SEEC E-News
January 2020 | Issue Sixteen
National Workforce Crisis
by Lori Sedlezky

The direct support professions (DSPs) that SEEC employs are critical to providing quality supports to people with disabilities. They are key to the success of our mission and vision. It’s because of our staff that we are able to go above and beyond in supporting people with disabilities to lead full lives. Yet in recent years there have been growing challenges that have made it more difficult to recruit and retain DSPs. A combination of factors has made this particularly hard:
·       Increased demand -- Combined with the aging of our nation and improvements in healthcare, a growing number of older adults need support services and numbers will continue to grow. This creates an increased demand for support services.
Inside This Issue
  • Workforce Crisis
  • SEEC Receives a SpArc Tank Grant
  • SEEC at SIlver Branch Brewing Company
  • See What's Happening on SEEC's LinkedIn Page
  • Thank you for helping make our End of Year Appeal success!
  • January Wellness Series
  • Save the Date
SEEC Receives a SpArc Tank Grant from The Arc Maryland Board of Directors for “Moving Out” Training 

SEEC has been awarded a grant from The Arc Maryland Board of Directors to design, develop and deliver a series of trainings to help adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families create their own paths toward successful independent living.

The series will be piloted with a group of approximately 10-15 people receiving supports from SEEC and their primary caregivers. The intent is to replicate this advocacy series in the future to benefit others in Montgomery County and surrounding areas. Furthermore, we will share our model with other providers throughout the state for their replication. 
Thank you for your support!

Thank you to everyone who helped to make our end of year appeal a success! We are thrilled to announce that we exceeded our goal of $30,000 thanks to the generosity of our community! Thank you for helping us continue to make our community a place where people with disabilities can live, work and thrive.
January Wellness Series

Zenit Journals’ mission is to make wellness accessible for everyone. Alina Liao, Founder of Zenit Journals, brought the Wellness Series to the people SEEC supports this January. The Wellness Series was the first rendition of SEEC’s Speaker Series—a new program welcoming volunteers to share their passions and expertise. Read more here!
SEEC at Silver Branch Brewing Co.

Join us for a fun evening out as we raise money and awareness for SEEC! This is a great way to introduce new people to SEEC so invite your friends! Bring the family!
Everyone is invited! The cost is $35 and includes 2 free beers (or free soda) and appetizers. Kids are just $20. Win cool raffle prizes!

When: Wednesday, February 19th
from 5:30-7:30PM
Where: Silver Branch Brewing Company 8401 Colesville Rd #150,
Silver Spring, MD 20910
See What’s Happening On SEEC’s LinkedIn Page!            
by Pamela Toole

In workforce development, LinkedIn is a tool of the trade, with the potential to make connections that lead to employment. It is also a vibrant dialogue about what is happening within an industry or an organization. 

SEEC has embraced this social media platform to highlight our partnerships with community employers and to showcase the employment successes of the people we support. It is also where we share what we are doing to develop our job seekers at many of our new workshops. In a photo below, staff and job seekers recently locked arms to demonstrate the power of connections when learning about creating their own LinkedIn profiles.

Faster than a website can, LinkedIn allows us to celebrate our people almost in real time. Follow the SEEC page to see what’s going on:  SEEC LinkedIn Homepage

One of the many faces in this collage collection from our recent LinkedIn posts may be someone you know! 
#LiveWorkThrive #EveryoneWorks
Mark your calendars!

SEEC Spring Gala 2020
 When: Saturday April 25, 2020
 Where: The Academy of the Holy Cross
301.576.9000 | www.seeconline.org