In July 2025, we held our first Gulf Coast Sibshop, in collaboration with Embrace Abilities. I was very nervous to run the workshop for the first time, but my fears were eased when I saw a team of volunteers waiting at the location when I arrived to set up.
The children who showed up were between the ages of 6 and 14. It was a small group, but we were thankful for that for our first run. The kids had never met each other before, but hit it off and went straight into playing and laughing like old best friends. It was a lovely sight to witness. I barely needed our “icebreaker” activities and planned games, as the kids created their own games and played joyfully. We had to reign it in for some formal activities, and learned what we can do to make that go smoother next time. However, the kids all participated and shared their feelings and advice with each other when we got to the emotional stuff. We had our discussion in a relaxed, fun way, so the kids barely noticed that they were covering heavy topics together.
We made lunch together, played games, had discussions, and crafted tumblers that each kid got to bring home with them. We will have plenty more to come in future sessions, and I’m thrilled to see more kids gain friendships from peers who understand them and their unique perspectives. They truly are Super Sibs!
