WELCOME TO HAILEY’S HEALTHY HANGOUT!
Hailey’s Healthy Hangout is an organization dedicated to providing accessible services for individuals with disabilities, their family members, and allies to help decrease the social isolation pandemic amongst the disability community.
Hailey’s Healthy Hangout was founded in March of 2020, during the peak of quarantine, when Hailey Garfinkel noticed the pandemic’s tremendous effects on individuals with disabilities. She started offering two hours of her service per week: one hour hosting online fitness classes and one hour hosting online hangout discussions.
After three weeks of hosting for her friends, she shared the organization’s information on Facebook, which led to many more individuals with disabilities from all over the United States joining her Zoom sessions and GroupMe!
Hailey’s Healthy Hangout is now an online organization created to help individuals with disabilities connect and develop a strength-based mindset from the comfort of their own homes. We aim to decrease social isolation and promote social connection amongst the disabled community by providing various services that cater to individuals of all ages experiencing disabilities.
“My passion for working with people with disabilities surged when I discovered I am Neurodivergent. After all my hardships with my neurodivergence, I now consider it to be a gift. This gift has allowed me to gain compassion for others on a deeper level.
Because of my disability, not only did I become more aware of my other peers with disabilities, but I also gained a better understanding of the difficult encounters people with disabilities experience every day. My sensitivity to disabilities has given me the incentive to work with others like me and help change lives forever.
After many years of my personal, professional, and educational experience, I have seen the importance social inclusion brings for individuals' overall wellbeing.
Joining Hailey’s Healthy Hangout will provide opportunities to join a fun neurodiversity-affirming experience while also learning and spreading awareness. And most importantly - learning how awesome you ALREADY are!"
-Hailey, Founder