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From the Desk of Bud Thoune 
Greetings!
The coming months bring some exciting times for us at UCP, staring with March 25th, 2011 being named as National Cerebral Palsy Day. We will be doing our part on that day (and all days) to encourage people to become more informed about cerebral palsy. You can help by passing this newsletter along to friends.
Former Trailblazer and NBA All Star, Terry Porter, will again be hosting our Friends: Walk, Roll 'n' Run Kick-off breakfast on April 28, 2011. Stay tuned for further information about this year's Walk, Roll 'n' Run, as we are excitedly working on another terrific event. |
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Thank you again for your continued support of United Cerebral Palsy.
Sincerely,
Bud Thoune
Executive Director
United Cerebral Palsy of Oregon & SW Washington
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Family Support Services
Family Outings
by Susan Cushman
Mar 5th - Sparky's Pizza Family Event: Kids will be making their own pizza in the kitchen at Sparky's Pizza.
April 22nd - Clackamas Aquatic Park Swim Night: The whole family will be having fun and swimming at the Clackamas Aquatic Park, thanks to the sponsorship of the Clackamas High School Key Club.
May 14th - Skate World Family Event: Everyone, and their wheels, gets to play on the skating rink at Skate World in Gresham. Wheelchairs, walkers, scooters, and skates - it's a great time for all.
It is events like those above that bring together families raising children with cerebral palsy in a safe, fun and supportive environment. It's wonderful when you can bring your child to the pool and know they won't be the only "different" child around. It takes the sting out of outings where being stared at or facing rude comments is all too often to be expected.
Families meet and greet each other, and can share resources, ideas, and stories with others who completely understand. Lasting connections have been formed at these outings. A mom's Facebook group has emerged, as well as other kinds of connections. UCP sets the stage by organizing outings where not only parents, but kids can meet each other. At a swim outing in 2007, my daughter met her best friend. This friend had never before had a friend with cerebral palsy. Between them, CP is no big deal.
The Walk, Roll 'n' Run, held every September, is the ultimate Family Support Outing, bringing together hundreds of families and their communities. If you've been to Walk, Roll 'n' Run, you know how inspiring it is to be walking, rolling and/or running with so many others. If you haven't, we hope you'll join us this year.
We are always in need of volunteers to make Walk, Roll 'n' Run a huge success. Please call Kerry or Susan to find out about volunteer opportunities at 503-777-4166.
It takes a whole community to support the kind of programming we provide to families throughout Oregon and SW Washington. We appreciate each and every type of contribution.
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Adult Services
Sodas, Stunts and Smiles
by Daniel VanderMolen
When the Harlem Globetrotters announced earlier this year that they would be bringing their world renowned show to the Rose Garden it stoked immediate interest among a number of the people supported by UCP.  On the day of the event the festivities were kicked off with a trip to the Rose Quarter Red Robin for a special pregame lunch. People convened at the restaurant by way of the MAX, cars, and on foot, and settled in for a delicious meal of hamburgers, bottomless fries, and enough Coca-Cola Classic to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool. After everyone was sufficiently stuffed, the group settled their respective bills and headed out to hoof it to the Rose Garden. Special group outings have become a successful staple of the Choices community inclusion program over the years, and this particular event provided a humdinger of an opportunity! With a few members of the Choices team leading the charge, a plan was hatched, tickets were purchased, and an excited group of people we support and UCP employees were all set up to see the Globetrotters. Before the start of the game, everyone made sure to stop by all relevant concession stand s for snacks and souvenirs before reconvening to find their seats and settle in for the show. When the Globetrotters finally hit the floor nobody was left disappointed, as the team's patented hijinks and aerial acrobatics provided a source of entertainment for everyone in attendance. Time flew by, and besides a few quick trips to the restroom, everyone was glued to their seats for the duration of the game. When the final buzzer sounded to signify the end of the fourth quarter everyone reluctantly gathered their gear and headed for the exit. The day's adventure was coming to an end, but as the collective smiles on everyone's faces showed without a doubt, the memories that had been made would last a lifetime! |
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Get to Know a Person We Support
Get to Know: Diana Coghill
by Daniel VanderMolen |
If you ever need advice about a movie or book, Diana Coghill is the woman to talk to. Equal parts avid reader and film buff, Diana is constantly on the lookout for the next great story that will pique her interest. When asked what she looks forward to most on those cold and dreary Portland winter days, Diana answers without even a moment's hesitation, "Listening to my books on tape, going to bookstores, and going out to the movies."
 With the help of UCP, Diana is able to plan her own outings to the cineplex, library, or bookstore of choice so that she can always be assured of staying up to date with her literary pursuits. As a huge fan of scary movies and thrillers, Diana recently decided to plan a trip to the theater to watch the action/comedy "Zombieland." At the theater, Diana's supporting staff helped her purchase her ticket, pick out a tasty snack, and then find a comfortable spot in the theater to sit back and enjoy the show.
"They were really nice about getting everything set up to watch the movie," Diana says with a smile. "It is so hard to depend on LIFT sometimes. I really like that I can get help figuring out my transportation." With UCP available to make sure that all of her rides are set for trips out into the community, Diana can rest assured she will never have to miss out on any movie openings or book releases she looks forward to so eagerly. |
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Employment Solutions
AbilityAware Employers
By Melissa Miller
There are nearly 50 million people with disabilities and 64% are unemployed.
The mission of Employment Solutions is to close the gap for people with disabilities and to assist them to connect with employers who value what they bring to the workplace. Join us in the fight to lower the unemployment rate for individuals with disabilities by becoming an AbilityAware employer.
AbilityAware: A community-focused business, committed to advancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities, in turn cultivating a strong local economy.
Current AbilityAware Employers:
- Seattle's Best
- Erickson's Automotive
- Oregon-Canadian Forest Products, Inc
- QFC (55th & Burnside)
- Walgreens (Gresham)
- Walgreens (Killingsworth)
- Market of Choice
- Good Sam Hospital (Kitchen Dept)
- Hippocrates' Secrets
- Burgerville
- Portland Habilitation Center
- Portland Tribune (Community Newspaper, Inc)
- Whole Foods
Burgerville hired Daniel in 2009 and became one of our first AbilityAware employers. Shortly after Daniel's one year anniversary of being employed at Burgerville, we interviewed Store Manager, Matt Pace, about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities and fostering a diverse workplace.
Check out the interview and video of Daniel on the job below.
For more information about our AbilityAware program, please contact Melissa Miller at 503-777-4166 or mmiller@ucpaorwa.org
 | | Burgerville Interview |
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UCP Wish List 
UCP has updated our wish list on the website and invite you to take a look. We need an assortment of sweatshirts, sweatpants and t-shirts, which can be new or used. We also would love a portable basketball hoop for some outdoor activity when the weather turns sunny! And in anticipation for the sunny weather, a picnic table. Maybe you have one that is not used anymore or maybe you're one of those "handy" people that make such a thing.
For questions or donations, please contact Kerry Pinney at 503-777-4166 x 261 or
kpinney@ucpaorwa.org |
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United Cerebral Palsy of Oregon & Southwest Washington
11731 NE Glenn Widing Dr, Portland, OR 97220
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Subscribe!
If you have not already subscribed to receive this newsletter, please do so below, as the next issue will be sent to subscribers only.
We will be sending out six issues a year.
Join Our Mailing List
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Quick Links
Recommended Reading
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Events
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March 5th
Family Support Outing at
Sparky's Pizza
Find Out More
April 22nd
Family Support Outing to
North Clackamas Aquatic Park
May 14th
Family Support Outing to
Gresham Skate World
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UCP Connections
By Sarah Knight |
Greetings from Connections! As of March 1st, Connections will be working with 70 customers to provide support services and case management. Personal Agents are working fast and furiously getting to know their new customers, providing Person-Centered planning, and connecting people with resources. Our first Policy Board meeting is scheduled to meet on Monday, March 14th at 5:30 pm and we are looking for members! If you are a person with a disability, family member of a person with a disability, or interested in the support services community, please join us. For further information, contact Sarah Knight at (503) 546-2991
or sarahk@ucpconnections.org
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Employee Spotlight:
Marie Fernandez |  | |
Marie Fernandez began her career with UCP in 2001 and couldn't be happier with the outcome! She wasn't even looking for a job, when this job found her. She was in need of a roomate and saw an ad that UCP had placed in the paper for a roomate possition. She decided to look into it, and the rest is history.
As Marie put it, she wan't looking for a job, but rather someone to share her life with. Passion about her job is not overlooked when you speak with Marie. She offered the advice that she shares with her grown children (of which she has 5), to "make your passion your job and you will always enjoy going to work."
Marie's position as a roomate and personal assistant for Susan began in 2004. Through her job with UCP she has been able to fulfill her love for helping people. She acknowleges that it took some time for her and Sue to get used to each other, but the result has been a remarkable relationship, built on trust, patience and compassion. You will find the two of them enjoying time together as they visit animal shelters, pet stores (they share a love of animals and have three cats at home), fishing and possibly their favorite activity of shopping. Marie made sure to clarify shopping, not just window shopping!
When it comes time for Marie to retire, she sees herself heading North to Alaska, where she can put to test her skills of fishing, hunting and living off the land. That is still a ways off, thankfully, as Marie and Sue have more adventures and laughs to share together and with all they encounter! |
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Community Partners
Thank You Portland Business Journal
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For the 2010 fiscal year, we were fortunate to have been the recipient of a Portland Business Journal Advertising Grant. This provided us with about $25,000 worth of advertising in the journal. This new exposure to Business Journal subscribers resulted in some wonderful new connections and partnerships. We appreciate the support received from Editor-In-Chief, Rob Smith, and look forward to building on an already strong relationship. Thank you to Rob, and the Portland Business Journal for helping UCP continue to provide a community for everyone!
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Walk, Roll 'n' Run
New Logo Winner!
We are excited to announce the winner of our new
Walk, Roll 'n' Run logo design contest. Michael Pfenning designed the winning logo and we thank him for his creative design! Choosing the winning logo was an extremely difficult process, as we received quite a number of wonderful entries! Thank you to all the participants for their time and creativeness.
Our 2011 Walk, Roll 'n' Run website will be open for registration and information beginning April 28th at www.walkrollnrun.org or here. |
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