More than 1,500 people milled around Tempe Town Lake on Saturday for Fishing with Friends, an event hosted by Joni and Friends Arizona that included fishing, games and food at no cost to attendees.
Joni and Friends is a national ministry organization that works with families who have members with disabilities. It was started by Joni Eareckson Tada, who became a quadriplegic at 17 following a diving accident.
Tada found herself losing faith in God after the accident. But after coming to terms with being a quadriplegic, she started Joni and Friends, which has been operating for 30 years, according to pamphlets distributed at the event.
Fishing with Friends was part of the organization’s community outreach program, which showcased local churches that have been trained to support congregation members with disabilities.
Cheryl Wilson, Arizona program manager for Joni and Friends, said while it was only the third year the organization has hosted the activity, it’s grown tremendously since then.
“It started with only 500 families,” she said. “We wanted to do something that families with disabled members could come and do together and just really spend time together connecting as a family.”
Program manager Delinda Carr said families who have members with disabilities often struggle.
It’s typical to see a family with a husband ready to divorce the wife, the sibling of a disabled child feeling left out, or a wife who is barely holding it together, she said.
“A lot of times these families struggle and today is about getting away from those struggles. Today is obviously about the community and family,” Carr said. “But this is also our way to help connect these families to Christ.”
As a result of the organization, Carr said she has witnessed family members reconnect with each other.
Part of what Joni and Friends does involves hosting retreats for these types of families. Special education junior Kierstyn Lyts said she has volunteered at these retreats and they are what inspired her to become a special education major.
“This is a program for all types — the physically disabled, the emotionally disabled and the mentally disabled,” she said. “Working with all these different types of people made me realize I really like helping children with special needs and I’m not sure I would have realized that otherwise.”
Lyts spent the day handing out material and socializing with the different families.
Carr said since this is the organization’s only community outreach event of the year, it really tries to interact with the families who attend and show them what support is available in the community.
“We’re not saying we have the answers to why this happened but we know that having a support system like Jesus Christ can help families keep their faith strong,” Carr said.
Reach the reporter at sheydt@asu.edu
