Sheltering Arms Foundation

08/23/2025

⚓️Sheltering Arms Community Programs kicked off their first Accessible Day Trip of 2025—and it was a HUGE success! Thanks to the Emily and Coleman Hunter Trust, we’re thrilled to offer accessible trips that families can attend together and make lasting memories!

All 50 of us had an amazing time aboard the Spirit of Norfolk lunch cruise! From delicious food and lively dancing to top-notch service from the ship and charter bus staff, everything was perfect. Most of all, the company was fantastic. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day! 🥰

A big shoutout to our incredible staff who always go above and beyond—you’re absolute rock stars ⭐️

What’s your favorite day trip memory? Tell us in the comments or tag someone you’d love to travel with next time!

08/21/2025

🎨 Windows to the World: A New Theme at the Pulley Family Art Wall 🌍

Have you or someone you know used art as part of your recovery journey? We’d love to see your artwork —featured on the Pulley Family Art Wall! Our latest theme is "Windows to the World."

At Sheltering Arms Institute, art is more than expression—it’s a vital part of the healing journey. Through recreation therapy, patients use art to reconnect with themselves, explore emotions, and build confidence as they recover. Whether painting, drawing, or crafting, each piece reflects a step forward in physical and emotional rehabilitation.

🖼️ The Pulley Family Art Wall showcases these powerful works, reminding us that healing isn’t just physical—it’s also about hope, imagination, and connection.

Interested in participating? Send your artwork to Sarah-May Brooks at sarahmay.brooks@sai.rehab by September 12, 2025. Share your creativity and be part of this inspiring display!”

08/18/2025

🎳Come have a Ball and Strike up some FUN!! Join us for a fun afternoon of bowling and community!

After a physical injury, it is common to experience difficulties returning to leisure activities. This is one of the reasons Sheltering Arms Community Programs offers bowling league/clinics and an annual bowling tournament. Ready to roll? Whether your brand-new or a bowling pro, we invite you and your friends to join us for an afternoon of fun and community! Recreation Therapists and volunteers will be on hand during this event to assist with adaptive equipment and techniques as needed. Adaptive equipment will be available.

We could not offer these programs without the support of our amazing community Bowling for ALL Abilities is supported through a DuPont Spruance Community Impact grant. 😀 We greatly appreciate their continued support!

For additional information contact Kimberly Gryder, kgryder@shelteringarms.com.

Programs

06/27/2025

A powerful new documentary executive produced by Bradley Cooper premiered on PBS yesterday, offering a deeply personal look into his journey as a caregiver for his father. The film highlights a role that so many take on for their loved ones—often without preparation, support, or recognition.

Caregivers are everywhere: balancing jobs, raising families, attending school—all while caring for someone they love. Too often, they do it silently, putting their own health and well-being on the back burner.

At Sheltering Arms Institute, we see you. And we’re here to help.

🌟 Our Caregiver Ambassador Program connects new caregivers with experienced ones for peer support, plus access to a dedicated social worker for 1:1 guidance and support groups.

📘 Our Caregiver Education Pilot Program offers a full-day class to help caregivers feel more confident and prepared when their loved ones return home.

Let’s lift up the caregivers in our lives. If you’d like to honor someone who’s made a difference, consider sharing your story in the comments!

Bradley Cooper's own caregiving experience with his father inspired his role as executive producer of new PBS documentary

06/26/2025

Thanks to the kindness, generosity, and compassionate support of our community you are helping us to care for the many who care for others following a life-changing diagnoses or injury.

Together we are building a community where compassionate care leads the way and your generosity is making it possible. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.

Introducing the compassion cart! ☕🥨🍬 This month, our community engagement team rolled out some new ways to help caregivers connect, recharge, and access vital support while their loved one participates in physical rehab.

Each week, social worker Rachel rolls around the halls with her caregiver compassion cart to offer coffee, tea, snacks, puzzles, stress balls, dental kits, and more. It’s a simple gesture with a big impact that provides caregivers support & a moment to recharge.

Thanks to Rachel and our community engagement team for showing up for our caregivers who give so much to their loved ones!

06/15/2025

Today, we honor the incredible story of Danny — a devoted dad whose strength, resilience, and unconditional love continue to inspire.

Danny’s life changed when he experienced a stroke. As his family navigated new roles and challenges, Danny remained a steady and loving presence for his children. Through recovery, he shows us what true courage and fatherhood look like — leading with grace, heart, and unwavering commitment.

This Father’s Day, we celebrate Danny and all the fathers, grandfathers, stepdads, and father-figures who remind us that caregiving is a shared journey — and that family is built on compassion, courage, and connection.

Happy Father’s Day to all who love like a father. 💙

06/13/2025

Today we are celebrating five years of Sheltering Arms Institute. Our generous community of donors made the dream of a new physical medicine and rehab hospital possible for us! Thank you!

06/05/2025

Music Therapy at Sheltering Arms Institute is one of our Margin of Excellence programs. Special moments—like the one in the video below—are possible because of the generosity of our community, including individuals, corporations, and foundations. Thank you for helping create these powerful experiences.

We invite you to join us in making a difference by supporting our Margin of Excellence programs through making a gift to Sheltering Arms Foundation's annual fund, www.shelteringarmsfoundation.org/donate

05/29/2025

🎨✨ Now Open: Art Wall Exhibit at Sheltering Arms Institute! ✨🎨

We are proud to unveil the newest installation of our Sheltering Arms Institute Art Wall Exhibit, celebrating creativity, resilience, and the healing power of art. 🖼️💫

This exhibit is more than just a visual experience—it’s a testament to the transformative power of Recreation Therapy. A Margin of Excellence program, SAI's team of Recreation Therapists, plays a vital role in helping patients reconnect with their passions, regain confidence, and express their journey through creative outlets.

At Sheltering Arms Institute, we believe that rehabilitation goes beyond physical recovery—it’s about nurturing the mind and spirit as well. The Art Wall showcases the Power of Community, featuring artwork created by patients, team members, and local artists, each piece telling a story of hope, gratitude, and transformation!

Art inspires. It uplifts. And here, it’s a vital part of our holistic approach to healing.

Contact Sheltering Arms Foundation at 804-342-4141 if you would like to stop by to experience the exhibit, reflect, and celebrate the amazing talent in our community.

05/16/2025

🌼 Congratulations to Our DAISY Award Winner! 🌼

Please join us in celebrating Desta, our latest DAISY Award honoree! 🏆💛
The DAISY Award honors nurses who provide exceptional care and embody the heart of nursing—and Desta is a shining example of just that. 💐

Help us congratulate Desta in the comments below! 👏👏👏

05/11/2025

💛 A Mother’s Love. A Son’s Strength. 💛

After a traumatic brain injury left Codey in a coma, his mom Tabetha never gave up hope.

With the care of the Sheltering Arms Institute team and the healing power of music therapy, Codey began his journey back—one note, one moment at a time.

This Mother’s Day, we honor Tabetha and all the incredible moms whose love makes recovery possible. 💐

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and those who stand in for mothers. You are amazing.

04/25/2025

This week, we’re sending a HUGE thank you to all of our incredible volunteers who give their time, energy, and hearts to make a difference every day. 💙

Whether you're helping behind the scenes, supporting our programs, or sharing your talents with our community—you are the heartbeat of what we do. Your dedication inspires us all! 🙌

Yesterday was extra special as we awarded the inaugural William Berry Positivity Award. Positivity is one of the core values at Sheltering Arms it is the energy that allows us all to support and care for others. If you've been to Sheltering Arms Institute inpatient hospital, one of our outpatient centers or Club Rec, you may have seen Berry handing out his very own brand of positivity with smiley face stickers, a huge smile, hug, and chat! Of course Berry was our very first recipient and annually a Sheltering Arms Volunteer will be selected as the recipient!

We couldn’t do it without you. THANK YOU! 💐