Gwendolyn Strong Foundation

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Gwendolyn Strong Foundation

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NEVER GIVE UP. Nonprofit + Apparel for Kind Humans. Every purchase makes a difference. Be the GOOD.
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Join an unstoppable community of thoughtful kind humans committed to transforming lives and building a more kind and inclusive future.

10/15/2026

Halloween is one of those magical childhood traditions. The costumes. The excitement. The neighborhood adventures. The sheer joy of collecting an unreasonable amount of candy. And being in community.

But for some children and families, trick-or-treating comes with barriers many never have to think about.

A front porch with stairs.

A neighbor who insists on hearing “trick or treat” before handing over candy.

A costume that feels unbearable against sensitive skin.

A teenager who loves Halloween but is met with judgment for being “too old.”

The good news? Making Halloween more inclusive doesn’t have to be complicated.

Sometimes it’s moving your candy bowl to the sidewalk.

Sometimes it’s offering different treats besides candy.

Sometimes it’s recognizing that a child who doesn’t speak is still communicating.

And sometimes it’s simply opening your door, smiling, and making every person who approaches feel welcome.

You don’t need to understand someone’s disability, diagnosis, or circumstances to extend kindness.

You just need to remember that there’s more than one way to experience the magic.

Happy Halloween from NEVER GIVE UP! 🎃

10/13/2026

I spy some exciting things… Gwendolyn’s Playground

10/04/2026

Nineteen.

I keep trying to picture you at nineteen.

Not seven. Not frozen in the last version of you I got to know. But nineteen.

I wonder what you would be like now. What you would be studying. What music you’d have on repeat. Who your people would be. What would make you laugh. What you would roll your eyes at me about.

I wonder who you would be becoming.

That is one of the strangest parts of missing you. I don’t only miss the little girl I knew. I miss every version of you I never got to meet.

I miss thirteen-year-old you.
Sixteen-year-old you.
Nineteen-year-old you.

And yet, somehow, you are still everywhere in my life.

You are in your sisters. In the way we love. In the choices we make. In the people who still say your name. In butterflies that appear at just the right moment. And in every child who will someday race, roll, climb, swing, rest, laugh and belong at a playground that exists because you taught us to imagine something better.

You were here for seven years and nine months, and somehow you changed the direction of my entire life—and so many others.

Nineteen years ago, you made me a mother.

I had no idea then what you would teach me. About courage. About disability. About joy. About fighting for what matters. About making room. About how much life can fit inside a life, no matter how long it is.

And I certainly didn’t know that loving you would eventually mean learning how to carry you with me instead of beside me.

I wish I didn’t have to be good at that.

The love that began nineteen years ago and never stopped growing.

Happy 19th birthday, darling Gwendolyn.

Love you forever.

10/03/2026

Sometimes the hardest person to see clearly is ourselves.

The things you may overlook in yourself —your courage, your kindness, your resilience, your light — are often the very things others see most clearly.

Keep going. Keep growing. 🦋

You may not always see your own wings, but they’re there. 🌈

10/01/2026

Be a kind human. It really is that simple.

09/30/2026

All of these happened to us. Had to go through an alley to an accessible entrance next to the dumpster. ✔️Did gymnastics in the school office bathroom for years because the accessible bathroom was being used for storage. ✔️ Ramps to nowhere. ✔️

You get the picture. And I know our family is far from alone. These aren’t unusual stories. They’re incredibly common, subpar excuses for accessibility that disabled people and their families have been expected to navigate, work around, and accept for far too long.

And it is not enough.

Accessibility isn’t just checking a box. It’s not “technically” meeting a requirement while still making disabled people go around back, move boxes, take the long way, sit separately, or figure it out themselves.

Access should mean you can actually participate. With dignity. With ease. Alongside everyone else.

We can do better.

09/29/2026

PROGRESS! 💜🌈

The Tree House is IN.
The boardwalk is DONE.
And the railings are going up!

Every week, Gwendolyn’s Playground looks a little less like a construction site and a little more like the place we’ve dreamed about for so long.

We’re getting there. ✨

All ages. All abilities. All joy.

09/25/2026

We are clearing out our inventory. Stock is getting super low so grab sizes for the whole family asap. Use code SUMMER50 for 50% Off! www.Shop.NeverGiveUp.org

💯% of profit gives back! 🫶

09/17/2026

Have you heard the rumor that 80% of marriages end in divorce when a child is diagnosed with a disability or serious medical condition? Let’s myth bust that one because it’s simply not true. #

09/16/2026

Accessibility isn’t an attitude problem.

We don’t need disabled people to overcome barriers. We need to remove the barriers — and make it pretty 🤩

Address

27 W Anapamu Street, Ste 177
Santa Barbara, CA
93101

Telephone

+18052030334

Website

http://nevergiveup.org/

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