While young people with disabilities who perform piecework at sheltered workshops or at businesses in the community often find such work challenging and rewarding, there are also those who remain disinterested and uninvolved. The dissatisfaction lies in their inability to respond to a higher calling, the call to dedicate themselves to the important task of peacemaking and a life committed to making a difference in the world.

It should come as no surprise that many of our sisters and brothers with disabilities are compassionate, deeply spiritual and conscientious. Given the opportunity to serve, they develop a strong and well-defined desire to participate in efforts which promote human understanding, sensitivity and cooperation, justice, peace and sane environmental practices. Not only, then, do they have something special to offer, in many respects society needs them. The hearts of citizens are softened by the presence of people who struggle against enormous personal odds to do their part. The participation of these peacemakers with disabilities is itself a gift of peace to communities and the vehicle for this peace is the Special Peace Corps.

The Special Peace Corps offers a vastly different program of community involvement for adults with disabilities than is currently available in the Commonwealth. It is a unique kind of service provider for it reflects the philosophy of its parent organization -- The Life Experience School -- which has for 25 years pioneered peace education and peace therapy for multi-handicapped children and young adults. Educating its students to see themselves as Instruments of Peace, and the Peace Movement as a way of life, the school developed "a philosophy, structure and style" of engaging its students in humanitarian work that transforms the lives of its students, and those with whom they come in contact.

Beyond the given objective of a particular assignment, i.e., serving meals at a homeless shelter, caring for animals at a humane society, volunteering at a nursing home, cleaning places of worship or public parks, the involvement of people with disabilities in altruistic work carries with it a profound message of compassion and love that is capable of touching the hearts of even the most hardened. Special Peace Corps units of 5 to 8 coworkers with two staff are actively involved in supporting the efforts of the nonprofit community in the following areas: