Inclusion Matters

NOVEMBER 2025

Thanksgiving Meal Requests – Please sign up by 11/21/25

To ensure that everyone receiving services from Advocates and their families have a holiday meal this season, we invite those in need to sign up for our free Thanksgiving Meal Program by November 21, 2025.

Click the link below to request a complete Thanksgiving meal for up to 5 people. If your household includes more than 5 people, please submit 2 forms to receive 2 meal boxes. For questions or assistance, please contact tcarter@advocatesincorporated.org.

After submitting your request, we will reach out by phone within 2 business days to arrange a pickup or delivery date. This program is available within Onondaga, Madison, Oswego and Cayuga counties.

We are here for you and your family!

Advocates is hosting a Food Drive to benefit the Food Bank of CNY. Please join us in supporting families in need by delivering non-perishable food items to our Liverpool office (7710 Maltlage

Drive, Liverpool, NY 13090) or Fayetteville office (300 South Manlius Street, Fayetteville, NY 13066) weekdays between the hours of 8:30am-5pm. Donations will be accepted through the end of December, and will be delivered weekly to the Food Bank.

The Food Bank can especially use the following items:

• Canned tuna, beans, vegetables, and legumes
• Cereal & oatmeal
• Canned or dried fruits
• Soups & stews
• Peanut butter
• Dinner "mixes"
• Pasta, rice, and grains

Thank you for joining Advocates in supporting the Food Bank of CNY, and in turn, our neighbors during these challenging times.

To find a food pantry or soup kitchen near you,

please click here.

Together, we are building a more compassionate future

This holiday season, Advocates is working hard to meet the most urgent needs of the individuals and families we support. Your contribution to our Annual Appeal helps us fund vital efforts - like our 2025 holiday meal program - to fight food insecurity and bring comfort to those who need it most.

If you are able to this year, thank you for making a gift to Advocates Annual Appeal. In these uncertain times, your support is a powerful reminder that we stand together. It reflects the generosity that makes our community a more caring and inclusive place for children and adults with disabilities and their families.

Thank you for bringing comfort and hope to those facing hardship this season. Wishing you and those closest to you a joyful holiday season filled with good health, peace, and meaningful moments.



Warmest Regards,

Amy Dugliss, Executive Director

We are deeply grateful to our generous Annual Appeal donors, whose support is helping Advocates meet the growing needs of families who are counting on us - especially during these uncertain times.

"Our Perfect Family"

If you ask Thomas Yudikaitis to describe his family, he’ll smile and tell you, “Our family is pretty perfect.” And really, it’s hard to argue with that.

At just eight years old, Thomas already understands something many adults still wrestle with: that perfection doesn’t mean being without challenges – it means being there for each other, growing together, and embracing who you are. For the Yudikaitis family of Camillus, NY, that kind of love and strength radiates from every corner of their home.

Thomas (8) and William (7) are brothers, teammates, and best friends. Both full of energy and laughter, they spend their days learning and growing, skating for the Camillus Cougars, cheering for the Syracuse Crunch, Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills, and competing in anything that lets them express themselves with a unique vibrance.

“They’re the kindest kids,” says their mom, Erin, a licensed clinical social worker. “They look out for each other, they’re good friends, and they’re always trying to do the right thing.”

Their dad, Mike, calls them goofy, but in the best way. “We’re a tight-knit family and a part of a tight-knit community,” he said. “Whether it’s hockey or daycare or school, we try to be all in.” But behind the family’s joy and laughter is a journey filled with resilience, hard work, and advocacy.

Both boys are on the autism spectrum, and William also has ADHD. Thomas didn’t speak until the age of four. At 18 months, he was quiet, isolated in daycare, and struggling with eye contact and movement. Erin, drawing from her experiences, knew something more was going on. And the advocacy started there, as she began to fight for answers. Before long, eleven therapies a week were arranged, and different specialists were brought into the boys’ classrooms.

Mike recalls being hit hard by the diagnosis. “I grew up in a small town and was pretty sheltered,” he admitted. “Because I didn’t have the experience, it hit me like a brick wall.” But he credits Erin for being ten steps ahead – not only had she grown up surrounded by foster children with disabilities, but she also drew on her experience as a social worker. She wasn’t afraid of the road ahead, despite knowing it could be a difficult one. And then came a turning point.

“I took Thomas to his first Crunch game when he was three,” Mike said. “The noise and everything was intimidating, but he was immediately engrossed. From that point, the therapists would use hockey as a tool or a key for him, and it was that key that unlocked something in him.”

Sports became a bridge to communication, confidence, and community. And the Yudikaitis boys haven’t looked back since. William, though his challenges looked different – anxiety, sensory needs, and ADHD – also found healing and connection through play, through friendship, and through the steady support of a family that wouldn’t let labels define them.

Mike and Erin explained that there have been hard days, from struggles at school to sensory meltdowns, and meals where nothing on the plate felt “just right.” But with these and other challenges came an even greater number of triumphs.

When asked what she’s most proud of as a parent, Erin didn’t hesitate. “Seeing how far they’ve come,” she said. “When you think about two kids who couldn’t jump, couldn’t talk, couldn’t play…” – she continued, her voice full of emotion – “to see where they are now… it’s almost like a miracle.”

What’s something Mike is most proud of? “School in general,” he told us, thinking back to when Thomas first went to kindergarten. “I was in tears; I was so nervous,” Mike remembers. “But Thomas? He was all smiles when he came out and said, ‘I did kindergarten!’” It’s a simple memory, but one that speaks volumes about the boys’ resilience and the deep, steady devotion of two parents determined to help them thrive.

Much of this journey has been supported by Advocates, the family’s provider of choice since 2019. Family Support and Respite services have allowed them to rest, recharge, and find balance. 

“They’ve been everything,” Erin says. “Whether it’s in their wheelhouse or not, they’re there for anything for us. And it’s more than just the support, the guidance, and answering our questions…it’s a community.” The family especially values the guidance of Niki Dreis, Advocates’ Director of Family Support Services (FSS). “I don’t know what I’d do without her,” Erin added.

Niki echoed her deep respect and admiration for the Yudikaitis family, a connection she feels both professionally and personally. "This role is very personal to me, as I, too, have a child on the spectrum,” she shared. That lived experience has deepened her appreciation for the services she helps provide to the families she supports. “The premise is to be a sounding board while helping families navigate the ever-changing guidelines, all while trying to preserve peace of mind. From the first unmet milestone to the first diagnostic, and everything in-between, it is vital to have someone in your corner.”

Through it all, the parents’ love for their children has never wavered. Erin calls them a “proud, neurodivergent family.” Mike calls his boys warriors. And Thomas? He just smiles and shrugs.

“There’s nothing wrong with us,” he says. “We just have different brains.” That kind of self-love, acceptance, and joy — that’s not just inspiring. That’s extraordinary. That’s the Yudikaitis family.

Mike and Erin send their heartfelt thanks to their immediate and extended families, especially the boys’ grandparents, for their constant support. They also wish to share their deep appreciation for the boys’ teachers, teaching assistants, and various therapists, who have been instrumental in their success.

Do you have a friend or family member who

would make a great Mentor?

If so, please encourage them to apply on our website.

We look forward to meeting them!

Feel the Energy, Join the Fun!

Join us for Advocates Night at The Syracuse Crunch on Saturday, Nov. 15th at 7pm as the Crunch take on the Belleville Senators at Upstate Medical Arena at the On Center War Memorial. Discount tickets are available to people/families receiving services from Advocates along with employees.

Discount tickets (starting at $20) can be purchased by contacting Nancy Loh:

(315) 473-4444 ext. 119 or online at: www.syracusecrunch.com/advocates using promotional code: ADVOCATES

Advocates' Annual Holiday Party will be held at Driver’s Village (5885 Circle Drive East, Cicero, NY 13039) on Sunday, December 7th from 2:00pm-4:30pm in the Carnegie event area located between the Mazda & Lincoln dealerships. People and families receiving services from Advocates are invited to join us for entertainment (music provided by a DJ, pictures with Santa, crafts, bounce house) and a light lunch.

We hope you'll join us for what is always an enjoyable and festive afternoon!

Although this event is free to attend, eligible individuals must be enrolled in our FSS Recreation program in order to register.

Advocates' Executive Director, Amy Dugliss, and Self-Advocate, Nicholas Courgi, collaborate each month to bring you an Advocates-themed podcast! The Inclusion Matters Podcast can be found by searching "Inclusion Matters Advocates" on Amazon Music and Spotify. We hope you'll tune in monthly to hear inspiring stories from Advocates!

In case you missed it!

Check out a previous edition's spotlight on Mentor, Marissa Madrid!

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Advocates!