Sept/Oct 2019 Newsletter

Upcoming Events Calendar

Watch Our  Web Site  for DDRC events

Events at DDRC are at 11177 W. 8th Ave, Lakewood, CO 80215 unless otherwise noted. 

Sept. 18  Wed. (6 - 8 p.m.) Pint Night at Crazy Mountain Brewing, 471 Kalamath Avenue in Denver. A fundraiser to benefit DDRC Quality Living Options programs. D etails below.

Sept. 19  Thurs. (9 a.m.- 3 p.m.) Introduction to Applied Behavioral Analysis (i.e. motivating behavior). A free, valuable class for families, teachers and others hosted by and at DDRC. Advance registration required. See flyer.

Sept. 26  Thurs. (3:30 - 7:30 p.m.) Navigating the World of IDD, a free informational event open to and for DDRC individuals, families and educators held at DDRC. Registration is required by 9/25 at noon. See details below.

Oct. 23  Wed.   (6 - 7:30 pm )   Save the Date!

DDRC A nnual Corporation Meeting, dinner and awards. Event is for individuals, families and others eligible to receive services or case management from DDRC. By invitation; forthcoming. Held at Baldoria on the Water,146 Van Gordon St., Lakewood.

Current Activities and Looking Ahead

DSP Recognition Week, Now through September 14

 

Direct Service Professionals provide meaningful supports to individuals with IDD in a wide array of areas, from daily living to life goals. To celebrate DSPs' impact, DSP Recognition Week is being celebrated around the country through September 14, but don’t stop there.

Reach out now and later to the DSPs that you know to acknowledge the care, dedication, creativity and respect they show in helping you, your loved one and other individuals receiving supports to lead their best lives - on the individual’s own terms.

DDRC recognizes that DSPs are an important backbone of our organization. We have more than 270 full and part time DSP employees, and we are proud and thankful they are part of our team. The DDRC Board of Directors issued a proclamation to recognize “DSP Week.” During this week we are celebrating our DSPs by providing them with various surprises and giveaways. DDRC leaders and managers are visiting with the DSPs during the week of activities to thank the DSPs and recognize that we could not accomplish our mission without them!

Pint Night for DDRC at Crazy Mountain Brewing Company - Sept 18

Mark your calendars for 6 – 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 18 for a lighthearted way to help DDRC’s Quality Living Options, a program which provides residential settings and supports for those we serve.

DDRC is partnering with Crazy Mountain Brewing in Denver for “pint night”- a fun fundraiser. We will be working with the brewery team at Crazy Mountain to select a beer that will represent DDRC. $1 from each pint sold of this pre-selected beer will go toward DDRC’s Quality Living Options (QLO) to help fund needs of its residents, many of whom have no family and have limited or no income. Not only will we raise money for QLO, but we’ll bring DDRC into the conversation at the brewery and support a Colorado- owned and operated business that cares about community and is giving back. Please join us at Crazy Mountain Brewery at 471 Kalamath Avenue in Denver on September 18.

Navigating the World of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Services

Thursday, Sept. 26

from 3:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Free information sessions for DDRC individuals, families and educators.

Held at DDRC - 11177 W. 8th. Ave Lakewood, CO 80215.

Registration required by 9/25 at noon. Space is limited.

Visit our many support stations with information for all ages, staffed by specialists who can help individuals and families understand options relating to their needs. The stations are open 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Learn the basic aspects of waivers and services for children and adults with IDD. Sessions for children and adults run concurrently from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Hear updates on DDRC and give your input during our community conversation session that runs from 5:45 - 6:10 p.m.

Attend a session on employment services for adults and transition-aged youth with IDD and see how employment can be a path to greater self-determination and fulfillment. This session will include speakers and panelists from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF), Colorado Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE), Ability Connection Colorado, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), Jeffco Transition Services, DDRC and a self advocate currently using employment support services. This session runs from 6:15- 7:30 p.m.

Download the event flyer. Register today!

Jefferson County government employees strive to provide great service, but they also go beyond that. Employees of the Jeffco Department of Motor Vehicles, with support of the Jeffco Clerk and Recorders Office, connect with the community by gathering donations for nonprofits they care about. How wonderful that DDRC was the recipient of their endeavors that went over the summer and is now wrapping up. A final count of funds is pending but over $1,100 dollars were raised.

More than 50 cute, colorful piggy banks sat at the stations of employees at all five Motor Vehicle offices. Citizens who completed their registrations and documentation had the opportunity to put cash in the piggy bank for DDRC. The piggy banks sported a sign with our DDRC logo, mission and overview of services, raising awareness of the role DDRC plays to provide opportunities for individuals with IDD and their families. Our thanks to Motor Vehicle Director Patti Bender and Jeffco Clerk and Recorder George Stern for supporting this forward-thinking initiative and enabling their employees to engage in this awareness and fundraising effort. 

Support DDRC Employment Services During National Disability Employment Awareness Month

National Disability Employment Awareness Month is coming up in October. You can help us mark this month of awareness and raise money for enhancements to DDRC’s Employment Services.

DDRC Employment Services support individuals on their journey to meaningful employment from initial interest assessments, through skills identification, training, resume and interview coaching, on-the-job support and more! Please watch your mail in early October for more details about this important DDRC program, our efforts to enhance its funding and National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Register for King Soopers Community Rewards

You can make a difference for DDRC by doing what you do anyway - buying groceries! Register to participate in the King Soopers / City Market Community Rewards program and designate DDRC to receive the reward donations. In DDRC’s first quarter participating in the rewards program, we received $796.50 from 28 households. The program is ongoing so if you have not yet registered, please help us by doing so, and encourage your friends and family to register too!

To register, visit www.kingsoopers.com/communityrewards  and sign up with your email to start giving with each shopping trip. If you need any additional help, please call Lisa Strachan/DDRC at (303) 905-4593.

Looking Back

Weiland Center

Summer Party

Earlier this summer, the Weiland Community Support Group held a summer celebration at the Weiland Center. The support group is comprised of volunteers representing parents and others in the community,

Each year the group raises money for, plans and puts on a summer celebration for the approximately 100+ participants of the Weiland Day Program. With a new party theme each year the fun is always fresh. This summer, the Willy Wonka-themed decorations and activities, and the live band and dancing offered something for everyone to enjoy.

New volunteers joined with veterans in putting on the event, supported by the wonderful DDRC Weiland staff. A big thank you to the Weiland Community Support Group for enriching Weiland programs and helping to enhance Weiland facilities. Pictured below are volunteers, staff and one of the many day program participants enjoying the day.

Luau on the Links, DDRC / DDF’s 27 ^th Annual Golf Tournament was held on August 8 ^th at the Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen, CO. It was a beautiful day for a sold-out tournament of 100 golfers. The tournament and online auction raised more than $48,000 for DDRC’s Childrens' and Family Services Unmet Needs Fund.

Thank you to our Tournament Sponsors, Fairfield Inn Denver West and FirstBank, for making this day possible and being champions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We are also grateful to our many other sponsors . Thank you to all who golfed, donated, or volunteered!

Hearing From Officials and Candidates and Making Your Voice Heard

Beverly Winters, DDRC Executive Director, shared the moving story of Weston, a child who had suffered a severe stroke and brain injury as a newborn, and the journey he and his family took with DDRC’s Early Intervention Service therapists to make progress, which defied doctors' predictions.

Your voice and vote matter. Some municipal and county elections will be held this fall and other state and federal elections will be held next year. For more information on voting, check with your City Clerk or County Clerk's office.

Set Your Email/ E-Newsletter Preferences for Emails from DDRC

DDRC sends important information about your services and supports well as announcements of special events via this “Constant Contact" email platform. Please do not unsubscribe from Constant Contact emails since our communications will be restricted to U.S. mail and will take longer to get to you.

If you prefer not to receive e-newslettters or invitations to programs and events, please use our “ Online Form ” to indicate that you do not want to receive such "DD Community Interest" emails. However, please continue to select that you are open to receiving special waiver service notices (i.e. notices of your services and supports ) via Constant Contact. Thank You!