Welcome to July at FACT Oregon!

We hope everyone is getting and enjoying some sunshine and staying cool!
In This Edition:

  • Welcome Britania!
  • Community Spotlight!
  • All Ability Tri4Youth
This month we are excited to formally welcome our new Bilingual Program Specialist, Britania Vasquez-Elorza! She is a recent graduate of Activate Your Advocacy: Parent Leadership Training and we are thrilled to have her join our team. You can reach out to say hello at Britania@factoregon.org.

The summer months mean planning time for FACT Oregon!  We’re working on and scheduling:
  •  Back to School Virtual Summit
  • Activate Your Advocacy Parent Leadership Fall 2022 Cohort
  • Preparing for the Transition to Adulthood Virtual Summit
  • An Early Childhood Virtual Summit
  • IEP and IFSP Trainings
  • Behavior and the IEP trainings
  • A Tri4Youth Virtual Challenge in August
  • An in-person All Ability Tri4Youth in Southern Oregon coming in October together with our partner, Bridging Communities.
  • …and so much more!!

We will be updating our website and social media once events are confirmed so keep checking or join us on social media!

This month we are featuring The Standard in our community spotlight. Learn more about them below and visit their website to learn about the contributions they have made to our community, and the ways they are supporting this year’s All Ability Tri4Youth!

As always, thank you for being in community with us at FACT Oregon.
Christy Reese, Executive Director
Whats New at FACT Oregon
Welcome to our new staff: Britania Vasquez-Elorza

Britania was born and raised in Portland, OR. She is a mother of a five-year old boy who was diagnosed with Autism a year ago. Even though her son was just diagnosed, Britania knew her son was on the spectrum. She spent two years advocating and fighting for a diagnosis, so her son can receive the help and services that she knew he needed to be successful in life. During this journey, Britania realized how little she knew about the disability world and how many stigmas still existed in her community. Britania started researching different support groups and organizations, which led her to the Activate Your Advocacy Parent Leadership Advocacy training with FACT Oregon! After completing the training Britania felt empowered to continue her journey to become a strong advocate for her son and families alike. Her goal is to bring awareness to the Latinx community regarding resources, self-advocacy skills, and special education. She is enthusiastic to be part of the team!

Learn more about Britania and our other amazing staff at www.factoregon.org/fact-oregon-staff.
Our All Ability Tri4Youth is coming back with Virtual and in-person events! Join us live in Southern Oregon or virtually for this year's event!

All Ability Tri4Youth Virtual Family Fitness Challenge. Three youth in teal shirts smile. One is in a jogging stroller with a sign that reads if you have a body you are an athlete.
Virtual Family Fitness Challenge!
Participate now until 10.1.22
Join us IN PERSON on October 1st for a fully accessible, family bike race at beautiful Hunter Park in downtown Ashland (Jackson County). This event is in collaboration with Bridging Communities and Ashland Parks & Recreation.
Community Spotlight
The Standard

The Standard is an insurance agency located in Portland Oregon that offers a number of different insurance options for individuals, families, business, and organizations. The Standard has been a consistent supporter of FACT Oregon, helping to fund a number of our integral programs, including the All Ability Tri4Youth.

Staff at The Standard are united by compassion. They challenge themselves to go above and beyond to serve communities — not as a number or a policy, but as a person. Every day.

Learn more about The Standard on their website www.standard.com
Up For Discussion!
Articles, videos, and podcasts to spark conversations with your friends and family!
National Disability Independence Day and Celebrating the ADA:

National Disability Independence Day is on July 26th! Learn more about the history of the ADA and the importance of celebrating the amazing strides we have taken for Disability rights and access here!
Keeping up with Learning during the Summer:

The summer often comes with fun and excitement and its easy to forget much of what we practiced during the school year. Read here for tips on maintaining healthy habits during the summer!
Connect with FACT Oregon
Support families
experiencing disability!
Share Your Story!

Share your family's story! Tell us what you've learned along the way and how the support, trainings, or resources FACT Oregon may have provided have helped!

What interesting conversations did this month's content spark with your family?

What would you like to see next month?