25 in '25: Kate Mardigian walks the walk as founder of Jacob’s Chance

As a mom of two young boys in the early 2000s, Kate Mardigian spent hours sitting in the bleachers at baseball fields across Henrico County. 

As she sat there day after day, chatting with other parents whose kids were at the same point in their lives as hers, Mardigian noticed a different group of adults who were standing instead of sitting. These were the parents of children with disabilities, and instead of relaxing in the stands with the rest of the parents, they were playing baseball with their kids themselves. 

“In my mind, I was an exhausted mom, but I had the opportunity to sit for two hours. These parents never got to do that. They’re with their kids 24/7,” Mardigian said. “I wanted to give those parents the same opportunity I got to sit on those bleachers.”

After learning more about some of the challenges families of kids with disabilities faced, Mardigian volunteered to bring in high schoolers to play with the kids so the parents could get a break. 

By 2010, Mardigian had formed her own group, River City Buddy Ball, and in 2013 she created Jacob’s Chance, a nonprofit that serves people with physical, intellectual, developmental, and complex disabilities in Central Virginia between the ages of 5 and 40. 

Jacob’s Chance offers everything from fitness and athletic programs to adventures like rock climbing and whitewater rafting to culinary programs to the arts. It serves more than 500 families throughout the year, and has about 1,000 volunteers. 

Mardigian said her passion for working with people with disabilities started in elementary school. There was a therapy room for children with disabilities across the hall from her fifth grade classroom. She formed strong friendships with the other kids there, and that was where her passion started. 

“In my mind I thought, ‘Well, I’m not going to pursue this as any kind of career,’ but it always stayed close to my heart,” she said. “But I really feel this is my path. This is my calling. This is what I'm supposed to be doing.”

Laura Bennett met Mardigian in November of 2022 while working at Sportable, an athletics nonprofit for people with physical disabilities and visual impairments. Sportable and Jacob’s Chance both operated out of the Sports Center of Richmond building, and Bennett said she and Mardigian worked together on an abuse prevention program. Mardigian never takes the weekend off, Bennett said – the main phone line for Jacob’s Chance goes directly to her cell. 

“She knows how to talk to you very earnestly,” Bennett said. “A lot of executive directors talk esoterically and she doesn’t. Instead, she’s telling you why people with disabilities should be included, and she’ll get you excited about it and want to be a part of it.” 

But the moment that sticks out the most to Bennett was when she introduced Mardigian to her sister and her two nephews on the autism spectrum. Mardigian immediately got on the floor with the boys and started playing, Bennett said. 

“I had barely known her and she got on the floor with the kids,” Bennett said. “Right away, I knew she was an amazing person.” 

Katie McLernan, program director at Beyond Boundaries in Richmond, said Mardigian truly walks the walk when it comes to living in accordance with the values that Jacob’s Chance teaches. She’s a constant presence at events, including sports tournaments, movie nights, and outdoor adventures. 

“There was this one time I went to this movie night, and I was not expecting her to be there. But she was there, passing out popcorn and asking people if they wanted refills,” McLernan said. “I’m sure she should have gotten a volunteer, but she still wants to be involved in the programming. It’s cool to see.”

This fall, Jacob’s Chance will occupy the former Tablespoons Bakery space on Westover Hills Boulevard. Tablespoons, which provided jobs and internships for young people with disabilities, announced in April that it would close because of increased costs and a pause on grant funding from the federal government. The bakery gifted the remainder of its lease to Jacob’s Chance for programming and services. Mardigian said she’s looking forward to welcoming back people who were bakers at Tablespoons so they can hang out and reminisce. 

It’s important to make sure participants are comfortable fully being themselves, without masking, Mardigian said. She’s also proud that through Jacob’s Chance, she’s figured out a way to give tired parents a break. 

“For the teens and the older group, parents can drop them off and go do something, like walk circles around Target, or if there’s a restaurant close by, the moms will sometimes do a happy hour and then come back,” she said. “I really started this for the parents, not for the participants. If we can relieve one stressor out of their life among the hundreds we experience every day, that's a win.”