As the holidays fast approach, I would like to acknowledge the amazing staff at Parent to Parent. I am lucky to work with such a dedicated and caring group of people who love what they do and the families we all serve.  I would also like to acknowledge and thank the school districts, community providers and many agencies who support our families.  

 

In these difficult and uncertain times, there is comfort in knowing that we live in a community of caring professionals and organizations who are working hard to support families, children, youth and adults.  

 

From our family to yours, much joy and happiness for the holiday season and the coming new year!

  

Kim Smith

Executive Director and Lead FRC

Fundraisers/Donation

Clothing Drive! 

Parent to Parent will gladly take all of your used clothes, shoes, belts and purses!  When you're cleaning out your closets, please remember to bring your "no longer needed" items to P2P.  We'll give you a tax receipt and P2P receives $.15 per pounds from the ARC of Washington.  Every little bit helps us continue to provide services, so please remember us in your cleaning efforts!   

Parent to Parent News

Sibshops is Back!   

Parent to Parent Online Support Group

 
P2P is excited to start a new online support group for parents, grandparents, caregivers and so on who just need to talk, find resources, vent, share and find support with each other.  We know it's hard to get out for groups sometimes so we hope to offer and new way for people to connect.  The group will feature everything from working effectively with schools to legislative issues to bartering for items you may need or have that need to be traded for something someone else may need or have!  Anything goes, any topic can be listed.  We want this to be a very supportive environment and look forward to launching it on November 1st.  The group will be private, so please contact facilitators Kim Smith (ksmith@ssp2p.org) or Matt Graffagnino (mgraffagnino@ssp2p.org) for your personal invitation!   

Barter, Trade, Swap 

Hello everyone!

Do you have a skill that you're particularly good at? Do you have extra baby clothes, diaper, etc. just taking up space? Looking to free up some room in the closet or garage? Well consider putting them on the wants, needs, and trade section of our online support group. In these tough economic times, lots of us in the special needs community are on tight budgets and it's time to think about ways we can help ourselves. Barter for babysitting, trade clothes, swap services, you get the idea! A sense of community is always important around the holidays. Who better knows how to serve our community than us! Become productive, make a friend, help a fellow caregiver. Contact me, Matt Graffagnino at mgraffagnino@ssp2p or Kim Smith at ksmith@ssp2p.org for an invite. Let's make a difference and Communicate, Educate, and Change the world, one person at a time.

Legislative Corner  

Looming Budget Cuts Bring People Together

On Wednesday, November 16th I attended a legislative and community forum where the impending cuts to DSHS and DDD were discussed. It was so powerful to see the faces and listen to the personal stories of the people whose lives will be the most severely impacted by the looming budget cuts. If the proposed budget cuts go through, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities will lose their jobs, their independence, and their current way of life. They will have to do with less when what they already have is bare bones. One man who spoke said that he was homeless before he qualified for the services that he has now. If he loses those services, it's very likely that he will become homeless again.

If there is a silver lining to our current economic crises, it is that people are starting to band together in ways that I haven't seen in 10 years. Do you remember how united everyone became after the 9/11 attacks on our country? Do you remember that feeling of oneness? Well, I'm beginning to feel a similar solidarity, although this time it's about protecting our most vulnerable citizens from harm. It's about giving everyone a seat at the table, even those who don't know how to ask for it. As Chris Rasmussen-Barsanti, Executive Director of Kokua said, "This is not a political issue. It is a human rights issue."

~Karen Huggins        

                                                                        S.O.S. (Save our State!)

Hello everyone,

     With the looming budget cuts and so much uncertainty for all of us in our state, I just sit and ponder these days. I wonder how some will be able to go on. I keep telling myself there is no way that they can do these things, cut so deep, but it seems to be that way. I just can't wrap myself around how they come to these conclusions. Did they have a blueprint?

   Now, I am once again going on record as just an average Joe with the humor of a twelve year old, but come on; even I know this doesn't make any sense. Once again, it goes to show that some people just don't know or care about what they do and how their decisions affect other lives. Decsions seem to be made knee jerk and without much thought for the long term. It's typical, political, generic thinking. Where is the blueprint?

     I mean really, I have to make a blueprint for my children and their future. We are always planning out services and therapies, sticking to the blueprint and trying to make others do so as well. The hope is that if we all follow that blueprint, my kids will have the skills they need to contribute to society. That's called insight, progressive thinking, awareness; so easy even an average Joe like me can figure it out. When did the people in charge lose sight of all qualities that we the people, elected them to do? Where is the blueprint?

     Blanket slashing programs and services as a form of budget reduction is not a blueprint, it's a reaction. I know we are in desperate times, but I really don't understand the methods to the madness. Tell me how eliminating programs completely is a solution to a problem? In the very short term it might look good, but what about the ramifications for the future. How are the people being prepared to succeed when the programs go away? Who just cuts without a blueprint? Today you have food assistance, tomorrow you get nothing! Today you are living in a group home; tomorrow you are on the street! How can anybody prepare for that? That's like driving down I-5 heading North on a Monday, then Tuesday you come to find out the traffic flow changed once you've merged on. That's an accident waiting to happen! A head on collision! Where is the accountability?

     Instead, oh I don't know, maybe suspend some programs to new members and slowly phase out the program's current members with a direction for the future. Maybe reduce service funding so there are half the pay outs. Some is better than none. I'm no financial mind and maybe I'm crazy, but extremes never work in any arena. It's about what the state wants to do for the good of the people. If you don't want to be in the public service arena anymore I can get that. But don't pretend like you do and then blindside us. Do it the right way. Give people a chance. How can you expect people to react and adjust without a new direction? It might look good on paper but when the number of hungry, ill people increases on the streets, with the lack of law enforcement, that's a recipe for disaster. Except for the salmon, there's always a couple of million laying around for them! They will be funded and just fine this winter. Where is the blueprint for the future?

     Do you know that there was a Legislative Forum at the River Ridge Covenant Church on November 16th addressing developmental disability issues and 9 elected officials were invited, and only 1 showed up? Pretty sad when the people who are supposed to be serving us don't even send a note taker or acknowledge the invitation to attend.

     Our state is sinking and I want to throw a life ring, but when the captains of the ship ignore the iceberg warnings and go full steam ahead, we all know the result of that voyage.

Matt Graffagnino

Volunteers

Volunteer Needs

Thank You

 We would like to extend a huge thank you to Zale Crawford from MetLife and Karen Mattson from WSECU for presenting at our November Financial Workshop.  Zale discussed Special Needs Trusts and Karen talked about Financial Stress.  The topics were so important and those who attended gained a great deal of information.  Thank you to Zale and Karen!   

Thank you to the Lacey and Tumwater LimeBerry Stores for the November fund raiser for P2P.  Your generosity is much appreciated!

Thank you to the Lacey Presbyterian Church for your generous donation from your November concert.  What a gift!

Parent to Parent relies on grant funding and the generous donations of time and funds from organizations like the ones listed above.  We appreciate the support you give that allows us to support the families we serve! 

TOPSoccer Winter session will be starting in Jan. 2012. 

Location:  Olympia Armory

Dates:

January 15 (Sunday), 10-11am

January 22 (Sunday), 10-11am

January 29 (Sunday), 10-11am

February 5 (Sunday), 10-11am

NO SESSION Feb 12

February 19 (Sunday), 10-11am

Cost:

$20 for the 5 week session

Target Age:

4 years and older

Registration:

Online registration is preferred buy paper registration will be accepted. Please RSVP bmunn@comcast.net to reserve a space for your child and to ensure we have enough buddies!

Registration for players can be found here: https://korrio.com/groups/olympia-topsoccer/programs (Click 'Sign Up Now' for 'Olympia Winter Player Registration 2012'

Paper registration is attached

Buddy registration is required with background check (12 years and up please!) 

TOPSoccer is a community-based training and team placement program for differently-abled players over 4 years of age, who have a mental or physical disability.

Organized by youth soccer association volunteers, this unique program enables these special athletes to play at levels consistent with their skills, not necessarily their age, while making new friends and having fun.

Each child is paired up with a Soccer Buddy to help players be more successful playing soccer. Soccer Buddies are local volunteers and are essential for the success of the program.

Parents and siblings of children with special needs have enjoyed getting together on the sidelines as well as on the field.

Laura Canali, PT, DPT, and Kyle Jones, Blackhills FC will be the team coaches. They are both experienced soccer coaches and certified TOPSoccer coaches.

Looking forward to seeing everybody again!

Beth Munn

Blackhills FC Club Coordinator

TOPSoccer-Olympia Admin

News from the Board 

Parent to Parent has been blessed over the years with board members who care greatly for this organization and today is no different. At our November meeting, we came together to discuss issues, plan for the future, and elect officers. I am not sure if our Parent to Parent community knows who is on our board, so I would like to take this opportunity to list the board members and executive committee for you now.

 

Dawn Harrison

Becca Brandt

Jim Johnson

Brooke Johnson

Sheila McCartan

Mike Lyman

Secretary:  Marcie Taylor

Treasurer:  Diane Perry

Vice President:  Erika Krupp

President:  Laurie Kagels

 

We are in the process of beginning a fundraising committee and we are striving to have our board, P2P staff, P2P families, and our community members be more involved. With the budget cuts ahead, the next year will be trying, but together we can strive to keep P2P's programs strong.  We are very proud of our organization and of our families and together we can make a difference. 

Laurie Kagels, Board President