Jaqui' Foundation

About Us

The Jaqui’ Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, was created to help children, families and communities, especially those in need, to reach their full potential and function independently.

Our belief is that individuals in their neighborhoods and places of work should feel empowered to take full advantage to exercise choice, control and self-determination over their lifestyles.
Our goal is to ensure each child, youth and adult in our program has equal access to social, cultural, and other resources that we offer.
We reduce barriers that impede independent living and thus promote integration in natural environments.
We offer a wide variety of services seek to assist individuals in learning the functional skills needed to live independently at home and in the community.

History

The Jaqui’ Foundation has grown significantly in the past few months because of the leadership, hard work and passion of Robert Lee Porter, Jr., its founder and President/CEO of the Board of Directors. He is supported by a dedicated Board of Directors, volunteers, staff and community residents.

Mr. Porter has extensive personal and professional experiences with the disabled community. Through his relationship with his father, who is a quadriplegic, a brother with Down’s Syndrome, and a developmentally disabled uncle, he gained sensitivity and awareness of the joys and challenges associated with being different in our society.

During discussions with his sister, who has been in the field for over thirteen years, he became familiar with working with the developmentally disabled community.

Mr. Porter’s commitment was further strengthened by the birth and subsequent death of his nine-month old daughter, Jaqui’. She was born with developmental disabilities, that helped him to understand the field from the “other side”, and the related emotional, financial, and social issues.

As a father of a developmentally disabled child, he had first hand knowledge of the emotional, financial and social issues impacting families of disabled people. His personal experiences and compassion for humanity has served him well as an Independent Living Skills trainer during the past seven years.