Trinity Jagdeo is only 23 years old but she has already made a notable impact on the lives of many New Jersey families (and a few overseas). What began as an impassioned high school senior collecting money in a bucket to work with hundreds of families, a six-person board, published books, and multiple events a year is From We Can’t to We Can. Trinity is a 2024 Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award honoree.
Inspired by her lifelong best friend who has spinal muscular atrophy, Trinity founded From We Can’t to We Can when she was just 17 years old. Based in Vineland, the nonprofit organization is dedicated to increasing the representation and inclusion of young disabled people, depicting them as the superheroes they are through books, events, and empowering photo shoots.
“My close friendship with Alexus gave me a deep understanding of what it’s like to have a disability. She was left out by other kids who weren’t used to being around a disabled peer. And there were no role models in the media—not a single character in kids’ books or movies Alexus could relate to.”
Fueled by her friend’s experiences, Trinity decided to fill that persistent gap six years ago and create representation opportunities that are lacking in the entertainment industry.
“I didn’t like what I saw and created my nonprofit to correct that lack of inclusion and normalize that for other disabled kids and their families. This is my passion.”
A Tireless Champion for Inclusion of the Disabled
The books she creates (available at Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and Amazon) feature real local kids as superheroes. Her team also hosts events throughout the year that offer accessibility, appropriate sensory experiences, and fun times with other disabled children and their families.
“Our goal is to empower kids with disabilities to feel free and proud of who they are.”
Trinity noted that the photo shoots give those children opportunities that are normally not available to them. In addition to appearing in the books, the photos are shared on the website and social media and are used whenever Trinity is interviewed by the press. That has occasionally resulted in talent agencies and publishing companies contacting her about the kids, creating other opportunities for them to be represented in powerful ways.
Her work has caught the attention of major brands and their financial support. “Inclusion and representation align with their mission,” explained Trinity, “and we collaborate on initiatives we both want to create.”
Resource Recycling: Medical Equipment Donations
Two years ago, From We Can’t to We Can began donating new or gently used medical and adaptive equipment to people (children and adults) whose insurance won’t cover it or for whom the items are not readily available. “We’ve given away at least $75,000 worth of equipment already,” Trinity said.
She recently delivered medical equipment to someone in Belize, and she shipped a specialized machine to the U.S. Embassy in South Africa for distribution to someone there. Donations are usually from members of her Facebook group and the local community who want to pass something along after they are done with it, and some equipment is donated by healthcare facilities.
Looking to the Future
“We have an incredible team of people dedicated to our families and our mission plus a lot of volunteers who help with our events. It’s been an amazing journey,” said Trinity.
As she looks at the path ahead, she hopes that From We Can’t to We Can becomes more financially stable and secures a much larger storage unit for the growing number of medical supplies. But her foremost hope is “to touch as many lives as we can and become a nationwide nonprofit that helps kids across America.”
She said that being honored by the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award has put the organization in the spotlight and amplifies its work. “This recognition shows that organizations and corporations value our work and we are definitely empowered.” You can follow From We Can’t to We Can on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn as well as the website, www.wecant2wecan.org.
All photos courtesy of Trinity Jagdeo and From We Can’t to We Can