 We are excited to share the 2019-2020 Annual Report.
It covers a time of great change. A time when our employees, customers, and supporters all worked incredibly hard take care of each other. Thank you for joining us on this journey.  July is Disabilities Pride Month.
It’s a time for celebration and for introspection. And sometimes it's a time for sadness. It’s complicated. If you’re struggling to know how to feel this month, you’re not alone. One of our favorite activists, Kelly Douglas (who experiences CP) recently shared, “I wonder if I’ll be able to muster up a shred of disability pride to get me through July.” Like many of us this month, Kelly is wondering, “How do I share everything my disability has given me and still mourn everything it’s taken away?” That's why we’ll be sharing a spectrum of disability-related experiences this month-- from celebration and pride to grief and annoyance. Because ALL of our experiences are valid!  Happy July! Happy "Disability Pride Month"!
For many folks, Disability Pride Month is a very "public" thing--it's about building community, speaking out, and taking action. Disability Pride Month parades and events are held in many cities. For other folks, Disability Pride Month is a time to focus on introspection. Either way, UCP Oregon is here for it! This month, we are celebrating us! We are celebrating OUR history, OUR struggles, and OUR strengths.  What a busy week! Happy Juneteenth! Happy Father’s Day! Happy Pride!
This week (the week of Father’s Day in America), UCP Oregon is giving a shout-out to the parents of our customers. Our Director of Brokerage Services, Sarah Noack, attended a picnic Blue Lake this week. The event was held by “Off the Couch” events, and several of UCP's customers attended. As Sarah says, “One of the things I walked away with was appreciation for the parents who show up for their kids their whole lives through.” As Sarah adds, “We spend a lot of time in ‘adult services’ talking about self-determination… about and muddling our way through the conflicts that can arise between adult children and their parents. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the love and commitment many parents give to their adult children (our customers). As I caught up with a few parents yesterday, I was struck with the love, the impact, the hours, the grief, the heart, the strength, the grit, and the hope of so many parents, who are giving so much to their adult children over their entire lives. It is beautiful.” Thank you to all the parents of our customers.  Join UCP Oregon on June 19th as we celebrate Juneteenth (also known as Freedom Day).
The holiday was named in honor of June 19th, 1865--the day that enslaved persons were finally freed in Texas (months after the Civil War has ended). Last year, the day became a federal holiday. Woo hoo! Juneteenth events are being held across the country. If you live in Portland, you might want to attend the 2022 Juneteenth Oregon Parade and Festival. This free, community-empowered event features a parade, food, vendors, a kids’ area, local music (jazz, hip hop and soul), empowering speeches from community leaders and more. For more information, visit the Juneteenth Oregon Celebration website.  Parenting a kiddo who experiences disabilities can be difficult.
Planning for that kiddo’s financial future can be even tricker! That’s why UCP Oregon is pleased to be hosting a 2022 “Special Needs Planning Workshop Series.” These workshops are being presented by the Abeona Group, and are sponsored by UCP Oregon’s Family Support Department. The workshops include:
These workshops are open to anyone who is parenting a child who experiences any developmental disability—not just cerebral palsy. 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!  Woo hoo! It's parade time!
UCP's Family Support Director, Katherine, and her son, Nicholas, are headed off to the 2022 Junior Rose Parade assembly point right this second! This event is open to everyone who loves UCP Oregon--customers, friends, family members, and employees. If you want to join our parade group, meet us at the assembly area (between NE 52nd and NE 56th and NE Sacramento and NE Tillamook). Katherine is hoping everyone will be there by 11:45am. If you can't make it in time to join our group, feel free to watch the parade and yell "woo hoo" as we pass! We can't wait to see you!!!  Happy Pride Month!
Around the country, people are celebrating with parties and events. But Pride is also reminder of the ongoing civil rights movement for LGBTQ+ people. As of 2021, 5.6% of adult Americans identify as part of the LGBTQ+ population. (That’s approximately 17 million people.) Currently, 30-36% of Americans who identify as LGBTQ+ also experience disabilities. (That’s approximately 5 million people.) You can learn more about the experience of being LGBTQ+ and having disabilities here:  Mabuhay, UCP fans! (That’s a Filipino greeting, if you didn’t know). As you may have heard, May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI). UCP’s Yvonne Miller (a Personal Agent) taught us that greeting, and also started a conversation with the UCP Mentors team about ways to acknowledge and celebrate all things AAPI. Below is an excerpt from Yvonne’s email and some resources they provided. PS: Thanks to the other UCP Mentors team members shared about their identity and more ways to connect with the AAPI culture! How can we all get involved in supporting the AAPI community?
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