Volume 1 Issue 1 | January 2020

We're moving... to the third Wednesday of the month!

Starting in February, your monthly North Carolina Down Syndrome Alliance email update will arrive in your inbox on the third Wednesday of each month. To keep up to date, please follow NCDSA on social media and periodically check in on the NCDSA website. 2020 will be an exciting year as NCDSA continues its expansion to under-served areas of North Carolina. Connect with NCDSA

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Join us for the 3rd Annual Mardi Gras Party and experience a night like no other! Wear your favorite Mardi Gras attire and join us for our Karaoke Star Search Competition, dinner, and dancing; all while raising funds for NCDSA’s programs. Come prepared to sing or donate to hear your someone else sing. The goal is to raise $60,000 to fund NCDSA's Education and Empowerment programs.

Join the Party

Register Today

Parent Mentor Training Are you the parent of a child with Down syndrome under the age of 8 and would like to mentor a new family as they begin their journey? If so, please save the date for the NCDSA Parent Mentor Training. For new and expectant parents, any opportunity to connect with other parents who have had similar experiences can be invaluable. NCDSA will hold a training for parents interested in becoming mentors. Potential mentors must attend the full training and be willing to commit to consistent contact with new families for up to one year. Families who have experience with adoption, medically fragile children, or are bi-lingual are encouraged to participate. Training will be held in Raleigh at the NCDSA office. Advance registration is required. For more information, please contact Mahala Turner, NCDSA Family Support Specialist, at mahala@ncdsalliance.org . Register Now

Teaching Google to understand people with Down syndrome, one voice at a time!

Individuals with Down syndrome, 18 years and older, lend your voice to the future of speech recognition. Google's Project Understood is recruiting people to provide their voice samples to help improve technology and include people with Down syndrome.

Volunteer Spotlight

Tara Moore, MSW has been involved for several years, first by serving on the former TDSN Board of Directors as Secretary. She has remained a valuable volunteer since her board term expired. Tara is instrumental in the success of the annual golf classic and fills in where she is needed at the Buddy Walk. She takes her love of advocating for people with disabilities by working with our teens and adults with Down syndrome at the NC Down Syndrome Conference. As an IDD Care Coordinator at Alliance Health, Tara works on the front line of bringing much needed supports and services to the greater IDD community. Thank you Tara!!!

For more info - email mahala@ncdsalliance.org

Monthly Research Focus

Families may contact Shannon Sweeney at 919-843-1331 or email shannon_sweeney@med.unc.edu for more information or to enroll.

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Buddy Walk on Washington Comes to North Carolina

You’ve heard of the Buddy Walk® on Washington Advocacy Conference, but in 2020 the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is bringing you the first Buddy Walk® to End #LawSyndrome — Coming to a Congressional district near you!  What is the Buddy Walk® to End #LawSyndrome? This event does not include a walk or festival-like activities that occur at our local Buddy Walk® and it is not an advocacy day. It is a local, in-district, grassroots strategy effort coordinated by the advocacy and policy team at the NDSS. Join the North Carolina Down Syndrome Alliance as we bring important information to our Senators and Congressmen/women here in North Carolina. Register to participate with the NDSS today!

NCDSA Adoptive Families Facebook Group

The NCDSA Adoptive Families Facebook Group exists to empower, connect, and support families in North Carolina who have adopted children with Down syndrome. This private group is a place to share and seek support and allow for authentic opportunities for parents to connect with one another. To be a member, you must live in North Carolina. Join the Facebook Group

Healthcare & Direct Service Provider Training

Optimizing Care for Adults with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities   February 7, 2020    8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Southern Regional AHEC Education Center Fayetteville

2020 IDD Services Conference: Building Blocks for the Future in Practice March 19-20, 2020 The Education Center Eastern AHEC Greenville

Upcoming Events NCDSA Calendar January 11th: New Parent Support Meeting (Raleigh) 10:00 a.m. January 11th: Parent Mentor Training (Raleigh) 10:00 a.m. January 13th: Dads' Nigh Out Lynnwood Brewing Concern (Raleigh) 6:00 p.m. January 15th: Dads' Night Out Cleveland Draft House (Clayton) 7:00 p.m. January 16th: Moms' Night Out The Mason Jar Tavern (Holly Springs) 7:00 p.m. January 17th: Mexican Feast (Greenville) 5:30 p.m. January 23rd: Moms' Night Out Mez Contemporary Mexican (Durham) 7:00 p.m. January 25th: Eastern NC Down Syndrome Families Playgroup (Washington) 3:00 p.m. February 7th: Moms' Night Out Logan's Roadhouse (Greenville) 6:30 p.m. February 8th: Mardi Gras Party (Raleigh)

Please RSVP

NCDSA Board of Directors Meetings Third Monday of the month | 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Contact: info@ncdsalliance.org

Help us start the year off with a gift!

Your generosity helps sustain NCDSA throughout the year as we embrace new families with welcome baby bags and provide new and expectant mothers and healthcare providers with up-to-date and accurate information about Down syndrome. Whether it is a box of copier paper or a box of diapers, every item helps NCDSA reach its goal of serving the North Carolina Down syndrome community.