So FAR So Good

When Karolina Powalka was 2, her sister Hania was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, leading to neurodivergence. It wasn’t until years later, when she was a communications major at Wayne State, that Karolina realized the difficulties their parents went through with education and resources.

“I remember there being a lot of turmoil, but I never quite understood why,” Powalka recalls. “Then, when I was thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, I thought, ‘Maybe I become a disability rights advocate.’”

She went to law school with the possibility in mind. “I think it was week one,” she says, “when I asked my civil procedure professor what it would take. She goes, ‘Unless you want to live in a box on the side of the road, you may want to reconsider.’ And I was like, ‘Well … shit.’”

Momentarily dissuaded, Powalka went on to discover a passion for working with business owners—which she now does with Artena—“but in the back of my mind, there was still always this piece of wanting to figure out how to do some type of advocacy work,” she says.

During law school, Powalka wrote about the local music scene to pay the bills, and wound up doing a vignette of a local nonprofit called FAR Therapeutic Arts and Recreation. It offers music, art, dance and recreation therapy for more than 1,600 clients of all ages and a wide array of disabilities, emphasizing self-expression and personal growth. 

“I was interviewing the president of FAR, and I asked her, ‘If somebody wanted to get involved, what would they need to do?’” Powalka recalls. “She looks at me and goes, ‘Do you want to be on our board?’ I was like, ‘What? Sure!’”

That was 10 years ago. Hania became a FAR client a year later, and remains one today, while Powalka wound up becoming chair of the board before recently shifting roles. “FAR has a storied history of doing advocacy work,” she says. “In honor of that, we’re restarting the advocacy committee. And I’ll be chairing that. So, full circle, I found a way to be an advocate without having to live in a box on the side of the road.”

Powalka has helped FAR’s budget grow from less than $1 million to well above $2 million. FAR therapists work at two physical locations for individual and group lessons; with 16 school districts in Detroit metro; and with local organizations such as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, where students have private sessions in Orchestra Hall.

For many clients, the therapy work culminates every fall with the event FAR, Friends and Fa-La-La. “They get to put on a big performance,” Powalka says, “and it is so well-produced.”

It also highlights the growth Powalka has witnessed over the years. “One of our board members, his son has been a client since he was maybe 5 or 6 years old. His first performance, they went on stage and explained he’s autistic, so he has sensitivity issues. They asked that, instead of clapping, people would wave their hands so it didn’t overstimulate him. Now he’s 21 or so, and always our star performer. People give him standing ovations.

“Another one of our clients, the first time she spoke was after a performance, and now she sings every year,” Powalka continues. “I think she played triangle, and one of our board members went up to her after and said, ‘You did a great job.’ She looked at him and says, ‘I did do a good job.’ Those were her first words. 

“I love it so much. … Once you see the impact, you want to find a way to help.”

Soon after Powalka joined the FAR board, president Pam Ayres asked if Hania would like to serve as an announcer for the fall performance. “Her dream is to be an announcer for the Detroit Pistons for a game,” Powalka says. “She went on stage, and she killed it. The next day, she calls me and goes, ‘Karolina, I just need you to know that my career is back on track. Also, I’m going to make Mom take me to Panera Bread because I’m a superstar.’” 

Hania wore a purple sequined jacket for that performance; a gift Powalka gave her for her 30th birthday. Now Hania wears it everywhere. “Of course—she’s a star,” Powalka says.

Celebrating 75 Years

This year marks FAR’s 75th anniversary—an amazing accomplishment given the recent struggles they’ve overcome, Powalka says. The pandemic was a big hurdle to clear, and another came earlier this year. 

“The reality is a lot of funding cuts are happening, and they’re affecting people like our clients because that funding came through DEI initiatives,” Powalka says. To find out how to help, visit far-therapy.org.