community
Spirit of Service
Danielle Stewart
Written by McKenzie Stalnaker
Photo by Frank Miller Photography.
Danielle Stewart’ s commitment to her community stands out for its depth and impact, particularly in her unwavering focus on supporting families and children through her work. Her service has not only helped countless families in West Virginia but also set a standard for volunteerism that inspires those around her.
Growing up in Huntington, WV, Stewart’ s love for community involvement and volunteering was inspired by her parents.
“ From an early age, they instilled in me the importance of sharing what we had while making a positive change in the lives of others,” Stewart says.“ Serving alongside them taught me the value of compassion and humility and the lasting impact kindness can have on others.”
Stewart’ s first experience volunteering was in her junior year at Vinson High School, where her commitment to community service was solidified at a local Special Olympics game. She worked with children in the community, helping them succeed and cheering them on along the way.
“ Being their cheerleader and supporting them throughout the day blessed me more than the children could ever imagine,” Stewart says.
These experiences, rooted in her family’ s example and her own formative volunteer work, set the foundation for her lifelong commitment to empowering children and families. Today, that same dedication is evident in her work as director of children’ s ministry at First Baptist Church of Hurricane with the Recess Project, a project Stewart is proudest of. Recess began nine years ago when Stewart started to notice an increasing number of families at church who had children on the autism spectrum or with disabilities. After doing her research and discussing with church members, she started Recess, a respite night for these families.
“ Thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers, including professionals in special education, speech and language pathology, physical therapy and nursing, we’ ve been able to create a safe, fun and supportive environment for these exceptional children,” Stewart says.“ We as volunteers are given the gift of a front-row seat in the lives of these amazing children, and we’ re honored to play even a small role in supporting their families.”
That same passion for helping others is what drives Stewart’ s involvement with other nonprofit work in the area. As the community coordinator for Community Autism Resources and Education
Photo by First Baptist Church of Hurricane.
Systems( CARES), she witnesses firsthand the challenges faced by families in West Virginia. CARES works to address these challenges, helping to make diagnosis and therapy accessible for families who might otherwise go without. However, CARES isn’ t just addressing local issues; it is aiming much higher.
“ Through my work at CARES, we are making changes in the state of West Virginia through legislation and advocacy to enrich the lives of our children on the autism spectrum,” Stewart says.
By focusing on advocacy and legislative change, Stewart and the team at CARES are working to create more opportunities for children on the autism spectrum, from training more therapists to expanding therapy options for families across the state. She hopes these changes will have a lasting impact and continue to open doors for future generations in West Virginia.
Looking ahead, Stewart is hopeful the work being done in her community will continue to grow, creating safe spaces for all children in West Virginia.
“ I have a lot of faith in the people of Hurricane,” Stewart says.“ My hope is that every child will find a place to belong, be included and develop relationships with others in their peer groups. I aspire to grow our special needs ministry while educating families. The only way to do this is to continue to get the word out and get businesses and local leaders to push funding toward programs that not only offer these services but build new pathways to offer services and therapy on a larger scale.” •
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