About Us
Our Mission and Vision
You’re With Us! creates inclusion opportunities for young adults with disabilities. The program identifies and trains college clubs, groups, and teams to be welcoming and supportive peers to the differently abled. The college group then creates a Positive Experience Design (PED) customized for the young adult to help one’s transition from school to adult life in the community. You’re With Us! believes that a meaningful life includes a home, a job, family, friends, and social opportunities with their peers - able and otherwise.
Our program is customized on an Individual-by-individual basis. Once we meet the individual and their family and learn more about their goals for their adult life and what they're hoping their life will look like, we will determine the support and skill development needed to reach those goals. All individuals who are receiving CBDS support from YWU are also connected to peer mentors through YWU to help facilitate opportunities for skill development and social inclusion in a college community. We match and support peer connections based on the individual’s interests and hobbies.
We locate possible opportunities through our college mentors to join college groups, teams, and clubs. YWU coordinates recruitment into the group; acts as the liaison between the family, school, and college/university; trains mentors of the college groups to welcome participants into their groups as they are, facilitates communication between all parties; facilitates group education and development of Positive Experience Design; gather data on impact and quality of life; create and coordinate social connections across campus for participants and families; facilitate possible job/career opportunities through college career resources; offer support services as needed through our licensed clinicians, and generally problem-solve to make these opportunities sustainable for the rest of our peer’s lives.
Michael’s Story
January 3, 2000
As a first-time head men’s basketball coach at Salve Regina University, I was preparing my team for practice. Minutes before we were to start, I found out my son Max had been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Max was nine months old, and I was five months into my head coaching career. Standing before a group of fit and able-bodied young men, I started my usual practice warm-up address. But that day was different. As I began, I informed my team of Max’s diagnosis. And I began to cry. Many players began to tear up with me. After a couple of minutes, I told them we needed to have good practice because Max would never have a chance to have a good practice. Max became an inspiration to my teams for the next six years. The players viewed Max as their teammate. He is present in every championship photo because the players insisted he be.
When I left coaching – and for the eight years that followed – Max had no opportunities to be included in groups of able-bodied people. He withdrew and his physical condition worsened. That changed in 2013 when Max was welcomed onto the Northeastern University’s men’s basketball team. A new group of players welcomed him as their teammate.
I had my son back. His life changed – and so did theirs.
Watch the Max Plansky story, featured by FloHoops. In the face of significant adversity, Max found a team to call his own at Northeastern. In turn, Max has given the Huskies the immeasurable gift of perspective.
“Everyone deserves friends who encourage them to be themselves, who are open to their different perspectives and backgrounds, and who support them in all they want to achieve. I wanted to be that friend for others, and through YWU I’ve made friends who are being that for me.”
Our Staff
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Michael Plansky
Founder and Chief Executive Officer michael@yourewithus.org
“I was a college basketball coach.“
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Brianna Giacoppe
Chief Operations Officer brianna@yourewithus.org
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Melanie Chandonnet
BCBA Clinical Director melanie@yourewithus.org
“My name means "dark" and "blackness". I was born at night in the middle of a thunderstorm when the electricity went out.”
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Joe Sharkey
Director of Development and Community Engagement joe@yourewithus.org
“I played basketball at Brown University and now entering my 5th year as an Assistant Men's Basketball Coach at Suffolk University.”
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Alyssa Santos
(She/Her) Director of CBDS Lowell/Salem alyssa@yourewithus.org
“I have a golden retriever puppy named Bodhi, and he currently weighs 95lbs.”
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Fabian Glenn
Director of CBDS Worcester fabian@yourewithus.org
“I make independent films on the weekends.“
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Liz Ortiz
Assistant Director of Programming Worcester liz@yourewithus.org
“I enjoy Sci-Fi movies.”
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Nicole Abreu (Nikkie)
(She/Her) Community Based Program manager Worcester nicole@yourewithus.org
“I went to culinary school for pastry chef. I have made wedding cakes and cupcakes. My favorite thing to make is all kinds of cupcake such as vanilla bean cupcake with lemon buttercream and a candied lemon as a garnish or my cream cheese chocolate chip cupcake. “
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Luca Schmitt
(She/Her) North Shore Regional Director luca@yourewithus.org
“I was born in Taipei, Taiwan to two German parents.”
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Graham Shank
(He/Him) Assistant Director of Programming graham@yourewithus.org
“I was a shot put state champion in high school.”
Board of Directors
Our board is committed to helping people with disabilities have a life in the community that includes a sense of belonging to a group. We have leaders in the youth development and special needs transition space helping coach our participants, families, and college students to successful outcomes.
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Founder & President of You’re With Us!
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President - Infusion Ventures
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Clinical research coordinator - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
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Fundraising Consultant
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Executive Director- Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs
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Executive Director - The Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University
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Attorney - Zingaro and Cretella
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Former director of Pupil Services - Town of Winthrop & Member of Massachusetts Executive Council of Special Education
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Commercial Insurance Business Development Executive / Entrepreneur
Partnerships
Trinity Solar will contribute $100 to You’re With Us with every qualified appointment that is created through this program.
Raise $1,000 for You’re With Us any time you or a fellow member goes solar with Trinity Solar.
Refer a Friend to earn $500 for You’re With Us and $500 for yourself when someone referred outside of your organization goes solar with Trinity.