If you are looking for a way to help in the community around you and improve the lives of others, then look no further. Nest Academy RVA would love your help in their mission to provide inspirational and social environments for young people with complex disabilities. Nest was founded in May of 2020 by Nora Carroll after she realized that there were very few programs for young adults with complex disabilities disabled young people in Richmond for her son to participate in after high school. She decided to create a program to help young adults with complex intellectual and physical disabilities get their needs met. “Family members of young adults with complex disabilities enjoy engaging with peers, having a routine, and being an active members of their communities, however, those opportunities do not exist,” says founder Nora Carroll.  “Nest fills this void with six classes a week near Short Pump, and just added a new class in Eastern Henrico. We are currently seeking a volunteer teacher to expand our classes to the Bon Air area. We believe that there are so many more individuals with complex disabilities in the Richmond area who would benefit from Nest that we have not been able to reach, so spreading awareness of our programs is one of our main goals, and articles like this will hopefully reach some families who are looking for a program like Nest.”

“Some of the specific needs of this particular disabled community are constant engagement, a consistent routine, and a way to get out of the house and be active.” says founder Nora Carrol. “Nest Academy offers six classes a week to help with these needs. We give the members of the academy a routine that they can follow, and we also give their parents a time to rest and handle other matters.” 

Every Nest member has their own unique needs and medical situation and it’s hard to find and train someone who can care for them, so often their parents are there to care for them 24/7. Nora hopes in the future to be able to create a coffee area where parents can rest while volunteers care for their children member during the classes. Another big goal is to be able to offer more classes.  

"Fundraising is a large part of Nest due to the cost of our quality programs and the high cost of supporting an individual with complex medical, intellectual, and physical needs.” Nora says.  “We have two main fundraising and awareness events; one is a Fun Walk on May 4th and a annual golf tournament in September. We also have numerous virtual and in-person volunteer opportunities for community members who would like to learn more about Nest and help us further our mission!”

Nest has grown over 30% with the generous support of the Richmond Community especially the Tarrington Community with not only private donations but sponsorships and volunteers.  Nest is very grateful for a community willing to give back.

If you want to help Nest, there are a few things you can do. You can volunteer, become a sponsor for their Fun Walk, or help fundraise by sharing this event with local businesses.  One project Nest does to raise money is “Upcycling” animal feed bags.  Volunteers are needed to wash, cut, fold and sew into tote bags to sell at the farmer’s market.  However, by far the easiest thing you can do for Nest is to spread the word of their foundation mission to anyone and everyone to gather even more awareness. To learn more about Nest go to https://www.nestacademyrva.org. Thank you.