OVER 30 YEARS OF PROMOTING AND ENCOURAGING INDEPENDENCE FOR ALL PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
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The Great Lakes Loons are back in town and Dow Diamond is now open to full capacity! There's never been a better time to take the family out to enjoy America's favorite pastime!
Disability Network Mid-Michigan is proud to once again be the official sponsor of Accessible Services at Dow Diamond. We applaud the Loons organization and the facility staff for working to make Dow Diamond an accessible place where everyone can Dive In!
DNMM is hosting a season-long series of photo contests. Every two weeks we'll be asking Loons fans and area residents to submit photos showcasing everything from summer fun to restaurants.
This week, we're asking you to share photos showing how you have fun in the summer. If you share a photo, you'll have a chance to win a $50 gift card of your choice! Let's have some fun as we celebrate not only the return of Loons Baseball, but efforts to make our communities accessible and inclusive!
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DNMM CELEBRATES LGTBQ+ PRIDE MONTH
June is National Pride Month. We celebrate this month because Pride promotes dignity, equal rights, self-affirmation and helps to increase society's awareness of issues that the community may face. The disability community and the LGBTQ+ community share visions of inclusion, they are both mirrors of one another, and they are intertwined.
Pride Month's origins date back to June 28, 1969, when police raided a gay club called the Stonewall Inn in New York. Though the police claimed the bar was operating with an improper liquor license, the raid was about nothing more than violently harassing and arresting LGBTQ people in one of the few places where they felt safe. Similar raids on gay-friendly businesses had been occurring for decades, but Stonewall was one of the first times when the patrons fought back. A diverse crowd of lesbians, gay men and transgender women, many of whom were people of color, clashed with the police, threw bottles and refused to be intimidated. The six-day period of protests and demonstrations is now known as the Stonewall Riots. A New York rally held the next year to commemorate the first anniversary of the riots started the now-regular tradition of Pride Month.
There are many ways to show your support for Pride Month. There are marches and celebrations taking place all over Michigan. The official kickoff for Pride events in the Great Lakes Bay Region is "Pride Night at Dow Diamond" on Friday, June 4. Click here for more information on Pride Night.You can hang a flag or post a Pride sign in your yard. You can add a Pride sticker to your social media profile(s). CNET.com has published a list of movies and TV specials you can watch and books you can read. Click here to read the full CNET article.
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MY3P - My Personal Protection Plan
A New Seminar
Are you prepared to handle an emergency situation? Do you have a plan?
After the devastating floods in May of 2020, many Michigan residents faced the difficult challenge of trying to put the pieces of their lives back together. Many found themselves in the position of not having a plan for dealing with such an emergency.
DNMM is excited to offer MY3P (My Personal Protection Plan) - an emergency preparedness series that will help you Get Ahead, Be Informed, and Make a Plan.
Session dates and topics are:
- June 16 1:00-3:00pm - "Creating My Go Kit and Evacuation Plan"
- July 21 1:00-2:00pm - "Assistive Technology For Your Go Kit"
- August 18 1:00-2:00pm - "Advanced Care Directives"
All sessions are FREE of charge and will be conducted virtually on Zoom. Participants will be given flash drives with all the essential resources to customize their plan.
Class size is limited so REGISTER TODAY!
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NOTE: We are hoping to schedule an in-person event starting in July. STAY TUNED!!!
Special Events:
June 2nd - 12-1pm
"Prepare to Advocate" - Tell Your Story
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June 17th - 7:00 - 8:30pm
It's a virtual Indoor/Outdoor dance party...sign up today!
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Come out and get your groove on! Meet up with friends virtually for some dancing and socializing!
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Mondays - 11:00am
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Tuesdays - 11:30am
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Tuesdays - 3:00pm
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Wednesdays - 3:00pm Thursdays - 4:00pm
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Matinees - Monday & Friday
1:00 - 3:00pm
June selections include: Patch Adams, Cruella, In The Heights, and Luca. Mondays will be devoted to series that the peers select.
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Thursdays - 2:00pm
June Activities include: Virtual Demo on making
Banana Pudding featuring Heather, a virtual tour of beautiful gardens of the world, & a craft day. |
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"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer."
- Major General Gordon Granger
Landing at Galveston, Texas - June 19, 1865
The reactions to this profound news ranged from pure shock to immediate jubilation. While many lingered to learn of this new employer to employee relationship, many left before these offers were completely off the lips of their former 'masters' - attesting to the varying conditions on the plantations and the realization of freedom. Even with nowhere to go, many felt that leaving the plantation would be their first grasp of freedom.
North was a logical destination and for many it represented true freedom, while the desire to reach family members in neighboring states drove some into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Settling into these new areas as free men and women brought on new realities and the challenges of establishing a heretofore non-existent status for black people in America. Recounting the memories of that great day in June of 1865 and its festivities would serve as motivation as well as a release from the growing pressures encountered in their new territories. The celebration of June 19th was coined "Juneteenth" and grew with more participation from descendants. The Juneteenth celebration was a time for reassuring each other, for praying and for gathering remaining family members. Juneteenth continued to be highly revered in Texas decades later, with many former slaves and descendants making an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston on this date.
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WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER YOUR MEDICARE/MEDICAID QUESTIONS
Do you need extra help paying for your Medicare Part D prescription plan?
Call us to see if you are eligible for the Low Income Subsidy for Medicare Prescription Drug coverage. We can help you with screening questions and do the application over the phone in as little as 15 minutes!
Do you need help paying your Medicare premiums?
Call us today to see if you qualify for the Medicare Savings Program. We can assist you with checking your eligibility and doing the application over the phone.
Did you know that there are many preventative health and screening services included with your Medicare coverage?
Some of the things you may be eligible for include:
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Screening:
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Lung cancer
- Prostate cancer
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Testing and services:
- Nutrition Therapy
- Glaucoma
- Mammograms
- Tobacco use cessation counseling
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These are just some of the many services you could access. Call today for more information and a full list of preventative health benefits!
CALL US TODAY! WE'RE HERE FOR YOU!
1-800-782-4160
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JUNE IS PTSD AWARENESS MONTH
When you have PTSD, it's hard to feel safe. The traumatic event - natural disaster, combat, sexual assault, accident - can take hold, and you find you can't stop thinking about it. Maybe you have nightmares and trouble sleeping. Maybe you feel on edge and unsettled or don't find pleasure in things you used to enjoy. Maybe you feel it's just easier to be alone. Feelings like these are common after going through a trauma. For most people, they pass in a few weeks or months, but for others they are long lasting.
PTSD symptoms fall into four categories: reliving or re-experiencing the event, avoiding things or places that remind you of the event, negative changes in beliefs and feelings, and hyperarousal or being on guard. For someone to be diagnosed with PTSD, they need to have symptoms in all four categories.
PTSD symptoms can happen at any age, and they come and go. Only a mental health care provider can diagnose you with PTSD. And, knowing if you have PTSD is the first step to getting effective treatment. So, it is important to talk with a doctor if you think you have symptoms. There are effective treatments even if you have been living with symptoms for years.
Keep in mind that you're not alone. And, there are treatments that will help you feel better and take back control of your life. Be the advocate - take that first step for yourself.
As always, please know Disability Network of Mid-Michigan is here for you. Even if you just need someone to talk to, do not hesitate to give us a call. 1-800-782-4160.
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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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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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