Lunch with a Purpose supports Run Saniyah Run

Lunch with a Purpose Coastal Delaware held its monthly luncheon April 2, at the Atlantic Sands Hotel in Rehoboth Beach. This month’s host was Run Saniyah Run, a nonprofit that assists parents/guardians of special needs children in Delaware, while also supporting the children.

Gia Love, RSR founder, told her story to the 195 luncheon attendees. Her daughter Saniyah was born with multiple disabilities and passed away in July 2020 at 11 years old. Love was a single parent of three girls trying to maintain a professional career while giving Saniyah the best life possible. At the time, she was unable to get the type of outside help she desperately needed.

This motivated Love to start her own organization that gives parents exactly what they need to maintain a stable, healthy family life, while not being at risk of losing their careers, relationships and personal life. Love views her time caring for Saniyah as a blessing, because she learned so much and now she can help others.

Michael Connor, RSR public relations director, spoke about the different ways individuals can volunteer and lend their support. Dani Sawchuk spoke about her experience with RSR. She was grateful for the help provided by Love and her team in caring for her son and keeping him safe. RSR also helped her afford a handicapped van to get him to his appointments. Sawchuk’s takeaway message is that people should focus on acceptance and valuing the differences in others.

Services RSR offers for both parents and children include: life skills/job training, respite time and babysitting, entertainment outings to promote healthy peer interactions, and medical support such as scheduling appointments and filling prescriptions. Personal assistance with shopping, light housekeeping and vehicle maintenance is also available, as well as counseling for financial and stress management, and grief/loss.

The event raised $7,360 in cash and $3,080 in in-kind donations. In addition, 1,199 pounds of food items were collected for the Food Bank of Delaware.

For more information, go to runsaniyahrun.org and find Lunch with a Purpose/Coastal Delaware on Facebook.