Residents urge reinstatement of special‑needs work and exercise programs; city staff says no active employment pilot

At an Ormond Beach City Commission meeting, parents, volunteers and a job coach urged the commission to reinstate a volunteer job for a young adult with Down syndrome and to restore an inclusive exercise class and a pilot program intended to provide job training for people with disabilities. Speakers asked the commission and the city manager to reverse a decision that ended the participant’s paid or volunteer placement.

Advocates said the volunteer job and exercise class helped participants develop routines, social connections and job skills. “My son, Lance, was a successful example of the pilot program,” said Annie Saudi, a parent and longtime program volunteer, asking commissioners to “vote tonight to allow Lance to have his volunteer job back and to consider reinstating the inclusive exercise class.”

The request prompted extended public comment from residents, family members and volunteers. Valerie Stella, who volunteered in the class, said the program “gives people like me access to understanding people with disabilities and an opportunity to serve…