November 2023: The One with all the Weddings
This year, we celebrated the marriages of our Program Manager, Jane Yoon, to her husband, Jimmy, and Program Coordinator, Ben Tien, to his wife, Karen, as Andrew and Ali reached their ten-year marriage milestone just this month.
All of these weddings have significant Do For One stories tied to them, so to kick off our End-Of-Year Campaign to raise 50K, here is the one with all the weddings!
November 3rd, 2013
Tony grew up in Willow Brook State School until his early teens. Tony’s friendship with Andrew expanded Tony’s community.
It all started by crossing the street together to Borders Bookstore, which eventually became a go-to spot for Tony and Andrew to hang out. Years later, he flew out to Alabama for Andrew and Ali’s wedding day.
Tony and Andrew’s friendship has since inspired hundreds of New Yorkers to experience genuine relationships across societal barriers.
June 10th, 2023
Ben and Karen invited their Do For One Partners, Devon, and Shannon, to help with vital aspects of their wedding day.
“I’m not gonna let Karen wear just any dress on her wedding day. For her, it’s got to be the best.”
Meanwhile, Devon was hard at work preparing to provide the background music for their wedding day cocktail hour in California.
Check out a clip of Devon playing keys at their wedding on Youtube here.
“This is a dream come true of mine to play the piano at the wedding of my best friend and Advocate, Benjamin Tien, as well as his wife Karen who is also my best friend”
May 19th, 2023
Jane and Sharaya’s friendship truly took root in 2020 when Sharaya trusted Jane enough to spend Thanksgiving with her family.
“Knowing Jane and Jimmy has brought new opportunities to my life and a lot of firsts. First time going to New Jersey. First time making Korean food. They love me like a biological sister and daughter. They are my chosen family.”
Jane’s parents even gave Sharaya a Korean name, Jisun, which means “wisdom” and “first” because had she been a third daughter to them, Sharaya would have been the first born.
Our End Of Year Campaign: Help Do For One Reach $50,000
Do For One addresses the need for advocacy for those who lead lives of isolation, having none or few friends or supporters to represent their interests.
In relationships between people with and without disabilities, we encounter highs and lows—uplifting moments elevate us while challenges keep us grounded.
Our moral compass guides us beyond mere positives to prevent losing our grounded perspective while avoiding a fixation on challenges that leave us feeling defeated. Instead, we move forward, not upward or downward, but ONWARD, nurturing deeper relationships that transcend societal barriers.
In 2024, we aim to:
expand our staff team and build 15 new relationships
strengthen our 83 active relationships
expand our vision through a new leadership development program
Thank you for helping Do For One to further our mission and impact in 2024 and beyond!