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      Newsletter of the AADD, Inc. - All About Developmental Disabilities  

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Our mission

 is to build

 communities of

 support, acceptance,

 and opportunity for

 children, adults,

 and families living  with developmental

 disabilities

    Issue 50                                                                                                        March 2009  

                     (Click on title below to go directly to article.) 

            

 

Calendar of Events

  
 

    

Wednesday, April 8: Experience of Disability in America Film Series presents What's Eating Gilbert Grape? at the Cinefest theater in the University Center at GSU.  Co-sponsored by AADD.  For more information, please contact Jessica Howell at 404-413-1287 or jhowell@gsu.edu.
    

Wednesday, April 15: Experience of Disability in America Film Series presents Mozart and the Whale at the Cinefest theater in the University Center at GSU.  Co-sponsored by AADD.  For more information, please contact Jessica Howell at 404-413-1287 or jhowell@gsu.edu.
    
April 17-18: Opening New Worlds Disabilities Ministries Conference at Smoke Rise Baptist Church, Stone Mountain.  For more information and to register, please visit the Developmental Disabilities Ministries of Georgia website.
    

Wednesday, April 22: Experience of Disability in America Film Series presents Her Name is Sabine at the Cinefest theater in the University Center at GSU.  Co-sponsored by AADD.  For more information, please contact Jessica Howell at 404-413-1287 or jhowell@gsu.edu.
    
April 24-25: Sibling 101 Workshop at the DoubleTree Guest Suites Galleria - Atlanta.  For more information, please see the story below.
     
Wednesday, April 29, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.: AADD’s Heart of Gold Awards Event at the Emory Conference Center, 1615 Clifton Road, Atlanta.  For more information, see the story below.

    

Wednesday, April 29: Experience of Disability in America Film Series presents Autism the Musical at the Cinefest theater in the University Center at GSU.  Co-sponsored by AADD.  For more information, please contact Jessica Howell at 404-413-1287 or jhowell@gsu.edu.
    
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1. Mary Yoder retiring as Executive Director

  
 

 

    
After 33 years of service to AADD, Mary Yoder has announced her retirement effective July 1, 2009.
   
Since 1976, Mary has worked diligently in various roles throughout the agency to further its mission of building communities of support, acceptance, and opportunities for children, adults, and families living with developmental disabilities.  “Mary Yoder has made a tremendous difference in the lives of many people,” said Lesa Hope, Director of AADD’s Community Services Division.
   
“When an issue or concern is brought to Mary, whether work related or personal, she is able always to help the person see the bigger picture of things and a better way to handle whatever the issue or concern is.  For her insight and wisdom, she will be deeply missed,” said Azalene James, AADD’s Director of Georgia Family Support.
    
To read a message from Mary about her experiences with AADD and her choice to retire, please visit our homepage.  Look for a detailed synopsis of Mary’s three decades of service in our print newsletter, which will be distributed later this spring.
       
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    2. AADD preparing for the 2009 Heart of Gold Awards Event

  
 


   
AADD Board President Linda Wilson (left) with 2009 Heart of Gold Award-winner Robyn Berger (center) and Mary Yoder, AADD Executive Director and winner of the AADD Employee of the Year Award (right).

  

 

     

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With less than a month before the event, AADD staff and volunteers are working hard to prepare for this year’s event.  Invitations have been printed, online registration and raffle ticket purchasing options have been activated, and nominees have been selected.  “We had an amazing batch of nominations this year, both in numbers and quality.  We received 40 nominations for 33 different individuals and organizations,” said Jim Kirk, AADD Board member and head of the award selection committee.

The 2009 Heart of Gold event will be different from previous years.  “The new reception format will offer our guests a time to meet new people, mingle with old friends, and congratulate award winners while enjoying a variety of hors d’oeuvres in an absolutely beautiful setting.  The program will include music that is sure to warm your heart and lift your spirit.  We’ve tried to refocus the event to ensure that it brings the community together to celebrate and honor exemplary individuals," said Mary Yoder, AADD’s Executive Director.  “We’re also excited that we’ve added raffles to this year’s program.  We’ll be raffling off three extravagant packages: one centered on a beach getaway, one on a mountain retreat; and one package that will allow couples to dine around Atlanta in a variety of fine restaurants.”

This year’s Heart of Gold award recipient, Robyn Berger, is an activist who has influenced the development of many innovative programs for people with developmental disabilities.   She has played a major volunteer leadership role in areas such as the right to a public school education for all people with disabilities, the Aging and Disabilities Network, and reducing or helping to close big institutions so that emphasis could be directed toward comprehensive community-based programs.  Robyn served as President of the AADD Board of Directors, is the Assistant Director of the DeKalb Developmental Disabilities Council, and serves on many boards and committees of organizations that provide services for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Additional award winners will include Carol Rossiter (Tom Graf Award), Sandy Foxworth (Tommy Nobis Award), Whitney & Peter Moister (Jocelyn Dorsey Community Philanthropy Award), Ann Miller and Michael Landis on behalf of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (Employer of the Year), Richard Brandon (Employee of the Year), Marc Wollam (Outstanding Individual Achievement Award), Senator Rene Unterman (Advocacy Award), Suzi DiPietro (Educator of the Year), Amy Rosenberg and Dina Shadwell (Vital Service Award), Andy Miller and Alan Judd (Media Award), and Mary Yoder (AADD Employee of the Year).

To learn more information about Robyn or this year’s Heart of Gold event, please visit our event website.  To sponsor this year’s event as a “Friend of Robyn” or another of this year’s award winners, purchase tickets to the event, or purchase tickets to one of the raffle packages, please follow this link.
    
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 3. AADD begins new intensive leadership and advocacy program

  
   
    
Thirty participants from around the state joined AADD for the first session of it’s new Leadership Training program on March 6-8 at Bagby State Park in Fort Gaines, Georgia.
    
This new program has replaced Partners in Policymaking as AADD’s primary effort to connect family members and self advocates from around the state for the purposes of strengthening leadership skills and developing future advocates.  The program represents a move to a more intensive and improved way for AADD to deliver training programs.
    
The first session covered various topics including the history of services for people with developmental disabilities in Georgia, People First Language, community building skills, and the benefits of interpersonal connections for improving advocacy.
    
For further information on AADD’s training programs, contact Linda Anderson at Linda@aadd.org
   
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 4. AADD in the news...  
 

   
AADD has recently been featured in several articles and editorials in newspapers such as the the Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Times-Georgian, and the Macon Telegraph and on websites including Travel Muse.  Click here to see a list of these important pieces and to read these articles.
     
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 5. AADD participates in Disability Day at the Capitol  
 
    
Dave Blanchard, AADD’s Director of Public Policy and Education, speaks in front of a crowd assembled for Disability Day at the Capitol on February 25.  Many AADD staff, volunteers, and program participants joined over 2,000 others to attend the rally and speak out about the importance of continued advocacy for community-based services.		  

   
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 6. AADD Sponsors Sibling 101 Workshop  
 

   
AADD is proud to sponsor a workshop on April 24 & 25 addressing the lifelong issues that siblings of individuals with developmental disabilities face.  The event will feature a presentation from Don Meyers, the nation’s leading trainer and educator on sibling support.  Presentations will be geared towards parents and service providers and will cover ways to help siblings with various issues including resentment, loss, and concerns about the future as well as accentuate the unique opportunities they often have for compassion and advocacy.
    
For more information or to register for the workshop, please contact Deanne Hendrickson at 678-797-2032 or dhendric@kennesaw.edu.
    
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 7. Spamalot, Broadway Across America raise over $8,000 for AADD  
 

   
Through a partnership with Broadway Across America and Ticketmaster, AADD distributed a link via e-mail and the e-AADDvocate for discounted tickets to see Spamalot, the musical version of Monty Python’s Holy Grail, for March performances at the Cobb Energy Center.  Tickets purchased through this offer also set aside a $5 donation to AADD from Broadway Across America.
    
While the final tally hasn’t yet come in, we are happy to report that friends of AADD took advantage of this offer in droves: AADD will net over $8,000 from ticket sales, according to Stephanie Parker, Broadway Across America’s Mid South Vice President.
    
“We are truly appreciative of Broadway Across America’s efforts on our behalf—not only could we offer discounted tickets to a wonderful show to our many friends, but we were able to use it to raise money to help support people with developmental disabilities,” said Susan Mumpower-Spriggs, AADD’s Development Director.   “We are thrilled at how well this program has done,” said Stephanie Parker.
    
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 8. Activity Connection  
 

   
For information on recreation or education events, click here to visit the “Recreation” section of our AADD Web site.
   
Pictured: AADD Special Olympic swim team coach Casey Drake (center), with athletes Stacy Anderson (left) and Clay Conrad (right).

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