Adventure, Teamwork & Community
At Quality Connections, empowering adults with disabilities to thrive through learning, creativity, and meaningful experiences is at the heart of everything we do.
Recently, our Adult Day Program took that mission out into the community with an exciting event: Missions & Madness at Buffalo Park.
A blend of scavenger hunt, Dungeons & Dragons, and boot camp, the event brought together people from three organizations – Quality Connections, Northern Arizona University (NAU), and the Missions & Madness team – to create an interactive and inclusive outdoor experience.
The mission? To unite with the community in search of adventure!
Participants engaged in a series of whimsical and team-based challenges, including collecting dragon eggs, rescuing a (toy) cat from a tree, and other creative tasks that required problem-solving, communication, and teamwork. The event fostered collaboration between participants, many of whom had never met before.
Despite the brisk wind, the feedback from members, families, and staff was overwhelmingly positive, and they are looking forward to doing it again.
This kind of community involvement directly supports what our Adult Day Program is all about. From 8:30 am to 3:30 pm on weekdays, we provide a balanced mix of academic enrichment, life skills development, and personal choice. Members explore subjects like science, math, reading, and social skills, along with activities such as home economics, art, crafting, gardening, and more. We also teach Spanish, Navajo, and American Sign Language to foster connection and communication.
Whether the goal is work readiness, life skills, or just meaningful engagement, we emphasize individualized growth
“Our philosophy is that the sky’s the limit,” said Ariel Coleman, who co-manages the Adult Day program with Trevor Sinanovic “If there is something that we currently are not doing that an individual would like to do, we will always do our best to meet their needs.”
Many of our members are also working toward employment goals. Some already have jobs in the community and attend the Day Program on their off days, while others participate in Employment Services or Transition to Employment, programs within Quality Connections that support job readiness and skill development.
Inspired by the success of Missions & Madness, we’re already planning a smaller, QC-only version of the event this summer so more of our members can join the adventure.
This event was more than just a fun day at the park. It was a chance for our members to connect, challenge themselves, and show the world what they’re capable of when given the opportunity.
City Honors QC During Economic Development Week
Last week, along with numerous cities and counties across the nation, the City of Flagstaff City Council proclaimed May 11th through 17th as Economic Development Week, a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of economic developers and businesses to the community.
In the City’s proclamation this year, Quality Connections was highlighted as one of those organizations helping to foster economic development in the community.
The proclamation referred to QC as “a community leader for over 25 years, empowering individuals with disabilities through job training, inclusive employment, and social enterprises like QC Office, while also driving Northern Arizona’s economy by employing over 200 staff.”
Last week, along with numerous cities and counties across the nation, the City of Flagstaff City Council proclaimed May 11th through 17th as Economic Development Week, a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of economic developers and businesses to the community.
In the City’s proclamation this year, Quality Connections was highlighted as one of those organizations helping to foster economic development in the community.
The proclamation referred to QC as “a community leader for over 25 years, empowering individuals with disabilities through job training, inclusive employment, and social enterprises like QC Office, while also driving Northern Arizona’s economy by employing over 200 staff.”
It also noted that we operate the state’s only AbilityOne and State Set-Aside printer supply business, manage the Evergreen Academy Preschool – which also serves as a training site for our members – and offer diverse support services and workplace partnerships.
Quality Connections is in a unique position because it is a non-profit that also provides employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities as part of its training programs. Those clients are paid the city’s minimum wage, now at $17.85 per hour. While we wholeheartedly support fair wages, it is a challenge when funding doesn’t rise as quickly as employment costs. It requires us to be more resourceful to find ways to continue to sustain and grow our services to meet the needs of our community.
Which is why we are incredibly honored to have been highlighted in the city’s Economic Development week proclamation this year – we feel that the hard work to continue to empower residents with disabilities is seen and appreciated.
