Oxford CHILL Team to host local events at Quarry Walk town green

Many of those in the community have not heard of the Oxford CHILL Team, but will have a chance to meet them on July 20 or August 17th this summer. I was impressed when I met them, and I know you will be too.

The Oxford C.H.I.L.L. Team (Cooperative Help for Independent Living Locally) is a group of differently-abled young adults who recently graduated Oxford High School and who are extra-ordinarily abled indeed!

I had the privilage of being on stage for Oxford High School Senior Awards, as I was awarding one of the grants given to a senior by the Oxford Cultural Arts Commission. Among the seniors was a group of students who had given the charge of planning and hosting a variety of events at the high school and were dubbed The CHILL Team.

According to the school administrators, the teachers, and by the roar of applause from the students, the CHLL Team knocked it out of the park!

I later spoke with Maria Addario, who coordinates the group with other volunteers, and she beamed with pride in describing their efforts. Paraphrasing her words, when given a task, they were focused, excited and did it with gusto. They have some guidance from adult and student "coaches" but very much did an amazing amount of work.

Maria explained these students/young adults need an opportunity to find jobs and a place within the community. She said if the community could see them at work, they would know just how able and capable they are. This is how the idea of the pop-up market came into play. Maria reached out the Quarry Walk management, who agreed to host the events on the green.

As a business owner, I got to see them first hand. They came to my art studio and clearly read from a cue card that they had organized the pop-up markets, and wanted to know if I would hang up their poster in my store window. They were polite and organized, thanked me and went about their business to the next store when done.

I want to encourage the community to rally around their effort, bring your family and friends to the KIDZ ROCK Oxford Pop-Up Market on the Green. July 20th from noon - 4pm . You can see their brightly colored/painted bicycles around town with the signs.

Thank you for supporting our community, which is full of wonderful people with ALL levels of abilities!

By Adriene Radcliffe, small business owner, and mother to a great kid with autism