SADI finalist for True Inspiration Award, grant through Chick-fil-A

With community support in the form of app-based voting, SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence could pocket a windfall.

SADI has been named a finalist for an award and sizable grant from Chick-fil-A. The organization is looking for help from the Southeast Missouri community in order to increase the size of the grant.

SADI is a not-for-profit organization offering programs to help individuals with disabilities, including independent living and personal care services. It will be celebrating 30 years of service next year.

The organization is a finalist in Chick-fil-A's True Inspiration Awards, a voting-based grant award program held annually by the fast-food company.

Community members with the Chick-fil-A app will have an opportunity to vote in the awards race Thursday through Sept. 24. Voting is a points-based system — the more votes an organization gets, the more points it accrues. The grant project gives away $5 million annually, according to Chick-fil-A's website. SADI will also have the opportunity to be selected by Chick-fil-A and win the top prize of $350,000.

Brian House and his daughter Carley at Special Olympics earlier this year.Submitted

Brian House — owner and operator of the Cape Girardeau Chick-fil-A — alongside other members of his family, nominated the organization because he had personally seen work it does.

House's daughter, Carley, is a 26-year-old with Down syndrome. She regularly participates in programs at SADI, including its Community, Activities, Recreation, Education and Socialization day program.

SADI CARES — sometimes referred to as Day Hab — is designed to help adults with developmental disabilities get out of the house. It allows those individuals to work on skills to help their individual needs and become more independent, SADI executive director Donna Thompson said. Some attend the program daily, while others attend when not working part-time jobs.

"They want to get out in the community. They have goals that they want to reach," Thompson said.

Through participation in the organization, House said his daughter has become more independent and developed relationships with others with disabilities.

"It's been a godsend for her," House said.

SADI was among 2,460 organizations nominated for the awards; just 46 were selected as finalists. House characterized the nomination as a true long shot.

In previous years, finalists for True Inspiration were not guaranteed any grant funds. This year, however, stipulations were changed, giving every organization that made the cut $30,000 minimum, which exceeded the original funding goal of $25,000 SADI had, House said.

House knew SADI would already be receiving money. The franchise owner said he explained his personal stake in the nomination to the True Inspiration Awards representative who called him. By the end of the conversation, she was crying with him, he said.

He said what followed was a wave of tears of joy as he began to notify others involved — such as his daughter-in-law, Kate, who helped write the nomination.

"They (those who work at SADI) all just can't believe that they were nominated. That they're gonna have this opportunity to, you know, invest in it (SADI) even more," House said.

A statement Thompson echoed.

"I didn't know. I figured it was a shot in the dark when we applied for it, but we got it. We were so excited," she said.

SADI's grant application outlined existing plans the organization has for a sensory garden at its Cape Girardeau location. The plan is to build a fenced-in space complete with a pavilion, swings and, of course, flowers that is intended to be a relaxing environment for patrons on the north side of the building.

"Our whole purpose for being a center for independent living is to break down barriers for those with disabilities and to be a place where they can come and belong," Thompson said.

The garden will help SADI do just that, she said.

The not-for-profit managed to raise $15,500 for the project with a raffle and officials had sought other fundraising options before being named a finalist.

House's daughter is an avid gardener, he said. She relishes the chance to be responsible for a plant, watching it grow. The sensory garden will allow her to see the "fruits of her labor," he said.

House said it's critical the community get involved to help SADI.

"We just want to see if we can push it as much as possible," House said.

He and those at SADI will be doing everything they can to get the word out. Customers visiting the drive-through at the Chick-fil-A on Gordonville Road can expect flyers telling them how and why they should vote.