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From the President
Welcome to 2013!!
We want to thank everyone who has donated to our End of the Year or Birdies for Charity Campaigns. This money all goes to support MSQLP's Case Management Programs. (And, if you haven't made a donation, there is still time to do so!)
We are adding a new column to our monthly Constant Contact e-newsletter. "Did You Know?" Each month we will highlight local and national resources that may be of interest to our readership. We want to thank our intern, Andrew Garcia, for his hard work in continuing the compilation of website resources and for the title of this new article.
As you will see on our calendar, this is a very busy month for MSQLP with 2 education events and the second offering of "Beyond MS: A workshop for families living with MS", as well as the continuation our monthly support groups and water aerobics.
The feedback from our first Family Workshop was very positive. And please note, there is no plan for a third workshop at this time.
Sincerely,
Andrea Dowdall
Board President
Program Supervisor
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Upcoming Events (click on title of each underlined event for link to flyer)
Tuesday, January 15th 6:30PM-8PM
Center Street Grill in Santa Cruz
Featured Speaker: Dr. Kouyoumdjian
Saturday, January 26th, 2013
10AM-3PM @ the Marina Public Library
*Registration is free*
Take Control of your MS Relapses
Tuesday, January 29th 6:30PM-8PM
Embassy Suites in Seaside, CA
Featured Speaker: Dr. Bandari
Sponsored by Questcor Pharmaceuticals
Support Groups
"Our Happy Hours" Support Group
Friday, January 18th 11AM-1PM
Marina Public Library
Veronica Jefferson will be doing a presentation of Sleep & Pain with MS.
Water Aerobics
Mondays & Wednesdays 12am-1pm
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Spotlight on MSQLP board members-Marilyn & Dick Howell
By Donna Krasnow
(Former board president)
Marilyn and Dick Howell have been good friends of MSQLP. Marilyn has served in many capacities - as a board member, counselor, support group leader, fundraiser and a member of many committees. Her husband, Dick, has also served on the board, has been the organization's Treasurer, provided technical support and stepped in countless times when needed. His advice is sound, his knowledge is great and attitude is supportive.
Although Marilyn's MS has affected their lives it has not affected their abilities to "pay it forward" - to use their resource of time to help those in need. Their volunteer work is not limited to MSQLP. They are also active in their church in Carmel Valley, with the homeless at Dorothy's Place in Salinas and help neighbors in need at the community where they live. Dick also finds time to serve on the board at Del Mesa. And, on top of all this, they are actively involved in the life of their grandson, Alex.
Their plans for the future? They would both like more time for their art, Marilyn in front of her easel and Dick behind the lens of his camera. This month his work is on display at Del Mesa.
We thank them for the countless hours they have donated to MSQLP. We would not be who we are without their many and varied contributions.
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Did you know?
Paratransit Resources
Brought to you by Grant Helm, MSQLP Staff
Did you know that if you are in a wheelchair or unable to drive there is still a way to get back-and-forth between errands and medical appointments without having to rely on a family member of friend to drive you? Did you know that the cost of these paratransit services cost less than or are similar to the cost of driving with the current gas prices? And finally, did you know that in the Tri County area of Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito there is a different service for each county:
Monterey County:
MST RIDES paratransit
Santa Cruz County:
METRO Paracruz
San Benito County:
Dial-A-Ride Express
It is important to note that these paratransit services are county specific and can only provide cross-county transport in specific transfer stations. You can view individual transfer stations by clicking on Transfer Policies.
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of Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project
on GuideStar and help us grow!
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$30 will fund outreach services for one client. $70 will fund one water aerobics class.
$100 will fund a HouseCall for a client.
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Click on image for details!
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Birdies for Charity is an exciting opportunity for MSQLP to raise money through the 2013 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament. You can receive up to a 20% match on every donation made.
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Click on image for details!
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Benefit MSQLP just through shopping online!
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Tip of the Month-Beyond Counting Blessings
Often when we practice being thankful, we go through the process of counting our blessings, acknowledging the wonderful people, things and places that make up our reality. While it is fine to be grateful for the good fortune we have accumulated, true thankfulness stems from a powerful comprehension of the gift of simply being alive, and when we feel it, we feel it regardless of our circumstances. In this deep state of gratitude, we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself, and our thankfulness is part and parcel of our awareness that we are one with this great mystery that is life.
It is difficult for most of us to access this level of consciousness as we are very caught up in the ups and downs of our individual experiences in the world. The thing to remember about the world, though, is that it gives and takes, and is by its very nature somewhat unreliable. If we only feel gratitude when it serves our desires, this is not true thankfulness. No one is exempt from the twists and turns of fate, which may, at any time, take the possessions, situations, and people we love away from us. Ironically, it is sometimes this kind of loss that awakens us to a thankfulness that goes deeper than just being grateful when things go our way. Illness and near-miss accidents can also serve as wake-up calls to the deeper realization that we are truly lucky to be alive.
We do not have to wait to be shaken to experience this state of being truly thankful for our lives. Making an effort to be fully present for a set period of time each day can do wonders for our ability to connect with true gratitude. We can also awaken ourselves with the intention to be more aware of the unconditional generosity of the life force that flows through us regardless of our circumstances.
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Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project 519B Hartnell Street Monterey, California 93940 831.333.9091 msqlp@sbcglobal.net
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