TCRC Tri-Line Newsletter - Winter 2008 - Tri-Counties Regional ...

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TO OUR VOLUNTEERS THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE HOLIDAYS TO THOSE WHO MAY NOT HAVE HAD THEM WITHOUT YOUR HELP Angels Bearing Gifts Staff Mary met Evelynn at a support group for parents of special needs children that Evelynn, a licensed therapist, was facilitating and is grateful that Evelynn founded “her Angels group” as it is “clearly one that is needed in the community.” Angels Bearing Gifts serves beneficiaries from Carpinteria to Paso Robles. In her wallet, Mary keeps a Chinese proverb which concludes with the line “If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” (Volunteers seem to instinctively know this.) “If You Want Happiness for a Lifetime, Help Somebody” by Jill Davis, Angels Bearing Gifts Volunteers—what would we do without them? Not nearly as much as we can do with them. One passionate volunteer is worth more than a dozen clock-watchers someone once said. This may have been the same person who said if you want something done give it to a busy person. Mary Watts and Holly Sherwin, two working moms in Santa Barbara, for whom a 24-hour day surely can’t be enough, are living examples of this viewpoint. Interestingly enough, working mothers with school-age children volunteer more hours than any other demographic in America according to U.S News & World Report. “I have done it all my life. It was instilled in me by my parents and in my husband from his parents,” says Mary. “So it is sort of second nature to us.” “It is so easy to get caught up in our everyday routines and forget about or just put off doing something for others,” says Holly. Both women chose Angels Bearing Gifts to introduce their children to volunteering and to the Mary with her son Ben lessons that volunteering conveys. Mary’s son, Ben, and Holly’s son, Alec, have special needs (as does Angels founder Evelynn Smith’s daughter, Michelle) so it is a match that works well on several levels. “It was an eye-opening experience for Alec,” says Holly. “A bit scary at first, but I think he got it. We were able to have a great discussion about the importance of helping our fellow human beings.” And she adds: “Volunteering as a family made the experience so much richer.” Holly and Lanny with their son Alec “I don’t always live up to it the best that I can,” says Mary, “but it is something I usually strive for.” Volunteering as a family and, at this time of year, as a family holiday tradition, is what feels right to so many in our community. It’s giving back. It’s making a difference. It’s an “active lesson” in compassion for children. “As Alec gets older, I hope the extent of our volunteering grows and through it, we also will continue to grow as a family and a community,” says Holly. Both the Sherwin and Watts families are hands-on volunteers for Angels Bearing Gifts, wrapping and delivering holiday gifts to individuals with developmental disabilities who don’t have families. They also sponsor beneficiaries through financial contributions, ensuring that they are remembered on their birthdays, Valentine’s Day as well as Chanukah and Christmas. Volunteers, we need you. We can’t do much without you, and we appreciate everything you do. And if you want to know more about Angels Bearing Gifts and the ways you can help developmentally disabled people without families celebrate the holidays, please call 884.7222 or email info@ angelsbearinggifts.com. It’s not too late to volunteer! 8 | tri-line WINTER 2008
Advocating for My Child and Others by Linda Miyahira, M.S, Service Coordinator, Simi Valley team The word “advocacy” is thrown around more than ever these days. As parents of children with special needs, we are advised to become an advocate by every doctor and therapist we meet. So, what exactly does it mean? Advocacy, according to the dictionary, is the act of pleading or giving verbal support for a cause. To be an advocate means you must become that voice. This is easy enough if you have been trained to speak or have a natural gift for speaking up. For many parents, this is not the case, and it is a scary role that we are suddenly expected to step into immediately for our children. Generally, you are not alone in this process if your child is born with a condition that requires the assistance of doctors, therapists, and service coordinators. However, if your child has a condition that is not immediately obvious to anyone but family and friends, a parent’s world can feel like a dark chasm swirling with a myriad of possible diagnoses (thanks to the Internet) and professionals without names. For those of us involved with the regional center system and our local school districts, some of that confusion has been eliminated, but that does not end our advocacy. It is a lifelong role for many parents. So, where can a parent learn more? Rainbow Connection Family Resource Center is a wonderful support network that is run by parents of children in the Regional Center system. They have a lending library and a number of support group Think you are Getting Sick? How to Tell. . . By Louis Cassano, RN Nurse Specialist affiliates, provide regular trainings for parents and caregivers (which include the development of effective advocating with your regional center and school district), as well as a basic understanding of your child’s rights on both state and federal levels. It is necessary for parents to know when they are ready to advocate. Sometimes a parent must jump in and learn along the way when there is urgency. However, as a service coordinator and a parent, I have seen a number of parents with good intentions create huge rifts with the very people their children need in their lives. They burn bridges where there needs to be a smooth path for children to receive every necessary service to reach their potential. We all go through the grieving process (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance), and it is important to know where you are in that process before going about the business of advocating for your child or someone else’s child. It is also important to make sure that what is being advocated for is in the best interest of the child and not to satisfy a parent’s personal need (or subconscious vendetta). It requires much self-reflection and introspection, which is a brave act in itself. By doing this exercise, we can see more clearly and take a more objective approach. Advocacy is about building bridges and forming links that will give parents and their children appropriate support and access to every service that will help them both on their journey to a fulfilling life. health & safety If you have developed a few symptoms, but are unsure if you have a cold or allergies, the matrix below may help. It lists the symptoms of cold, flu, sinusitis and allergic rhinitis. symptoms COLD FLU SINUSITIS ALLERGIC RHINITIS FEVER Rare in adults and older children, may be high in infants and small children Usually high (102-104) and can last for 3-4 days, fever and chills HEAD ACHE Rare Sudden Onset, may be severe MUSCLE ACHES Possibly mild Yes, often severe TIREDNESS / WEAKNESS Mild Yes, may last two or more weeks EXHAUSTION Never Sudden onset, may be severe NASAL DISCHARGE Watery to thick, cloudy Sometime watery to or white cloudy or white Spotlight on the Web Not usual, fever may indicated infection Yes, may have facial or eye pain Not usual Mild Never Thick yellow-green sinus congestion Not usual, fever may indicate infection Possible Not usual Not usual Never Thin, watery, itchy eye SNEEZING Often Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes SORE THROAT Often Sometimes Not usual Often COUGH / CONGESTION Mild hacking, a lot of clear, Usual, may be severe. Especially at night Possible yellow or green phlegm A lot of clear, yellow or may indicate infection. If green phlegm may indicate infection. If wheez- wheezing, notify your doctor. If cough lasts 14 days ing, notify your doctor. or more, see your doctor. WINTER 2008 tri-line | 9
Page 1 and 2: A Publication of Tri-Counties Regio
Page 3 and 4: A Community Works Together by Dan V
Page 5 and 6: (Dis)ability Through Education and
Page 7: Ventura County Rainbow Connection -
Page 11 and 12: awards TCRC staff news Please note

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