Imagine you didn’t have a place to go: A letter from PHAME student Ashlie Parrott

Imagine you didn’t have a place to go and make friends, a place where you felt secure enough to follow your dreams. Imagine how lonely that would be.

For many of us with developmental disabilities, that’s how a world without PHAME looks. If you could see what I do each day—or what the other students do—I know you would see how important it is to have a place to go where we know we belong. PHAME is the place where we get to be social, laugh and be silly. For us, PHAME is a place where you can make new friends and know that you’ll have them forever.

I feel accepted here.

And because of that, I’ve felt like I could try new things. PHAME has more than 75 classes each year. I’ve taken Videography. Podcasting. Yoga and Kick It Up. I love Rock Ensemble and Choir. I even started Drumming and it was really fun! Who would’ve thought I would be playing the drums? Certainly not me!

PHAME is an exciting place to be, and it takes all of us to keep PHAME going—friends, fans, and students.

I’m writing to you to ask you to join us and make a difference right now.

I chose to make a donation to PHAME this spring because PHAME is so important in my life. I wanted to give back what I have been given. I know that my contribution matters—and yours does too.

Together, we can make sure that PHAME keeps growing, offering new classes, working with exciting partners, connecting people, and sharing our art. I’m so excited about everything we’re doing here, especially writing and performing our Rock Opera.

We’re working so hard to make the Rock Opera special, and I’m really glad we get to spend the summer working together to create an original play. Just like in our other classes, the teachers support us, encourage us, and listen to us—and they find what we say important.

Some of the opportunities we have at PHAME are so cool—I’ve been on a billboard, and I sang on the court at a Blazer game. Other things we get to do here don’t sound like much, but they are the things that truly matter in any person’s life: here we will make friends who laugh together, and have fun together, and talk about our lives together. Here we can create something together.

I wouldn’t have that opportunity anywhere else.

I’m at PHAME from Monday to Thursday every week, and I feel like it’s my job. I’m busy now—I’m more independent and I feel grown up. I have a full and meaningful life thanks to the work I do here, and the friendships I have made.

PHAME has me excited about looking to my future—I plan to keep acting, singing, dancing and performing. And I’m excited about the future of PHAME, and what my friends and I can accomplish with your support.

Please make your contribution today.

Warmly,

Ashlie Parrott
PHAME Student