About SOAR
SOAR Together, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
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SOAR Together's rhyme and reason is to provide unique programs and collaborations which spark positive social connections that change outcomes for individuals and communities.
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Grounded in research that a positive correlation exists between positive social connection, purpose, and increased esteem and sense of belonging, SOAR’s programs address loneliness and social isolation through active engagement and service opportunities. The benefits seen through SOAR's immersive, educational, and spiritually-fulfilling programs are undeniable, with participants experiencing joyful connections and increased connections to others as well as their communities. The levels of loneliness and social isolation we are experiencing can be healed through measured, thoughtful, systematic approaches infused with a unique, positive, and spiritual uplift -- this is SOAR's trademark.
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SOAR's model of program delivery, Social Engagement Ecosystem, centers on a shift in the classic service recipient paradigm by providing empowering, purpose-driven opportunities for those who often receive services to help lead SOAR's efforts to spark positive social encounters within communities. Social change comes when we actively shift the status quo and have the courage to walk a walk of togetherness.
We don't always know who is struggling in the silent grips of loneliness, thus we are teaching community members through our "Be REAL" curriculum how to help Recognize, Engage, Acknowledge, and Lead others out of difficult times.
While we know we can't be all things to all people, we never tire of being a vehicle for change, a glue that binds, a spark of light in someone's darkness. We are "all-in" to meet this epidemic and conquer it with love. SOAR Together exists to help people find their own contented place of social connection.
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Our Name
SOAR is an acronym which stands for the four interrelated categories of needs the organization and its specific programmatic designs meet: Social, Occupational, Artistic, and Recreational.
Our Core Values
Our Mission
SOAR’s mission is to increase levels of individual and community contentment one positive social connection at a time.
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Our Vision
Love – we believe love is the most fundamental core value and the foundation of all things good
Dignity – we believe everyone should be treated with respect and honored for who they are
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Responsibility – we believe each one of us has a role to play in protecting the earth and each other
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Belonging – we believe everyone should feel they belong and are loved
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Service – we believe in the power of service to help others while enhancing one’s sense of self
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Kindness – we believe change happens one act of kindness at a time, no matter how big or small
Our Model
Social Engagement Ecosystem -- Today's reality is that most people know what it feels like to struggle with feelings of loneliness, and serving others has proven time and again to positively correlate to uplifted moods and increased self-esteem. It's a simple model in terms of execution and delivery with complex outcomes in terms of healing on the part of the giver and receiver. Those in cancer treatment making arrangements to deliver to those facing housing insecurity? Absolutely. Youth feeling socially isolated putting flower arrangements together to go out for a weekly delivery to a skilled nursing facility or to those in their own families and neighborhoods? Again, the answer is absolutely.
SOAR's vision is to measurably improve the health and wellness of individuals and communities through unique programs and community partnerships, helping end the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation.
Our Commitment to Inclusion
SOAR is fundamentally committed to providing equal access to employment and service opportunities for all who want to help further our mission of ending epidemic levels of loneliness and social isolation. We actively seek those who are currently unemployed or underemployed for whatever presenting reason, whether a personal hardship, intellectual or developmental disability, gap in employment, or educational level. We believe every individual has the capacity and inherent skills to create positive social connections and engagement and help SOAR grow and thrive as a business through their unique talents and contributions as team members.