WCI - Work, Community, Independence
Receives Record Donation to Continue Mission of Wheels of Happiness

WALTHAM, MA – Waltham-based WCI, an organization dedicated to supporting and empowering individuals with disabilities, recently received a $100,000 donation from Wheels of Happiness, a non-profit created to provide free group transportation and recreation to adults with developmental disabilities in the Greater Waltham area.  WCI provides residential and employment supports to 200 Individuals and their family members.

The gift to WCI, one of its largest private donations ever in its 32 years of operations, was due to the decision by Wheels of Happiness to disband after 20 years of providing services to a group of “Wheelers.”

“We are saddened that Wheels of Happiness, a wonderful organization that has done so much good work in our local communities, will no longer continue to operate,” said Nancy Silver Hargreaves, President and CEO of WCI.  “But, we are proud that they have selected WCI as one of the recipients to continue their mission of providing free activities and programming for their constituency and those supported by WCI.”

As a result of the donation, Recreational Directors, Jessica Brockman, Karen Dooley and Karen Hickman of Waltham, Lynda Pierre of Revere and Mathew Shriro of Newton will plan and implement nine activities per year, such as:  dances, dinners, movies, theatre, bowling and other social, recreation, and educational programs.  These programs will be provided free of charge for the “Wheelers,” the group of adults originally served by Wheels of Happiness, as well as individuals served by WCI.  Transportation will be provided for all activities.  Initial programs include a snow-tubing trip on March 4 to Nashoba Valley as well as an ice skating performance by “Ice Chips” of The Skating Club of Boston to be held on April 8th at Harvard University.

The Greater Waltham Association for Retarded Citizens (GWARC) also received a donation from Wheels of Happiness to provide similar programming.  WCI and GWARC will coordinate programming and scheduling.

An all-volunteer organization, Wheels of Happiness, was founded in 1985 to provide free group transportation and activities for individuals with developmental disabilities in the Greater Waltham area.  Its Board Members included Officers Anthony LaCava, President; Charles E. Gibson, Vice President; Frances R. Paolini, Treasurer/Secretary; Mary-Ann D’Antonio, Assistant Secretary as well as Directors Anthony J. Lombardi, Lillian Monette and Richard Russo.

WCI – Work, Community Independence, founded in 1974, is a private, non-profit organization providing residential and employment services and support to individuals with developmental disabilities as well as physical, sensory, mental health and healthcare needs in the communities of Waltham, Watertown, Belmont, Newton, Brighton, Arlington and Malden.

For more information about WCI, please contact Jodi Horn (Executive Assistant to CEO) on 781-899-8220 ext 120 or visit www.wearewci.org.

BACK