FALLBROOK, Calif. — When the mother of a young woman with special needs couldn't find the resources she was looking for, she created her own.
In this Zevely Zone, I visited D'Vine Path. The non-profit organization was founded by Executive Director, Lenila Batali. As a mother of someone living with Autism, Lenila was fueled by her own experience to create an organization that services adults living with disabilities.
D'Vine Path is eight acres of joy.
The non-profit's mission is to transform neurodivergent people's lives by providing dynamic vocational and life skills training in agriculture, hospitality, and the arts.
"This place is amazing," I said.
Lenila responded, "Isn't it though?"
Her 31-year-old daughter, Tiana, lives with autism and Lenila felt compelled to create a magical place for people with special needs. You could call Lenila the ultimate supermom.
"Well, okay I'll take it, ha, ha," laughed Lenila.
Walk the grounds with this passionate mother and you'll find inspiration around every corner.
I met a special group of people who were laughing and smiling.
"Ha, ha, is this all you do all day is laugh and have fun? I could do this all day long," I said.
They would too, if they weren't so busy.
"I am going to feed the donkeys," said Jennifer Dimuzio.
She had corrals to clean and coats to comb. I asked her how she felt when she spends her time at D'Vine Path.
"Great. Happy inside," said Jennifer. In part, because there's so much to do.
"You guys look like you are having a fun day in the vineyard," I said to another group of people with special needs engrossed in the art of making wine. What they do creates challenge and self-worth.
"So right now we are grabbing individual berry samples," said D'Vine Path winemaker Chris Miller.
From the grapes, they have the potential to make 150 cases of wine. "This is the flaming butterfly," said Ty who we found drawing in the D'Vine Path art room.
Speaking of potential, the walls are filled with beautiful paintings. Much of this artwork is used for the wine bottle labels. We watched Lani Smith working with paint. She told us how her life is coming alive with color.
"It's like fireworks, it's like something inspiring has gone off in my heart and it just makes me happy when I can do art," said Lani.
D'Vine Path was designed to help adults with intellectual disabilities, developmental and/or learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder, bridge the social and cultural barriers that can hurt their physical health, mental health, and employability.
Thanks to state and federal funding students empower themselves while parents pay nothing out of pocket.
"I would like the world to know that we have created a safe place for our special population; a place where they can learn to be the best they can be and be, with friends that truly care," said Lenila. "This is why I do it."
She named her non-profit D'Vine Path for a reason.
"As a special needs mom you really need the faith to keep going so it's kind of D'Vine. Get it D'Vine path?" said Lenila. "I think I named it perfectly because anyone who meets us goes home and they think I think this is my D'Vine Path too."
Since its inception, D'Vine Path's enrollment has expanded to forty students, impacting over nine hundred people throughout the county of San Diego. D'Vine Path was recently recognized as one of the Top 100 non-profit organizations in California. It was awarded Non-Profit of the Year by the city of Fallbrook's Chamber of Commerce. For more information, click here.