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Supporting Vulnerable Populations |
Exceptional Persons, Inc. provides program planning, coordinates services and advocates for individuals with disabilities. Their Community Living Respite Services program receives funding through your contributions to Cedar Valley United Way. This is the story of one family your contributions helped. With both our group and individual respite programs, EPI continues to provide families with much needed support. The O'Conner* family is one example. For the past year Mrs. O'Conner, a single mother, has battled with breast cancer and very recently underwent a double mastectomy. Her son Philip had received respite services from our agency a few days a week, but with mom's surgery and recovery, some extra help was needed. Through this funding, we were able to provide Philip, and his mother, with some extra respite hours each week.
This eased some of the stress at home and gave Mrs. O'Conner some well needed rest. Philip has enjoyed the time he spends with his friends at the group respite program and also enjoys going out in the community with his support staff. This support has assisted with keeping Philip at home with his mom during this challenging time.
*Names have been changed. |
NAMI Offers Classes
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| Visions for Tomorrow is an eight-week class beginning Thursday, April 2, and finishing May 21. It is for family members and direct primary caregivers of children and adolescents who have brain disorders, including ADD/ADHD, Autism, Bipolar, Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Tourette's. The course offers an opportunity to share mutual experiences and learn valuable lessons from one another in a supportive environment. The class covers a variety of educational material and provides ideas for day-to-day caregiving skills. Topics include advocacy, communication, coping, accessing school services, IDEA, problem management, self-care, and the recovery cycle.
The Peer-to-Peer nine-week course will start Thursday, April 16, and end June 11. It's for individuals with mental illness. A team of three mentors who are living well with mental illness teach the course. Participants will receive educational materials they can keep. They will also develop a "relapse prevention plan" to help identify feelings, thoughts, behaviors, or events that may warn of impending relapse. In addition, they will learn mindfulness exercises to help focus and calm thinking and survival skills for working with providers.
Teachers for both classes are trained through NAMI Iowa, the state office. These free classes are running from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Waterloo, 608 West 4th Street. Visions will be held in the second floor classroom and Peer-to-Peer in the lower level of the church. Registration is required; please contact the NAMI office at 235-5263 if you have questions or would like to participate.
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Thank You!
Thanks again to all of you who supported the 2008 Cedar Valley United Way Campaign! If you missed our thank you in Sunday's Courier, you can check it out online! |
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Living With Less
A workshop for all who are dealing with a new economic reality. Presented by ISU Extension - Black Hawk County.
Saturday, February 28
First Presbyterian Church
505 Franklin St., Waterloo
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Cedar Valley United Way Golf Classic
Friday, June 19
South Hills Golf Course | |
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