- A new support group in Monticello offers resources, connection, and hope for families who have a member navigating life with disabilities.
- Meetings aim to reduce isolation and build a stronger, informed community
- Watch the video to find out when the next meeting will be held.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Living with a disability can sometimes feel like facing the world alone. But Sunnie Washington is changing that in Monticello.
“As caregivers, we start to feel isolated and we start to feel like we ask too many questions or we have too many demands,” Heather Cox-Rosenberg, neighbor and support group member, said.
I’m Lentheus Chaney, your Monticello neighborhood reporter. I'm speaking with Sunnie and a neighbor about how she is creating a space where families with disabilities can come together.
Sunnie’s Washington's journey began with her son Kevin. He was diagnosed with ADHD, autism, and schizophrenia before he was 10. Through years of advocacy, she founded A Rai of Sunshine of North Florida Inc. The nonprofit is dedicated to helping families navigate the challenges of disability.
After years of serving families in Gainesville, Washington is now launching a support group here in Monticello. It's focused on building connections and creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities and their families.
She says it’s also a chance to educate them on how to stay safe.
“You can have an autistic individual that appears to look healthy like there’s nothing wrong with them act out and be faced with law enforcement and it can be deadly. I used to always worry about my son being approached by a police officer and telling him to stand down and him not understanding what stand down means and then there’s a bullet,” said Washington.
On May 25 at 3 p.m., Washington invites the community to gather at 850 N. Jefferson Street for a support meeting. It's designed to listen, connect, and build plans that serve Monticello’s unique needs.
Neighbor Heather Cox-Rosenberg says navigating the system alone to get help for her 13-year-old son with special needs has taken a toll—both mentally and financially.
Now, she says she’s found a sense of community through Washington and the resources she provides—support that’s made a big difference for her family.
“Having these support systems being built in rural areas is transformational for those rural areas. When you look at our entire region like your entire viewership area, we are basically in somewhat of a provider desert when it comes to support and services for people who have different needs,” said Cox-Rosenberg.
Washington says she’s also advising an organization on opening a group home for neighbors with disabilities. She says that's another much-needed resource in Jefferson County.
In Monticello, I’m Lentheus Chaney, ABC27.
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