Spreading Holiday Cheer: Foundation for Developmental Disabilities’ Season of Sharing
The demand for support is skyrocketing. In the past year alone, SDRC welcomed more than 4,000 new clients, adding to the thousands of families already navigating financial strain while caring for loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DDs). The holiday season is meant to be a time of family, joy, and togetherness. Yet for […]
The demand for support is skyrocketing. In the past year alone, SDRC welcomed more than 4,000 new clients, adding to the thousands of families already navigating financial strain while caring for loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DDs).
The holiday season is meant to be a time of family, joy, and togetherness. Yet for many families served by the San Diego Regional Center (SDRC), this season brings more worry than wonder. Rising costs of rent, utilities, and necessities often force heartbreaking choices; keeping the lights on or having a holiday celebration with family, leaving little room for traditions that should bring comfort and joy.
The Foundation for Developmental Disabilities (FDD) created the Season of Sharing program to change that reality. Each year, FDD raises funds to provide holiday gift cards to SDRC families in San Diego and Imperial Counties who are experiencing financial hardship. For many, these gift cards mean a holiday meal, warm clothing for a child, or the chance to exchange gifts that make the season memorable.
Meeting a Growing Need
The demand for support is skyrocketing. In the past year alone, SDRC welcomed more than 4,000 new clients, adding to the thousands of families already navigating financial strain while caring for loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DDs).
For these families, Season of Sharing is more than financial aid; it is a lifeline of stability and hope. One parent shared: “Because of the Foundation’s gift cards, I was able to buy my son a warm coat and a small toy. It may seem simple, but for us, it meant everything. We celebrated without worry, and he felt the magic of the holiday.”
Moments like these remind us why Season of Sharing matters: it allows families to replace stress with joy, and hardship with connection.
A Celebration with Purpose
Season of Sharing returns on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at Stone Brewing in Liberty Station, where giving back meets holiday cheer. This family-friendly gathering invites the community to enjoy crafts, games, and plenty of festive fun, as well as the opportunity to connect with others who share a passion for making the holidays brighter for SDRC families.
Most importantly, proceeds from the event go directly toward purchasing holiday gift cards for local families, ensuring they can celebrate the season with dignity, warmth, and joy. Attending Season of Sharing means more than enjoying a festive afternoon; it means standing with families who too often must choose between paying bills and creating holiday memories.
How Local Businesses Can Make an Impact
Sponsorship is at the heart of Season of Sharing’s success. By sponsoring, businesses and organizations provide critical holiday relief while demonstrating their commitment to inclusion, compassion, and strengthening the I/DD community in San Diego and Imperial Counties.
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Jill Weber at [email protected].
Celebrating 40 Years of Impact
As FDD prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2026, Season of Sharing serves as a powerful reminder of its enduring commitment to the I/DD community. Over the past five years, FDD has generated more than $1.9 million to fund over 100 innovative programs that enhance the quality of life for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DDs) across San Diego and Imperial Counties. Additionally, the Foundation has invested over $800,000 in affordable housing initiatives and provided more than $1.2 million in emergency assistance to SDRC families.
Guided by its vision of equitable access and opportunity, FDD continues to create lasting impact through programs like Season of Sharing—building a community where inclusion and potential thrive.
A Call to Action
This holiday season, you can help transform difficult choices into moments of joy—bringing hope to local families. Your support ensures no family is left behind during the holidays.
Most homeowners want two things before they commit to a remodel: a realistic sense of cost and a clear picture of what the finished space will look like. Milan Design + Build helps deliver both through its online remodeling estimator and personalized design consultations, supported by a showroom experience and 3D renderings.
“The online estimate gives homeowners a starting number in about a minute, and the showroom and 3D renderings let them see materials and layouts before anything is built,” says David Noriani, CEO of Milan Design + Build. “Keeping design, permits, and construction with one team helps us manage expectations and keep everyone working toward the same vision.”
Courtesy of Milan Design
Modern design is a particular focus for Milan, with an emphasis on clean lines, natural light, functional layouts, and carefully selected materials. The team adapts each design to the homeowner’s lifestyle and the character of the property. Milan Design + Build combines thoughtful design with construction expertise, creating spaces that are as functional as they are beautiful.
The online estimator covers kitchen remodels, bathroom renovations, full-home remodels, and ADU construction. At Milan’s showroom on Carroll Road, visitors can review real materials, finishes, and design options, meet the design-build team, and discuss project scope, budget, and timing. Consultations can also be held virtually for homeowners who prefer to start remotely.
At Milan Design + Build, one integrated team works on the entire project. Design and construction aren’t divided between separate firms. The process begins with a consultation and feasibility review, followed by design, space planning, and 3D renderings developed from detailed measurements and digital scans. The team also coordinates architectural plans, structural engineering, city approvals, and material selection, with construction overseen by a dedicated project manager.
Homeowners can explore their remodeling options, get an initial estimate, or request a design consultation at MilanBuild.com.
At any given time, there are roughly 200 research investigations and clinical trials being conducted at Scripps Health in as many as 25 medical specialties. Research and patient care go hand-in-hand at Scripps. Those studies can be categorized as clinical trials of a medication or device that are conducted by Scripps physicians and studies designed by Scripps’ physicians and clinicians. Click here to learn about three exciting studies underway at Scripps and the benefits to patients.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
Scripps has recently unveiled new features in the MyScripps patient portal and mobile app to help patients connect with their primary care team and simplify the payment process. Among the recent updates is the addition of primary care E-visits for minor conditions. Patients who have an established primary care physician can schedule an E-visit, complete an online questionnaire and, if needed, send a photo. Their doctor can then advise and prescribe medication, when appropriate. Autopay is also now available through MyScripps. Patients can enable or disable autopay, allowing them to more easily manage payments. Learn more about MyScripps and how it helps patients stay connected here.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
Farrah Adams had a persistent dull ache in her lower back that her massage therapist suggested might be caused by the way she sat or drove. That explanation seemed reasonable, but when coupled with heavy, painful periods led the then 46-year-old to seek answers. When she looks back on it now, she’s beyond grateful she trusted her gut. She made an appointment with a Scripps OB-GYN, who determined she had Stage 3 cervical cancer that had spread to several lymph nodes. Farrah was overwhelmed, but immediately found a “champion” in Scripps Clinic gynecologic oncologist Jo Marie Tran Janco, MD. After undergoing successful treatment at Scripps Cancer Center, Farrah is now using her story to inspire other women to make time for care. Read more of her story here.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
In the last several years, there’s been a surge in FDA approvals for what’s known as oral oncolytics. Oral oncolytics are targeted cancer therapies that come in tablet, capsule or liquid form that patients can take at home, rather than in an infusion clinic. Scripps physicians have seen exponential growth using this approach, with patients citing convenience as a major quality-of-life enhancement in their cancer treatment. This approach also allows treatments to be customized based on specific genetic mutations and a patient’s unique disease biology. Find out more about oral oncolytics here.
For more nutrition, wellness, and healthy living tips, sign up for the San Diego Health newsletter here.
Meet San Diego’s leading healthcare professionals, delivering exceptional medical and dental care through innovation, expertise, and dedication to patients.
Unio Specialty Care is a multi-specialty practice specializing in urology, gastroenterology, and radiation oncology.
Unio’s Radiation Oncology team—Dr. Donald B. Fuller, Dr. Tahir Ijaz, Dr. Reza Shirazi, and Dr. Siavosh Vakilian—combines extensive clinical experience with a commitment to personalized cancer care. The RO team treats cancerous and non-cancerous conditions using precision therapies including SBRT, IGRT, and the CyberKnife® S7 System, the only system of its kind in Southern California. Their expertise spans prostate, breast, lung, gastrointestinal, pancreatic, and central nervous system cancers, as well as low-dose radiotherapy for osteoarthritis.
In 2026, Dr. Shirazi and Dr. Vakilian were recognized as San Diego Top Doctors, joining Dr. Fuller and Dr. Ijaz, who have previously received this distinction.
