"Clenching a broom in one hand and a dust pan in the other, Amber Levine-Mickel furiously sweeps a dirt walkway in Sunnyvale, bending small pebbles, fallen leaves and branches to her will. For over an hour, the 31-year-old and her companions from Life Services Alternatives (LSA) are braving the cold to tidy the grounds of Animal Assisted Happiness, a family-friendly barnyard in the city. Levine-Mickel loves to volunteer there every Thursday morning, even if the tasks can get tiresome."
"Amber Levine-Mickel, 31, of Campbell, and other clients from Life Services Alternatives clean as part of their volunteer work at Animal Assisted Happiness in Sunnyvale, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. Mickel is one of the individuals who is thankful for the transportation provided through a small fleet of Life Services Alternatives accessible vans, which is an essential lifeline for the 73 LSA adults who live in their 16 care facilities in Santa Clara County. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group)"
"Luckily, once she finishes she can rest inside a cozy LSA-owned Toyota van parked nearby. Painted white on the outside and styled with black leather seats, LSA staff use the van to drive adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities from one community activity to another. Her face breaks out into a wide grin as she climbs into the passenger seat."
"She's still smiling as she straps on a seatbelt and waits for the familiar vibrations of the engines turning on, a sign that the LSA crew is ready to embark on their next excursion. For Levine-Mickel, who is deaf, visually impaired and has cerebral palsy, riding in the van is the only way she can travel around the South Bay and venture outside of her Campbell group home. She loves her outings. She loves being in the community, said Brian Mickel, Amber's grandfather and conservator."
Amber Levine-Mickel, 31, volunteers at Animal Assisted Happiness in Sunnyvale, sweeping walkways despite visual impairment, deafness and cerebral palsy. Life Services Alternatives (LSA) operates a small fleet of accessible vans to transport 73 adults from 16 care facilities across Santa Clara County to community activities. LSA vans provide essential mobility, allowing residents to leave group homes and participate in outings and volunteer work. Amber beams when boarding and relies on the vans as her primary means of travel around the South Bay. LSA is fundraising to replace or expand vehicles to sustain transportation services and community integration.
#accessible-transportation #intellectual-and-developmental-disabilities #community-inclusion #volunteering
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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