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!

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! 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!

• One of our customers has been working as a caregiver during the pandemic. She has helped so many people live a safe and happy life. She entered our services years ago, dreaming about doing caregiving for a living, and worked hard to find a position in the field. We are so happy to have been a part of her journey towards getting her dream job.       
• Another customer has been looking for work since the beginning of the pandemic. He recently found a great position that is a perfect fit! He just started his job this month, and his employer is already asking if he wants to work more hours and learn new tasks since he is such an important member of their fast-growing business. We are excited to support the customer (and the business!) in our new partnership.       
• A customer recently had a job interview and was offered a job on the spot! The customer asked for time to discuss the offer with his employment team. Ultimately, the customer decided to say “no thank you” to the job offer; he wanted to find a position that was a little closer to home, with different job tasks. Our team supported him in his decision, and together we came up with a new game plan that matches better with his preferences. Customer choice all the way!       

 
 

As you may have heard, we opened our "Bill Porter Memorial Fund" (BPMF) for 2022 applications on February 1, 2022.
 
UCP customers, with assistance as needed from UCP staff, are applying to fund for life improvement projects that fall outside of the typical scope of funding.
 
Here are some examples of how folks used their BPMF funds.

• Julie’s daughter has cerebral palsy; they used their BPMF funds to purchase a scoot bike. As Julie says, “This purchase would allow our girl to take an active role in family bike rides.”
• Jane used BPMF funds to pay for twelve sessions of “NeuroMovement” therapy for her son, Luke. Luke first walked on his own at age twelve, and a mere month later, had already figured out how to dance independently.
• I’Yanna used her BPMF funds to travel (pre-COVID). She was able to reconnect with family and friends.
• David has autism. He used his BPMF funds for books and at a local community college. His ultimate goal is to finish his secondary education, and work with a technology firm to develop better prosthetic devices.
• Kim used her BPMF funds to swim at a pool—with the goal of making friends!

As you may have heard, UCP Oregon opened our “Bill Porter Memorial Fund”(BPMF) for 2022 applications on February 1, 2022.
 
UCP customers, with assistance as needed from UCP staff, are applying to fund for life improvement projects that fall outside of the typical scope of funding.
 
We thought it might be fun to share some past examples of how folks used their BPMF funds.

• Andrew experiences severe anxiety and panic attacks which are triggered by loud noises and environments. He requested noise canceling headphones, which allowed him to cope better with his panic attacks.
• Gracie was 11 years old when she applied. She liked to swim and wanted to share the experience with her family, so she purchased an annual aquatic center membership. As Gracie’s mom wrote, “It’s been so exciting to finally find a physical activity that the entire family can do together and have fun, too!”
• Tanya and her teenage daughter applied for equipment that helped with balance and trunk strength.
• Kelcie used her BPMF funds to purchase a handheld shower head on an adjustable pole so she could bathe as independently as possible.
• David used his funds to attend a photography class; his goal was to learn to take photos of his family and friends.

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