Break out
your black silk fedora or your best flapper dress and get ready to Foxtrot the night
away!
Find
Lady Luck
at the casino tables, dance to the rhythm of D
etroit's
Louis
Johnson
Jazz Ensemble, bid on exciting auction items, enjoy delicious food, and hit the speakeasy for champagne and
gigglewaters
!
Join us for the party of the year: FEATHERS AND FEDORAS!
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| Feathers & Fedoras Highlights |
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Saturday, February 15
The Great Hall in Midland
5:30 - 11:00pm
Tickets are just $50 per person.
All Patrons Receive one drink ticket for beer or wine. Heavy hors d'oeuvre stations are also featured throughout the venue.
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Honorary Event Chairs
Tony and Sara Stamas |
Space is limited. Click here to reserve your seat today!
If your business would like to sponsor the event or if you need additional information, please contact Matthew Ivan at 989-835-4041 extension 227.
Casino tables are for entertainment purposes only and are free and open to the public.
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Forward Progress
It was a cloudy, gray day when William saw Nora in his class at school. It was three years ago but he remembers the day like it just happened. Nora talked about a program that would help William, and his classmates, learn independent living skills and other skills that would help him find a job.
William took the paperwork home and was the first in his class to have it signed and brought back to school. William was so shy he was afraid to talk to anyone, he had a few friends but even with those teens he was known as the "quiet one." He just rarely talked. Additionally, he had never helped make anything in the kitchen, and did not know how to turn on the vacuum cleaner. He dreamed of getting a job, and his own apartment, but until that fall day three years ago those were only dreams. William did not think they might come true someday.
It's now three years later. William has been working with Nora through DNMM's STAGES program. He is much more social and has found a new confidence. "I've learned a few key things about how to keep conversations going and I know how to meet someone I've never talked to before, even a store owner". Additionally, William has made a variety of meals using the stove, oven, and microwave.
In regard to getting a job, he has been encouraged and enabled by Nora to investigate careers, he has practiced asking business people for applications, and he is filling them out. He has worked on his interview skills in Job Clubs put on through the STAGES program.
"I have a long way to go to independence," said William. "But I never thought I'd even get this far. I have learned so much and I know I just have to keep moving forward. I am very grateful to be part of the STAGES program. I can't wait to get to work!"
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February is Black History Month: Celebrating the Overlooked History of Black People with Disabilities
What do Harriet Tubman, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Mary Davidson have in common? They were all important Black historical figures who made incredible strides in our nation's ongoing struggle for human and civil rights, and they all had disabilities.
If you were surprised to learn that these women had disabilities, you are not alone. Many Black historical figures, innovators, and activists have had their disabilities erased when their stories are taught in schools and covered during Black history and women's history observances-by educators and advocates alike.
This erasure speaks volumes about how our society recounts stories of people with disabilities and the narrow lens through which stories are told, particularly those involving disability. Our history is forever incomplete if we fail to highlight and respect the identities of Black heroes and trailblazers with disabilities.
Being a Black millennial with a disability, who minored in African-American studies in college, I did not learn that many of the pioneers I respected had disabilities like me until I became an activist. It baffled me that their disabilities were downplayed or eliminated altogether; those disabilities are instrumental to their complete narratives and could provide a mirror for Black people with disabilities to see themselves.
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Virtual Peer Groups
DNMM is pleased to announce the formation of two "Virtual" Peer Groups. We will be utilizing Google Duo technology to conduct peer group meetings that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home.
This virtual peer group will meet every two weeks starting Thursday, February 13th from 11:00am to Noon. This group seeks to empower women with disabilities as advocates and active community members.
This virtual group meets once a month starting on Monday, February 17th, from 11:00am to 12:30pm. Each month will feature a new topic. The topic for the first meeting will be "Feeling Good About Yourself and How Others See You."
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PEER GROUP EVENTS
SAGINAW PEER GROUP
"Game Day and Cell Phone Assistive Technology"
Thursday, February 6th
3:00 - 5:30 pm
YMCA - 1915 Fordney St.
"Game Day and Karaoke!"
Thursday, February 13th
3:00 - 5:30 pm
United Way Conference Room
MIDLAND PEER GROUP
"Assistive Technology and Phone Tech"
Thursday, February 20th
3:00 - 5:30 pm
DNMM Conference Room
The Peer Groups will be touring "Butterflies in Bloom" at Midland's Dow Gardens in March! Our thanks to our friends at Dow Gardens for having "Accessibility Days" to help ensure everyone has access to this remarkable interactive exhibit.
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MiABLE Can Help You Save!
The Michigan Able Act was signed into law in October 2015, following passage in December 2014 of the federal Stephen Beck Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, which authorized states to establish tax-advantaged savings programs for individuals with disabilities.
The goal is to encourage and assist individuals and families in saving funds that help individuals with disabilities to maintain health, independence and quality of life without jeopardizing benefits provided through private insurance, Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, the beneficiary's employment and other sources.
The goal of MiABLE's "I Will Never Lose" campaign is to reach out to i
ndividuals with disabilities, and their families, who haven't yet taken advantage of the program created to help them save for current and future expenses without jeopardizing eligibility for government benefits.
Approximately 300,000 Michigan residents with disabilities are eligible for MiABLE, including 28,000 in the Great Lakes Bay Region and Thumb. Yet largely because of a lack of awareness, less than 1% of those who qualify are currently enrolled.
Need more information? Attend this free session! Learn more about who is eligible for MiABLE, how to open an account, and what MiABLE funds can be used for.
WHEN:
Thursday, February 6
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
WHERE:
Saginaw County Community Mental Health Association
A & W Professional Development & Business Center
1 Germania Platz
Saginaw, MI 48602
WHAT: MiABLE is the state-operated program that allows children and adults with disabilities, disabled veterans and their families to save and invest money while retaining government assistance like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
To contact the MiABLE program, please call 1-844-656-7225.
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WE'RE HIRING!
Whether you're seeking full-time employment or just a few hours of part-time work:
YOU can make a difference in someone's life! YOU can help a person with a disability live independently!
As part of our Bay County Independent Living Assistance program, you
provide personalized support to individuals who need assistance accessing support in their communities. You work directly with the consumer to help them meet their goals and create the lifestyle they choose.
IMMEDIATE OPENINGS
WAGES: $10 - $10.50 PER HOUR
Must have a valid Michigan Driver License, with a good driving record, and dependable and insured transportation. Must be able to pass a criminal background check. Training will be provided.
If you want to make a difference, please call 989-895-2363.
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At Disability Network of Mid-Michigan, inclusion is a universal human right for all people, regardless of race, gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other discernible quality. To be inclusive is to promote a sense of belonging, respect, and value for who you are as a person. It is about equal access and opportunities for everyone. Inclusion is an integral part of our Independent Living philosophy and of our agency's vision of "Accessible and Inclusive communities that provide opportunities for individual choice."
In the twelve counties we serve in Mid-Michigan, Disability Network offices have been, and continue to be, places of solace, understanding, and information for all. We are committed to promoting and protecting diversity and inclusion, within our offices, among our community partners, and throughout the 15 Centers for Independent Living in Michigan.
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ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT
DNMM advocates for the removal of barriers to independence and full inclusion of people with disabilities throughout the Mid-Michigan area. DNMM pledges to ensure accessibility. Each year, DNMM conducts a review of its own architectural, environmental, attitudinal, employment, communication, transportation, and other barriers that may exist which prohibit full access to our services.
If you have any issues of concern regarding the accessibility of DNMM services and facilities, we encourage you to share that information with us.
Please send your concerns or suggestions to:
Executive Director
Disability Network of Mid-Michigan
1705 S. Saginaw Road
Midland, MI 48640
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