Easter Seals Massachusetts Quarterly Newsletter

SPRING EDITION  


Greetings!

As the snow begins to melt,  we are getting excited for the warmer weather and all of the great events, programs, and volunteer opportunities we have coming up! 

We are also pleased to present our 2016 Annual Report recapping some of the many exciting successes of the past year. Thank you so much for working with us to ensure equal opportunities for people with disabilities to live, learn, work and play.


Paul Medeiros

President & CEO, Easter Seals MA
2016 Annual Report Now Available Online

In 2016 our programs expanded to serve 5% more cities and towns in Massachusetts. We are now in 90% of the communities in the state, as we continue to strive to be the leader in services for people with disabilities statewide.  

Not only have we grown the number of communities we serve, we have continued to strengthen our current programs and develop new programs to meet unmet needs.  Throughout the report, you will notice a reinvigorated focus on the “Play” aspect of our mission.
Youth Leader Trevor Huntley Rises to Level of Eagle Scout
Trevor Huntley is a youth leader, volunteer, Easter Seals MA 2017 Leader of Tomorrow award recipient, and soon he will be elevated to the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts.  Trevor will be one of only 4-6% of Scouts who achieve this rank. He will also be the only scout from his local troop to become an Eagle Scout. 

Having been born with Cerebral Palsy, Trevor never gave up on his dream of becoming an Eagle Scout despite his physical limitations.  On March 21st, Trevor was also given a key to the city of Worcester by Mayor Joe Petty! 


Evening of Empowerment Tickets Available! 

Our annual Evening of Empowerment  highlights the achievements of leaders in our community. The event recognizes those who have a positive impact on ensuring equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

Click here to learn more about the event, buy tickets, or donate. 

Save the Dates for Walk With Me Worcester & Boston 
We are excited to announce the dates for our annual Walk With Me events in Worcester and Boston!

Walk With Me- Worcester will be held on May 13th at Elm Park in Worcester.

Walk With Me- Boston will be held on June 10th at Carson's Beach in Boston.

Click here for more information or to sign up for one or both of our walks! 


Accessible Martial Arts Now Open
The Accessible Martial Arts Program, a  new program being offered by Easter Seals MA, is for people with and without disabilities who want to learn and practice self-defense, stretching, exercise, and relaxation techniques.  

Longtime Easter Seals MA Supporter Honored by the Boston Celtics
On  March 12th, Sheila Joslin was honored as a "Hero Among Us" by the Boston Celtics for her 60 year commitment to advocating for people with disabilities.  

Sheila has worked tirelessly over her lifetime to help ensure that children and adults with disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play. 




A.C. Moore Launches Annual Spring Fundraiser
Consumers visiting A.C. Moore stores from March 19- April 15 can donate $1 to Easter Seals at checkout. The money raised during the campaign supports Easter Seals' free services for parents to help track their child's development. These services are essential in giving thousands of children the best start in life and access to critical services that help them live, learn, work, and play. Since launching the campaign as part of its Crafting a Better World program in 2010, A.C. Moore customers and store team members have raised nearly 1 million for Easter Seals.
Jacob Fuentes Receives 2017
Richard A. LaPierre Pioneer Award
The Richard A. LaPierre Pioneer Award is named after former Easter Seals Massachusetts President & CEO Richard A. LaPierre who was a strong advocate for disability rights.  This award is given each year to a young person in Massachusetts who best demonstrates that pioneering spirit by breaking down barriers. 

Jacob always has a great attitude and never gives up no matter what obstacles are presented.  That made him the perfect recipient of the award this year.  We were incredibly proud to give it to him. 

We were also thrilled to have Mayor Gary Christenson of Malden attend a special award ceremony for Jacob at Ferryway School in front of his entire 3rd grade class. 
DID YOU KNOW? Assistive Technology for Independent Living
Did you know that in addition to our statewide school based Assistive Technology (AT) services, Easter Seals MA also offers a no cost program to provide students with AT for use at home for qualified students.  

The Assistive Technology Independent Living Program is part of Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission’s (MRC) Independent Living Division.  Our goal is to improve the ability of individuals with significant disabilities to live independently through the use of assistive technology.

For more information about the program and to find out who is eligible please, please email us at  [email protected]  

Looking For a Few Good Mentors & Volunteers!

Easter Seals MA has several volunteer opportunities available from helping out at our new Accessible Martial Arts Program to career mentoring. Click to see all the volunteer positions currently open.

If you are interested please click here or contact Patrick Remy, Youth Services Coordinator: [email protected] or (508) 751-6417 for more information. 

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