~To empower, educate and connect those living without both arms or more | |
{ February 2023 Newsletter } | |
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
ESFL was officially established as a 501c3 in 2017. We initially thought we might be busy every 3 years with the Skills for Life workshops. That quickly changed and in 2019, we recognized the need for our community to connect more often than every 3 years. We also came to realize how diverse the needs of our community are... trauma at work, illness, congenital, family members/caregivers, etc.
In 2023, we find ourselves at a crossroads. We want to provide more opportunities to connect in person and online, create additional programs, plan more events, supply more resources, and much more! All of these ideas require manpower and money. To date, we have existed on donations, sponsorships, and volunteers alone. Beginning this year, we plan on applying for grants so that we are able to accomplish all of our goals! If you have ideas of how ESFL can better serve you and those living without both arms or more, please let us know.
Make sure to continue reading below for information on Ronnie's 5th Annual Bowling Tournament, Peer Connections, a survey for OTs, Mental Health Matters from Sandy Crisp, and last, but not least, an awesome resource from Scott Zweigel, 8 Tips for Advocating for Insurance Coverage for Amputees and Caregivers.
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Ronnie's Recap & Mark Your Calendars for 2024 Event
What another amazing event! Hard to believe that was number 5! What a special milestone! Thank you again to everyone who made it possible... including Ronnie's family, his bowling family, Triple J Lanes, and the wonderful community of Livingston, TX! Every year the raffle and auction items blow us away, this year was no different. This was the largest turnout for this sanctioned tournament to date!
Thank you to Texas Assistive Devices and Reactive Metals. Without the adapted bowling device, this activity would not be possible. We had people either using the bowling device, their residual limbs or their feet to knock down those pesky pins. Some were bowling for the first time since their accident or their first time ever! What a fun and encouraging atmosphere! There might have been a little smack talking too, we have some uber competitive folks in the SFL community!
Enhancing Skills for Life supports people living without both arms or all four limbs with events, programs, resources and peer connections. Getting together in person, learning ways to be more independent, making new friends, having fun singing karaoke, learning new ways to eat Mexican food or picking up a cool new hobby is what it’s all about!
We had a great turnout from our Skills for Life community this year, 6 of whom were able to attend because of scholarships. We would love to have you join us next year so...
Mark Your Calendars for Ronnie's 6th Annual Bowling Tournament which will take place February 17-18, 2024!
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Support, Peer Connections, ADL Hotline
Did you know?
We offer peer support/connections in various forms. It might be an introduction by email ot text, a connection with an individual or group via zoom, or it could be an email with links to helpful resources. Maybe you are new to this community and don't know where to start? Or maybe you have been around awhile, but would like to more independent with certain self-care tasks like dressing, bathing, toileting or eating. Maybe you want to connect with other parents of limb different children?
You can contact us and we will get you connected with someone or maybe a group of people who are willing to help.
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Guest Contributor:
Mental Health Matters
EMBRACING CHANGE
They say there are only two things in life you can count on: death and taxes. I would add a third: changes. Every person goes through changes in life. And some of those changes can be significant.
Whether you are starting a new job, moving to a new city, struggling with a chronic illness, or ending a relationship, you may find dealing with change to be stressful. It’s no secret that some people handle stress better than others. For some, change can lead to anxiety, stress, depression and more. Especially if they already have other life stressors going on.
If you are struggling with a stressful transition or just want someone to vent to you may want to see a counselor. Counselors can help with many areas of your life. The American Psychiatric Association reports counseling can help with the following life events...
Click HERE to read the rest of Sandy's article...
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Contributor
Sandy Crisp, LPC-A, CRC, LCDC
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8 Tips for Advocating for Insurance Coverage for Amputees and Caregivers
To help those entering or dealing with the morass that is obtaining coverage for prosthetic devices, Scott Zweigel, attorney and wife of sepsis survivor, Elizabeth Zweigel, put together this helpful and thorough article for Enhancing Skills for Life to share with you:
Tip 1 - Read the insurance policy carefully.
Tip 2 - Talk to the insurance company early and often.
Tip 3 - There is no need to reinvent the wheel.
Click HERE to read the rest of Scott's advocacy tips.
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Contributor
Scott Zweigel, Attorney
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Survey for Occupational Therapists
Your help is needed with a capstone survey! Please complete a survey on upper limb loss rehabilitation and what you learned in school. Make sure to share with others. The survey is 31 questions long and should take less than 5-10 minutes to answer.
Answer a survey on your experience with education on limb loss/difference and prosthetics in your OT program and your experience with selecting appropriate adaptive equipment for individuals with limb loss/difference as an OT practitioner.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/729RWBQ
For our international colleagues, it mentions that "you are eligible to participate in this study if you are an occupational therapy practitioner who identifies as fluent in English and are over 18 years-old." If you are not fluent in English, you can use Google Translate and select Yes to Question 1 when it asks if you identify as a fluent English Speaker.
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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 Summer 2024)
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Help us continue to provide programs, events, resources and meaningful connections! | |
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Contact Us for more
information!
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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 either the Venmo or PayPal donate buttons in this section. PayPal allows you to donate via your account or with a credit card. Venmo requires you to have an account. 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.
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CONTACT US | 713-240-8336 | EMAIL | | | | |
