About Starfire
Our Mission
Starfire is a visionary organization working to build better lives for people with disabilities. Since 1993, Starfire has worked to create a more inclusive Cincinnati. Starfire is focused on decreasing the social isolation felt by people with disabilities. The data is clear; people with disabilities grow increasingly lonely and isolated as adults. Working with one person at a time, Starfire connects people to relationships and uncovers a person’s talents and passions – so they can thrive in their communities alongside their neighbors.
Our Programs
Starfire Community Building Network
Our Community Building program connects people with developmental disabilities, like Down syndrome, autism, and cerebral palsy, to overcome social isolation. We work together, one-on-one, for an average of 156 hours annually, to discover interests and develop identities outside of disability.
On average people beginning our program have only 1 or 2 close community friendships. Starfire seeks to change this.
Our Community Building work, supported in part through Medicaid waiver dollars, grants, and private donations, builds connections to people with disabilities and citizens in their community. These connections help create valued social roles through civic engagement, volunteering and launching Community Projects that spark meaningful relationships. Learn More
Starfire Family Leadership Network
Our Family Leadership Network is a family-led movement that guides families of children with developmental disabilities in discovering interests and building identities outside of disability. Starfire provides year-long mentorship and financial support to help families create and launch Community Projects to share their gifts with the community, grow their social connections, and make our culture more inclusive.
Starfire hosts a variety of programs to connect families with our Family Mentors. Starfire also leads the Ohio Family Network, on behalf of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), in Southwest Ohio. Learn More
Our Leadership
Starfire’s leadership team has 80+ combined years of experience working to build better lives for people with developmental disabilities. Our work has been dedicated to working with and for people with developmental disabilities and their families in a variety of settings including: direct service support, training and facilitation, residential support services, summer camps and recreation/leisure day programming, job development and job coaching, individual mentorship of families, special education and teaching in school settings, research and publications, outcome measurement and data collection, and community integration and social network building.
Contact us
Mitch Haralson, MSW, LCSW, Executive Director
Robbie Jennings Michels, Development & Marketing
Tom Pack, Finance & Administration Director
Interested in a career with us?
Starfire is always accepting interest from qualified candidates who are passionate about inclusion and social equity. We seek diverse team members who have a deep commitment to community building, inclusion, creative local action, and see the value in connectedness for our communities. Drop us a line by completing our community builder contact form.
