Project Give Back

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Not long ago, the mentally challenged dreamed of ultimately forming a part of their own community and, as inclusive members, contributing to its well-being. Their dream would soon become reality.
Many persons with mental retardation were at one time residents of institutions. Others lived at home where they were often overprotected, stifled emotionally, and limited experientially. Although our society has made colossal strides since the era of wide institutionalization of the mentally retarded, a widely-accepted, yet pessimistic, appraisal of their ability to achieve persists. This appraisal would build in a total avoidance of risk their lives, limit their interactions within the community, and would also welcome subservience or dependence on others to carry on. Views of this kind serve only to crush people's potentiality, bolstering regression, damaging self-esteem, and curtailing social acceptance. Disabled people are equally affected.

What is needed is a sweeping vision of human achievement, mainly since many developmentally disabled persons have by now validated themselves, confirming that they have what it takes to live and work successfully in their community.

The Vision

A more optimistic approach is offered to developmentally disabled persons, one that will forever change how we view them, from ill-suited to subsist if not for others to capable, "inter-dependent" contributors to our society's welfare.
Project GiveBACK is designed by Faye Clark's New horizons as a vehicle for disabled adults to return the largesse, or "give back" to their community, via altruistic service and volunteerism.
This new approach involves groups of disabled individuals in monthly activities and events that opt to serve and kindly impact upon the many culturally-diverse segments of our community. Acts of community service, driven by concern for the welfare and needs of multiple people in our community, would be rendered by developmentally disabled adults free of charge to all recipients of Project GiveBACK , without regard to race, color, national origin, age, gender, marital status, or religion of individuals, groups, and organizations that will benefit

The Mission

Persons with disabilities are entitled to experience a reality that mirrors the rest of society. Faye Clark's New Horizons will advocate for this basic right by empowering persons with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities in attaining and upholding a lifestyle of autonomy, spawning greater prospects for community integration in setting that enhance their potential and capabilities as human beings.

The Organization

As mother of disabled son, and first wife of late Miami Mayor Stephen Clark, Faye Clark wanted to start a program that would prove that autonomy for the developmentally disabled was not only possible, but enduring. She did.

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Steps to Autonomy

What began 20 years ago as the means of founder Faye Clark to increase the likelihood of community inclusion for adults with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities, became a pioneer program providing hands-on training for disabled adults longing to lead more independent lives. The agency was incorporated as a private , nonprofit organization in 1979.

Project Give Back