|
From the President
Closure is an interesting concept. It is an important social work value in that when a social worker or a client is ending a relationship, it is valuable to spend the time talking about the process of "letting go". That said, I am beginning the process of "letting go" of my work here at MSQLP.
"The hardest and saddest part in a relationship is when it ends. It is even more difficult when you don't know the reasons why." While I was in Florida attending the Consortium of MS centers Annual Meeting (where MSQLP received the HOPE award), I reconnected with an old family friend. She lives in The Villages, a huge retirement community in central Florida. We got to talking and I got to thinking and asking questions about life in The Villages. On my trip up to Georgia with my sister-in-law, we stopped in The Villages and I bought a house! My son and his family just moved from Campbell to Texas. I no longer have family on the west coast. I really have not been doing that well personally since my husband died 5 1/2 years ago. It is time to move on physically. I may still be here for Walk 'n Roll, I may not.
But, I wanted to take this time to let everyone know my plans. I will be telecommuting and videoconferencing with MSQLP. This means that I will still be on the Board (though not as President), supervising Grant and Angie, and writing grants. Thank heavens for the internet, the phone, and video-chat! But, the sad part is that I won't get to see all our wonderful clients, present and future, and the great people we get to work with in the healthcare and social service field. As you can tell, I am not completely "letting go" of MSQLP.
I felt truly honored when I began my work with MSQLP in August of 2004. In a way, I feel that MSQLP's free case management program is my legacy. It could not have blossomed without all the wonderful people I got to work and interact with along the way. But, if you want to be happy for me, look up The Villages online. It has its own hospital and medical centers. MSF holds 2 monthly support groups. There are 62 pools and 12 quilting groups. I will be living in a house, not a tiny condo. My children are planning to come to Grandma's house for Christmas! It is all good, including my continued association with MSQLP.
Sincerely,
Andrea Dowdall
Board President
Program Supervisor
|
Upcoming Events
(click the underlined topics for more info)
MSQLP's 7th Annual Walk 'n Roll
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Register/Check-In: 9:30AM
Start Time: 10AM
El Estero Park
777 Pearl Street
Monterey, CA 93940 93940 MSQLP T-shirts & Grocery Totes on sale at the event! (Free for people who participate in fundraising teams for MSQLP!)
Support Groups
MS Salinas Support Group Friday, August 16th 11AM-1PM
Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital
Downing Resource Center- Room A
MS Monterey Support Group Saturday, August 17th 11AM-1PM
MSQLP Office- 519B Hartnell Street
Water Aerobics
Mondays & Wednesdays 12am-1pm
|
Spotlight on Andrea Dowdall
Testimonials and short stories about the beloved Board President & Program Supervisor as she embarks on a new journey in life.
"Andrea Dowdall has been a guiding light in helping me to learn about my MS. When I was newly diagnosed she helped me learn about living with MS by encouraging me to attend the educational events, socialize at support groups, and become a core member of the aquatic therapy program. Thank you for saving my sanity! Without your caring help I would have been lost and struggling to establish my life with MS. Over the years, Andrea has inspired me to challenge the boundaries I encountered as a result of my MS. Whenever I was unsure of my MS, had questions about anything, or just needed to vent, Andrea was just a phone call away. Andrea has been a mentor in my educational pursuits, my personal growth, and my medical well-being. She supervised me as an intern at MSQLP for my first practicum towards my Master's degree in Vocational Rehabilitation. When I needed transportation all I had to do was ask. She has been a trusted friend and someone who has given me unconditional support since the day I met her. Andrea has been committed, determined, and successful in leading MSQLP to stable ground since she first started. You deserve this great new chapter in your life. You will be greatly missed as a leader, a mentor, a colleague, and most importantly as a friend here on this little peninsula. We send you off with great thanks, and excitement for your new adventures on a different peninsula on the other side of the country!
I look forward to our continued interactions with MSQLP via teleconference, Skype, and in person as much as possible."
Carrieanna Hess (MSQLP Board Member
"It is one thing to spend time volunteering for an organization, quite another to essentially rescue the organization from possible disaster. Andrea fought for the survival of MSQLP in a way that revealed something new: I always recognized that she was motivated by a deep love for people who were having difficulties coping with an illness and with the bureaucracy that surrounds health care. These last two years have revealed another side: the toughness to keep going until MSQLP was once more in stable condition. That was truly a feat! My existing admiration for Andrea has become magnified by her leadership these past two years, and I wish her a happy and trouble-free retirement!"
Mary Wessling, PhD, ELS
(previous MSQLP board member)
"Wow - without Andrea MSQLP would not have succeeded in our primary mission of helping MS' ers deal with our unique problems. She is the person that made everything "work." Her energy and drive kept us moving forward even when things got rough. She has done it all and we are blessed to have had her. She will be missed!"
Gene Harter (MSQLP co-founder)
"Andrea's legacy is a model whereby MSQLP should be able to continue to survive. Thanks, again, Andrea for doing all you did to make MSQLP viable! I was one of the people who hired Andrea. She has become a good friend. Our times together we might speak of her health [she has a rare neurological disease similar to MS], movies, her family, her numerous trips, MSQLP and I would reciprocate. I want her to take her life back. She won't be driving all around the tri-county area [on own her nickel], or worrying about MSQLP's balance sheet, i.e., grants and donations versus spending and the salary of the next social worker. Instead she will have fun things to do, like quilting, cooking for friends, and hosting or visiting her family [she has one grand child living in Texas]. She might become a regular at Disney World.
By the way and more than ever before, we need dedicated board members to help maintain and secure a regular income for such a valuable organization."
Marie Swank (MSQLP Vice President) "I first met Andrea many years ago when I was donating a seat-walker that had belonged to a dear (recently deceased) friend. Andrea was compassionate, kind, and even made me laugh. I knew right then that the walker was going to a good place. Later I worked with MSQLP and learned that empathy came naturally to Andrea and many people benefited from her kindness." Amy Lamb Heckel (MSQLP advisor)"It is a challenging feat. Constructing a short-and-sweet letter that would accurately describe in every detail and every way that Andrea has impacted my life. I guess I could start with some background. I first started working under Andrea's supervision as an undergraduate intern from CSUMB in the Fall semester of 2011. It was immediate respect & admiration that I had for Andrea when I saw the weight that she carried supporting a non-profit agency such as MSQLP. This luminous yet humble silver-haired lady showed me everything I know about working with clients. She taught me the strengths of compassion and professionalism in the world of social work. Andrea was the one that taught me how to correctly identify MS specific challenges and she also helped me learn that solving a client's problems didn't always happen instantly but took time, attention, and team work with your peers. Andrea has connected me with more opportunities for growth than I can count. I could not have asked for a better mentor, supervisor, and friend. She has been the key factor to my career development and my professional future. I hope she recognizes that she truly molded me as a human being. I will miss the moments that we share in the office every weekday. Including the challenges that we overcame together in order to keep this agency afloat. I am extremely honored to be assuming the position as banner carrier for MSQLP. I am also confident that with Andrea's oversight, the organization will continue to grow and blossom as it has it the past few years. Andrea's work will never be forgotten and the impact MSQLP makes every day is a reference to that." Grant Helm (MSQLP staff)
Farewell Andrea! We look forward to supporting you on your new journey.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
$30 will fund outreach services for one client. $70 will fund one water aerobics class.
$100 will fund a HouseCall for a client.
|
 | |
Click on iGive logo for details!
|
Benefit MSQLP just through shopping online!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tip of the MonthAnything is possible when you put your mind to it. A review of this year's Alaskan cruise through MSF's Cruise for a Cause program.
Written by Carrieanna Hess (MSQLP board member).
I had never been on a cruise prior to June 2013. I was apprehensive about being on a ship with lots of people for a whole week. I wasn't sure if I would be physically able to enjoy my time on the ship [because I use a wheelchair] let alone the shore excursions that we had planned. Plus, I tend to get motion sickness, so I was worried that I might feel sick the entire time. Fortunately, I was embarking on this excursion with my wonderful aunt Vicki, an experienced cruiser who has been to Alaska a few times.
The trip started with a flight out of San Jose with two checked bags, a backpack, manual wheelchair, and a forearm crutch. Arriving in Seattle I was met by a very nice porter who asked if I wanted to be pushed. I hesitated, but accepted, and he pushed me in my wheelchair from the airplane to baggage claim (with a pit stop). He retrieved my baggage and helped me drop it off at the designated area for Celebrity Cruise line where they attached special tags that had been mailed to me prior to departure, so I would see the bags later.
I boarded a large chartered bus which had a wheelchair lift that took us through Seattle to the port where the Celebrity Solstice cruise ship was waiting. While I was waiting for the driver to operate the lift to get me out, I had time to observe the ship. I was even able to spot my aunt (bright yellow, easy to spot pants!) who was standing out on the balcony of our stateroom. I texted her so she could see which bus I was on, and as I was excitedly waiving in the parking lot before going into the terminal for the cruise ships.
A fifteen story floating prestigious hotel is how I would characterize the cruise experience. You can make it as formal, informal, relaxed or as active of an experience as you want. This was seven days of different, beautiful scenery every moment with fun activities available at each port that we stopped at including Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria B.C.
For more detailed information and pictures about this incredible experience (from my perspective and my aunt's perspective of traveling with someone with MS) please visit and "Like" my stepmom's travel blog:
Anything Is Possible Travel
|
Did You Know?
Educational Websites on MS and developing therapies. Nurturing your health and well-being is important, especially when you're managing a chronic disease in addition to the usual challenges of daily life. Finding out what healthy practices to put in place can be difficult when there are an abundance of resources and educational materials available in print, online, or from a healthcare professional.
Did you know there are various MS treatment options available today that have been shown to decrease the frequency of relapses and to delay disease progression?
There are several ways that these treatment options can be taken. Some treatments use an injection-either subcutaneous (under the skin) or intramuscular (into the muscle)-while others are given intravenously (via an infusion) or orally (by mouth).
Finding reliable information about MS therapies can be difficult. And because we all know that the appropriate specialists and healthcare professionals aren't always available (or on-call) for your questions, you want to be sure you have some trusted materials and resources on-hand that you can refer to when you need some information.
The national MS organizations are optimal sites for gaining the knowledge and information you want on the available and developing MS therapies. The best part is, they are virtually available to you at any time.
Below are sites we would recommend to start your educational journey if you are interested in learning more about MS and it's developing therapies:
MS Association of America
|
|
|
|
of Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project
on GuideStar and help us grow!
|
Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life Project 519B Hartnell Street Monterey, California 93940 831.333.9091 msqlp@sbcglobal.net
|
|
|
