Planet Fitness^® is all about inclusivity and being a space where everyone can feel welcome, whoever they are. When Houston Fitness Partners heard about a business and a school committed to including those with disabilities, they knew they wanted to team up and reach out.

“Earlier this year, we learned about the story behind a new ice cream shop in the area called Howdy Homemade and their goal to change the way businesses hire people with special needs,” explained Manager of Marketing and Communications for Houston Fitness Partners Abby Belaire. “Their mission is to serve amazing ice cream by even better people and change the way the world looks at everyone by bringing happiness and inclusivity to the forefront.”

According to the Howdy Homemade website, the ice cream shop has an unyielding determination to create jobs for and hire people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

“We felt a deep connection to their story because of our personal ties to The Rise School of Houston, which provides early education services to children ages 6 months to 6 years with and without disabilities in an integrated environment,” Belaire said. She went on to explain that an adult with a developmental disability is employed full-time as a classroom assistant to help each classroom function more effectively and create a diverse workforce just like their student body.

This commitment to including those with disabilities resonated with the team at Houston Fitness Partners, and they reached out quickly to arrange a meeting between the three businesses. Howdy Homemade and Planet Fitness went to The Rise School to spend time with the students there, handing out ice cream and PF^® swag to the kids and teachers at the school.

“It was a wonderful event, and we loved being able to bring these two organizations together!” Belaire said.

It is great to see how the complimentary goals of these three organizations – a gym franchise, an ice cream shop and a school – overlap to bring people together! Building an environment that is inclusive of all, including those with disabilities, is essential, and it is something Planet Fitness celebrates.