Alpharetta woman’s work spotlighted online

It all started with popular Liberty Mutual commercials featuring people helping strangers — offering up seats on a bus, holding open an elevator door, and sliding back coffee cups teetering on the edge of a table.

After receiving more than 3,000 e-mails and letters praising the feel-good commercials with a pay-it-forward theme, the insurance company is now launching an online documentary project called “Growing Up” showcasing four real life stories of people trying to make the world a kinder place.

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Liberty Mutual

Alpharetta resident Jenna Gabriel’s work with special needs children is profiled online by Liberty Mutual.

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One is 19-year-old Alpharetta native Jenna Gabriel, who developed a sports and theater program for children with special needs, including cerebral palsy and autism. Gabriel, who graduated from Chattahoochee High School in 2006, is studying theater at New York University. She recently worked in the production side of a show called “Knowledge and a Girl.” She didn’t audition for shows last semester to focus on her volunteer project.

The AJC recently spoke to Gabriel by phone.

Q: Tell us about your project

A: It’s primarily a theater program. We will team up with special education schools. We will have a resident playwright and each week we will have movement exercises and build on a piece that they can perform.

Q: Why did you decide to develop a program for children with special needs?

A: With autism, for a lot of them, the trademark is “difficulty connecting,” and there is an awe-inspiring quality when you see these kids connect with things.

Q: What is your goal for your program?

A: We believe in the power of theater as a universal communication tool. Hopefully they can learn they can do anything. That they have the power to communicate and they have the power to express themselves and no one can stop them from doing that. And we want to have fun.

ONLINE

To see the video on Gabriel, go to

www.responsibilityproject.com /films/growing-up