The Plan for Special Needs Trusts

Not liking the choices he faced, John turned to his father and said, “I want to go into business with you.” John had worked with Mark before and he thought the best way to find a job he would love was to create one. To Mark, this seemed like a great plan. The two would-be partners needed to come up with an idea for their business. John’s first suggestion? A fun store. “I wanted something fun and creative.” Though neither of them could figure out what a fun store would actually sell. Next, John suggested a food truck. He had seen the movie Chef starring Jon Favreau, about a father-son food truck business. The two started cooking up plans on what they could serve when they ran into a problem. John explained, “We can’t cook.” With his food truck initiative gone, John hit his Eureka moment. “Let’s sell socks.” John suggested they sell crazy socks. He even had the name for the business and some drawings of the website. Asked why socks, John says, “I wore crazy socks my entire life. They are fun, colorful and creative. They let me be me.” Mark adds, “John had worn crazy socks his entire life, that was his thing. We would drive around looking for them. It seemed as if John loved fun socks so much, others would too.” John and Mark set out to build their business. They built a website in Shopify, an e-commerce platform. They convinced some suppliers to sell them some inventory. They opened bank accounts and filed with the State of New York. The only marketing they did was to set up a Facebook page and shoot some low-fi videos with John talking about his socks. That’s when John came up with his catchphrase: “socks, socks and more socks.” And they committed to donating 5 percent of earnings to the Special Olympics. The partners intended to open their business at 10 a.m. but their website crashed that morning, so they opened at 3 p.m. They waited to see what would happen. Fortunately, they did not need to wait long. Orders began streaming in. Almost all of them were local people that knew the pair in Huntington. And the customers came because they loved John’s videos. John wanted to make the first packages special, so they decided to make home local deliveries. They put the sock in red boxes, added some candy and a thank you note from John. Then they loaded up the car with the boxes and drove around so John could knock on doors. And our customers loved it. They took pictures with John and pictures of the socks and shared them on social media. Word began to spread and more orders came in. By the end of that first month, John’s Crazy Socks had shipped 452 orders and earned more than $13,000 in revenue. John and Mark wanted to test the idea of selling socks online and the response was very positive. Mark says, “We learned three things: People want to buy socks. People want to buy socks from John. This young man and this old man can sell socks” “We want to show the world what is possible. We want to show the world what people with differing abilities can do when given a chance. We know that people with differing abilities are ready, willing and able to work. We make this happen in ways large and small.” John Cronin The post John Cronin and Mark Cronin Co-Founders of John’s Crazy Socks appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

PLAN of MA & RI is proud to partner with Best Buddies in Massachusetts & Rhode Island. Our work together promotes inclusion and offers support for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). PLAN of MA & RI is thrilled to celebrate Eleanor Jones who joined our team, from the Best Buddies Jobs Program, nearly three years ago! The Best Buddies Jobs Program helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities secure jobs which allow them to earn an income and independently support themselves. We worked with our partners at Best Buddies in Massachusetts & Rhode Island to match job qualifications with the interests of job applicants. We are so thankful that Eleanor chose PLAN of MA & RI as her new employer! “Working at PLAN has made me more confident.” “This job has meant a lot to me.” Eleanor Jones. “Eleanor comes with a positive attitude and she is professional. She wants to learn!” Joan McGrath, Chief Executive Officer, PLAN of MA & RI. The post Kara Falcone, State Director, Best Buddies MA & RI Featuring Eleanor Jones From PLAN of MA & RI appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Elizabeth (Liz) Sandblom is the Chief Executive Officer of The Arc of the South Shore. With a career spanning more than three decades, Elizabeth brings extensive experience and passion to […] The post Elizabeth Sandblom Chief Executive Officer of The Arc of the South Shore appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Anthony Shriver founded Best Buddies International to create friendships and employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He launched the new initiative Eunie’s Buddies to support families who […] The post Anthony Shriver Best Buddies and Eunie’s Buddies appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Margaret (Meg) Hogan currently serves as Chief Executive Officer at Boston Senior Home Care. Before joining the agency in 2017, Meg was Vice President of External Relations for Home Health […] The post Margaret Hogan, Chief Executive Officer at Boston Senior Home Care appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

James Day Keith is a multi-sport Special Olympics athlete, actor, and passionate advocate for inclusion who starred in the movie Champions. He promotes friendship, acceptance, and belonging for people of […] The post James Day Keith-Advocate for Inclusion appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Bob Scannell has been the leader of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester (BGCD) for the past 38 years. BGCD serves over 4,000 youth each year and have over […] The post Bob Scannell, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester (with Mary Kinsella Scannell and Erin Ferrara) appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Maura Sullivan, MPA is the new Chief Executive Officer of The Arc of Massachusetts. In a historic moment, Maura becomes the first parent of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities […] The post Maura Sullivan Chief Executive Officer of The Arc of Massachusetts appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Jonathan Gardner is a dedicated advocate for disability rights at both the state and national levels. A homeschool graduate, cancer survivor, and individual who happens to have Autism, Jonathan serves […] The post Jonathan Gardner Self-Advocate & Motivational Speaker appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Dr. Moses S. Dixon, PhD, is a leading practitioner in Global Health and Social Medicine with a comprehensive background in the non-profit and governmental sectors locally and nationally. He […] The post Dr. Moses Dixon President & CEO of Senior Connection appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Representative Sean Garballey is a champion of inclusion. PLAN of MA & RI partner, Special Olympics Massachusetts, recently awarded the Jack Brett award to Rep. Garballey for his work on […] The post Representative Sean Garballey appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Rob Wrubel has had an amazing journey to get to where he is. He talks about following his purpose and passion on his life’s journey. He is the father of […] The post Rob Wrubel-Father and Financial Planner appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Senator O’Connor’s legislative platform aligns with the mission of PLAN, as he has been consistently working throughout his time in the State Senate to serve those with disabilities in helping […] The post Senator Patrick O’Connor appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Before becoming involved with Best Buddies, Zach was not very socially active and did not participate in many extracurricular activities. After joining his high school Best Buddies chapter during freshman […] The post Zach Smith National Football League (NFL), New York City appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Dr. White was named President and Chief Executive Officer for Road To Responsibility, Inc. (RTR) in September 2008. He has been active in the field of human services since […] The post President and CEO of Road To Responsibility, Inc. Christopher T. White, Ed.D. appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Dr. White was named President and Chief Executive Officer for Road To Responsibility, Inc. (RTR) in September 2008. He has been active in the field of human services since 1980. […] The post Christopher T. White, Ed.D. President and Chief Executive Officer for Road To Responsibility, Inc appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Mr. Brett has been a lifelong champion for people with disabilities. In May 2022, President Joe Biden appointed him to serve as the Chair of the President’s Committee for People […] The post Disability Advocate & New England Council CEO Jim Brett appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

Cynthia Haddad is a Certified Financial Planner Professional and a Chartered Special Needs Consultant. She is a founding partner and wealth advisor at Affinia Financial Group in Burlington, MA. As […] The post Meet Cindy Haddad appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

In this episode, we hear from Collette Divitto, the founder of the nationally recognized baking business Collettey’s Cookies, as well as her mother Rosemary Alfredo. Collette, who was born […] The post Collettey’s Cookies: Special Cookies from a Special Girl appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.

In this episode, we hear from Leo Sarkissian, Executive Director of the Arc of Massachusetts, as he discusses the history and present of the organization, as well as the state […] The post The Arc of Massachusetts: History and Dialogue in the Disability Advocacy Movement – with Leo Sarkissian appeared first on PLAN of MA and RI.