MDSC Teen & Adult Newsletter
 Summer edition!
July 10, 2020

Hello MDSC teens and adults (and families and friends),

We hope your summer is off to a good start! Things will be a lot different this summer with the need to continue social distancing. Are you enjoying time outdoors? Are you able to see some family and friends? Let us know what you are up to!

We are excited to have 2 Zoom events this month for teens and adults. Please read below for more details.

With the summer here, our newsletters are not coming out every Friday. But, we would still LOVE to hear from you and share your updates in an upcoming newsletter!

Stay cool!
Colleen, Kristen and Laura
Congratulations to Philip Donahue on 25 years at Market Basket!
With the coronavirus pandemic in full swing, our  Your Next Star  ambassador Phil Donahue took some time off from his job at Market Basket in Tewksbury. However, he was invited back to Market Basket to celebrate his remarkable 25th Anniversary!

After 3 months away from the store, Phil returned to celebrate with co-workers and family (using best practices in social distancing- elbow bumps are the new high five!) and was so happy to be back on the job as he was celebrated over the intercom in a special ceremony.

Congratulations Phil!
Upcoming Events
for teens & adults with Down syndrome and their friends, ages 13+
Saturday, July 18
10 am

We are excited to team up with Alpha Sigma Tau of Bridgewater State University for a round (or three) of Bingo!
It has been a while since many of us have 'seen' each other, so we will start off our Zoom event with some time to share and catch up with one another!

Wednesday, July 29
1:30 pm

Do you have questions about how to eat and live healthier?

Join us to learn from MDSC Self Advocate Advisory Council member Kate Bartlett! Kate will share tips, her healthy choices blog, answer questions you have, and we will end with a fun game!

Staying Active & Well
Now that Massachusetts is starting to reopen, you might be going out more and/or seeing family and friends. If you need any reminders about wearing a mask and washing your hands, the video below might help!
Parent Corner
As Massachusetts continues the phased reopening, there are new questions and challenges ahead. We continue to compile resources on our COVID-19 resource page .


Other webinars that may be of interest include:
  • Sleep in Adolescents and Adults with Down syndrome - Tuesday, August 4 at 1:30pm, Drs. Brian Chicoine and Katie Frank of the Adult Down Syndrome Center in Illinois will discuss the importance of sleep as well as practical steps you can take to promote good sleep. They will also discuss conditions and issues that can lead to sleep disturbances. Both medicinal and non-medicinal ways to address sleep disturbances will be described.
  • Supported Decision Making - What is it and why is it important? - Thursday, July 16 from 10:30am - noon, The Arc of Greater Haverhill-Newburyport is hosting this webinar about alternatives to guardianship such as Supported Decision-Making (SDM) and why it is so important. You will hear about how SDM empowers young people to keep their rights and be respected for their decisions. You will have an opportunity to share your own experiences with this topic and ask questions.


Recent events in our country have reinforced the need for continued work towards justice and inclusion. The MDSC is as committed as ever to our founding ideals of diversity and inclusion. MDSC Statement on Inclusion and Black Lives Matter

MDSC Virtual Conference
Have you checked it out yet?!
We are so excited to feature the passions and talents of some of our MDSC adult leaders!

Parents, there is a lot for you, too, including Planning for Two Generations, Medical Updates, Supporting Positive Behavior, Building Skills of Independence and more!