Patti Schaub
Connecting Point of Park Cities Development Committee Chair
By: Karen Chaney
As Stan Schaub’s days of attending Highland Park High School came to an end, Park Cities resident Patti Schaub wondered what the future held for her then 22-year-old son.
She wasn’t alone in her concern as seven other parents were in the same situation — their special needs children had aged out of the district’s public-school program.
JoAnn Ryan, another parent of a HPHS special education student who aged out of the district, rallied the group of parents to create a nonprofit for adults with disabilities to receive high quality purposeful programming.
This marked the birth of Connecting Point of Park Cities in 2014, which meets at University Park United Methodist Church.
In 2018, Patti volunteered to be the development committee chair, which means she oversees fundraising. About 25% of its expenses are covered by fees families are charged, and the other 75% comes from fundraising.
“We’re very proud of the program because … we keep our fees low so we can be accessible to families not just in Highland Park but all throughout the metroplex,” Patti said.
The day program features recreational, vocational, educational, and life skills curriculum. One of their initiatives is creating dog biscuits, packaging them, and selling them to local businesses.
A highlight for members is the outings, which can include activities like going to lunch, museums, or classes.
“They are just hanging out with their friend,” Patti said. “It’s a wonderful sight when you see our group out having lunch.”
Teammates’ ages and disabilities vary, but they are all intellectually and developmentally disabled, Patti said. Some Teammates have significant physical disabilities that require space and a good staff ratio.
A high attendance day at Connecting Point will bring about 25 Teammates, and there are about 10 adults on the waiting list. These numbers push Patti to continue raising funds through North Texas Giving Day, grant applications, the annual spring fundraiser, and other endeavors.
“We need to increase our capacity because they aren’t going to age out; they will probably just stay for a long time,” Patti said. “Our youngest Teammate is 22, and our oldest is in his late 40s. Hopefully Stan will be here until he’s 80.”
Patti says the organization, with the help of generous donations, make her son’s life “purposeful and wonderful.”
“These are his friends, and it is important to him. I’m overwhelmed and touched by people who don’t have their own skin in the game, but they are all in this with us,” Patti said.
