Photos By Kristen Johnson

Kiara is beaming as she sails under the brightly colored parachute. The other kids are laughing and wiggling, excitedly awaiting their turn. All the colors and the sounds are thrilling and this evening is shaping up to be a great time. When Kiara returns to the other side of the gym, Deisy, her special volunteer, turns her around, hands on Kiara’s chair, for another pass under the chute. On the outside, Parents’ Night Out looks like any other children’s event, but this one has a twist. It’s for children with special needs - kids like Kiara.

Kiara has cerebral palsy and has been attending Parents’ Night Out since she was six. Now nine years old, The Parents’ Night Out program gives Kiara something special to look forward to, and it helps out her mom, Aries Haeflinger.

“We really don’t have babysitters for Kiara, so we don’t get to go out very often,” said Haeflinger. “This not only gives us a chance to run errands or have a nice dinner together, but it’s something special for Kiara to enjoy in her own way; it’s very special for her, and for us.”

Pam Kamrath started the Parents’ Night Out program through the special needs ministry at St. Luke several years ago, while working as a teacher assistant in a special needs classroom. With years of experience in schools, a group home and volunteering at special needs camps, Kamrath wanted to channel her passion at church, and this program definitely meets a need.

“This ministry goes way beyond the person with a disability,” said Kamrath. “Disabilities affect the entire family. This program is a ministry and a support system for these families.”

One Friday night a month, parents can drop off their children with special needs and their siblings for an evening of fun, while they take some time for themselves. Supervised one- on-one by caring volunteers, the children play games, make craft projects and have music time.

“Our goal is to make it fun,” said Kamrath. The children love to come here, which makes the parents feel at ease about dropping them off. You should see the faces of the children when they come in the door; they are beaming and looking forward to a night of fun.”

The program started small with a few families, and over the past few years has been opened to the community. Now with more than 42 families registered, Kamrath is looking forward to expanding - slowly.

“Unfortunately we have to set a limit of 25 children per evening, said Kamrath. “It’s important that we have enough volunteers to keep the evening fun and safe for everyone. My hope is that other churches will see what we are doing and want to learn to implement at this program at their church. ”

Kamrath has found quite the workforce. With regular volunteers from the University of Michigan’s Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, future special needs teachers from EMU, physical therapy students, teenagers and families lending a hand, the night is a blessing for everyone.

“The volunteers are so amazing. They give up their Friday night to hang out with these kids,” said Kamrath. “And at the end of the evening, they thank me for letting them help out. I want to thank them! They are wonderful. I tell them I could not run this program without them. They are a blessing to me, to the parents, and especially the children.”

Many of the volunteers return year after year and are able to establish relationships with the children. To keep everyone on the same page, Kamrath hosts a special training session to cover any challenges special needs ministry may present. With a broad spectrum of disabilities represented at Parents’ Night Out - autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD and more - wheelchairs, feeding tubes, and simple communication differences are all a possibility, and it’s important that the volunteers are comfortable.

In addition to the monthly event, Kamrath has also organized speakers for the parents, covering topics like trust funds and advocacy issues, independent living choices for young adults, and improvement of life issues for people with disabilities. Most recently the Special Needs Ministry hosted a Spa Day for moms and caregivers of children with special needs.

Bringing in several massage therapists, Mary Kay representatives to give facials and make-up demonstrations, and loads of great food, the women were able to truly enjoy a break in their busy lives for a few hours.

“These women are ‘on’ all of time, said Kamrath, “and do an amazing job of taking care of their families every day. For a few hours on that Saturday morning these women felt no burdens. We just wanted to pamper them and make them feel special.”

Aries Haeflinger enjoyed the break at spa day and is looking forward to the next Parents’ Night Out event.

“This is such a great program - I hope it never ends!”

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Parents’ Night Out meets one Friday a month from October through June. The event is free, but requires registration. For more information go to: www.stlukeaa.org/slaa/children or contact Pam Kamrath for details.

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Carly Parker is the Communications Coordinator for St. Luke Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor. St. Luke is a multi-site community which includes St. Luke-Ann Arbor, Living Water and University Lutheran Chapel. Go to www.stlukeaa.org to read more.