A Whole New World
A Campaign for a Reimagined Future
NEW OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT A WHOLE NEW WORLD AT VARIETY!
Reserve Your Engraved Variety Brick Today!
We’re almost there and have raised 70% of our campaign goal! Join us today — your campaign donation helps us create accessible and inclusive spaces where everyone can pursue new possibilities, have fun, and thrive!
Imagine
the
possibilities.
“Imagine a campus where children with all abilities are welcomed with open arms – and open hearts – encouraged to explore and learn and grow at their own pace, in an environment as unique and as special as they are.
Imagine young adults with disabilities flourishing through the wonderful gift of choice – in social activities, camps, school programs, job skills development, and even careers they may like to pursue.
Imagine an unwavering bond with family, school and community that strives to unlock each individual’s potential to be independent, self-confident and prepared for life.
Imagine a whole new world.”
Dominique Bernardo
Chief Executive Officer
Variety – the Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley
Creating a brighter future for special families in the Delaware Valley and beyond!
Making Our Exciting and Innovative Vision a Reality TODAY
After a careful assessment of our campus, aging infrastructure, and programming, Variety has begun to meet the unique demands for new and innovative offerings with improved, modernized facilities and spaces that respond to the needs of those we serve.
In 2019, Variety began early investments in critical projects, including the resurfacing of our outdoor, 99,000-gallon pool, new signage at our Potshop Road entrance and the Route 363 & Potshop Road intersection, and the addition and paving of a new driveway allowing for easier and safer entry and exit from our campus. All of these important initiatives were made possible through generous donations!
To realize the next set of goals, Variety launched our most ambitious fundraising plans yet to secure charitable funding and public grants. A Whole New World Campaign, an $18 Million fundraising endeavor, aims to raise critically needed funds for two distinct purposes – transformational capital projects and an endowment. To date, we have raised 70% of our goal and completed the construction and renovation of 3 of our 4 planned capital projects with YOUR support! Keep scrolling to learn more.
A Whole New World of Possibilities
To provide state-of-the-art programming and innovative spaces for children and young adults of all abilities, Variety requires creative use of our existing campus, enhancements to legacy structures and, importantly, addition of new facilities.
The following projects have been identified by Variety’s Board of Directors to address our most urgent needs in the first phase of our campus master facilities plan.
Variety Welcome and Vocational Training Center
Variety’s fourth capital project is the most ambitious yet! Plans are underway to design and build a new, 8,500-square foot Variety Welcome and Vocational Training Center that will be the centerpiece of year-round vocational programs, serve as the gateway and welcome center to campus, and house our full-time employees. Complementing planning efforts for the new building, Variety’s Board-led Construction Committee is addressing critical infrastructure needs for new septic and electrical systems.
This is where we need your help the most!
Variety Welcome and Vocational Training Center is the largest new capital project in Variety’s recent history, and the costs for the building and necessary infrastructure are estimated to be $8M from beginning site work to opening our doors for guests, program participants, clients, and leasing organizations. We have just $3.8M to raise to make this building a reality!
With plans to complete construction in 2027-2028 if the totality of required funding is secured, the possibilities for this new space are endless for everyone arriving on campus and for the young adults seeking independence through preparing and training for personally-chosen career pathways.
Multi-Purpose Cabin - COMPLETED MARCH 2024
We built our first, new multi-purpose cabin! This new, modern, and adaptive cabin, which is the equivalent of 2 ½ of our current cabins, opened in March 2024 and is being used for classrooms, program spaces, and overnight camp to meet the dynamic needs of children and young adults with disabilities. Watch the video below for a virtual tour!
Community Gym - COMPLETED OCTOBER 2024
With the initial phase of renovations complete, our 19,200-square-foot Community Gym is now a state-of-the-art facility ready for year-round use and a multi-purpose community and recreational space that serves as a unique “double gym” in the heart of Worcester. Variety’s Community Gym is a one-of-a-kind, safe, indoor space that is accessible to people of all abilities and ages.
Multi-Purpose Turf Field - COMPLETED OCTOBER 2024
The field, which is adjacent to the Community Gym, is now open to Variety program participants and youth athletic organizations!
Dollar-for-Dollar Match | Double the Impact of Your Gift!
In 2022, Variety was awarded two Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grants by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania totaling $4.5 Million! Your campaign commitment can help Variety fund the construction of the new Variety Welcome and Vocational Training Center and will be matched $1-for-$1 by RACP grant funds.
15-Year Campus Master Facilities Plan
Reimagining Our Campus Where Children and Young Adults Will Grow and Thrive
Our long-term goal is simple: Ensure the delivery of unique, creative programming on a campus that is modern, functional, and safe.
It’s not all about the buildings; it’s all about what happens within them and across Variety’s 77-acre campus and the impact on, and difference we are making for, the children, young adults, and families who we serve every day. YOU are critical to our ability to achieve our vision for a reimagined future.
To learn more about Variety’s plans and how you can be part of A Whole New World, contact Jaime Howard at jaime.howard@varietyphila.org.