A message from Board Member and student David Shepley

I didn’t always have the opportunities PHAME offers.  When I was growing up, I never felt like my teachers could help me go beyond my own limitations.

I found PHAME three years ago, and when PHAME asked me to consider serving on the board last year, I knew that this was my chance to be part of something bigger.  Writing, choir, theater and visual art matter to all of us who are students here.  For me, singing at PHAME takes me beyond myself and grounds me at the same time.

And it’s more than that: PHAME gives me the opportunity to be part of our community.  Creating art with other adults who experience developmental disabilities, and connecting with the broader world. 

I’m writing to ask for your support today.  I believe that when all of us stand together—as artists, as community members, as people with and without disabilities—we can make a difference.

To me, life is better when everyone is included, when everyone’s voice is heard.  I’ve been lucky to have my voice heard on PHAME’s board, just as my fellow students share their thoughts in a poem, or through a brushstroke.

Together, we can empower adults with disabilities through lifelong learning arts classes, through performance, and through community building activities.  Your contribution lets me and my fellow PHAME students push past what we thought we could accomplish in order to reach new artistic heights.

I contribute to PHAME because art matters, and my community matters.  Please join me in making a contribution to PHAME this year.

If you have questions about what a difference you can make for PHAME students or if you prefer to give over the phone, please contact Development Director Rebekah Morris at 503-764-9718 ext 4.  You can also make your contribution online now.

At PHAME, I’ve found a place where I can be part of something bigger—a place where I can thrive.  PHAME is important to me, and I hope you will support all of us who study here by making a contribution before December 31.

Warmly,

David Shepley

Board Member & PHAME Student

P.S.  Your support is more important now than ever.  Please stand with people who experience developmental disabilities and make your contribution by December 31.