BY GRACE WAHLE
Congratulations Project Associate
At PALS, we believe in our mission of inspiring a more inclusive world of belonging, and one way we work towards this is The Congratulations Project. To change attitudes, build understanding, and foster inclusion, The Congratulations Project remains a core part of programming at PALS and how we build greater communities across the globe.
To request a letter of congratulations, families or folks who hear of someone having a baby with Down syndrome go through the PALS website and then receive the package directly in the mail. We will continue with this offering, and we are excited to announce the launch of organization wide partnerships through the Congratulations Project Distribution Partners to broaden our reach at PALS!
As a partner, organizations are shipped packages from PALS at no charge to the organization which include a handwritten letter from a young adult with Down syndrome, handmade PALS bracelets, a baby bib made by a grandmother of a participant at PALS, and a “Future Camper” onesie, entitling the recipient to their first week at PALS for free. This gift shares the powerful words of hope and congratulations from young adults with Down syndrome while welcoming the recipient into the PALS family.
By creating distribution partnerships, more families have the opportunity to receive a Congratulations Project letter and hear the simple words: “Congratulations.” We are partnering with a variety of organizations including hospitals, Down syndrome organizations, and medical offices. One of our new partners is the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati, and their team is very excited to partner and have this new offering for the families they serve! These organizations believe in our mission carried out in part through The Congratulations Project as they join the PALS community by distributing packages. We are grateful to each organization for partnering with us in shifting the narrative around a Down syndrome diagnosis.
If you know of an organization who would be interested in partnering with us, reach out at congratulations@palsprograms.org.
