It has been an honor to be a part of this organization for over 5 years. it has grown enormously since I began in 2010 and to see the impact from not just our special guests but their families has been life changing.
My daughter was fortunate enough to travel to Lourdes with the ASCPG. I cannot tell you how amazing the experience was for her and for us at home. The amount of time and effort that went into the planning and getting to know me and my child before they left was incredible. First the pediatrician made the home visit and spoke to me and my daughter at length. Then, the companions, not one but two did home visits and an outing, so my daughter truly did not feel as though she was traveling with strangers. The communication was great and the level of care and responsibility was fabulous. I can honestly say I have never been to France and my daughter with special needs has been there and to such an amazing place with amazing people!!!
My family travels each year to Lourdes with ASCPG and it never fails to be a wonderful and inspiring trip. From the high school youth group to volunteer helpers and clergy, the special children that travel are filled with smiles from ear to ear. I hope to continue traveling with ASCPG for many many years to come.
This organization is near and dear to my heart. They work extremely hard to provide a memorable and life changing experience for the special children traveling. A truly rare organization and trip that must be experienced.
My son took the trip to Lourdes last year with the youth group and could not have had a better experience. He spent the better part of a year working with and enjoying the company of more than 20 of his teenage peers preparing for the trip. Upon his return, it was clear that this experience had a tremendously positive and lasting impact on him. All of the volunteers are warm, friendly and above all dedicated to helping those with special needs.
This is a group of people that were so friendly, positive and committed to being shepards to children and young adults of special needs. Amazing group of people.
ASCPG is a wonderful group that helps children/adults with special needs do various activities and outings throughout the year. They have a monthly Mass for them where they celebrate their differences and rejoice in their uniqueness. They also sponsor a trip to Lourdes France for the children/adults with special needs travel to our Lady of Lourdes shrine and spend a week praying, singing, dancing, playing and rejoicing! It is a well run group by their volunteers. The volunteers are "angels" on earth.
This organization is incredible. Just watching the special young people’s face light up when they get to Lourdes or just interact with the youth group of high school students is worth everything. I am more than proud to be a part of ASCPG.
American Special Children’s Pilgrimage Group is made up of many dedicated volunteers. Some work behind the scenes helping to raise money to take special needs children and young adults to Lourdes, France for a once in a lifetime experience. They travel at no cost to their families.
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ASCPG has changed my life! I have made six pilgrimages as a helper to a young person with special needs. Each trip fills my heart with tremendous joy and love. To see the happiness on the faces of the children and young adults we bring can’t even be put into words. The respite this trip provides to the families of these special people can’t be measured. The special needs pilgrims are taken to Lourdes at no cost to their families. The volunteer helpers raise the money to bring the children. They also give up an entire week of their time to make this very special pilgrimage. I can’t think of a better way or place to spend a week. I am looking forward to making my seventh trip this Easter.
When my autistic son was invited to go to on their yearly pilgrimage to Lourdes, France was how I came to know of ASCPG. The people involved in this group are the most caring, hard working people I have ever met. Everything they do always has their charges (they call them pilgrims) as the number 1 priority. Neither the pilgrims or their parents pay for any part of the trip. The group fundraises year round to make that possible. They bring along trained helpers, a youth group and a medical team to make sure everyone safe, included and their medical needs are tended to. I was so impressed with the care and attention to detail that my son received that the next year I signed on as a medical volunteer completing my third trip this spring and am looking forward to next spring!
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I am the mother of an autistic young man who was blessed to become part of this family. The blessings started about a year before he actually traveled to Lourdes when we were first introduced to the group and started attending their monthly Lourdes style masses @ St. Theresa's. The volunteers made my so feel so welcomed and accepted, so much so that he couldn't wait to travel with them. He has such an amazing experience there that he didn't want leave. After the trip he was so much more independent and confident. Doing more things on his own then I ever thought possible. He now lives independently in his own apartment, has a part time job, volunteers at a local organization and uses community transportation independently. All of these this have been his "miracle"! I truly believe that his journey along with the friendships he has made with the volunteers and other pilgrims has truly shaped who is is today. I was so impressed with the people in this organization that I now volunteer as part of their medical group.
I first heard about the ASCPG from a friend at church who encouraged me to attend the group’s informative meeting and see firsthand the great charity work they do. I realized right away what a special and wonderful group I had been introduced to and the extraordinary opportunity this would be for my daughter who has Autism. My daughter was only 13 years old at the time andhad never spent a single day away from the family.Her travelling on her own would be a new experience for the both of us. Despite this I was very at ease, and happy at the idea that my daughter would have this unique opportunity to travel to Lourdes on her own, and I was anxious to hear the acceptance. Prior to her trip we got to know her future caregivers. They were the most caring, compassionate and patient women I’ve ever met, and we became friends instantly. Meeting them on several occasions prior to the trip confirmed my feelings that this trip was going to be something very special for my daughter.
During her weeklong trip, we were given a daily report of her travels by her two caregivers, who also detailed her journey with a photo album, a very nice and thoughtful touch! Upon her return, my daughter came back home,a different girl. She was glowing, talkative and enchanted by her trip. We also learned something new about our daughter that made us so proud of her: we have underestimated her abilities and understanding of the world and people around her. We were told that every night, she would hold hands with her roommate to help her fall asleep, as she was having a tough time being away from her family. My daughter showed remarkable perception for an individual with Autism as they usually have difficulties identifying emotions, let alone knowing what to do to help.
We were also told about another story that the caregivers called the “Lourdes’ miracle”. My daughter befriended a younger girl from England who stayed at the same hotel as the group. This little girl was no-verbal but they, somehow, engaged in a “conversation” each time they sit next each other. On the last morning of the trip, upon seeing my daughter, that little girl would not stop saying my daughter’s name to the surprise and delight of her parents, hence the Lourdes miracle.
We are truly grateful for the ASCPG in giving my daughter the trip of a lifetime. In fact, the ASCPG gives the pilgrims, their families, the youth group and the volunteers/caregivers a trip of a lifetime. It is not a surprise that many chose to go back time and time again as it seems to be like a life changing experience.
Thank you ASCPG!!! God bless.
The ASCPG is possibly the best non-profit for the handicapped in the country. The staff coordination is immense and the skill of the caretakers give a sense of security for the pilgrim's families. One of my family was a pilgrim and we were impressed with the love and professionalism that they put into taking these pilgrims overseas. Every pilgrim we saw came back with such smiles that it inspired me to volunteer myself, and my family couldn't be happier with our special pilgrim's reaction. As a youth group member I helped to make their journey enjoyable with games, music, and assistant care. It was rewarding for myself as it was for the pilgrims and I would enthusiastically recommend it for any would-be volunteer or anyone with with a special-needs friend or family member.
ASCPG is one of the best organizations that I have volunteered for. Every person in the group brings their A game and each pilgrim leaves with lifelong memories and friends. I could not be prouder to be apart of this organization.
I have been apart of this organization for the past 6 years and it has been life changing. Everyone apart of it is so amazing and puts in 100 percent of their time and effort and make the the trip great. The kids have the best time and the smiles on their faces start from day 1 and don't go away. It's such a rewarding experience and it changed me for the better.
I have been helping to raise funds for the ASCPG for almost 20 years through our annual golf outing, and through those years have attended many of the events that were held locally. The group does a great job getting children with Special needs to the events, and it is always great to see them having fun as the young individuals that they are rather than the disabilities that might be burdening them, but these events pale in comparison to the actual week in Lourdes.
Myself and my wife traveled a few years back, and got to see first hand all that goes into making that week long pilgrimage such a fantastic, albeit exhausting week for volunteers, once in a lifetime experience for the young people that travel.
ASCPG is truly my second family. I have travelled to Lourdes with this organization 10 times, each pilgrimage being better than the previous. Over the span of 22 years, ASCPG has changed the lives of hundreds of special needs children and their families, and the children have also changed the lives of the volunteers. It’s amazing to see first hand the transformations of everyone between the time we board the plane to the moment we land back in the US. I can only describe it as pure joy. I look forward to working with the group for many more years to come!
Where do I begin? .... My name is Annemarie & I have been involved with ASCPG for the past 8 years and have many stories to tell .. each one special... each one has found a home in my heart .. each and every child & young adult we have taken to Lourdes & met on our journey has given my heart song ... flight .... taught me the meaning of true LOVE ....... when I look into the eyes of each & every person I have had the pleasure of meeting on this journey I have seen the true face of God !
My freshman year of high school I started getting involved with ASCPG. 7 years later, I've filled many roles, played many parts, and seen many faces pass through the group. Never have I seen so much joy among a group of people in my life. No where else on this earth could I have made the friends I have now between the priests, doctors, mayors, students, and everything in middle, there is no group that I've seen bring such different people together. Most importantly though, ASCPG has done incredible work for the special needs children that they seek to help. Not only does the group provide a once in a lifetime opportunity, they help foster nothing short of miracles. Personally, I've seen people take their first steps, say their first words, have their first dance, and so much more. The impact ASCPG has on the community around them is immeasurable!
I love this organization! Their mission is one unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and you truly do see a transformation in the kids after they return from Lourdes each year. The leaders, helpers, medical staff, clergy, and Youth Group go above and beyond to make an inclusive, one-of-a-kind week for the special guests.. and they are all volunteers! If you are interested in working with people with special needs, this is the organization for you!
I have been volunteering with ASCPG since my sophomore year of high school and now am going on my sixth year of working with them. I began as a youth group member where my role was to be a friend for the pilgrims with special needs and now I volunteer as a helper with group 601 where I take on the role as a caregiver for a child. Going to Lourdes with ASCPG is one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I look forward to each Easter week where I get to travel. I have met incredible people and have made life long friends. I cannot wait to watch this organization continues to grow and be around for years to come.