UCP's Family Support Department is pleased to announce our new "Evening Respitality" Program. The program's concept was initiated 10 months ago for parents who are unable to take advantage of our Overnight Respitality Program.  

The Evening Respitality Program, also known as "Date Night", offers parents raising children with Cerebral Palsy the opportunity to spend quality time together. We provide the couple with a gift certificate to dinner or tickets for some type of entertainment (movie tickets, theatre tickets, etc).  Upon request, the Family Support Department will pay for evening childcare costs up to a maximum of $40. 

A quote from a parent after their night out expresses so nicely how important this program is. 

 "This stay was so special to us because it was the first time in almost 3 years we have been away from our daughter overnight, and we spent quality time together remembering why we fell in love.  Having a child with special needs takes its toll on the strength of our marriage, but with this special gift we were able to really reconnect."

We would like to thank the following businesses for partnering with us 

to make our Respitality Programs a success:                                                                          

Hotels

Marriott City Center on Broadway, Doubletree Lloyd Center, Shilo Inns, Crowne Plaza Lake Oswego, The Mill Casino - North Bend, Hood River Hotel, Hampton Inn - Medford, Holiday Inn at PDX, Sheraton PDX, Columbia Gorge Hotel, Red Lion Hotel, Holiday Inn - Klamath Falls    

Entertainment

Portland Center Stage, Harvey's Comedy Club, Salem Chamber Orchestra, Hot Shot Billiards - Beaverton, Coming Attractions Theatre, The Tower Theatre - Bend, Portland Playhouse, Artist's Repertory Theatre, Lan Su Chinese Garden, Pentacle Theatre - Salem, Museum of Contemporary Craft

Restaurants

Mama Mia Trattoria, Red Lobster, Outback Steakhouse, Old Spaghetti Factory, Glenwood Restaurant - Eugene, Sizzler - Klamath Falls, Francis Xavier's Restuarant, Basil's Kitchen at The Crowne Plaza, Higgins Restaurant and Bar

Last August, two people got to go on a very special trip.  Don Harris has been supported by UCP since 1980, and is famous for his love of motorcycles. In particular, Don loves Harley Davidson bikes. Don's former Coordinator, Sheryl, tried to arrange a bike ride, to no avail, so she was excited when Don's county case manager came up with the idea of Don going to Sturgis, where one of the biggest motorcycle gatherings in the world is held each year.

It took four long years for Don and his UCP staff to arrange the funding for the trip. Even then, at the last minute, the trip almost fell through due to cost increases and other funding difficulties. That's when vocational Specialist, Mike Barron, who was going to accompany Don on his trip, stepped in with some creative ideas. Miraculously, Mike arranged to get support from the airline, the motel, the car rental agency, and various local businesses. Finally, Don was going to go on the trip of his dreams!

The adventure began early one morning, when Don and Mike flew into Rapid City, South Dakota. They picked up their rental car and drove into Keystone, a small town an hour from Sturgis.  Immediately, they were surrounded by bikes-and bikers! That night, Don made friends with two bikers, one of whom knew sign language.  He was off to a great start.

The next morning, Don and Mike drove to Sturgis. They saw bikes that cost $50,000, and even some that were worth $100,000.  Even better was the fact that Don got to meet more bikers, one of whom took him for a ride on a three-wheeled Harley Davidson. Don's dream had finally come true. When he got back from his ride, he was so excited that he was high-fiving people in the crowd and flashing ecstatic thumbs up sign in all directions.

Then it was off to Mount Rushmore. Don was amazed at the size of the monument-and the souvenirs.

The third day, Mike and Don rode on an 1880's train, and got a private tour of the train yard.   It was a long day, but when they got back to Keystone, Don wasn't ready for bed. Instead, he met another group of bikers and they headed off to a nightclub. Two of the biker women really connected with Don-they invited him onto the dance floor, and made him the center of attention.

The fourth day, Don and Mike went to Crazy Horse National Monument.  There, they met bikers who paid for Don and Mike to take a helicopter ride. That night, Don and Mike went to a Stone Temple Pilots concert. Another UCP employee arranged for them to receive the full VIP treatment through a personal connection.

The fifth day, they went to a drive-through nature preserve, where they saw bears, elk,, wolves, and buffalo. Alas, later that day, it was time to go home, but even the process of flying was "awesome," says Mike. The airplane staff were incredibly helpful, and gave Don free beverages the entire flight

It had been an extraordinary trip. Everywhere they went, people were amazingly kind. Tough bikers, Don, and random people on the street would get together and have a good time, and usually someone would cry a little, touched by the connection they were all making. As Mike says, "It was just as beautiful for me as it was for Don.  I felt blessed that I got to experience it with him."

And UCP feels blessed to have had Mike there to support Don. As Sheryl, a residential Assistant Team Leader and the organizer for this trip says, "Kudos to Michael for making Don's trip a remarkable memory.  He barely knew Don before the trip and was only trained verbally.  Michael's enthusiasm, compassion, and remarkable skills truly made this the trip of a lifetime for Don."

On June 6th 2000, Bryan was involved in a head on collision with a vehicle far more robust than his own. The accident effectively ended his life as a semi-pro snowboarder. The resultant injuries required a Life Flight helicopter ride that transported him to OHSU, where a variety of surgical teams induced a coma to ease the stress on his subdural hematoma (brain swelling), and immediately went to work repairing the menagerie of broken body parts.

Basically, they rebuilt him using rivets, ingenuity, plastic plates, and stainless steel rods. Recovery has also required 11 years of physical therapy.

Bryan crossed paths with UCP in December of 2008, with aspirations of finding meaningful work in the community. Bryan volunteered at Snowboard Outreach Society (a program that builds character and self-esteem in youth through outdoor activities) and Free Geek, and enjoyed an internship with EXIT Real World. Unfortunately, this internship did not equate to part time employment; however, the actual experience and the mentoring provided by the EXIT staff proved to be invaluable and a catalyst for directional change.

In November of 2010, Bryan found himself proudly employed as an Assembler at a NW Portland business called Teri Lingerie Company, LLC, which designs, manufactures and distributes a variety of items of a delicate nature around the country.

Sheri Katz at Teri Lingerie has a proven track record of establishing a hiring policy and providing a work environment that reflects the rich tapestry of our community members. It is in this environment that Bryan (with the assistance of his UCP Job Coach, Matthew) is industriously employed for 12 hours per week.