Everyone's life experience is different — but some people navigate the world in ways most of us will never fully understand. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities face challenges that are woven into nearly every part of daily life, in ways that often go unseen.

What I've come to appreciate through years of volunteering is that inclusion isn't charity — it's recognition. Every person deserves access to joy, community, and a life lived fully. When you create the right environment, something remarkable happens. People thrive, confidence grows, and connections form that wouldn't exist otherwise.

There's something quietly powerful about being a supportive presence in someone's life — not to fix anything, but simply to show up, to participate, and to help make ordinary experiences feel possible. If I can be that for even one person, that matters to me.

Special Children's Charities has been doing exactly that across all 77 Chicago neighborhoods since 1969 — entirely free of charge — through programs in art, music, athletics, and beyond.

This October I'm running my first marathon to help keep those programs alive. I hope you'll support the cause.

— Joseph

Follow My Training on Strava