Whether it is rock climbing, wheelchair basketball, cycling or fitness training, Jorge Macias specializes in making people with various disabilities feel welcome.

The 24-year-old wheelchair user from Oakland is rarely in one place for long, setting an active pace and upbeat presence among the clients participating in a variety of programs offered by BORP Adaptive Sports and Recreation in Berkeley.

“It’s amazing to see the way people grow and expand from these programs,” said Macias. “I’ve gotten to meet some of the shyest people, and they’ve grown to be very confident, strong people.”

BORP, an East Bay organization that has helped people with disabilities stay active through activities and sports for nearly a half-century, has served 1,057 people over the past year. The equipment needed to make this possible is often expensive. A wheelchair suitable for basketball, for example, can cost thousands of dollars.

“For our programs to run, we rely on generous donors to keep our programs going,” said BORP Executive Director Emily Seelenfreund. “Not only are our programs beneficial to the individual, but they’re good for society as well. They really help integrate people with disabilities and help them live meaningful and integrated lives.”

In 2016, Macias was paralyzed from the chest down after being shot three times during an attempted robbery near his family’s Pittsburg home. What started as one trip to BORP for a game of hoops became weeks chock-full of cycling and rock-climbing classes.

“You’re actually in a place where you don’t feel like you’re the only one who exists this way,” Macias said. “You don’t feel like the odd one out. You feel included, like you’re part of a family.”