Executive
Summary:
Our mission is to enhance the lives of the challenged (handicapped,
disabled, impaired, elderly, youth) by providing enabling lessons
and experiences at sea aboard a safe and comfortable vessel
with caring and professional crew and staff. We maintain a small
staff of uniquely experienced and motivated specialists trained
to teach safe at-sea learning and skill-enabling curriculum.
Our techniques include small-group at-sea lessons and nature
interpretation, incorporating skill-building designed to help
each handicapped individual build knowledge, competency and
self-esteem. We seek funding from individuals and organizations
with the heart to serve the neediest among our community.
Who
and how we serve:
Working with numerous handicap-specific and condition-specific
organizations, we arrange for vessel, crew and specialized staff
to provide tailored educational cruises involving group and
individual learning and developmental opportunities. Each handicapped
community has individualized needs and we tailor our services
to address the specific needs of each community, including but
not limited to:
Autistic
children:
We feed these quick minds with focused bursts of information
on work vessel types (Rescue, enforcement, research, commercial
fishing, energy industry) and waterfront jobs. We offer boat
handling and seamanship lessons. We provide seasonal narrated
viewing, monitoring and counting opportunities for; sea lions,
harbor seals, porpoise, dolphins, whales and seabirds. We provide
recreational and subsistence skill-building fishing lessons
involving rigging, baiting, techniques and safe (for the angler
and the fish) fish handling.
Mentally
impaired:
We give leisurely and informative talks about various types
of work vessels (rescue, enforcement, research, commercial fishing,
energy industry) and waterfront jobs applicable to individuals
with impairments. We discuss boat handling and seamanship in
an informative and entertaining manner. We provide seasonal
narrated viewing and counting opportunities for; sea lions,
harbor seals, porpoise, dolphins, whales and seabirds. We provide
recreational and subsistence skill-building fishing lessons
involving rigging, baiting, techniques and safe (for the angler
and the fish) fish handling.
Physically
disabled:
We
take care to help them with skill-building and self-esteem building
exercises while feeding their quick minds with informative talks
about various types of work vessels (rescue, enforcement, research,
commercial fishing, energy industry) and waterfront jobs applicable
to individuals with impairments. We discuss boat handling and
seamanship in an informative and entertaining manner. We provide
seasonal narrated viewing and counting opportunities for; sea
lions, harbor seals, porpoise, dolphins, whales and seabirds.
We provide recreational and subsistence skill-building fishing
lessons involving rigging, baiting, techniques and safe (for
the angler and the fish) fish handling, providing all the help
our disabled passengers may need.
Users
of prosthetics:
Amputees must learn to use prosthetics and our program teaches
them to live active lives which include outdoor adventure. We
teach about the waterfront community through informative talks
about various types of work vessels (rescue, enforcement, research,
commercial fishing, energy industry) and waterfront jobs applicable
to individuals with impairments. We discuss boat handling and
seamanship, providing opportunities to help with boat work.
We provide seasonal narrated viewing and counting opportunities
for; sea lions, harbor seals, porpoise, dolphins, whales and
seabirds. We provide recreational and subsistence skill-building
fishing lessons involving rigging, baiting, techniques and safe
(for the angler and the fish) fish handling.
Stroke
victims in recovery:
We
help recovering stroke victims live active and enjoyable lives
by helping them relearn and employ motor skills and sense of
balance onboard a vessel at sea. We give informative talks about
various types of work vessels (rescue, enforcement, research,
commercial fishing, energy industry) and waterfront jobs applicable
to individuals with impairments. We discuss boat handling and
seamanship, providing opportunities to help with boat work.
We provide seasonal narrated viewing and counting opportunities
for; sea lions, harbor seals, porpoise, dolphins, whales and
seabirds. We provide recreational and subsistence skill-building
fishing lessons involving rigging, baiting, techniques and safe
(for the angler and the fish) fish handling.
Trauma
victims:
We
help trauma victims get past the effects of trauma through a
nurturinglearning experience at sea with a strong focus on interaction
with the critters of the sea. We give informative talks about
various types of work vessels (rescue, enforcement, research,
commercial fishing, energy industry) and waterfront jobs applicable
to individuals with impairments. We discuss boat handling and
seamanship, providing opportunities to help with boat work.
We provide seasonal narrated viewing and counting opportunities
for; sea lions, harbor seals, porpoise, dolphins, whales and
seabirds. We provide recreational and subsistence skill-building
fishing lessons involving rigging, baiting, techniques and safe
(for the angler and the fish) fish handling.
Sufferers
of disabling diseases:
We help people find new passion for life and learn new skills
through discovery cruises where they learn what they can do
rather than concentrating on what they cannot do. We give informative
talks about various types of work vessels (rescue, enforcement,
research, commercial fishing, energy industry) and waterfront
jobs applicable to individuals with impairments. We discuss
boat handling and seamanship, providing opportunities to help
with boat work.
We
provide seasonal narrated viewing and counting opportunities
for; sea lions, harbor seals, porpoise, dolphins, whales and
seabirds. We provide recreational and subsistence skill-building
fishing lessons involving rigging, baiting, techniques and safe
(for the angler and the fish) fish handling.
Elderly:
We
strive to provide education and skill-building curriculum while
showing all the respect and consideration earned by their long
and productive lives. The elderly still want to be needed, useful
and appreciated. Our curriculum gives them all of that plus
a healthy dose of adventure.
Youths:
Our approach varies according to the nature of the youth we
serve. Young children need education and adventure while seeing
the natural awe of the marine environment. “Youth at risk” passengers
need to learn about the marine habitat and abot the creatures
of the sea in a manner that teaches them there is much more
to life than the inner city and much more of the world to see
and experience by gaining an education and establishing good
life’s goals. Our curriculum helps via interaction with nature
and by learning about the waterfront community and professional
opportunities.
Benefits
to handicapped/impaired individuals:
Tangible benefits take the form of enhanced knowledge about
various waterfront work and vessels; familiarity with marine
mammals, seabirds and fish; new fishing skill sets useful for
both recreational and subsistence purposes. People discover
what they can accomplish, rather then concentrate on what they
cannot do. Intangible benefits come in the joyful gratitude
of those we serve, after a day of watching them learn, grow
and commune with nature and the critters of the sea. It is priceless,
yet our work has its costs and needs dependable funding sources.
Who we are and
how we organize to serve:
SOFTIN, Inc. was begun by a team of committed volunteers and
donors with appropriate skills, experiences and assets to provide
at-sea learning experiences to the disabled / handicapped /
impaired / elderly / youth. We have a Board of Directors, and
Advisory Board chosen carefully for their ability to help us
achieve our mission. We have access to an appropriate vessel
for hire with a highly professional and competent crew.
