Ability First celebrates 100 years of empowering people with disabilities

CLAREMONT, California (KABC) -- A community organization is celebrating 100 years of helping people with disabilities live their best lives.

It's called abilityfirst.org, with five locations across Southern California focused on life after school.

"We do step aerobics. We have a pool table. We have air hockey. We have food, like anything you can think of, we do," said Claremont programs director Julie Martin.

"Our main mission is to support people with cognitive and developmental disabilities and their families so they can live their best lives ever."

To do that, they provide plenty of opportunities.

"I feel like we build up their self-esteem and my goal is to have them age from our program, being ready for the community," Martin said.

Someone like ninth grader Max Sandoval.

"When I first got here, I was a bit shy. I didn't know what to do. There's a lot of kids I didn't know," Sandoval said.

Nearly a year later, Sandoval is the big man on campus, described as a shining star.

"I'm not that shy anymore. I'm more like a very energetic kid now," he said.

"He kind of found his spot. Like it was kind of like, 'oh, I'm safe here, I am good,'" Martin said.

While government funding pays for the students to be here, donations keep all of their programs running.

"Here, we are actually teaching them to be a good person, how to make a friend, have a sense of belonging. And so to me, that is the most important," Martin said.

They're hoping to one day become a one-stop shop for different types of therapeutic support they can offer the kids.

There's also a "Stroll and Roll" fundraiser in November to get the community together. For more information, go to abilityfirst.org.

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