Providing Access to the Faith
At Witness to Dignity, we are dedicated to empowering Catholic Parishes and Schools to serve individuals with disabilities and mental health conditions. Our mission is rooted in the Catholic faith and in upholding the dignity of the human person. We work to ensure all have accessible Faith Formation and belonging in their Parish and Schools.
Our Story
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Uniendo la pasión por la fe y la inclusión
Equipamos y capacitamos al clero, al personal y a los voluntarios para servir a personas con diversas necesidades y habilidades de manera efectiva en iglesias, escuelas y otras organizaciones religiosas. Te ayudamos a desarrollar habilidades y estrategias sin agotar el tiempo ni agotar los recursos.
Nuestra misión es ayudarlo a tener la confianza y la capacidad para servir a personas con diversas habilidades en su lugar de culto.
Advocating for Access
Tenemos los recursos que necesita para llevar su ministerio más allá.
Nos esforzamos por celebrar a cada persona como parte de la comunidad de la iglesia. Buscamos la salud y el bienestar de la persona en su totalidad, incluida la Salud Espiritual. Deseamos iluminar el significado en las vidas de aquellos a quienes servimos. Queremos dar testimonio de la dignidad de las personas con diversas necesidades y capacidades, lo que incluye, entre otros, a aquellos con:
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Autism
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Mental Health Conditions, such as Anxiety, Depression, Mood Imbalances, etc.
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ADHD
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Down Syndrome and Other Syndromes
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Physical Disabilities, such as Arthritis, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, or Spinal Cord Injuries
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Cognitive or Processing Disabilities
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Deafness or Hearing Loss
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Vision Loss
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Learning Disabilities, such as Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, etc.
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Medical Conditions, such as Diabetes, Heart Conditions, AutoImmune Conditions, etc.
Meet Our Team
Anita is a retired Special Education Teacher and Mother of five adult sons, one of whom has Down Syndrome and is hearing impaired. She worked as a Director of Religious Education for a Catholic church in the Chicagoland area before moving to Virginia. Practicing her faith is very important to her. Anita's son has been involved in many faith-based programs which have enriched his life greatly. It is her hope that everyone will be able to have wonderful faith-based experiences, too!
Anita Schilling
Board Director
Candace Aud
Board Director
Candace grew up in Farmingdale, NY and attended St. Kilian Catholic School for grammar school, St. Dominic High School and received my Bachelor and Masters Degrees at VCU. She has been an active member of St. Edward the Confessor Church for more than 25 years. She has worked full-time as a School Social Worker for 33 years and has been the Coordinator for Outreach in Love for the past seven years. Outreach in Love provides Catholic faith formation, sacramental preparation, and Christian fellowship for individuals with intellectual and/or physical disabilities.
Candace and her husband have been married for 30 years and have two adult children, a 28 year-old son and 24 year-old daughter. They have two pets, Macy (golden retriever) and Gracie (cat). Candance loves reading, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends. Candace is committed to helping create church communities where everyone is recognized as a valued as child of God and given opportunities to grow in their faith and relationship with God.
Katie received her undergraduate degree in Music from UVA (2010) and her master’s degree in Pastoral Ministry from Santa Clara University (2012). After working as a youth minister at Saint Edward the Confessor in Richmond for six years, she began working as the Associate Director of Youth & Young Adults for the Diocese of Richmond's Office for Evangelization in 2018. She also leads the 5pm Sunday music group at Saint Edward.
Katie Yankoski
Board Director
Emily received her undergraduate degrees from Mount St. Mary's University before returning to her hometown. After doing social media and communications for the Diocese of Richmond for three years, she relocated to Lynchburg with her husband where she is a full-time writer and part-time explorer of churches and museums.
Emily Pugsley
Social Media & Marketing Manager
Sarah (Korfonta) Schmitt
M.Ed.; Certified Crisis Prevention & Intervention Instructor
Executive Director
Sarah is an Educational Consultant, Speaker, and Professional Development Trainer. She has been a Consultant and Coach for just short of a decade and a Disability-Inclusive Educator for years before that. Sarah completed an undergraduate degree at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and a Master's at George Mason University. She started her career by helping found and start a private school for Autism, where she lead the efforts of starting the Autism preschool program. Sarah has worked and volunteered in various roles in education and ministry for 20 years. Her experience in ministry ranges widely in various work and volunteer roles, as well as, various types of ministry from youth ministry to liturgy and worship. She lives in central Virginia with her husband, Adam and her three Foster children. One of her biggest passions is advocating for disability accessibility in Church so that everyone can experience true community and belonging.