My Special Place

09/02/2026

Another wonderful show of support for My Special Place! 💙

Today, MSP President Kristy Sullivan and Debbie Beaucaire attended a meeting of the Hometown Civitan Club of The Villages, where they were honored to accept a generous $1,500 donation to My Special Place!

Kristy first had the opportunity to share the MSP story with the club in January, and we’re thrilled that the relationship continues to grow. The Hometown Civitan Club has a strong commitment to fundraising for and serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities — a mission that aligns beautifully with ours.

Even more exciting, several Civitan members have expressed interest in volunteering with MSP and supporting our local special needs clubs and activities.

The club also presented generous donations today to Celebrate Differences and Beacon College, demonstrating its tremendous commitment to our broader special needs community.

And there may be more collaboration ahead!

A huge thank you to the Hometown Civitan Club of The Villages for your generosity, friendship, and commitment to our special needs community! ❤️

09/01/2026

A heartfelt thank-you to Sarah Stein and the entire team at Walmart Neighborhood Market The Villages - Heald Way for presenting My Special Place with a generous $1,000 check today!

We are so grateful for your support and for believing in our mission to create a welcoming community where adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities can live, thrive, and belong.

Thank you for being such a wonderful community partner! ❤️

Our Pharmacy team loved the opportunity to partner with **My Special Place**! 💙

We’re so grateful we could provide a grant to help support their program and the incredible work they do for our community. 🙌✨

We’re proud to give back and can’t wait to continue supporting organizations like this! 💊🤝💫

walmart.onelink.me/UIev/WalmartLocal

08/23/2026

By now, many of you in our tight-knit community have heard we lost a very dear and special young man this past Thursday.

Robert Bagdonas was truly an angel among us. ❤️

Alongside his mom, Julia, Robert was very active in many of our local clubs and activities. He was a familiar and beloved presence throughout our community.

Many of our MSP families and friends knew Robert personally, and we know how deeply he will be missed.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to Julia and her entire family.

Robert, thank you for the smiles, the friendships and the memories. You will always be part of our special community. ❤️

Robert's obituary and Service information:
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/wildwood-fl/robert-bagdonas-13010914

08/22/2026

For those of you who were unable to attend the recent 'Planning for the Future' meeting, please see the recording link below, compliments of our friend and soon to be neighbor at Freedom Pointe, Gerry Sherman.

Gerry, thanks always for your willingness to lend your talents to our community. And Debbie Jenkins, you did an amazing job as the host. Thanks to AFINS for pulling this important community update together!

For best viewing, click on the gear icon at the lower right of the ...

08/15/2026

📣 REVISED AGENDA — COMMUNITY INFORMATION MEETING

AFINS has released a revised agenda for this Thursday’s Community Information Meeting, with an increased focus on helping families better understand the supports, services, and planning involved in preparing for future residential options.

📅 Thursday, August 20
⏰ 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 Lake Miona Recreation Center

Topics will include:

• Preparing for future housing
• The role of the Waiver Support Coordinator
• APD eligibility, applications, and service options
• Sunrise Group overview
• Questions and answers

⚠️ LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE — Seating is first come, first served and no RSVP is required. Families are encouraged to consider having one family member attend.

🎥 Can’t attend? Gerry Sherman, who has generously recorded a couple of our previous fundraisers, has once again offered to record the meeting. We expect to make the video available soon afterward.

Please share with other families who may benefit from this important information. 💙

08/12/2026

📣 IMPORTANT COMMUNITY INFORMATION MEETING

AFINS Advancing Families & Individuals Needing Services is hosting an important community information meeting for families interested in **My Special Place** and future residential options, featuring representatives from **Sunrise Group**.

📅 **Thursday, August 20**
⏰ **6:00–8:00 PM**
📍 **Lake Miona Recreation Center**

We’ll discuss transition planning, future housing, APD and Waiver services, Sunrise Group’s residential supports, and answer questions from families.

🎥 Can’t make it in person? Gerry Sherman, who has generously recorded a couple of MSP's previous fundraisers, has once again offered to record this important meeting for us. The video will be available shortly afterward for those unable to attend.

Space is limited and seating is first come, first served. No RSVP required.

Please share this with families who may benefit from this important discussion! 💙

07/27/2026

Did you catch our ad in Sunday's Daily Sun? You'll find it on Page 7 of the Front Section. Thank you to The Villages community for your incredible support of My Special Place and our mission! 💙

07/23/2026

We are so proud to see our very own Kevin Jenkins featured in this beautiful video. 💙

Kevin is a dear friend to so many throughout our community and an incredible advocate for individuals with disabilities.

Kevin, thank you for being a caring and inspiring voice for those who can't always speak for themselves.

https://www.fddc.org/our-care-matters/

07/08/2026

⚾🇺🇸 This past Sunday, July 5th, Erin Maciarz and Kevin Koss, along with their families, proudly represented The Villages special needs community at the Winter Garden Squeeze game as we celebrated America's 250th Birthday! They were thrilled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch and participate in exciting on-field activities between innings. It was a wonderful evening of baseball, friendship, inclusion, and community.

Thank you to the Winter Garden Squeeze for making everyone feel so welcome and creating such a memorable experience for our community! ❤️⚾

07/03/2026

💙💚❤️ Join Us in Celebrating Disability Pride! ❤️💚💙

At My Special Place, we believe every person deserves to be seen, valued, respected, and included. That's why we're excited to support the Disability Pride Golf Cart Parade hosted by Celebrate Differences on Sunday, July 12.

Disability Pride Month is about recognizing that disability is a natural part of human diversity—not something to hide or "fix." It celebrates acceptance, inclusion, equal rights, and the belief that people with disabilities belong in every part of community life and in the decisions that affect them.

🚙 Parade Details
📅 Sunday, July 12
🕝 Meet at 2:30 PM | Parade departs at 3:00 PM

Choose one of two starting locations:
• Ezell Recreation Center
• Barnes & Noble at Lake Sumter Landing

The two groups will parade separately to Brownwood, then join together behind the Brownwood Sales Center before parading through Brownwood Paddock Square, ending with a community gathering at Gator's Dockside Grill.

🎉 Want to participate in the parade?
Register your golf cart here:
https://tinyurl.com/Parade-Golf-Cart-Registration

Whether you're decorating a golf cart, riding along, or cheering from the sidelines, we hope you'll join us as we celebrate the abilities, talents, and contributions of people with disabilities.

Together, we're building a community where everyone belongs. 💙