A few months ago, I took a trip to to Minneapolis to do an interview with a local Fox affiliate about how Care.com helps provide solutions to families in need. Aileen, a single mother of two and one of our Premium Members, joined me for the segment. After we finished the interview, Aileen asked me to stay longer to talk about what Care.com could do to help moms of kids with special needs. She'd found a local nursing student to care for her autistic 8-year-old and wanted to make sure other parents could easily find similar specialized, dedicated caregivers.

I have a 28-year-old cousin who has autism, so Aileen's passion really hit home with me. Our family has also been fortunate to have trusted caregivers for Perico, and it's been my dream to help the many other families in need of great care for their special loved ones.

Today, that dream comes true. I'm happy to announce the launch of the Care.com Special Needs service. If you're one of thousands looking for quality caregivers who are experienced and attuned to your loved ones' unique needs, then I encourage you to check out this new feature and post a job to let area providers know you have an opening. Although this is a new feature, we already list many caregivers and their numbers are growing daily!

PS – We've also added a brand new "My Care.com Homepage," to make your care search even easier. Celeste, from our Membercare team, has put together this video presentation to walk you through all the new features. Take a look!

A couple months ago, the entire Care.com staff closed the office and spent the day volunteering with Outdoor Explorations. OE is an organization, based here in Massachusetts, which helps give kids with disabilities access to outdoor adventures. It's actually the only New England-based outdoor education provider that designs its programs to include all ages and abilities. Every year, OE takes over 2,000 people on multi-day trips and one-day clinics where participants get to kayak, backpack, sail, rock climb, raft, and snowshoe. OE also coordinates volunteer programs in the Boston area.

We participated in one of their "Wildworks" programs and helped clean up Stony Brook Reservation—a 475-acre, state-run nature preserve. It's a place that OE visits often, but the park's facilities had fallen into disrepair. Hardworking Care.com employees helped cover graffiti, landscape, and clean part of the park. Check out these photos from the event!

"I helped repaint a graffiti-covered fence. Helping to make a place open and inviting to others was quite an experience. It's easy to forget that things we take for granted—like walking in the woods—aren't always accessible for everyone." Zenoo, Marketing

"As a team member, I was involved in getting rid of graffiti by repainting the walls. Transforming the site and moving it one step closer to becoming a place where kids can have a good time with their families gave me a great sense of accomplishment." – Shashank, Tech

"During our community service day with OE, I worked with Care.com colleagues and other volunteers to paint a large, wooden maze and water fountain, remove overgrown weeds, and help remove rubbish and broken glass from the park. It was gratifying to see how large an impact we made and how different the park looked afterward." Stephen, IT


"I worked with a great team of people of all abilities to demolish an outdoor barbeque grill that had become a danger and an eyesore to the beautiful park picnic area. It took a while, but in the end, the grill was no match for our sledgehammers and determination!" – Mike, Member Care


"I spent the day with OE demolishing an old, broken-down grill with an awesome volunteer team. It's always great to give back to the community, and preserving green space in urban areas is vitally important." Rob, Tech

 
The whole Care Team after a long day's effort.

If you or someone you know would be interested in attending an Outdoor Exploration event or volunteering their time, check out their website for more info.

Born with a congenital defect that left him eyeless, wheelchair-bound and unable to walk or fully extend his arms, Patrick Henry Hughes has let nothing stop him. The 20-year-old is an award-winning pianist, singer, and trumpet player who's performed at the Kennedy Center and the Grand Ole Opry. And he's also a first time author. His memoir, I Am Potential: Eight Lessons on Living, Loving, and Reaching Your Dreams has just been published by Da Capo Press.

Patrick Henry took time to chat with us from New York City. He'd just finished an interview on The Today Show—just another stop in this young man's amazing journey.

How were you first introduced to music?

It started when I was about four months old. My father was a music major at University of Louisville. He took care of me during the day. Dad had me fed and changed, but I was still crying, and he didn't know why.

He came up with the idea to lay me on top of our piano and started playing. We still don't know whether I liked it, but I immediately got quiet. Looking back, maybe it terrified me a bit. But I think I might've liked the sounds and the vibrations. The main thing was, I got quiet and that made Dad happy.

When I was about nine months old, old enough to sit up, Dad took the tray off of an old wooden highchair and put it up in front of the piano. I sat there and started playing with one finger, figuring out which note makes what sound. I've been playing ever since

What was life like growing up?

Growing up has been a lot of fun. I've had a wonderful family that's supported me through everything. I always count my blessings and I've had anything that anyone could ask for—a nice roof over my head, good food on the table, and a nice bed to sleep in. I've always been extremely grateful for those things.

Why did you write this book?

I wanted to share my story with the world, and also to encourage people to realize their potential. You're going to face problems on a day-to-day basis. There will be obstacles you think you won't be able to conquer. But if you set your mind to achieve a goal, you can do it.

What advice would you give someone pursuing a goal?

One of my favorite things is an acronym I've created. It's the first three letters of my name—P-A-T.

The P stands for: passion, patience, and perseverance. In order to achieve your goal, you must have a passion for it. Be patient, because it might take a while for your goal to work. That's why you have to persevere. Keep trying! Don't give up!

The A stands for: ability and attitude. Use the abilities you know you have. Plus, keep a positive attitude.

Finally, the T is trust. Trust in yourself. You will achieve your goal eventually.

How does someone find a passion for their life?

Open the door to opportunity. Always remember there are a lot of chances out there, and you'll never know what you can do if you don't take one.

My main message to anyone is, we're all going to face problems and obstacles on a day to day basis. But, really? Big deal! If you set your mind to achieve a goal, you can do it.