Advocates' 3rd Annual Stroll & Roll, held from Oct. 10th-16th, saw 124 participants spanning three states in the northeast!
We send our sincere thanks to all of the participants, organizers, sponsors, donors, and committee members who helped make the event possible. Your contributions will benefit children and adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, and we again thank you for that!
Congratulations to the winners of our 2021 Stroll & Roll Photo Competition! Each winner shall receive a $25 VISA gift card!
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Best Background Photo
Lexi Thompson
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Best Family Group Photo
The Whitman Family
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Best Pet Photo
Kevin Denazk
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We appreciate your participation, and welcome you back for what we hope will be an in-person event in May 2022. |
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Advocates partners with several businesses and organizations in our local community. These relationships are intended to form lasting bonds while supporting the missions of both parties.
We are happy to say that one of these partnerships is with Cafe Kubal, which operates five locations in the Syracuse area. Cafe Kubal is a wholesale/retail coffee roaster, whose mission stretches beyond providing a top-notch coffee experience. Cafe Kubal promotes job growth, building community, and fostering good change to make a difference.
Advocates is proud to have served Cafe Kubal's products at our Annual Charity Golf Tournament in September. Also, we look forward to providing their quality coffees at Advocates' Coffee Hub, which will be opening in 2022.
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Advocates Virtual Training |
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Life-Care Planning and Saving for the Future
Presented by: James Traylor | Upstate Special Needs Consulting
November 10th, 2021 | 6:00pm
The challenge of planning for the future of a loved one with special needs can extend into many areas, including education, housing, employment, support services, and legal, financial and other personal matters. Join us to discuss some of the key issues caregivers face, including life-care planning, special needs trusts, individualized supports and services, and more.
To register, please email
Please include in your email:
Name of person receiving services
Name/s of person attending
Name of Care Manager
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"Gratitude Challenge Wednesdays" |
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Everyday life still looks different than we were once accustomed to, but amidst all the challenges, there is still plenty to be grateful for.
Beginning Nov. 3rd,
we will be hosting “Gratitude Challenge Wednesdays”, which will run for the following four weeks. Each Wednesday, we will spotlight a topic that people are grateful for, and we’ll be looking to hear your thoughts! Stay tuned to our Facebook page through Nov. 24th, when we will be randomly selecting the names of four people who comment on any of our gratitude posts. The lucky winners shall receive something everyone can be grateful for – a $25 Visa gift card! We hope you’ll join us this month for our “Gratitude Challenge Wednesdays”!
To participate in the fun, please start by "liking" and following
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Plan on doing your holiday shopping online this year? If so, simply shop on smile.amazon.com as you normally would, and designate Advocates as your charity of choice by searching for Advocates Inc
With every eligible purchase, AmazonSmile will donate 5% to Advocates. It's that easy! Thank you for your support!
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Though Jaylin O’Donnell loves basketball, when he talks about “The Dream Team”, he’s referring to the tight-knit group of Mentors and family members who support him in living a meaningful life.
Jaylin, now 26, has received services from Advocates for more than half his life. According to his mother, Jessica, his being able to cope with a medical condition and his overall growth are due to the Self-Direction model, structure, and good people Advocates has established in her son’s life.
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Jaylin’ growth over the years is apparent in many ways. One of his major accomplishments is having graduated from OCM BOCES’ SKATE Program, where he learned job skills in the kitchen at Onondaga Community College. This program instilled in Jaylin an interest in cooking –
so much so that he now takes culinary classes and cooks meals at home. His ability and initiative to complete other household tasks has resulted in quite the milestone – occupying a living space on his own floor in the family’s new home. This is a major achievement for Jaylin, but there are more benefits to it than meets the eye.
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Jessica can focus more on her career and role as a provider for the family. She has a growing confidence to potentially run short errands if necessary while Jaylin stays at home. Jaylin no longer shows frustration when doing chores because he sees the value in doing them. And perhaps best of all, he has a higher self-esteem, which is providing him the courage to try new things such as art and music. Though Jaylin’s progress is immeasurable, challenges still present themselves. There are days when Jaylin’s medical challenges wear him down. His positivity and resiliency, however, are enough to not only get him through, but also uplift others at the same time. |
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Years ago, the O’Donnell household experienced an emotional day as a result of Jaylin’s challenges. Jessica questioned whether she was doing enough to support her son and worried that she had not shown him enough patience that day. When Jaylin heard Jessica crying, he told his Mentor that he needed to talk, via the use of supported typing.
“Her best is the best,” Jaylin typed to his Mentor at the time, Rebecca Grabowski. This simple phrase immediately became the motto that Jessica and her son live by, especially during trying times. As Rebecca later stated, Jaylin’s expression to her was not only a turning-point in his life, but also a memorable moment for her as a Mentor.
“It was bittersweet because he felt Jessica’s sadness and stress, but uplifting at the same time because he recognized and appreciated the work she was putting in,” Rebecca said. That was the moment Jaylin began expressing himself more with things like his feelings, desires, needs, and even messages on greeting cards and appreciation notes to his Mentors.
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“I wouldn’t be where I am today, if it weren’t for Jaylin’s Mentors at Advocates,” Jessica said. “They’ve allowed me to advance my career and given me comfort in knowing he’s in good hands.”
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Jaylin, who is his grandmother's namesake (Linda), has some goals he is eager to attain. He intends on pursuing his newfound interests of art and music, and will soon be launching social media pages entitled “Jaylin’s Artistic Creations.” He wants to spend more time with those closest to him, as well as pursue the many activities, events, and places that interest and stimulate him. Jaylin may want to live on his own in the future, and will continue working on the necessary life skills in order to achieve that goal. When asked about Jaylin’s future goals, Jessica responded in a way that only a wonderful parent would.
“Seeing your child’s untapped potential and providing them with unconditional love are the absolute best things you can do for them,” she said. “If he wants to live independently in the future, I’ll support him with that. I believe he came into this world to help others, so it’s my duty to help him the best I can.” Jaylin’s positive energy is known to boost the spirits of the people he knows. In the past, Jessica has offered Jaylin’s Mentors mental health days, only to have them cordially decline with the same message – that being with Jaylin is one of the best things they can do for their mental health.
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So, the next time life’s burdens weigh you down or you need a mental health day of your own, look for Jaylin and one of his famous “big hugs,” which will surely cheer you up. If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Jaylin yet, simply remind yourself of the same thing that Jessica tells herself each night before she falls asleep… Your best is the best. And that’s all that really matters.
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If you have a caring family member or friend who is looking for meaningful work and the opportunity to support someone as inspirational as Jaylin, please encourage them to apply on our website. We look forward to meeting them!
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We are thankful to have you as a part of our family!
From all of us at Advocates, we wish you safe and Happy Thanksgiving, and all the best this season has to offer!
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ADVANCING INCLUSION | EMPOWERING LIVES | CREATING COMMUNITY |
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