Spring is here, and there's a lot blooming at The Arc of Aurora! | |
We have new faces, a fresh newsletter look, and excitement around the 7th Annual Online Auction. We've been out and about in the community, we're excited about expanded accessibility for nature trails in Aurora, and we are here to provide policy updates to help clear up confusion around recent case management changes. Read on for more! | |
|
*News You Can Use is now available in Spanish!
Linguistic equity is important to us. We will be improving this process in the future!
| |
Follow us on social media! | |
Look at these smiles! Notice anyone new? Our team has grown! Look closely and you'll see Lisa Townsend, our newest team member. Second row, on the right. | |
Lisa Townsend, Special Projects Coordinator
Lisa has been working with the IDD community for more than 20 years, as both a board-certified music therapist and as a non-profit leader. Lisa is excited to learn, collaborate, and grow alongside her colleagues in this new role, and is looking forward to creating opportunities to expand support for our members and offer new ways for folks to feel connected to our organization and community. She's also responsible for the new look of this newsletter and will most certainly be bidding on MANY of the items she helped organize for the online auction!
| |
The newest addition to our Arc of Aurora family
Join us in welcoming baby Cora to the world! After a long-awaited arrival, this April baby came early in the morning... and swiftly! It is with joyful hearts and lots of excitement that we congratulate Rachael Kelly, one of our Individual Advocates, and her husband Brendan, as they begin the journey of parenthood. We wish them all well as they embark on their first of many new adventures as a family of three!
| |
|
Take our survey and tell us how we can serve and support YOU,
our members, in 2024 and beyond!
| |
|
Did you know that The Arc of Aurora is a membership organization? Our members play an integral part in what we do -- and we want to hear from you!
The first 39 members to complete this survey will receive a FREE Amazon Fire Tablet OR an Amazon Echo voice controlled smart speaker! If you need help completing the survey, please call Lisa at 720-213-1420, ext. 112. She'll be happy to guide you through the survey over the phone.
*Survey should take 5 minutes or less to complete.
| |
|
We received a generous donation of disposable undergarments.
Please come and get some!
| |
|
SMALL
- 2 packages of XS Goodnights
- 12 packages of Size 2 Prevail Briefs
LARGE/XL
- 12 packages of XL Sleep Overs for children 60-125lbs
- 7 packages of L Prevail Daily Underwear (44"-58")
- 5 packages of Prevail Underpads (23"x36")
| |
 
|
Upcoming Events and Announcements | |
|
If you haven't already, mark your calendars and share with your friends -- our annual fundraiser is almost here!
Whether you're looking for a getaway, a family fun day, or a unique gift for yourself, there's something for everyone.
Bidding begins on Wednesday, May 1st at 9:00 am (MST) and thanks to our generous donors, we already have many great items up for auction.
Get a sneak peek NOW and save your favorites -- we'll be adding much more in the coming week!
| |
|
We are still seeking donations to include in our online auction! Donors will be featured in front of our wide audience of supporters.
Some of our most popular auction items have included:
- Restaurant gift cards
- Hotel getaways
- Tickets to concerts/sporting events
- Gift baskets
- Professional services
| |
To arrange your donation, contact Lisa:
ltownsend@thearcofaurora.org // 720-213-1420, ext. 112
| |
Let's give it up for David, one of our self advocates! David took the initiative and requested a meeting with Ward 3 Councilman Ruben Medina and City of Aurora code enforcement officer Breezy Maynes. They paid a visit to his home for David to discuss the issue of sidewalk accessibility for people with disabilities and the elderly in Aurora, CO. This is advocacy in action!
| |
Arc of Aurora in the Community | |
Krystal, Petri, and Lisa represented the Arc of Aurora in support of Disability Rights Advocacy Day at the State Capitol. This event aims to provide the visibility people with disabilities are often not given and strengthen the advocacy happening around the state to include policy changes at all government levels. | |
Workday invited THINK+change, the Arc of Aurora's training program, to Boulder, where Erica and Hanni trained over 100 workmates on Exploring The Inclusive Workplace - Unraveling Disabilities, covering visible and invisible disabilities, the impact of trauma, ableism, microaggressions, and practical takeaways that anyone can do. | |
City of Aurora's Open Space and Natural Resource Division | |
"Everyone should be able to enjoy nature."
We're celebrating the city of Aurora's move towards inclusivity, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the many beautiful parks, trails, and outdoor adventures Aurora has to offer! The Action Trackchair® is an all-terrain wheelchair that can be reserved free of charge for use year-round at the Plains Conservation Center and Star K Ranch. For more information, visit this website.
Watch the Trackchair in action! https://youtu.be/nPeTz6eiyUc
| |
|
Updates on Service Disruptions and Case Management Challenges
Submitted by Petri Brill, Individual Advocate
| |
|
When the public health emergency (PHE) ended and case management redesign (CMRD) launched late last year, the rollout was less than ideal and caused an ongoing wave of service disruptions. Many clients experienced disruptions to or even lost their waiver services; many clients were dropped from their CCB’s or transferred to a different CCB. Other clients were reassigned case managers or just got lost in the system to where their case managers couldn’t access the client records.
At the beginning of March, the Arc Network came together and wrote a letter to the Governor’s office sharing lived experiences and implications of this chaos within the IDD and disability communities...
| |
Sometimes you need resources and information to supplement the support you may be receiving from The Arc of Aurora. Additionally, organizations and other professionals want reliable information about how to be more accessible, equitable, and inclusive. Recognizing that we all can benefit from having access to information that expands our knowledge and attitudes around disability, THINK+change was born. | |
THINK+change, a program of The Arc of Aurora, has its own website and newsletter! We'll continue to give you a sneak peak at what's new on the training and education side of our organization, but consider this your invitation to remain curious and dive in deeper! | |
|
To see our top-rated Talks, Trainings, and Tools over the past year,
check out the most recent THINK+change newsletter: https://conta.cc/3PlGqh3
| | | | |
