 |  | | | Lake Ontario was freezing… but Team Cariola’s passion for our Special Olympic student‑athletes melted the cold away. This year, Mary Cariola’s mighty team of 14 staff members and their families — took the Special Olympics Polar Plunge fundraiser to a whole new level. They raised funds, braved the wind, stepped into the icy waters, and showed once again just how deeply the Special Olympics matter to our students. For years, our local Special Olympics program has supported Mary Cariola athletes with equipment, uniforms, and opportunities. This plunge was our chance to give back to the people who have always lifted us up. Led by Lead Physical Education Teacher and Head Special Olympics Coach Karter Krist, the team raised an incredible $1,885 to help keep these experiences accessible to every athlete. Our Special Olympians work year‑round in Physical Education class — building skills, discovering interests, and growing not just in sport, but in social skills. Greetings, high‑fives, good games, sportsmanship… are just as important as the medals. This year, look for Mary Cariola athletes to compete in soccer skills, bowling, basketball team play, and track and field. Our basketball team is especially excited to return to tournament play on May 9th at Nazareth University — the first time in a while that Cariola will compete in a team event. Save the date. Our Special Olympians would love to see you cheering them on. | | | |  | Whoever said “Don’t play with your food” has never visited Mary Cariola’s Food School. Each Thursday morning, a team of Occupational and Speech Therapists transforms the Food School room into a playful, low‑pressure learning experience for students who struggle with eating. Students enter a fun and welcoming environment where they are encouraged to touch, taste, or toss a variety of food samples. From Cheetos to veggie sticks and pasta to garlic bread, each session offers a smorgasbord of options. Students eat at their own pace—and every seat includes a toss bucket to refuse a non-preferred food. For the past three years, a dedicated group of clinicians has used a modified version of the SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach to Feeding, a multidisciplinary method that helps children build positive, confident relationships with food. The team emphasizes that food relationships go far beyond simple likes and dislikes. Each student’s motor skills and swallowing abilities are also considered. Some students simply don’t yet know how to safely manage food in their mouth. Rather than assuming a dislike, staff work on the underlying skills. Progress is gradual and individualized: sometimes it is tasting a new food, and sometimes it is simply allowing that food to be nearby. Every step is documented and shared with families to support continued exposure at home. For Occupational Therapy Supervisor Lindsay Layer—who helped launch Food School—the prep work, meal planning, grocery lists, and scheduling are all worth it. “Just watching the kids make progress and become more comfortable is great,” Lindsay said. “I had one girl who did not participate for a couple of months. Then I showed her a lollipop. We slowly started licking lollipops. I told her mom, and she messaged me saying she tried it at home and watched her daughter lick a lollipop. She said, ‘I’ve never seen her do that. Thank you so much.’” Food School has grown from a small, informal effort into a structured weekly program with plans to educate teachers, clinicians, nursing, Social Work, and other departments. Long‑term, the team hopes to create a family‑friendly presentation on the SOS approach to further support carryover at home. | | | | | | | |  | Food insecurity is a challenge that faces many people in our community, and members of the Mary Cariola Center family are not immune to this need. We asked for help over the holidays, and once again, friends, volunteers, and employees of the Agency stepped up. The 2025 Cariola Cares Food Drive resulted in more than 10,000 food and household items donated to Cariola. Food has been and continues to be distributed to our students and their families. In addition, we have a system in place to support employees who may be facing food insecurity. This year’s drive was especially important, as the temporary pause in SNAP benefits during the government shutdown created additional strain for many families in our community. We are grateful to everyone who donated including Laurie Baker, Cariola Board Member and President & CEO of The Summit Federal Credit Union. She and her husband Jerry shopped on behalf of The Summit, and their response resulted in hundreds of food items being donated. Also, parent and Corporate Partner, Dr. Manasi Ladrigan of Comprehensive Dermatology of Rochester, filled a pickup truck with food and household items for those in need. Special mentions also go out to the Rochester Press-Radio Club, for collecting food at their annual holiday lunch, as well as Joanne Fisher, Communications Specialist at Cariola, and long-time Cariola friend Alice Witherow, who collected food at their annual cookie exchange party. A special addition to this year’s food drive was the option to donate food via Amazon. Nearly 100 people used this method to have food delivered directly to the Agency. This initiative would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of Kellie Nevin, School Superintendent Dr. Christine Sheffer, and the entire food drive committee. Thank you for being part of this community and for showing up in such a thoughtful and generous way. | | | | | | | | | |  | Rush Residence: The Rushwood gang is dancing away the winter blues! We have a new music therapist from the Hochstein School of Music who visits the residence. The introductory session was a success; the residents made requests and danced the night away! | | | | | | Bailey Road: Our Bailey Road Boyz are active at home and the community. They frequently enjoy going to the movies and visiting their families. | | | | | | Waiver Services: Our Community Services Department offers enhanced Waiver Services, providing personalized support for families who struggle with day‑to‑day routines. We integrate language development and sensory needs into each individualized Behavior Support Plan. This approach helps families proactively build regulation and strengthen coping skills. Recently we celebrated milestones of an individual engaging in Art Therapy for the first time and another individual participating in a project to say thanks to staff during Staff Appreciation Week. | | | | | | Kreag Road: Couch, company, and good vibes. Sharing a little warmth from our Kreag Road residents. | | | | | | State Road: The individuals at State Road have had a vibrant and healthy winter, enjoying lively parties hosted by Mike Smola featuring music, ballet and tap dancing, magicians, balloon art, and even special outings to the SpongeBob movie and a wrestling show at the Blue Cross Arena. They continue to look forward to their monthly massages and weekly music therapy sessions from the Hochstein School of Music. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
