We think all of us are beautiful people! And so does a local filmmaker named Zian Chavez.
Zian is making a documentary about the lives of people who experience disabilities, here in Portland and around the world. The film is entitled “We are the Most Beautiful People.” UCP Oregon sponsored the documentary, and some UCP Oregon customers have been interviewed as a part of the project. As the filmmaker, Zian says, "We live in a world that's centered on the rights and needs of non-disabled persons. Our documentary challenges the notion of beauty and centers on the lived experience of adults with disabilities. It will contribute to the disability justice movement, raise awareness and deconstruct norms embedded in cultures worldwide." Zian says, “So many of the interviews we have already completed reveal the inequities that exist all around the world today.” The film will feature, among others:
Zian will be submitting an application to the Sundance Film Festival in the fall—so cool! The film has an expected release date of December, 2023. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more. We are excited to share UCP Oregon’s newest Annual Report, which covers the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
The theme of this report is “Change.” As our Executive Director, Ann Coffey, states in the report, “There has been so much change... But, through it all, the UCP community stood strong and resilient. We stood together. We sought new ways to complete our work. We found new ways to connect. We discovered new ways to find balance and purpose.” A gigantic thank you to everyone who contributed, as a writer, photographer, and/or editor! We are so excited to share the achievements of our customer, Henry Meece.
Henry uses services from UCP Oregon’s Supported Employment Department (also known as Employment Solutions). He works at Fulcrum Fitness, serving as a janitor at their SE location. About his job, Henry says, “I like all the UCP Job Coaches I’ve had, and I like cleaning the gym when it’s quiet and everyone is gone for the day.” But Henry is far more famous for winning medals at the X Games. The X Games are an extreme sport competition, and are covered live on the X Games YouTube and Twitch channels. The Games happen twice a year—in the summer and in the winter—and usually consist of skateboarding, skiing, snowboarding, and BMX biking. Henry started competing in the X Games in 2015. He describes the X Games as “challenging and crazy fun.” He adds, “In the X Games, we are paired with a pro or celebrity, and we each get one run down the red and blue course. We add our fastest times together and the top three times receive Gold, Silver or Bronze medals.” Henry competes in a snowboarding category called “Unified Slalom.” Slalom is an exciting event! It involves racing down over a zigzagging course, having to turn and adjust quickly as you move between narrowly-spaced flags. Henry would love it if the X Games also added a category called “banked slalom,” competing on a twisty curvy course with banked turns. Together with his first partner, Chris Klug, Henry won four consecutive Gold medals. Henry was paired with Jack Mitrani in 2020 and took home the Bronze. Last week, Henry and Chris Klug were reunited as partners and together they won third place, adding a Bronze medal to their collection. Congratulations, Henry! We’re so proud of you! PS: Want to learn more about the 2023 X Games? Click this link—you can even see Henry’s most recent score. NOTE: Photo credit goes to Francis-King and Nnamani/Special Olympics. We’d like to give a huge shout out to Diondre, who recently celebrated his 18-year anniversary at Fred Meyer. Congratulations, Diondre!
Diondre uses UCP Oregon's Supported Employment Services (also known as Employment Solutions). PS: Want to hear more details about Diondre and his awesome Job Coach, Rory? We have good news for you! They're both going to be profiled in an upcoming Annual Report. Woo hoo! John Goff is the Community Services Director, and oversees UCP Oregon's Supported Living Department (also known as UCP Foundations) and Children's Services Department (also known as UCP Building Blocks). YEAR-END UPDATE, FROM THE DESK OF JOHN GOFF, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
Hello, UCP Family! It is always an honor to share the successes and stories of the Community Services (CS) Department, but not without first recognizing the collective energy of all UCP customers, employees, Board members, and partners. When I think of the past year, I am reminded of the familiar phrase that it truly “Takes a Village,” and I must say that I am grateful to have been a part of this one for close to 10 years! So, what of the year 2022? I wish I had space to list every situation and scenario navigated, but I can say with certainty and admiration that everyone in the department showed up in a very big way to support one another. In no order of priority, the CS Department:
I am very proud of all the accomplishments and work from the Community Services Department, and I look forward to another great year in 2023 filled with opportunity, continued advocacy, and growth. We think all of us are beautiful people! And so does a local filmmaker named Zian Chavez.
Zian is making a documentary about the lived experiences of people who experience disabilities, here in Portland and around the world. The film is entitled “We are the Most Beautiful People.” UCP Oregon sponsored the documentary, and some UCP Oregon customers have been interviewed as a part of the project. The film crew is interviewing people who experience disabilities all over the globe, including Ghana, India, Canada, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, and the United States. Zian herself experiences disabilities. As Zian says, “I’ve lived half of my life with a disability. In my own experience of… living with chronic pain and discomfort with MS, I couldn’t imagine feeling beautiful.” That’s why she decided to make this documentary. She adds, “This is a film unfolding the real life of adults with disabilities… Our triumphs, our failures, our dedication to living our best lives.” As a sponsor of the project, UCP will benefit from the film’s earnings. We’ll also be working to ensure that there’s a film viewing for our customers, families, employees, and community partners. Zian will be applying for film festivals in the fall of 2023. The film has an expected release date of December 3, 2023. Stay tuned for more information! We had so much fun at the the 2022 Junior Rose Parade!
A huge thank you goes out to our Family Support Director, Katherine Ball, for organizing the event. Those balloons were so cool! And another thanks to Lillieth Cusick Grand for taking (and sharing!) so many great photos. And thanks to everyone who attended or watched! Hey, this is really cool!
A former customer of UCP Oregon was one of the consultants for Portland’s new inclusive playground at Gabriel Park. You might remember Linda from her days as a customer of UCP Oregon's Supported Employment Services. Linda used our services while she worked as a research assistant in Portland State University’s Universal Design Lab. She was also featured in one of our Annual Reports. Linda recently served on Portland Parks & Recreation's Gabriel Park Playground Advisory Committee. Linda was born in Portland—a city with numerous beautiful parks—but, as Linda says, when she went to the playground as a kid, “I could not do anything, but I would sit my feet in the wading pool.” That's why Linda was delighted to serve on the Gabriel Park Playground Advisory Committee. While Linda wishes inclusive playgrounds had existed when she was a kid, late is better late than never! The new playground officially opened on May 14th. Hello! If you're a customer of UCP, a family member of a UCP customer, or a UCP employee, we'd love to hear from you. We'd also love to share YOUR story with the world.
You can share almost anything:
Hello! Here we are, almost two years into the pandemic.
UCP’s Supported Employment division (“Employment Solutions”) is hard at work. We support adults with disabilities to have great jobs in the community. As you might imagine, this can be somewhat difficult during a pandemic. But our customers are working, challenging themselves, getting raises and promotions, starting new jobs, and making new connections. Being able to celebrate their successes keeps us smiling, even though we (like you!) are tired. Here are a few recent stories that will make YOU smile, too!
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