2021 Ministry Updates: Special Needs
February 16th, 2022
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Night to Shine
Your generosity in 2021 paved the way for Night to Shine 2022 to spread even wider across the globe, with host churches in 39 countries participating in the 8th annual event. Held via drive-thru experiences from coast to coast in the US, and a 40-minute virtual celebration hosted by the Tebows, this year’s event spread Faith, Hope and Love to thousands of guests with special needs.
With the Virtual Celebration reaching thousands of viewers worldwide, Night to Shine 2021 opened the door for us to reach even more people than ever before. Guests whose disabilities had prevented them from attending Night to Shine in-person in the past now had access to the event in their own homes. Though we hope to return to in-person events in the future, we will continue to produce the virtual celebration for these guests in the foreseeable future, thus extending our reach to people with all kinds of disabilities.
Shine On
In the spring of 2021, TTF launched the Shine On website and companion mobile app. With over 2,000 downloads and nearly 260 resources available, our hope is to better equip the global church and families living with disability with innovative resources, training, and programs to eliminate barriers and cultivate life-giving community.
“With this amazing Shine On app, you will be reaching so many topics that we struggled with and needed support. The idea of not feeling alone and knowing also that other families with special needs children feel the same way as you do is such a huge gift. As moms, we want to feel equipped and ready for the challenges thrown our way as we raise our babies. Your website is going to provide this to many communities, churches, and families.” -Maureen Hilt, Shine On App User
INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION & RESOURCE CENTERS
- myLIFEspeaks
At myLIFEspeaks in Neply, Haiti, your generosity helped to update the LIFE Clinic with new therapy equipment needed for the rehabilitation and growth of children with special needs. In addition, TTF was able to support special education classes and helped to provide curriculum for the LIFE Buddy program which has contributed to the launch of the second chapter in a new area in Haiti.
- Down Guatemala
In May of 2021, TTF celebrated the grand opening of Tebow Down Guatemala. Strategically built in an area of Guatemala where few other resources are available for families living with disability, this second campus of Down Guatemala is now serving 120 full-time students with special needs. Across both campuses, your giving has supported ongoing care and availability of critical resources to 220 individuals with intellectual disabilities! Support received during Tim Tebow’s Birthday Campaign, in August 2021, helped fund a third campus which opened in Mazatenango earlier this year!
- Ekisa Ministries
Also opening in 2021 was the Ekisa Tebow Community Care Center in Iganga, Uganda. With the support of TTF, the new center has served as a place for 53 families who have a child with special needs to receive holistic care medical assistance, physical and occupational therapy, counseling, social work services, and more, as they learn how to best love, provide, and become advocates for their children.
-Jonathan Center
In partnership with TTF, Jonathan Center in Albania served 158 children and young adults with special needs in 2021 by providing physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, life skill courses, training and support for parents, employment preparation and support, along with food packages for families in need. As a direct result of the therapy and life skills received at The Jonathan’s Center, 12 young adults with Down syndrome are now employed at local businesses in Tirana!
- Back2Back Ministries
Through our partnership with Back2Back Ministries in Mazatlan, Mexico, the Twelve Stones Community Center facilitated two medical outreaches to the local community and provided more than 60 children with special needs with dental exams and treatment, neurological exams, and more. Ongoing education and life-changing therapies continued to be provided, while special precautions were taken to keep the children safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These stories are real life examples of how your giving is changing lives around the world...
- The Official 2021 Night to Shine Worldwide Highlight Video
- What is Shine On? A message from Tim and Demi Tebow
- Ellen's Story - the story of TTF Shine On Manager Ellen Gardner and her family
- “He was Beaten and Stuffed in a Barrel” – Vadim’s Story – the story of a guest met through Night to Shine in Ukraine
- Letters From Night to Shine – Written by a young girl from Scotland whose sister was a queen at Night to Shine, read by Tim Tebow
- Magaly’s Story – Down Guatemala
