Via Services

About

Serving the Bay Area and beyond since 1945!

Story

The Vision for Via: Two Women, One Mom and a 13-Year-Old Boy

Because school was not mandated for children with disabilities in the 1940’s, the single mother of a 13-year-old boy with cerebral palsy was forced to leave her son alone every day. She positioned his wheelchair by the window, placed his food on a nearby table and reluctantly left him there from early morning until she could return from work in the evening.

Frances Anderson and Faye Braely noticed the boy sitting in the window every day. When the two women approached the mother about taking her son on weekly excursions, she welcomed their help.

Climbing two flights of narrow stairs, the women would first bring down the boy’s heavy wheelchair and then climb the stairs again, carrying the boy down in a “chair” they made with their arms. They took the boy on short field trips and city excursions, expanding his horizons.

The two volunteers were soon helping five people with disabilities. Generous people, businesses and organizations donated transportation, a vacant house to use. With borrowed chairs and tables, the growing group of volunteers provided lunch, entertainment and day activities at their first facility.

That act of generosity led to the creation of the Crippled Children’s Society, an organization that would become Via Services, a non-profit organization that continues to grow and serve families, children and adults with special needs and disabilities in Santa Clara County.

We invite you to explore our website, learn more about our people, programs and the other community resources and partners who serve people with special needs. We welcome your calls!

Mission

Via Services is a private, independent non-profit organization dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities and special needs achieve greater self-sufficiency and lead richer lives. Directly, and in partnership with the community, we will:

Continue research and development of innovative, quality programs, which fill critical service gaps in the community.

Inform the public of Via’s programs and services through marketing and public relations efforts.

Maximize the quality and efficiency of Via’s programs and operations through best business practices.

Support current and future programs and services through the development of stable, ongoing funding mechanisms.

Products

Via provides services for the entire life span - from birth to the age of 95. Each of our diverse programs provides offerings to meet the specific needs of your loved one. We not only serve the client, but the family as a whole.

Altitude provides year-round camping experiences for boys and girls with social cognitive challenges including: verbal and nonverbal learning disabilities, ADHD, Asperger’s, and high functioning autism. We build social skills, independence, and self-confidence to prepare our participants for the transition to young adulthood, future relationships, and the rest of their lives.

First Step provides play-based speech and occupational therapy to children ages 0-10. We also partner with the San Andreas Regional Center and other local agencies to provide Early Start assessments for children ages 0-3.

Via West provides residential respite care with weekend and week-long special needs camping programs throughout the year. We offer innovative programs and activities that include both learning and outdoor experiences, plus independent living skills and skill building activities that are specifically designed to improve self-sufficiency.

If you’d like to talk to someone at Via Services about our programs, we welcome your calls!

(408) 243-7861