NEWSLETTER/Nwsltr JUN05

Kendall McGrew, a University of West Georgia (UWG) freshman from Stone Mountain, Renee' Baptiste, a UWG freshman from Sugar Hill, Erica Brantley, of the Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities, Pete Garijanian, a UWG junior from Fayetteville, and Joshua Opoku, a UWG freshman from Stone Mountain, look on as UWG Health Educator Debra Dugan receives a proclamation from Governor Sonny Perdue declaring Friday, September 9, as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day.

Crystal Russell, health education manager at the Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities (AADD) presents the award as Chaz McCrary, a UWG freshman from Lithonia, and Lokie Harmond, an AADD intern, look on.

Russell and several members of her staff were in Carrollton on Thursday, talking to more than 700 UWG students about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, the leading known cause of developmental disabilities. "We teach that drinking while pregnant causes birth defects that are 100% preventable, but 0% curable. This is child abuse that lasts a lifetime," said Russell. She and her staff emphasized that no amount of alcohol is safe for a woman who is pregnant or thinks she may be pregnant, as drinking alcohol while pregnant can damage the developing fetus.

Thoughts for the Day...

Never doubt

that a small group

of thoughtful, committed citizens

can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that

ever has.

~Margaret Mead

(1901 - 1978)

Character

– the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life –

is the source from which self respect springs.

~Joan Didion

(1934 - )

Charity sees the need not the cause.

~German Proverb

You can tell a lot about a fellow's character

by his way of eating jellybeans.

~Ronald Reagan

(1911 – 2004)

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For more information, contact Crystal Russell, AADD Education Manager, at 404-881-9777, ext. 205

or by email to: crystal@aadd.org

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2. Snapshots from AADD’s “Who ~~Doesn’t~~ Didn't

Like A Day At The Lake !" (unified activity)

Thanks to the generosity of AADD Board member Dave Erickson and members of the University Yacht Club, more than 200 participants in AADD’s recreation program, as well as family and associates, enjoyed a day of big fun, sun, and fellowship at Lake Lanier on the sunny Summer Sunday afternoon of August 28.

"This is always a blast. This year though, we had more people than ever who got to go on a boat ride, fish, swim, eat a HUGE hamburger, and enjoy a day outdoors," said Dan "Dij" Evatt, AADD recreation manager.

Dan and Dr. Erickson have been coordinating the event for three years now. About 20 fellow members of the University Yacht Club join Dr. Erickson and his wife Mary Ellen, to host the men, women, and children who come to bask in the late-summer sun. In addition, this year, a video crew from WSB-TV came to document part of the activities, as WSB is helping with a new video presentation for AADD.

Boats left the docks about every 15 minutes, taking dozens of "day-at-the-lake" guests on rides around Lake Lanier.

More than 200 participants, family and friends enjoyed boat rides, fishing, swimming and great food.

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3. Kathie Snow Speaks to Partners, AADD Staff

Kathy Snow, whose groundbreaking book, DISABILITY IS NATURAL, was greeted with great enthusiasm at a recent "lunch-and-learn" program at AADD. Ms. Snow, who speaks all over the world on "Revolutionary Common Sense for Raising Successful Children With Disabilities," captivated her audience for about 90 minutes teaching staff that we are to always "Presume Competence," use "People First" language, see children with disabilities "FIRST AS CHILDREN." We are also to "recognize and celebrate ABILITY," and realize that "Normal is an Attitude!"

Ms. Snow is a favorite every year with Partners in Policymaking participants, and begins their training with lessons in ways that people with disabilities are more like people without disabilities than they are different.
For more information about this inspiring, humorous, down-to-earth mother of two, visit her website at www.disabilityisnatural.com

Right: Johnnie Belle Boddie, AADD Outreach Specialist,

poses with Kathie Snow (l) and Mary Yoder,

AADD Executive Director (r)

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4. 2005 Legacy of Leadership Nov. 8 - You can still be a Table Captain

AADD's Annual Fundraising Breakfast, set for November 8, 2005, at Trinity Presbyterian Church, is taking shape. Keep an eye on next month's newsletter for more details. You can still sign up to be a volunteer Table Captain.

Contact Carey Sipp by email or at 404-881-9777 Ext. 228 Return to Top

5. Katrina Victims with Disabilities Even More Vulnerable - WAV Group Helps

~ Notes from Mary Yoder, CAE, AADD Executive Director

The conversation for the small group of women, meeting bi-weekly, usually centers around what it means to have a disability, to be poor, and how to prevent being abused again.

With ferocity, Hurricane Katrina slammed those very issues both onto TV screens in Atlanta’s living rooms and into the center of discussion for the Women Against Violence (WAV). It was impossible to ignore the heartbreaking images of people with disabilities, people who are poor, frail and elderly, dazed and displaced from the little stability they had.

These women with disabilities who came together for support, working through their experiences of abuse in their meetings of WAV at the Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities (AADD), could not stop thinking about other moms and women in general who are now without homes.

Mary Yoder, CAE, is Executive Director of AADD

And this wonderfully caring group of women - all living with incomes below the poverty line -- decided they would take action to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. They have committed to create toiletry kits, and more intimately, to offer their individual emotional support to families with persons with developmental disabilities being placed into Georgia’s social service system.

We can learn from these women. We must be diligent about not letting the needs of an especially vulnerable group of victims, people with disabilities, to be overlooked.

According to the National Council on Disability, more than 100,000 individuals in New Orleans and more than 10,000 in Biloxi have disabilities. This includes people who have cognitive disabilities, who are blind, deaf, use a cane or walker, or have mental health needs. It’s safe to say that hundreds, maybe thousands, of these individuals are now, or will be, in Georgia.

The scenario for displaced victims is incomprehensible; and for many persons with disabilities, it’s almost insurmountable. Many individuals with developmental disabilities can’t read or fill out required assistance forms, have difficulty understanding where to go for help, or can’t remember to take their medication, much less the names and dosages. For families with a member who has disabilities, the situation is still grim. As they struggle without necessary medical, social, and transportation support, they face the additional challenges of meeting the special needs of their loved one. For almost all, the familiar daily routines – often the cornerstone for stability and happiness in their lives – have not only been disrupted, but the task of establishing new ones appears hopeless.

While the outpouring of support in Georgia has been tremendous, there is plenty of work to be done to make sure the needs of individuals with disabilities don’t get swept under the collective rug of the massive relief effort. We must be committed to assuring special assistance around the assessment of their individual needs and circumstances and then also for medications, wheelchairs, and assistive technology. Something as seemingly routine as an initial interview needs to be addressed thoughtfully and carefully. It is important for the relief worker to ask about specific medications, and to tactfully inquire about disability because many disabilities are not visible and people may be hesitant to volunteer such information. Inquiries about whether the individual would like assistance in filling out forms, has a social worker, was in special education, takes medication and for what, are very important.

The women of WAV have set a fine example for each of us. They are doing what they can and something they are good at. Their example reminds me that as individuals and as agencies, we each have gifts to offer. So, at AADD, we will provide family support to families that include people with developmental disabilities who come to Atlanta. We will provide information about disability related services to people who call – whether they be families seeking information or groups needing information as they support people who relocate to Atlanta. If you are helping one of Katrina’s victims and need information about resources for people with developmental disabilities, please visit www.aadd.org, or contact AADD at 404-881-9777, ext. 223.

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. 6. Warning: Adopting a family for the holidays can be habit-forming.

In the wake of the tragic and gripping images resulting from hurricane Katrina, as well as the outpouring of kindness and generosity to people trying to rebuild their lives, it might be easy to forget the needs of those people such as the AADD participants for whom day-to-day life is more one of challenges than of opportunities. But remembering them can be a wonderful and memorable experience.

It is these people --and especially the children-- that have made AADD's Holiday Adoption program such a very personal and rewarding experience for the kind "adopters."

Who could forget the ear-to-ear grin of the young girl as she sees the wrapped packages carried into her home? Or the sparkle in the boy’s eyes as he pedals his new bike down the street, purchase tags still attached and flying in the wind.? Or the companionship of mother and daughter as together they prepare an extra Thanksgiving meal to share?

“Every year I adopt one or two individuals and I always learn from the experience. I learn lessons of perseverance and hope and love,” said one volunteer.

AADD is looking for volunteers to adopt families for the Thanksgiving and winter holidays. Most of the families AADD supports live at or below the poverty level; for them, holidays are difficult at best.

The individuals, families, and businesses who adopt an AADD family provide a Thanksgiving meal, a Christmas meal, and holiday gifts for specific family members. In many cases, without such kindness, there would be little to celebrate with, or for.

One volunteer last year recruited her entire family in the effort. They were so moved by the experience that they have remained involved with the AADD family all through the year. In another case, an entire office contributed funds and were able to adopt a large family as a result. “. . . It [brought] such warmth to our office. We could not think of a better way to celebrate the holiday season,” said Melanie Carolan of 360i.com

AADD hopes to get more than 50 families adopted this season. Let us count on you to help!

If you are interested in adopting a family for Thanksgiving or the winter holidays, please contact Riki Bolster at 404-881-9777, ext. 223 or riki@aadd.org. But remember, it could be habit-forming!

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7. Crenshaw, IDN Director, Visits Israel with Interfaith Group

Mark Crenshaw is Director of the Interfaith Disabilities Network (IDN) at AADD. This program aims to facilitate, support and encourage all faith communities in their efforts to be inclusive of all persons.

(left)

Ellen Friedman

Dr. Khalid Siddiq

Mark Crenshaw

-at observation

point by Jordan

River

~Mark Crenshaw

While hurricane

Katrina was

wreaking its

havoc on the Gulf

Coast, and

bringing out both

the best and the

worst in humanity,

I was in the midst

of a different

environment that

also has seemed

to bring out the

best and worst in

people.

Below are a series of snapshots that

Mark took while in Israel.

Thirty-eight pilgrims from the Atlanta area, including thirteen Christian, thirteen Jewish, and twelve Muslim, traveled to Jerusalem and surrounding areas in late August in order to build relationships and to see that part of the world through one another’s eyes. What we found there was a land divided in many ways and for many reasons, but in the midst of conflict, we found hope in our relationships with each other and in the stories and people we encountered there.

The World Pilgrims Interfaith journey to Jerusalem was sponsored by the Community Institute and was undertaken by religious leaders and lay persons from across the Atlanta metro area. We were not only a religiously diverse group, but among us were people younger and older, temporarily able bodied and those of us with disabilities (some of us found the walking in the desert heat nearly as challenging as the political, military, and religious issues we were faced with!), men and women, married and single, with varying political and theological points of view.

Each day we visited significant holy sights for each of the three Abrahamic faiths represented on the trip and each person was paired with someone of a faith different than their own. As a Christian, I spent each day with a Muslim or Jewish person and shared a room with a Muslim or Jewish man at each of our hotels. Everywhere we went, local people were amazed that Jews and Muslims would sleep in the same room or travel together, and that women were included in so many ways.

On this trip I played a significant role in talking about inclusion with respect to people with disabilities, but the conversation about inclusion in our communities and in this world goes beyond that as well. World Pilgrims is one organization that is contributing to this conversation by advocating interfaith relationships.

Through the Interfaith Disabilities Network we have been intentionally building relationships across all kinds of lines-religious, dis/ability, age, ethnic origin, gender. We want to continue to be a source of hope and resource for ever-expanding the circle of inclusion for everyone in our community.

World Pilgrims group by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

in Jerusalem

At the restored Roman amphitheatre at Caesarea; note fiberglass chairs in front rows.

Dome of the Rock / Haram al-Shareef, at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. One of the most sensitive and contested pieces of real estate in the world.

Unusual view at Masada , 440 feet above the Dead Sea. View is taken straight down onto the remnants of the ramp built by the Roman Tenth Legion in A.D. 73, for their attack on the hilltop fortress.

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Amirah Mohammad, of Atlanta, and Mark Crenshaw at Sea of Galilee

8. Down Syndrome Association "Buddy Walk" to be October 15

We want to again remind you of this opportunity to walk for a good cause.

The Buddy Walk sponsored by the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta

Saturday, October 15, 2005

9-10 AM – Registration & Breakfast

10:30 – Walk

9 – 12:00 – music, fun, etc.

Duluth Town Square on the Village Green

Duluth, GA

Cost - $7 per individual walker, $25 per family (2 adults, 2 kids)

You are also encouraged to gather pledges. Last year the event raised $65,000.

For more information, go to www.down-syndrome-atlanta.org, or call 404-320-3233

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9. Recreation - Upcoming Events and Activities

Bowling Starts Soon Unified Activity

The 2005-06 bowling season is just around the corner and AADD’s Special Olympics bowling team will start practice October 15th at Suburban Lanes in Decatur and November 12th at the Brunswick Zone in Roswell. The Decatur league bowls on Saturday mornings. at 10 AM and the Roswell league has two starting times, 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM.

Contact Dan Evatt 404-881-9777 ext 216 email dan@aadd.org

Additional Bowling Programs

Tuesday Afternoons in Stone Mountain

Contact: Alice Bradford 404-679-5920

Wednesday Evenings I-285 & North. Peachtree Rd.

Contact: Sammy Rosenberg 770-395-2602

Saturday Mornings at Norcross

Contact: Mary Means 770-840-8200

Friday Evenings in Lawrenceville

Contact: Bill Black 770-985-0518

Monday Mornings in Conyers

Contact: Tom McPike 770-918-6306

Swimming Unified Activity

AADD’s Special Olympics swim team will start practice on Tuesday, October 18th, with subsequent practices on Tuesday evenings, 7:30 to 8:30 PM. We are lucky enough to practice at the Emory University swimming pool. Also, members from Emory University swim team help coach our team.

Contact Dan Evatt 404-881-9777 ext 216 email dan@aadd.org

Rockdale County Residents:

Tom McPike, with the Rockdale County Parks and Recreation Department, has started and expanded many programs. A few of the activities include After School Programs, Bocce, Halloween Party, Beep Baseball, Miracle Baseball League, Bowling, Sled Hockey, Social Clubs, Wheel Chair Basketball, Basketball, Cooking, Swimming, Soccer, Christmas Parade and Party, and Mother- Daughter Spa Day.

Call Tom McPike at 770-981-6306 and see what’s new.

Bocce (unified activity - including persons with disabilities and without disabilities)

Wednesday Evening

Starts Wednesday, July 6th through October 5th 2005

6:30 to 7:30 PM

No charge except for special events (scholarships available for those events)

Mason Mill Park (Toco Hills Area)

Ages 8 and above.

This is a Unified Bocce group. Everyone is welcomed to play. We need more players for this group.

The team is planning to compete in Special Olympics Fall games in Albany, GA. October 7th, 8th, & 9th of this year.

The more the merrier!

Contact Dan Evatt 404-881-9777 ext 216, email dan@aadd.org

Softball

Thursday Evenings starting in July

Mason Mill Park (Toco Hills Area) Contact Alice Bradford 404-679-5917

Gresham Park (South DeKalb Area) Contact Aseelah House 770-604-3926

6:30 to 8:00 PM

Ages 14 and above

The teams are planning to compete in Special Olympics Fall games in Albany, GA. October 7th, 8th , & 9th of this year.

Cycling

(Unified Activity)

Our group is looking for riders.

We ride each week at Stone Mountain Park. This is a great place to train. There are special bike lanes for us to ride in, riders ride at their own pace, and they ride only as far as they can. We can help riders to get bicycles if need be, and we have great support for our group.

You don't have to be a hardcore cyclist. Everybody rides at their own pace. Come check us out. You don’t have to commit.

This summer, the cycling group took a week-long bicycle trip from Columbus to Jekyll Island in mid-June.

If you are interested or just curious, give Dan a call.

Monday 6:00 PM

Ages 14 and above

No charge except for special events (scholarships available for those events).

Toco Hills Area

Contact Dan Evatt 404-881-9777 ext 216 email dan@aadd.org

New Bowling Program

There is a new bowling program in Cumming GA, at the new Stars & Strikes bowling lanes. The 12 week bowling league started September 13th at 10 AM. The cost is $78 per bowler which includes 2 games of bowling, shoes, ball, a “JOLLY BOWLERS” T-shirt, and the end of the season banquet. These lanes are in Forsyth Co. up Ga. 400. As always bowling is a very popular sport and easy for anyone to do. Contact Cathi Brostrom at 678-513-2148.

South Metro Residents

Check out Fayette County Parks & Recreation Department Therapeutic Programs.

Special Olympics Teams, Happy Club, and Social Activities are just a few of the activities Debbie and her group have for South Metro Atlanta residents.

Contact Debbie Parrish at 770-716-4325

SASSY (A Fun Family Group)

This group in South DeKalb County meets several times a month for social activities. They meet as a family, parents and children, for picnics, parties, bowling, and even trips to Disney World.

Contact: BJ Kelly 770-987-9171

Voice Mail 770-969-9571

Social Club

Meets First & Third Fridays of each month

7:00 PM

Mason Mill Park (Toco Hills Area)

Contact Ms. Aseelah House at Mason Mill Park 404-679-5917 or 404-679-4699

Happy Group

Meets twice monthly at several Metro Atlanta YMCAs, usually Saturday afternoons, depending upon the activity.

Takes field trips such as Braves games, dinner and a movie, dances, plays, wish to fish, Hawks basketball games (we don't sit courtside), paint your own pottery, etc.

The newest location will be in the South Metro Area through the Fayette Co Parks & Recreation and Fayette YMCA Dept. Contact Debbie Parrish 770-461-9714 ext. 5644

Contact Happy Club Voice Mail 404-687-2521

Cobb County Residents:

Contact the Cobb Co. Parks & Recreation Cultural Affairs Therapeutic Recreation Services Unit for lots of activities. They have Social Clubs, Special Trips, Dances, Camps, and various sport teams.

555 Nickajack Rd, Mableton, GA 30126 770-819-3215 Fax 770-819-3218

Cherokee County Residents:

Cherokee County Parks and Recreation Department and AADD are planning growth in its existing program, with a full-time recreation therapist for the county. Call Kim Watt 770-924-7768 and see what’s new.

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Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities - (AADD)

1440 Dutch Valley Place - Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30324-5371

Phone: 404-881-9777

Fax: 404-881-0094

Email, AADD newsletter ONLY: AADDnewsletter@aadd.org

Email, AADD Information: info@aadd.org

AADD web site: www.aadd.org

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Announcements of Activities and Programs are provided as a public service.

If you have announcements of upcoming events, send them to AADDnewsletter@aadd.org, by the 15th of the month. AADD reserves the right to include or edit information.

Excepting programs of which AADD is a sponsor, AADD does not endorse any product, privilege, or service.

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