CommUNITY Champion: Ady’s Big Army

NAMED ADDIE. SO MANY SUPERSTARS, I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO. WE’RE ON TV THAT THE AMAZING ANNA AND GUYS LISTEN TO THIS. THIS IS BRITNEY MARIE. I’M BRITNEY MARIE. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? RIGHT? IS IN CHARGE OF THIS PROCESS OF MAKING FUDGE, CUTTING, WRAPPING AND BOXING IT UP? CAN YOU READ IT FOR ME? IT’S IS A BIG ARMY, FRESH COMPANY THAT’S PRETTY SPECIAL. MEET ADDIE’S BIG ARMY, A TEAM OF CITIZENS OF DISABLED CITIES WHO ARE CELEBRATED AND EMPOWERED AS THEY CREATE MEANINGFUL WORK. THE INSPIRATION, SAY HI, I AM ADDIE AT ABBEY. ADDIE, CAN I HAVE A HIGH FIVE AGAIN? I LIKE THAT. TO THINK THAT IT ALL CAME AND STARTED FROM A LITTLE GIRL WHO MAYBE FELT IT INVISIBLE ALL. OF THIS IS THE STORY OF ADDIE AT TWO YEARS OLD, PARENTS CHRISSIE AND BRIAN SCHUBERT FOUND OUT THEIR LITTLE GIRL HAS AUTISM, SELF HARM, A LOT OF SLEEPLESS NIGHTS. JUST TO BE HONEST, WE WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HER RECEPTIVE SKILLS WERE. WE WOULD SPEAK ABOUT HER IN FRONT OF HER LIKE SHE COULDN’T UNDERSTAND US. BUT JUST BECAUSE ONE CAN’T VERBALLY SPEAK DOESN’T MEAN THERE’S NOTHING TO SAY. 2018 WHEN WE HIT A REALLY BIG PARADIGM SHIFT, ADDIE WAS ABOUT TO TURN NINE YEARS OLD. SHE WAS SITTING THERE AS SHE BEGAN TO SPELL RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME THE MOST BEAUTIFUL POEM I’VE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE. IT STARTED SO MUSIC REALLY PLAYS AS THE AMERICAN EAGLE SOARS AND ENDED LIKE THIS AUTISTIC AND FREE. AND SHE SPELLS THIS AND I’M SITTING ACROSS THE TABLE SHAKING VIOLENCE BECAUSE IT’S LIKE ALL THESE EMOTIONS OF, OH MY GOSH, WHEN GOD HAS ANSWERED MY PRAYER TO, OH MY GOSH, I’VE, I MESSED UP, YOU KNOW, I GOT IT WRONG. AND SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SHE MADE EYE CONTACT FOR A MINUTE. AND THEN SHE SPELLED IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY, MOM, I’M IN HERE. SHE LOOKED AT HER DAUGHTER AND SAID, ADDIE, I WILL NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOU AGAIN. AND IT WAS AMAZING WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. THE SCREAMING, SELF-HARM SUBSIDED. HER MOM SAYS SHE BECAME REGULATED. IT A TRUE JOY TO BE AROUND, BUT AS SHE BEGAN TO SHARE JUST HER SECRET WORLD AND ALL HER DESIRES AND HOPES, IT BEGAN TO SPARK A LOT IN US. SO ADDIE’S ARMY THAT WAS STARTED WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER EVOLVED TO ADDIE’S BIG ARMY, WHICH NOW IS TWOFOLD AND EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT THAT CREATES MEANINGFUL WORK, A SENSE OF BELONGING AND AN ATMOSPHERE OF DIGNITY AND RESPECT. BUT THIS IS A FINISHED THAT IS BEAUTIFUL IN SECONDLY, CHANGING THE WAY THE WORLD VIEWS THEIR CITIZENS AND ALL ADULTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. BUT IF YOU GET IT IN THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT, IT REALLY JUST GROWS AND BLOSSOMS INTO THIS BEAUTIFUL SUNFLOWER. AND WE THINK OF OUR CITIZENS, THE SAME WAY. I’M AN ARTIST. THEN I’M A BAKER, I’M A CREATOR. YOU KNOW, I HAVE ALL OF THESE GIFTS AND TALENTS AND THEY ARE PROUD TO HAVE MY MOM. SHE’S SO PROUD OF YOU. FOR ME, F ADDIE LOVES. OH, YOU MUCH. ADDIE LOVES YOU MUCH. WE LOVE YOU TOO, ADDIE. YEAH. ADDIE SPOKE ABOUT WHAT IT WAS LIKE A FEELING LIKE SHE WAS ON DISPLAY. PEOPLE WERE JUST WALK BY HER, NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE HER, BUT WHEN SHE STARTED TO COMMUNICATE THROUGH THE LETTERS, THROUGH THE WORD, SHE EXPRESSED HER DESIRE FOR COMMUNITY. AND EVEN NOW SHE WANTS TO BE A MISSIONARY. AND WHILE I AM BUILDING THAT COMMUNITY NOW WITH THAT IS AMI, YOU KNOW, TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHO THEY SERVE. YES. SO CHRISSY, HER MOM, WAS TELLING ME NOT ONLY ARE THEY SERVING THOSE WHO ARE LIVING WITH AUTISM, BUT ALSO JUST A DIVERSE COMMUNITY WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. AND I GOT TO MEET SO MANY OF EDDIE’S BIG ARMY, AND IT WAS A TR