Meet Danielle and Jimmy
Meet Danielle and Jimmy, our Search Inc. #GivingTuesday 2020 ambassadors! This #GivingTuesday, Search is shining a light on Jimmy and Danielle, two incredible Search participants. 2020 marks their second anniversary together as a couple and we’re thrilled to highlight their love story for #GivingTuesday this year!
She joined Search’s Supported Living program in 2014, and currently lives at our Sycamore house. He’s been with Search since 2007, and has been a resident at our Church house since 2008. She loves baseball. Her favorite team is the Cubs. He is a big soccer fan, and looks forward to watching the next World Cup in 2022.
She does production work at Search’s social enterprise, Planet Access Company Warehouse. In September, he landed his first job at the local Jewel where he is a counter clerk.
In her free time, she likes to read, watch movies, volunteer for local charities like Project Linus and visit with her nephew Jack. He likes exercising and hanging out with his friends and brother, Henry.
They both enjoy being part of Search’s Special Olympics team, Search Squad. Danielle and Jimmy participate in Track and Field and Basketball. Jimmy also participates in Bowling and Snow Shoe. They are very supportive of each other during competitions and cheer each other on.
This year marks their second anniversary together as a couple. But unfortunately, they’ve had to celebrate this wonderful milestone amidst a global pandemic. And like all of us, they’ve had to cope with major disruptions to their daily routines. Danielle had to stop going to the Warehouse for six months, and Jimmy had to put his job search on hold until September. But through it all, they’ve had each other’s backs.
They stay in touch every day. Jimmy calls Danielle every morning to say good morning, and they see each other over Facebook Portal every evening. During their precious time together, they talk about everything from their day and find support in each other.
In August, with some help from their support teams, Danielle and Jimmy were able to arrange a long delayed, socially distanced lunch date. It was a beautiful day outside and they had a wonderful time being together. They can’t wait for the day it’s safe to spend more time together out in the community.
Before the pandemic a typical date night for Danielle and Jimmy was dinner out and a movie. Their wish list for when things get back to normal includes bowling, a Chicago Cubs home game and a nice vacation together. Until then, they’ll keep taking things one phone call and one video chat at a time. The care they show for one another and their resilience is a constant source of light in this challenging time.
Starting November 1st, you have a special opportunity to make your donation to Search Inc. go twice as far for Danielle and Jimmy and the over 350 individuals served by Search! From Nov 1 – Dec 1, any online gift of $200 or more to Search Inc. will be with a $200 gift from the generous Coleman Foundation. Our goal is to raise $30,000 by midnight on Dec 1, #GivingTuesday. Your donation, in any amount, will help us reach our goal!
This giving season your gift means more than ever! November 1 – December 1, #GivingTuesday Give safety, friendship, employment, love, connection, and most important of all, give hope.
