Give a gift this holiday season that impacts lives across Virginia.

Order by December 15^th to receive honor cards by Christmas.

Send a free honor card to a loved one!

Choose from gifts of education, empowerment, and engagement and adore someone in your life with a card sharing which gift you gave in their honor today.

“While it’s easy for many to take for granted the plethora of social, physical, and educational programs and activities available to some in our communities, we do not. We cannot afford to, as parents of a differently-abled teenager. ” Natalia, mother to a young adult with Ds

Give the Gift of Empowerment

Empower Educators

$35

Provide 1 hour of training to educators on best practices for supporting students with Down syndrome in the classroom.

Empower families

$50

Provide a financial gift to a family of an individual with Down syndrome who is going through surgery and/or a hospitalization.

Empower Caregivers

$75

Provide opportunities for parents of children with Down syndrome to gather and support each other on their journey raising children.

Empower families navigating a dual diagnosis

$100

Provide an educational and support program for parents of an individual with Down syndrome who has an additional diagnosis. VDSA facilitates connection to other families and important information for navigating the extra diagnosis.

Empower parents through IEP Consults

$150

Provide parents a 2-hour consultation with an educational advocate to support their child’s IEP  development, providing parents with expertise in education practices that support their student in achieving optimal results in their educational setting.

Empower individuals with Down syndrome

$225

Provide one half-day self-advocacy training class for individuals with Down syndrome and their parents. This class will provide information and skill building to support individuals with Down syndrome in elevating their voices as self-advocates.

Give the Gift of Education

Child Development Education

$75

Provide one class and discussion session for parents of a baby with Down syndrome in their 1st year of life. Class will cover one aspect of child development specifically designed for parents raising a baby with Down syndrome.

 Independence Skill Building

$135

Provide a one-hour class for 10 students with Down syndrome designed to build independence. Topics focus on money management, communication, cooking safety, personal awareness, laundry, and more.

Job Skills’ Training

$265

Provide one week of the Summer Employment Academy for a teen or young adult with Down syndrome to have on-site career experiences along with in-class employment skills training.

Math & Reading Skills

$300

Provide 1 year of the Learning Program (LP) for 1 student with Down syndrome. This evidence informed program covers literacy and math strategies to improve academic outcomes, equipping families with the knowledge and tools for learning.

Parent Support

$600

Provide an 8-week series of education and resources on the 1^st year of development to new parents! This series supports the developmental progression for babies with Down syndrome.

Job Skills’ Training

$1,050

Provide all 4 weeks of the Summer Employment Academy for a teen or young adult with Down syndrome to have on-site career experiences along with in-class employment skills training.

Give the Gift of Engagement

Research & Advocacy

$100

Provide 2 hours of research and advocacy for improved systems of care for individuals with Down syndrome. While we have come a long way in the last 40 years, there are still many systems that need improvement to support individuals with Down syndrome in living their most full lives. Your gift helps us continue the work to improve these systems.

Hope for New Parents

$150

Provide support to new families when they first receive the diagnosis of Down syndrome. This gift provides a phone call and/or in-person visit to the family, a new family welcome basket full of resources and information, and connection to a family who has walked the same path for support in the journey.

Community Engagement

$500

Provide a scholarship for an individual with Down syndrome to access a community engagement activity. The financial cost of raising a child with a disability comes with a variety of increased costs. This gift provides financial assistance for families to give their child access to opportunities such as a dance class, music class, therapeutic horseback riding, and more.

Fine Print: Your gift is a sacred trust. We promise to honor your generosity and use your donation in the most effective way possible. The gift options shown in this catalog reflect the Virginia Down Syndrome Association’s projects, and the suggested donation amounts are based on average costs associated with the various services and programs we offer. Each item is meant to be representative of the gift category in which it appears (Education, empowerment, and engagement services). Donations will be used to aid and support within the gift category where it is needed most. When you give any education gift, a portion of the gift may also be used to help provide empowerment or engagement services as needed.

The Virginia Down Syndrome Association is a registered 501©(3) organization, contributions to which are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.