Greatness Unfolding Before Our Eyes | |
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They say that “behind every great man is a great woman.” In the case of Jahiem Moore, 19, he’s fortunate to have had several great women behind him throughout his life. With the continued support of these women
and the natural progression he has displayed over the past few years, he has his sights set on his goals, and is working hard to put his biggest challenges behind him.
“I used to really struggle with things like communication and socialization,” Jahiem said. “The socialization piece can still be difficult because it takes me a while to get close to someone.” He attributes this to the passing of one of his closest childhood friends, Amaya, who had succumbed to a medical condition. Amaya’s memory has left a scar on Jahiem’s heart, not only because of their deep friendship, but also because he remembers how badly she had been bullied in school. The impact Amaya and her family have had on Jahiem is something he treasures today. “I’ve stayed in contact with Amaya’s mother all these years,” he said. “Her mom and I are still close and that’s helped me in a lot of ways.” With the life-altering loss of a dear friend and a challenging family dynamic as a youth, Jahiem has understandably struggled with managing his behavior along the way.
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“That’s one of the things we’ve worked on continuously over the years, controlling his frustrations and channeling it in other ways,” said Diane Miller, who is much more to Jahiem than just his Mentor through Advocates. Diane is a longtime friend of Jahiem’s mother, Denise, and has known Jahiem since he was only five years old. “We’re practically family, so I can give it to him straight when he needs to identify an issue, get control, or take responsibility for his actions.”
“She can be brutally straight with me, but I know it’s all love coming from her,” Jahiem said with a smile.
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Reciprocating the love demonstrated by those closest to him was all but nonexistent until recent years, according to his mother. “He’s grown to embrace the sense of family as a direct result of managing his behavior and recognizing how much people are willing to do to support him,” Denise said. By her own admission, raising Jahiem wasn’t easy, not only because of his disability, but also because of his siblings who were dependent on her. Despite having her hands very full, Denise worked very hard to provide for her family, and championed for her children to ensure they would have the tools necessary to succeed in life.
“Denise has done a phenomenal job in advocating for Jahiem and has done so from day one,” Diane said of her friend. Because of others’ belief in him, Jahiem has rightfully developed an inner confidence to achieve anything he sets out to. Things that had once seemed like lofty goals or even impossibilities are now within reach, and in some ways have already become realities.
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“He didn’t even believe he could go to college, much less succeed there,” Denise said. “Jahiem has so much respect and belief in me, so, when I said, 'You will go to college and graduate one day,' he was shocked but suddenly believed it would happen.” It should come as little surprise that Jahiem is now studying graphic design at Syracuse University’s InclusiveU program.
“I want to be a professional design artist and take that as far as I can,” Jahiem told us. “I love drawing and painting because it helps me express myself. If I can set up my own art business one day, that’d be my ultimate goal.” As Jahiem is demonstrating by excelling in college classes, no goal should be considered too ambitious for him.
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“When I did his intake meeting, he showed me some of his drawings and they were fantastic,” said Nancy Ordway, Advocates Community Habilitation Coordinator for Jahiem. “He is very talented and also enjoys helping others.” Nancy’s second point is exemplified in several ways.
Jahiem volunteered his summer with the Onondaga Earth Corps., where he helped clean and care for our local environment. Among Jahiem’s greatest achievements is how he positively impacts the youth of our community. He has routinely volunteered at Van Duyn Elementary School and says he loves interacting with the children. He also works as an aide in an afterschool program for kids aged 6-15 at Kirk Park Community Center. There, he helps the children settle for nap time, helps them with mealtime, and cleans up afterwards. Because of his personality and caring nature, the children he works with view him as much more than just their aide. “I’ll be on break eating lunch and they all come up and want to hang out with me,” Jahiem said sheepishly, knowing what a compliment that is. “Kids absolutely love him and are just drawn to him,” Diane added.
“He gets the love of working with kids from me,” Denise said, noting her work as Kirk Park’s Youth Director for 16 years. “People rave about how well he’s doing, and that he’s very helpful and courteous with everyone. I look at him and think, That’s my baby; I’m so proud of him.”
When Jahiem isn’t working diligently on his course work, volunteering, or admirably dedicating his time to working with children, he enjoys football, animals, and music. He also enjoys the community involvement Advocates provides. “I like being out in the community and doing things I want to do,” he said. The stability, approach, mentorship, and overall support Advocates has provided Jahiem are things his mother says are invaluable. “Advocates helps immensely when it comes to mentoring,” Denise said. “And Nancy Ordway is the absolute bomb,” she added. “She will regularly reach out to check in and see how everything is going, and I really appreciate that."
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Though Jahiem still requires support in some areas, his growth is undeniable. With this growth and the continued support from those who love him, the sky is the limit for him. “My mom and Diane never gave up on me; they’re always encouraging me to keep going,” Jahiem said.
“He’s such a great young man despite his challenges,” Diane said. “It can make you feel so worthwhile if you have just one person who really believes in you.” Jahiem has more than the women closest to him who really believe in him. Everyone at Advocates does as well. We are fortunate to have Jahiem as a part of our family, and can’t wait to see what future successes await him!
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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 Jahiem, please encourage them to
apply on our website. We look forward to meeting them!
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After a two-year hiatus for health and safety precautions, we celebrated Advocates' Annual Holiday Party in style! The event was held on Sunday, Dec. 4th at Driver’s Village in Cicero. People receiving services from Advocates and their families were treated to an afternoon of food, friendship, live music provided by a DJ, a bounce house, arts and crafts, and of course, pictures with Santa. Attendees brought their favorite desserts to pass, adding to the enjoyment of the party. We were so happy to see so many smiling, familiar faces!
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We thank everyone who attended, as well as Advocates' staff, who helped make the event possible. We also send a huge thanks to Driver's Village for hosting us! | |
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Now Open For Reservation:
Advocates Community Space at Our Liverpool Office
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The community space at the Liverpool office is now open for use! Reserve the space for activities of your choice such as working on art or volunteer projects, socializing, and more!
Located at Liverpool office:
290 Elwood Davis Rd.
Suite 101
Liverpool, NY 13088
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Guidelines for using Liverpool Community Space
- Reservation must be in place prior to using community space
- The community space can be reserved for up to 16 people maximum at a time (8 people receiving services and 8 Mentors).
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Space can be reserved once per month during office hours per group.
- One group leader will reserve the space and be responsible for ensuring all steps are followed for reserving and using the space.
- Group leader must complete a checklist indicating that the area used was cleaned and disinfected and drop completed checklist off to reception at the end of reserved time.
- Food and other items cannot be stored at the office.
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How to Make a Reservation
Use the link below to sign up and reserve a time.
Please reach out to Brittany Jewell with any questions:
bjewell@advocatesincorporated.org
We are here to help!
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We appreciate our families, donors, community partners, and employees that have celebrated and supported Advocates throughout the years.
If you are grateful for the supports and services Advocates provides, please consider making a gift to this year’s Annual Appeal. Your gift will make a profound impact on people with disabilities.
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Several people receiving services from Advocates enjoy swimming at Le Moyne College with the support of a family member or their Mentor. This unique encounter to "swim with the dolphins" provides fun in the pool alongside members of Le Moyne's swim team.
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We thank Le Moyne College and its swim team for providing this memorable experience for the people we support!
The college's swim team is equally appreciative of those who participate, as is evidenced by their recent social media post!
Be sure to follow Le Moyne's
swim team's Instagram page, @lemoyne_swim_dive!
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Advocates-Sponsored
Syracuse Crunch Game
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Join us for Advocates night at the Syracuse Crunch! | |
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The Syracuse Crunch
is offering discount tickets to people/
families receiving services from Advocates along with employees.
Join us on Saturday, Dec. 10th at 7pm as the Syracuse Crunch take on the Utica Comets.
Discount tickets ($20) can be purchased by contacting
Emily Kissinger: (315) 473-4444 ext. 126 or online at: www.syracusecrunch.com/advocates using promotional code: ADVOCATES
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Advocates Virtual Trainings | |
Advocates 2023 training lineup to be announced in January | |
Be sure to check out next month's edition of Inclusion Matters, as we will providing information on our slate of trainings in 2023. We're also excited to roll out a new, streamlined way to register for our training events. Stay tuned! | |
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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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Give the Gift of Advocates Gear
With Spreadshop!
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Looking for the perfect gift for that special someone? Want to give a unique gift while representing Advocates at the same time? Trying to avoid the hassle of the stores while having your items delivered right to your doorstep? You can do all of the above by shopping on Spreadshop!
Our extensive catalog includes items such as clothing, totes, travel mugs, plush toys, and much more - all featuring the Advocates logo!
Click here to get started!
Happy shopping!
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Advocates Virtual Trainings | |
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To the people and families that inspire us throughout the year -
we feel privileged to have the continued
opportunity to grow together!
To our dedicated employees - we thank you for your commitment to making a difference in the lives of the people and families that we support!
From the Advocates family to your family,
we wish you a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season!
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ADVANCING INCLUSION | EMPOWERING FAMILIES | CREATING COMMUNITY | | | | | |
