~To empower, educate and connect those living without both arms or more |
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Executive Director's Message
Skills for Life 6 is just THREE Months away!! It will be here before you know it! If you are planning on attending, make sure to follow the below checklist:
- Register for the workshop
- Reserve you hotel room
- Purchase your flights
- Apply for scholarship/financial assistance
As of today's newsletter, we have 35 limb loss individuals registered to attend SFL 6 and we expect this number to continue to increase over the upcoming months. Scholarship applications are still coming in and we expect more applications to come in over next few months as well. Thanks to the various generous donors, 23 people have been approved for financial assistance to attend SFL 6 so far!
We can't wait to see everyone in person again. The program content, the life hacks shared and the personal connections made just cannot be found anywhere else. We currently hold the workshops every 3 years so if you miss this one, mark your calendars for 2025. This life changing event is crucial to help newer amputees gain the skills they need to be more independent and it offers an amazing opportunity to meet with others missing both arms or more face to face.
We are looking forward to hosting our first ever fundraiser banquet at SFL on Saturday, October 8th! Please read below for more information on how to donate items for the event. Local Houston folks, be on the lookout in the upcoming weeks for information on how to buy a plate/table for the banquet.
In other exciting news, our Annual ESFL Board of Directors Meeting is coming up on Wednesday, July 27th at 3:00pm central. Make sure to save the date and read below for additional information including the zoom link if you want to join us.
For the August newsletter, be on the lookout for a section on Skills for Life travel tips by quadruple amputee, Mike St Onge, as well as a SignUpGenius link for SFL 6 volunteers.
Please subscribe, follow, and share the information to help us reach everyone who could benefit from our programs.
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We are holding our annual ESFL meeting Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 3:00pm central time. Please join us to come learn about what we have been up to this past year and our plans for the future. You can join the zoom meeting by clicking the below link. This information will also be on our FB page and other social media groups or platforms. The zoom meeting link can only be found in this newsletter and in the SFL closed group.
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SFL 6 Dinner, Dance & Fundraiser |
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Dinner, Dancing, Silent Auction/Raffle
Do you paint or draw, maybe you create jewelry or have a woodworking shop, do you have something We are super excited to be hosting a silent auction/raffle at this years Skills for Life event! We have several awesome items donated already including:
- Waterford Snifters
- Body Dryers by No White Flags
- Custom artwork by Annae Jones
- 5 night stay in San Jose Del Cabo by Beryl Ann Owen
- Custom framed print by Peter Damon
- Jewelry designed by Sandy Crisp
- Decorative wood pieces by Earl Fogler
- Oaxacan totes
- North Carolina Artisan basket from Karen Fetter
- Adaptive gadgets for around the home
- Smart Home Technology
Who doesn't love a good silent auction/raffle? More to come so stay tuned! If you are interested in donating an item for this event, please either fill out this form or contact us by email for more information.
SFL 6 registered attendees will not need to purchase any additional tickets as the fundraiser banquet will be included in your SFL 6 registration, but all others interested in buying a ticket or a table, will need to purchase a separate ticket. Eventbrite link will be available in the coming weeks.
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Latest Program Information
The Skills for Life Workshops are unique events dedicated to people who are living without both hands/arms or more. The program is devoted specifically to issues faced by these individuals. We look forward to having you join us in Houston, TX October 5-8, 2022 for our 20th Anniversary of this life changing event!! It only happens every 3 years so this would be a wonderful opportunity to meet up to 70 other individuals from all over the world who also have personal experiences with bilateral upper limb loss. Remember we offer scholarships!
TIPS & TRICKS PRESENTERS
We will have a dedicated block of time for demonstrations on various ADL's such as Bathing, Toileting, Grooming, Dressing, Meal Preparation and Eating! THANK YOU to the below individuals who have agreed to share their tips for increased independence!
Elizabeth Zweigel, Karen Crespo, Christine Lentz, Erica Tambrini, Mike St Onge, Wayne Moorehead, Annae Jones, Ania Marecka, Ronnie Hindsman, Eric Nelson, Jason Koger, Sam Matagi and others TBD. Do you have a tip or trick you want to share? Contact Us and we will let you know the next steps.
SHOW & TELL
If it fits in your luggage, bring your own adaptive equipment from home for show & tell. We will also have some popular items out for everyone to take a look at, observe how it works/what it is used for, ask questions, etc.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
*subject to change
Wednesday: 12-8pm (Opening Day, Happy Hour)
Thursday: 8am-8pm (ADL's/Tips & Tricks, Golf Clinic)
Friday: 8am-6pm (Quad Boot Camp, Adapted Vehicles)
Saturday: 8am-10pm (Activity Day and Fundraiser, Dinner/Dance)
Sunday: Depart
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Donate to the Scholarship Fund
We have 23 scholarship requests so far and we are extremely fortunate to be able to accommodate all of these requests. We know additional applications will be coming in over the next 3 months so please consider donating so that all who are interested in attending, have an opportunity to do so. Be a HERO and donate today, no amount is too small! To thank you for your support, we will be recognizing all our donors in the SFL 6 printed program.
The donate link can be used to make general donations to go towards scholarships or the general mission of ESFL.
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Hotel Reservations, Event Registration & Transportation Info
The below information along with all the latest information can also be found on our Skills for Life 6 website.
JW MARRIOTT RESERVATIONS
Our Skills for Life 6 Workshop will be held at the JW Marriott Houston by the Galleria, 5150 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77056
If you have any troubles with making reservations online, please call the central reservations team at 1-800-228-9290 and make sure to mention you are with the "Enhancing Skills for Life Workshop" to receive the $150/night rate. *Our JW Marriott Galleria rooming coordinator is Me'Orie Dixon and she can be reached by email if problems continue to persist when making reservations.
Room capacity is half full at this point, so please book your room today to avoid our block being sold out. If sold out, you will most likely have to either pay more or find a nearby hotel. You can always cancel your reservation as the time gets closer if you need to, but reserve today so you don't miss out on a room.
*Cutoff reservation date is September 14, 2022
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!!
All attendees will use Eventbrite to guarantee their spot at Skills for Life. If you are a limb loss/limb different individual, remember your registration is FREE, but you will still need to complete the online registration process. All other registrations range from $150-$650.
Click the Eventbrite logo in this section or HERE to register.
The hotel does not provide transportation to/from either airport (IAH or HOU) so you will need to arrange that separately through a taxi service, SuperShuttle, Uber, Lyft or renting a car. Google search results mention a WC accessible taxi can take over 2 hours. We are researching other options and if we find anything viable, we will share that in future newsletters.
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Financial Assistance to Attend SFL 6
Limb loss/limb different individuals may apply for financial assistance to help offset their travel and lodging expenses (up to $1,000 USD) in order to attend the Skills for Life 6 Workshop. Applications will be processed in the order they were received. Recipients will be notified with plenty of time to make travel arrangements. Travel will be reimbursed after receiving paid receipt and lodging will be paid directly to the hotel.
PLEASE NOTE: You will still need to register for the conference through Eventbrite. Click here or the button in this section to start your scholarship application. Please contact us with any questions.
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Become a Skills for Life 6 Sponsor/Exhibitor Today!
Please send a big THANK YOU to TIRR Memorial Hermann (Platinum), Fillauer (Gold), Hanger (Silver), Holmes Prosthetic Center (Silver), Ossur (Bronze), Ottobock (Bronze), Aether Biomedical (Bronze), Point Designs (Bronze), ALPS (Bronze), Coapt Engineering (Iron), Infinite Biomedical Technologies (Iron), Unlimited Tomorrow (Iron), Strowmatt Rehabilitation Services (Iron) Handspring (Iron), Baker Orthotics & Prosthetics (Iron), Action Trackchair/Carlson Mobility (Exhibitor), and No White Flags (Exhibitor) and USISPO (Global Outreach) for their support of the upcoming SFL 6 Workshop! Our amazing sponsors can also be found at the end of this newsletter. We would love to add your company name to our growing list of sponsors!
The Skills for Life workshop is only possible because of our generous sponsors, donors and exhibitors! We have many levels of sponsorship available so click on the application link or buttons in this section to learn more on how to get involved. Please consider becoming a sponsor or exhibitor at SFL 6 and contact us with any questions.
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Shawn Swanson Johnson, OT (co-chair)
Kristi Turner, OT (co-chair)
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Diane Atkins, OT
Nathalie Atkins
John Dombo
Zach Harvey, CP
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Wendy Hill, OT
Scott Hosie, CP
Danielle Melton, MD
Wayne Moorehead
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Eric Nelson
Levin Sliker, PhD
Mike St Onge
Patricia Tully, OT
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Mike St Onge, Chair
Karen Lundquist, Treasurer
Annae Jones, Secretary
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John Dombo
Harold Sears, PhD
Gerry Stark, CP
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Steve Kaestle
Mara Herschbach
Karen Fetter, Admin
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Thank you Skills for Life 6 Sponsors! |
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Gold Sponsor & Repair Booth |
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Silver Sponsor & Repair Booth |
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Help us continue to provide meaningful connections! |
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Skills for Life 6 HERO Sponsors |
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Sponsor a Limb Loss Individual to attend the Skills for Life 6 Workshop today and your
name/company logo will be placed here and in our official program
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Scholarships
Limb loss individuals may apply for scholarships to attend Skills for Life workshops or other events where there are opportunities for face to face interaction with individuals missing at least both arms or all four limbs (Amputee Coalition National Conference, Quad Squad Muster, Camp No Limits, etc). Financial assistance requests need to be completed and submitted online. Please be as thorough as possible in your applications and provide good contact information as follow up emails or phone calls may be necessary. Please contact Kristi Turner with any questions.
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Change a Life, Donate Today
The Skills for Life workshop was developed 20 years ago with a specific focus on people missing both arms or all four limbs and the unique set of circumstances they face on a daily basis. Please consider donating so everyone who wants to has a chance to attend this life changing international event! To donate, please click either button in this section. If you make a donation of $1000 or higher, you will be recognized as a HERO Sponsor at Skills for Life 6. Feel free to leave a note with your donation if sponsoring a particular individual or multiple individuals.
Any and all donations, large or small, are greatly appreciated! To show our appreciation, your name will be listed on our Skills for Life 6 website and in our Skills for Life Program!
Enhancing Skills for Life, 501c3 Tax ID: 81-2619137.
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ESFL is an AmazonSmile Charity
Consider choosing Enhancing Skills for Life as your 501c3 charity on AmazonSmile! When customers shop on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to Enhancing Skills for Life. When first visiting AmazonSmile, you will be prompted to select a charitable organization. Why not choose Enhancing Skills for Life? Click HERE to change your current AmazonSmile charity to ESFL today!
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Contact Us | 713-240-8336 | Email
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