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~To empower, educate and connect those living without both arms or more

{ November 2022 Newsletter }

Executive Director's Message


Welcome to our new readers! To keep the connection from SFL 6 going strong, we send all of our attendees this newsletter filled with information, resources and helpful links all related to living without both arms or all four limbs.  


GRATITUDE

First, THANK YOU to our SFL 6 Planning Committee. Over the past three years, they have given their time and talent to be sure the 3.5 day workshop was amazing. Your passion for the community was evident in all that you gave in these past months and years. 


WHAT’S NEXT

With the holidays approaching, please mark your calendars for November 29, Giving Tuesday. It began in 2012 as a day to focus on doing good and has grown to be a global movement of generosity. Please consider showing your support by giving personally to Enhancing Skills for Life or by sharing our posts and encouraging others to donate. 


LOSS

For those who may not have heard, we lost Jesse Benitez on October 19, 2022. He and his family were very special to us. After losing all four limbs to sepsis in March 2011, Jesse was determined to return to work at the Amarillo VA. He achieved that goal, then in January of 2020 he accepted the role of Chief of Medicine. He was passionate about sharing ways he devised to be independent and he and his wife Judy became part of the skills for Life family in 2018. We are grateful to have met Jesse and to have beautiful memories of how he impacted everyone he met. Read more about Jesse's amazing life of service.

SFL 6 Workshop Recap


FINAL NUMBERS ARE IN!!

We had 242 attendees over the 3.5 days!! Plus 35+ volunteers from Baylor O&P student program and TIRR Memorial Hermann)

  • 74 individuals living without both arms or more
  • 44 quad limb loss/limb difference (37 sepsis, 7 congenital)
  • 18 congenital limb difference (9 foot users, 7 quad limb difference, 2 residual limb users)
  • 15 bilateral upper limb trauma (electrical or other)
  • 67 family members
  • 42 limb loss/limb different individuals were attending for their first time!
  • 32 scholarship recipients for a total of $26K


We really can’t begin to describe how much SFL 6 meant to all of us on the planning committee. After all of the calls, meetings and visions for all of the various sessions/activities, seeing it all come together was pretty incredible.


To read excerpts from the email that was sent to attendees after SFL 6, including a link to a photo album, please click here. If you post photos from SFL 6, please help ensure people who NEED to find us, CAN find us by tagging Enhancing Skills for Life in your social media posts. We have already been contacted by 8 people saying they saw a SFL Workshop post on social media and wanted more information so keep up the great work of spreading the news!


Read what SFL attendees have to say about the workshops (2015-2022) and watch the SFL 20th Anniversary Slideshow.

Ongoing Studies & Grant Opportunities


Partial Hand Study

The study consists of an online survey and virtual interview and the target audience is any person age 21-57 who has had a traumatic partial hand amputation (2 or more digits on the same hand proximal to the PIP joint but distal to the wrist and may include bilateral partial hand injuries) in the last 12 months and has not received a prosthesis(es). If you know of any potential participants please invite them to participate. 


Upper limb absence and prosthesis use survey

The purpose of this study is to understand issues with control of body powered and myoelectric prostheses, as well as the training received to improve control of the prosthesis. If you have worn or tested a prosthesis, or currently wear a prosthesis, we would love to learn more about your experiences.


Challenged Athletes Foundation Annual Grant Program

CAF's mission is to serve people with physical disabilities through sport and fitness with meaningful grants. Over the last 29 years, we have given over 40,000 grants to individuals with permanent physical disabilities worldwide. Any individual with a permanent physical disability pursuing an active lifestyle through physical fitness or competitive athletics is eligible. Mark your calendars for next years program which will open September 2023.


Tornado Body Dryer

Art Brownstein is offering a body dryer (retail value $1,995) for those living without both arms or more. Please apply by filling out the contact form on their No White Flags Project website. For quicker results use the online form and make sure to include your location. Mr. Brownstein will personally will get back to you within a few days to get the ball rolling. He can also be reached at: art@nowhiteflags.org.

Guest Contributor:

Mental Health Matters


How we stay mentally healthy

Learn to say the word "no".

If we are confident, to say no to anyone is a natural thing.

Write a gratitude journal.

This will be very helpful for us to encourage positive thoughts or talk to ourselves.

Surround ourselves by positive people

Support is what we need to reduce depression.

Meditation

Of course, this has many benefits for mental health as well as physical health.

Mental health matters 


Do you like to write? Do you have something to share with the SFL community? We would love to have you featured in the ESFL Monthly Newsletters! Please submit to skills_for_life@aol.com.

Contributor

Sandy Crisp, LPC-A, CRC, LCDC

Return of ESFL Zooms in 2023


We had an amazing time connecting in person with everyone last month and we would like to provide opportunities to stay in touch. Some of you may remember our zoom sessions in 2020-2021 that helped us stay connected during COVID. Our first zoom of 2023 will be a happy hour social with games. During this zoom we plan out what topics you would like to see covered in 2023 so come make your voice heard.


Mark your calendars for January 18th at 7pm central. Link and invitation will be posted on the Skills for Life FB private group and sent out via these newsletters.

Upcoming Events


Ronnie Hindsman's Bowling Tournament

February 18-19, 2022

Livingston, TX

Fundraiser benefitting ESFL. Come join us! Apply for a scholarship today!


ISPO World Congress

April 24-27, 2023

Guadalajara, MX


Amputee Coalition National Conference

August 2-5, 2023

Orlando, FL

Get Involved!


Let us know if you have time, experience, resources or referrals/connections with any of the below. Our hope is to be able to hire for these positions in the future.

  • Marketing/Social Media
  • Grant Writing
  • Event Planner
  • Scholarship Committee
  • SFL 7 Planning Committee (will likely start communicating Spring 2024)

Ukraine Upper Limb Donation Drive


The Skills for Life 6 Ukraine Upper Limb Prosthetic Donation drive was a success! Thank you Skills for Life attendees for your donations!!! Thank you also to Ted Muilenburg (Baker O&P) and Jon Holmes & Sonny Wiggins (Holmes Prosthetic Center) this would not have been possible without you! Antonina Kumka and Jon Batzdorff, thank you for your guidance with getting all of the donations to Nova Ukraine.

Enhancing Skills for Life, 501c3

Board of Directors

Mike St Onge, Chair

Summer Kozai, Treasurer

Annae Jones, Secretary

John Dombo

Karen Lundquist

Harold Sears, PhD

Gerry Stark, CP

Steve Kaestle

Mara Herschbach

Karen Fetter, Admin

Sponsors & Partners

Help us continue to provide programs, events, resources and meaningful connections!

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Change a Life, Donate Today


The Skills for Life workshop was developed in 2002 with a specific focus on people living without both arms or more and the unique set of circumstances they face on a daily basis. The nonprofit was founded in 2017 to ensure we could continue supporting the members of our community with programs, events, resources and connections.  To donate, please click the donate button in this section.  It will take you to PayPal where you can donate via your account or with a credit card.  Donations can also be made via check, payable to Enhancing Skills for Life, 16111 Park Center Dr, Houston, TX 77059.


Any and all donations, large or small, are greatly appreciated! 

Enhancing Skills for Life, 501c3 Tax ID: 81-2619137. 

ESFL is an AmazonSmile Charity

Consider choosing Enhancing Skills for Life as your 501c3 charity on AmazonSmile! When customers shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to Enhancing Skills for Life.  When first visiting AmazonSmile, you will be prompted to select a charitable organization. Why not choose Enhancing Skills for Life? Click HERE to change your current AmazonSmile charity to ESFL today!
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