September 30 | 2026

Dear Friends,

Porto Charities is committed to building a strong community of belonging where individuals of all abilities can flourish.

While our two main areas of advocacy are inclusive Catholic education and meaningful employment, community engagement is the glue that binds us together. The friendships forged by young adults at our bowling social, the support built by parents over monthly coffees, and the outreach we provide to educators all help create true belonging for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Please join us as we gather together to pray in the coming days:

Annual Respect Life and Persons with Disabilities Mass

Celebrated by Bishop Burbidge on Sunday, October 11 at 11:00 am at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Please join us for a reception immediately following the liturgy at Burke Hall to celebrate God’s gift of life.

Monthly Virtual Rosaries

Starting on Wednesday, October 14 at 12:30 pm, author and retired Porto Charities Board Member, Bill Dalgetty, will lead our monthly Zoom rosaries. These rosaries connect us through prayer intentions that uplift and celebrate the joy our special needs families bring to the world. See the details in the flyer below.

Prayer and Fasting

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge calls all the faithful in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington throughout October to pray and fast, asking God to convert minds and hearts and inspire all Catholics to vote “No” on Virginia’s Ballot Questions #1 and #2. Voting is now underway. See more details in the flyer below.

Thank you for being such an essential part of our community. Your generous gifts of time, treasure, and talent continue to build a more just and inclusive world. We can’t wait to see you!

Pray with Us

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Community Engagement Highlights

Annual Bowling Social

40 teens and young adults with disabilities and their families gathered for our annual bowling social. It was a fun afternoon of building connections and knocking down pins!

Letter of Intent Workshop with Cortney Heykoop

Cortney Heykoop of Cloverleaf Financial led a two-part comprehensive workshop on financial planning specifically tailored for parents of children with disabilities.

Diocesan Professional Development Day

The Porto Center for Learning and Leadership presented best practices for serving students with learning disabilities at the bi-annual Diocesan professional development day for educators.

Parent Resource Fair

Holy Spirit invited Porto, therapists, and other service providers to meet with parents to share supports for their children with special learning needs.

CALLED Conference

Porto Charities attended the annual Diocesan Young Adult Conference to raise awareness of our mission and recruit volunteers.

Parent Coffee

Porto Charities celebrated the 1st anniversary of our monthly parent coffees where we shared coffee and stories with new and old friends.

Disability Round Table

Porto Charities joined representatives from the Diocese of Arlington for an interfaith gathering of disability advocates.

Board Member Spotlight

Dan Braun

Dan Braun serves as a Security Product Sales Specialist, bringing technical expertise from a career that includes roles at Infoblox, Cisco, and Sprint, along with two degrees from George Mason University.

But beyond his professional background, Dan’s true passion shines through his dedication to the disability community and his enthusiasm for engaging with youth in our diocese.

As a Special Olympics Certified Coach and Class-A Volunteer, Dan coaches 26 athletes across soccer, basketball, track & field, and sailing in Northern Virginia. A devoted father to a son with developmental disabilities, Dan loves engaging directly with our teens and young adults. Whether he’s attending our Annual Gala, Christmas party, or bowling socials, Dan rarely misses an opportunity to connect with parents while helping his son build lasting friendships.

Porto Charities is deeply grateful for his generous heart and commitment to our mission!

Support Porto's 2nd Collection in Your Parish!

Special Kids / Special Needs Campaign

October 3-4

Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church

St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church

St. James Catholic Church

St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

October 10-11

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Sacred Heart (Manassas) Catholic Church

St. Bridget of Ireland Catholic Church

St. Leo the Great Catholic Church

St. Mark Catholic Church

St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church (Kilmarnock)

St. Raymond of Peñafort Catholic Church

The Basilica of St. Mary

October 24-25

Good Shepherd Catholic Church

St. Rita Catholic Church

St. Timothy Catholic Church

Please consider supporting our Special Kids/Special Needs Campaign. 100% of all proceeds support programs for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities at Catholic schools in the Diocese of Arlington.

Make a Gift to SK/SN Campaign

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