We’d like to share some more stories from the storm.
One of UCP Oregon’s Supported Living Team Leaders, Codi Parmelee, did fantastic work, driving staff to and from shifts. Thanks, Codi! A Personal Agent from UCP’s Brokerage, Jeff Gilbert, braved the storm with our technology consultant, Jeff Couttouw, to get our servers up, with assistance from the Brokerage Director, Sarah Noack. Thanks, guys! And so many other folks worked extra hours and dealt with treacherous driving conditions. We are so grateful for every one of you. Thank you! Wow! What a storm! We want to shout out a GIGANTIC THANK YOU to the UCP employees and supporters who worked so hard to assist UCP’s customers make it through the storm. We want to send special thanks to UCP’s Family Support Director, Kathrine Ball. Katherine is the parent of a child with disabilities, and was without nursing staff or electricity for many hours, but she still managed to dispatch emergency supplies and information to many of UCP’s families. National Disaster Hotline for Folks With Disabilities People who experience disabilities, and who are experiencing a weather disaster, can call a national hotline run by the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies. They provide 24/7 assistance during (and after) disasters.
As you probably know, people with intellectual/developmental disabilities can get the COVID-19 vaccine now.
So, too, can their families and Support Workers (PSW's and DSP's). And the vaccine is available in Oregon now! But you may have some questions about the vaccine. That's why we created a new COVID-19 Vaccine info page. On the page, we're sharing great resources created by a coalition of Oregon partners. Check it out now! Happy New Year!
We wanted to take a moment to acknowledge all the amazing helpers who helped us pull off UCP's first-ever Drive-Thru Toy Giveaway. First of all, thanks to UCP's Family Support Director, Katherine Ball, for creating and running the event! Also, thanks to Sarah Noack, Director of UCP Connections (UCP's Brokerage); Jeni Davis, a UCP Board Member and owner of New Horizons; and Martha Terry, an awesome UCP employee. All of them volunteered to help us make this a great event for our families. Thank you! Woo hoo! This weekend, we held our first ever Drive-Thru Toy Giveaway, and it was... AWESOME!
Thanks to Santa, all the elves, and, most especially, our Family Support Director, Katherine Ball, for all their hard work! We'll be sharing more pics soon. In the meantime, here's a great pic from today. Katherine is spending the day delivering toys and joy to the families that couldn't make it to the event. Exciting news: UCP's Family Support Director, Katherine Lee Ball was on the news this morning with FOX 12!
Katherine was picking up toys for our 2020 Toy Giveaway Drive-Thru. Katherine says she is "so excited to be Santa’s helper to spread joy this holiday season." Thank you to everyone who is making the 2020 Toy Giveaway possible, especially Fox 12, Les Schwaub and Portland Fire and Rescue Recruits! We love you! Learn more about the Toy Giveaway here. Hey, UCP families! Have you signed up yet for our 2020 Annual Toy Giveaway Drive-Thru?
Make sure to sign up ASAP! To help you get in the spirit, here's some pics from last year. While this year's event will look different since it's outside, it'll still be festive and fun. Woo hoo! PS: We also have options for families who can’t make the event. https://www.ucpaorwa.org/toy0giveaway.html Each family can register for a 15 minutes time slot, during which they’ll drive through our parking lot and choose toy(s) for their children. We’ll be wearing masks, and will require you to wear a mask, too.
Learn more below. We can't wait see you! PS: We also have options for families who can’t make the event. https://www.ucpaorwa.org/toy0giveaway.html What if there was an online support group, open to all Oregon & SW Washington families who are raising a child with any disability?
There is! It's called "Gimme A Break" (GAB) and it's facilitated by UCP Oregon. Families connect with other families in a safe and non-judgmental space. They cheer for each other, vent, and just talk. They also share ideas about how to deal with stress, how to find support, and what to expect now and in the future. GAB is held online (via Zoom) on the second Thursday of every month, from 6:30pm–8pm. Learn more and RSVP for the November GAB here. What are you doing to celebrate or acknowledge World Cerebral Palsy Day on October 6th?
Paige Murray (a motivational speaker and athlete) decided to write a letter to her CP, acknowledging the ups and downs of living with cerebral palsy. As Paige writes, "We are inseparable. Never without one another, you complete my very being." After a tough adolescence, Paige says, she and her CP now "work in sync, most of the time anyway, always ready to smash through restrictions and whatever comes our way, together." Read Paige's full letter here. |
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