The ‘Sign’ of a Community
When COVID-19 shut down businesses, schools and retail organizations, our Walden Residential Program carried on. Housing children and adolescents ages 8 to 22, Walden students and staff have remained on campus for nearly three months, with only each other for support, stability and endurance.
Just a half mile from campus is the Prospect Street Starbucks. The Framingham café is frequented daily by TLC. It is a haven for our staff who need a 1 p.m. pick me up, an extra special treat for Walden students, and a nice surprise for parents and visitors passing through the area.
What makes TLC and its neighborhood Starbucks even more special is that the baristas and café employees have learned basic American Sign Language to strengthen the relationship between business and customer. ASL is a unique and complete languages spoken by the Deaf and hard of hearing community - an estimated 500,000 individuals in the United States.
TLC is proud to be a recipient of the Starbucks Foundation Neighborhood Grant. Our funds will continue to support our Walden Residential Program, providing resources to strengthen our students’ language, learning and mental wellness, in an especially stressful time when the opportunity to connect face-to-face is so challenging. #NeighborhoodGrants