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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

Happy NDEAM to you!

Wondering what NDEAM means? It stands for "National Disability Employment Awareness Month," and it happens every October.

The 2020 NDEAM is pretty special. That's because we're celebrating both the 75th observance of NDEAM... and the 30th anniversary of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)!

Both milestones are being celebrated across the country with a range of events, all centering on the theme "Increasing Access and Opportunity."

UCP Oregon's fantastic supported employment division (Employment Solutions) creates "access and opportunity" every day! 

Here’s a lovely story for a lovely day!
 
If someone in your family uses a wheelchair, you know how hard it can be to take a vacation… let alone go camping!
 
UCP’s Family Support Director, Katherine, loves to go camping. Recently, she got to take her son (who uses a wheelchair) with her, thanks to the kindness of an awesome UCP parent!
 
The parent, Lisa Ledson, lent Katherine and Nic a 40-foot, wheelchair-accessible RV and a wheelchair ramp.
 
Katherine and Nic stayed at the Mt. Hood RV Resort. Katherine says that the resort was incredible for wheelchairs. They also went to Wildwood Recreation Park on the Salmon River, which has accessible trails for wheelchairs.

We're excited to announce that UCP, along with Abeona Group, is hosting a Zoom class about government benefits for individuals who experience disabilities!

Join us on August 18th at 7:00 PM.

You'll learn how programs like SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, K-Plan, ABLE Act, and more can help support your loved one, and how to best navigate the complexities within these programs.

*Zoom Registration Required*

Register here.

NOTE: Please contact Hayley Palmer with any questions or concerns: 503-914-1285 or hayleypalmer@financialguide.com