Yesterday, UCP's Melissa Miller, Director of UCP's Supported Employment Department, was the keynote speaker at the PHAME One Community Luncheon, an event celebrating inclusive employment for people with developmental disabilities. Congrats, Melissa!

UCP Oregon is pleased to announce that Marie Blanchard will be the Ambassador for the 2018 Walk, Roll 'n' Run (WRR).

Marie experiences cerebral palsy, and has been an important part of the WRR since the very first event (in 2005), when she was the main organizer and captain of a WRR team. She was 13 that year and did all the organizing herself. She's been a team captain ever since.

Each year, she reaches out to everyone she knows, requesting that they join her team or sponsor her for the event.

She loves UCP and raises funds for UCP all year long, not just during the WRR. She’s raised more than $45,000 since 2005!
 
Marie will receive her honors from at our upcoming UCP Friends Breakfast on Tuesday, May 15th.

If you’ve been to a recent meeting at the UCP Oregon Office, you might have noticed a really cool painting in our large conference room.
 
This huge artwork was created for us by Aaron Rasmussen; who created it on commission through another local non-profit, Art From the Heart.
 
To create the painting, Aaron studied UCP’s main mission and values statements, plus any mission statements created by individual departments.
 
We love this painting—so much that we’re using it in the materials for this year’s Friends Breakfast! 

First of all, the theme will be “Pursuing Passionate Purpose.” This theme is inspired by the life and legacy of Bill Porter (1932-2013) – a Portlander who experienced cerebral palsy. He was an award-winning salesman, son, and friend… and an accidental icon.
 
Despite being told he was unemployable, Bill was one of The Watkin’s Company’s most successful door-to-door salesman. Bill’s determination to just go to work, pay his bills, and take care of his family caught the attention of a writer at The Oregonian. Next, he appeared on ABC’s 20/20 and TNT released a made for television movie about him (Door to Door).
 
Bill wasn’t looking for attention; instead, he was pursuing his purpose and in doing so, he created a legacy that will benefit others in our community for years to come. 
 
We will also be sharing other stories of people in our community who are passionately pursuing their purpose.

​Leaving high school and finding a job can be hard. Leaving high school and finding a job can be even more difficult if you experience developmental disabilities.
 
That’s why two of UCP’s fantastic Employment Specialists (Ursula Morton and Xochil Springer) recently presented at The Oregon Statewide Transition Conference, which was held was held March 1-2.
  
Ursula and Xochil presented to a packed room, speaking about “Job Development 101.” Their goal was to help teachers learn how to customize employment opportunities for their students; they also shared ideas for collaborating with government entities such as Vocational Rehabilitation.

Learn more about UCP's Supported Employment Services.

Did you know that March is “Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month”?

​It’s also “Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month”--President Ronald Reagan made the proclamation back in 1987.
 
The late 1980’s were a time of exciting social change in the disabilities world. Over the last decade, the “deinstitutionalization” movement had taken hold; now the President was asking Americans to provide “encouragement and opportunities” for people with developmental disabilities.
 
In 1990, a landmark act was passed (the Americans with Disabilities Act), and suddenly workplace discrimination against people with disabilities was truly illegal.
 
Lots was happening at UCP Oregon, too—take a look at our history.

So, here we are in 2018, celebrating Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month more than thirty years after it was started. Much has changed for the good. But there are still lots of challenges.
 
How will you make a difference this March?

Guess what! UCP is excited to announce that Neighborhood Waves is coming back!
 
Here’s the lowdown… Every few months, UCP spends two months focusing on a particular neighborhood, encouraging the people we support, our staff, and our supporters to explore that neighborhood. It's an awesome chance for our customers to get to know new neighborhoods--and for companies to get to know our customers!
 
In February and March of 2018, we’re exploring Sellwood/Westmoreland. See more here.
 
PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES:

• Bike Gallery
• Collage
• Cloud Cap Games
• Fairlane Coffee   
• Familien      
• Foot Traffic
• Grand Central Bakery
• Laurelwood Public House
• Oodles 4 Kids
• The Silver Lining Consignment Clothier
• Sock Dreams

You’re also encouraged to check out UCP’s booth at the Stars & Splendid antique mall. Thanks to a very generous anonymous donor, we’re selling a 100-year-old doll collection, with all of the proceeds going to UCP. The event runs now through February 20th, 11am to 6pm every day at Stars & Splendid, 7030 SE Milwaukie Avenue Portland, OR 97214. Learn more here or here http://starsantique.com/UCPOregon.
 
QUESTIONS? 
 
Contact UCP’s Development Coordinator, Kerry Pinney, at kpinney@ucpaorwa.org. 

Did you know that a very generous anonymous donor gave UCP a one-hundred-year-old doll collection? Well, she did! And thanks to her generosity, UCP supporters have the chance to purchase vintage and antique dolls to raise funds for UCP, at two different Portland-area venues.

• First up was the Crossroads Doll & Teddy Bear Show & Sale on January 27, 2018. We had an awesome time sharing the dolls, and raising money for UCP--all of the sales proceeds from our booth went go to UCP! 
• If you missed the show, you still have plenty of time to see the collection (and purchase dolls!) at the UCP Oregon sales case at one of the STARS antique malls in Sellwood (Stars & Splendid). Again, all sales proceeds will go to UCP. Learn more here.

 
And thank you again to the anonymous donor for sharing your amazing doll collection with UCP!

Hey, did you go see the movie, Wonder, on opening weekend and raise money for UCP? 

A bunch of UCP moms did, and had a great time. Thanks, UCP moms!