder with a communication device including a prescribed communication app, a specialized case, and a strap so they can have a voice all the time.
For additional information about each program, click on the links above. Each program is designed to serve children and youth who have a documented disability; reside in the 71-county service area, are 3 through 21 years of age; meet the income guidelines, as well as the specific eligibility requirements outlined in the online application. Eligible families can apply for one, two, or all three pieces of equipment.
Equipment like this is very expensive. Prices range from $1200 to $1800. So how does Variety make it possible for children and families to receive them? Through the generous donations of individuals and organizations. There are also opportunities to volunteer and fundraise. For more information on how you can get involved or give, please visit the Variety website at https://www.varietypittsburgh.org/.
Read Variety’s interesting and unique history at https://www.varietypittsburgh.org/organization/history/.
