~To empower, educate and connect those living with bilateral upper limb loss |
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Executive Director's Message
The final numbers are in and Ronnie Hindsman raised close to $17k for Enhancing Skills for Life at his 3rd Annual Bowling Tournament! This was completely unexpected and exceeded everyone's wildest dreams considering all the hardships with COVID. Thank you Ronnie, the tireless organizers and the amazing Livingston, TX community for your continued support. Kudos to Ronnie for continuing to pay it forward knowing it will allow Enhancing Skills for Life to keep holding the Skills for Life workshops for those missing both arms or all four limbs.
Mark your calendars for February 12-13, 2022 to join us for Ronnie's 4th Annual Fundraiser! Let's make it a SFL v2.0, just with bowling and socializing!
Did you know ESFL has a YouTube channel that features the various channels from our Skills for Life community? Ever wondered how others tie shoe laces, shower, get dressed, open a coke can, play basketball, or ride a bike? Make sure to check out the channel to see everyone's mad skills. If you have not attended a Skills for Life workshop before, but have been curious what it might be like, click here to see our slide show from 2018 on our YouTube Channel.
Keep reading for more information on our upcoming private and public zoom meetings as well as updates on the Virtual Skills for Life Workshop in October and the Adaptive Equipment Publication.
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Private Monthly Zoom Meetings |
We have been hosting Tips n Tricks Zoom meetings since May 2020 and have covered kitchen gadgets, technology hacks, dressing, bathing, toileting, taking care of your caretaker, coping & grief, make-up & hair, caregiver meetup and hobbies.
Please join us on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 (St. Patrick's Day!) at 4pm central for "Adaptive Sports", led by Christine Lentz and mark your calendars for April 21, 2021 for "Hunting", led by Jason Koger.
Click here to request zoom login information. If you are a member of the Skills for Life Facebook private group, the login information is posted there. The link stays the same every month. Keep in mind some zooms are casual and some are more serious, recordings may or may not take place.
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Starting in 2021 we began hosting public informational Zoom sessions. Please mark your calendars for the below topics:
-March 31, 2021 "How to Advocate for Yourself & Others" led by L Bradley Schwartz, attorney & quadruple amputee
* Save this email and click the below link to join the Public Zooms.
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Adaptive Equipment Publication
We have exciting news to share... the Occupational Therapy program at Texas Woman's University in Houston, TX has several students who have recently volunteered to help get this project over the finish line! Remember we are not able to use images from Amazon so we are looking to crowdsource the images from you to avoid any copyright/permission issues.
Make sure to CLICK HERE to upload your images for our Adaptive Equipment Publication.
As a heads up, two of the student volunteers will be joining the Skills for Life and Quad Squad Facebook Groups to search through old posts for equipment and will be contacting you to obtain permission for your image.
Please email us if you have any questions.
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SFL 5 1/2: Still Connected
Bilateral Upper Limb Loss Workshop
Registration coming soon so be on the lookout for future emails, bookmark our website or follow us on FB. The program will take place on October 15-16, 2021, specific times and agenda will be released closer to the event.
We will be cutting off registration a few weeks prior to the event so we can ensure all registrants have enough time to familiarize themselves with the platform. We will have a pre-event happy hour, live speakers, recorded sessions, live breakout sessions, an exhibit hall, message boards, contests with small prizes and more! Even though we can't be together in person this year, we are trying our best to make this experience the best it can be and get everyone excited for 2022 in Houston, TX!
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Become a Sponsor
Skills for Life 5 1/2: Still Connected will take place online October 15-16, 2021.
Many thanks to Coapt, Handspring, Hanger, Point Designs, TIRR Memorial Hermann and USISPO for being Skills for Life 5 1/2 Sponsors! Please make sure to visit all of our amazing SPONSORS at the end of this newsletter and thank them for their support!
The Skills for Life workshop is only possible because of the generosity of our sponsors! We still have spots available and would love to include you in our Exhibit Hall, so please click on the information link below to learn about options and click HERE to start the sponsor registration process.
By being a sponsor, you will help us keep our community connected and be a part of our "Meet the Sponsors" Zoom scheduled for September 2021. We will make sure to promote you in our sponsor section at the bottom of this monthly newsletter, on our social media as well as on our public zoom sessions. Click here for additional information about sponsorships and the button below to become a sponsor. Please contact us with any questions or to discuss opportunities.
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Financial Assistance
Limb loss individuals may apply for scholarships to attend Skills for Life workshops or other events where there are opportunities for face to face interaction with individuals missing at least both arms or all four limbs (Amputee Coalition National Conference, Quad Squad Muster, Camp No Limits, etc). Financial aid requests need to be completed and submitted online. COVID-19 financial aid is also still available for those in need. Please be as thorough as possible in your applications and provide good contact information as follow up emails or phone calls may be necessary. Please contact Kristi Turner with any questions.
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Skills for Life Planning Committee
Shawn Swanson Johnson, OT (co-chair)
Kristi Turner, OT (co-chair)
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Diane Atkins, OTR
Jon Batzdorff, CP
John Dombo
Wendy Hill, OT
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Scott Hosie, CP
Danielle Melton, MD
Eric Nelson
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Levin Sliker, PhD
Fanny Schultea, CP
Mike St Onge
Patricia Tully, OT
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Enhancing Skills for Life, 501c3
Board of Directors
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Rod McCracken, Chair
Jeff Mulvogue, Treasurer
Mike St Onge, Secretary
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Harold Sears, PhD
Gerry Stark, CP
Annae Jones
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Samoana Matagi
Karen Lundquist
Mara Herschbach
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Thank you SFL 5 1/2 Sponsors!
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Help us continue to provide meaningful connections!
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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? OR click here to change your current AmazonSmile charity to ESFL today!
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Contact Us | 713-240-8336 | Email
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