Transformative Workshop Series
Empowering caregivers, communities, families, and children to rise above limitation with hope, resilience, and purpose.
1. Workshop for the Broader Community
Title: “The Gift of Presence: How Communities Help Children with Disabilities Flourish”
Audience: Faith communities, civic organizations, educators, volunteers, and concerned citizens
Format: 60–75 minute keynote with optional Q&A or group dialogue
Description:
Too often, children with disabilities are not only limited by their diagnoses—but by the low expectations and isolation imposed on them by society. In this inspiring and eye-opening session, John Foppe shares his journey of navigating life without arms, offering a deeply personal invitation to rethink what it means to be part of a truly inclusive community.With warmth, humor, and conviction, John invites participants to explore how small acts of inclusion, belief, and presence can profoundly change the trajectory of a child’s life.
Attendees will be challenged and encouraged to:
Examine and shatter unconscious stigma surrounding disability
Understand how community attitudes shape a child’s sense of self-worth and possibility
Discover the power of friendship, faith, and belonging in human development
Move from charity-based thinking to relationships of mutual dignity and growth
Embrace their role as a “village” called to help every child flourish—physically, emotionally, and spiritually
Attendees will leave not only inspired to make the most of their own lives, but committed to fostering a culture of presence, compassion, and shared responsibility for the most vulnerable in their midst.
2. Workshop for Staff at Residential Care Facilities
Title: "Restoring Dignity: Reframing Care from Service to Solidarity"
Audience: Caregivers, therapists, nurses, and direct support professionals in group homes or institutions
Format: 60–90 minute keynote with Q&A or optional small group session
Description:
In this deeply moving and practical session, John Foppe invites staff to move beyond clinical care into a ministry of presence, purpose, and partnership. Drawing on his own experiences as someone born without arms and institutionalized children he’s encountered across the globe, John challenges participants to see caregiving not as a job, but as a vocation rooted in restoring dignity.
Through storytelling, reflection, and real-world strategies, staff will explore:
The danger of the "helper–helpless" dynamic and how to instead foster capability and choice
How emotional presence and respectful challenge can unlock growth in the children they serve
Tools for avoiding burnout and finding meaning in the daily grind
How to balance structure with adaptability—and care with challenge
Participants will leave with renewed vision, practical caregiving strategies, and a spiritual framework that lifts their work from maintenance to mission.
3. Workshop for Parents and Family Members of Disabled Children
Title: "Called to More: Raising Children with Disabilities Without Lowering the Bar of Hope"
Audience: Parents, siblings, and extended family members of children with physical and developmental disabilities
Format: 60–90 minute keynote with Q&A or optional small group session
Description:
Being the parent of a disabled child can feel like living with two competing truths: your child needs extra help, yet you don't want to rob them of challenge, growth, or purpose. In this compassionate and empowering session, John Foppe—who knows firsthand what it means to defy limits—speaks to the hearts of caregivers.
With honesty, humor, and faith, John explores:
How to resist the trap of overprotection and learned helplessness
How to lovingly push your child’s boundaries without guilt or burnout
How suffering, if embraced with faith, can form deep character in your child—and you
Ways to foster independence and identity beyond the diagnosis
Why your own self-care and belief are key to your child’s resilience
Participants will gain renewed clarity and courage to raise their child with both unconditional love and high expectation—knowing that God can use all things, even disability, to bring forth a meaningful life.
4. Workshop for Children and Youth with Disabilities
Title: "What’s Your Excuse? Living with Courage and Purpose—No Matter What Holds You Back"
Audience: Children and teens with disabilities (ages 10–18), with or without caregivers present
Format: 45–60 minutes | Interactive talk with Q&A or mentor time
Description:
John Foppe doesn’t just talk about overcoming—he lives it. Born without arms, he has traveled the world, driven a car, eaten with his feet, and launched a mission to help forgotten children find hope. In this interactive and inspiring session, John speaks directly to young people with disabilities about the courage it takes to show up, take risks, and believe that God has a plan for them.
Through engaging stories, demonstrations, and open dialogue, kids will learn:
How to face fears and try things that seem impossible
Why your disability doesn’t define your destiny
How to respond to self-pity, teasing, or doubt—with faith and grit
What it means to set goals, find your strengths, and dream big
That they are never alone—God sees them, and their life matters
Children will leave with lifted spirits, practical ideas, and the challenge to live each day with purpose—excuse-free.