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REACH was featured at Pleasanton Chamber Mixer |
During August, REACH had the honor of being the featured non-profit at the Pleasanton Chamber mixer! A special thanks to the generosity of Scott Larson, the owner of the Neighborhood Sportsbar & Kitchen, that is situated near our Pleasanton REACH properties. We extend our thanks to the Pleasanton Chamber, the entire team at Neighborhood Sportsbar & Kitchen, our dedicated volunteers, and everyone who contributed to the planning of this event. We appreciate those who joined our celebration.
Just as Neighborhood Sportsbar & Kitchen excels in providing outstanding food to the neighborhood, we strive to be outstanding neighbors by offering safe, affordable, accessible, and well-maintained homes to our REACH residents in Pleasanton!
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Diane Warzecha
Appointed to REACH Board
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Diane is an Occupational Therapist who has worked in the Pleasanton Unified School District for eight instructional years. She works across four elementary school sites in the District. Diane is passionate about tailoring the educational environment to accommodate the unique needs and learning styles of each student, empowering them to achieve their full potential.
Diane has been a valuable addition to our expanding board and has graciously contributed her time to author our new blog column, 'Building Community Through Conversation'. The column offers a valuable perspective on promoting inclusive discussions and sparks inspiration to carry these conversations into our everyday lives. You can read the inaugural installment of this blog below.
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❤️ Don't miss our newsletter - Let's keep in touch! Please keep us on your safe sender list.
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REACH Resident Featured Panelist at Advocacy Film Event |
On September 24, Castro Valley Adult Education in partnership with Castro Valley Community Alliance hosted a film screening of Intelligent Lives.
Following the film, a panel discussion took place, featuring a robust lineup of participants, including Connor Ciraulo, REACH Resident, Jamie Renton, REACH Board Member/Disabilities Transition Specialist for PUSD’s Pleasanton Adult and Career Education, Interns from the Paid Internship Program, along with other members and advocates of the I/DD community. A heartfelt recognition goes out to Beth Cutter for her outstanding efforts in coordinating this event and selecting our REACH community members as featured panelists!
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Photo Credit: Ray Casarez
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Building Community Through Conversation |
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Reframing Disability: Changing your Lens |
Blog Author: Diane Warzecha
Chances are you have heard the terms neurodiversity and neurodivergent lately. Neurodiversity is the concept that we all think and interact with our environment differently and that there is no one right way of interacting with the world around us. The term neurodiversity encompasses all types of brain differences including, but not limited to, neurotypical, autistic, dyslexic, and Intellectual Disability. The term neurodivergent refers to an individual who falls into one of the many categories other than Neurotypical.
A Different Lens: Within the paradigm of neurodiversity, differences are not viewed as deficits – they are simply differences.This is an important distinction as it changes our lens of how we view people who think or act differently than us. When we view these differences as deficits, it can impact the way we interact with neurodivergent individuals and cause us to overlook their true abilities.
Presume Competence: To take this concept further, it is important to presume competence when interacting with all individuals, but especially our neurodivergent peers. For example, it is easy to look at someone who doesn’t use words to speak and make assumptions about their ability to communicate and their level of intelligence. If we presume competence and embrace alternative methods of communication for these individuals, we will likely discover that they have a lot to say. It’s easy to make assumptions about competence and ability by judging what we see on the outside. Honoring differences, presuming competence, and taking the time to get to know those who appear “different” from us can only enrich our lives and positively impact our society as a whole.
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Special Olympics Celebration |
On September 20, a week following the regional softball tournament, REACH hosted a pizza party and awards event at Mercer Park to honor the T-RADD softball team. We extend our gratitude to Diane Berry, co-T-RADD Coach, for suggesting this fantastic idea of holding the celebration at First Tee. The T-RADD teammates enjoyed coming together to commemorate the season's conclusion! |
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It's an exciting period of growth for REACH. We recently acquired Camden Commons, a townhome property in Livermore, and we have been approved by the City of Pleasanton's Housing Commission and City Council to begin building two Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), one on the Tanager home and the other on the Hansen home.
These new properties are expanding our capacity to serve more adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in our community.
With the collaborative efforts of our community of supporters, we can make these projects a reality. Your support plays a crucial role in bridging the gap in funding that is needed to build, renovate, and modify these properties.
You're giving the gift of independence to 8 new REACH residents to live in safe, affordable, and accessible homes in the Tri-Valley. Every heartfelt gift, regardless of the amount, makes a lasting impact on the lives of our residents.
Thank you for believing the key to independence begins with safe and affordable housing options for adults with I/DD.
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We are honored to have been a grant recipient of Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance's (TVNPA) 2023 Tri-Valley Nonprofit Fund and was awarded $4,000! These funds will be directed towards Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and home improvement projects to support independent living for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A special thank you to TVNPA, TVNPA's matching partners, and the community for granting these essentials funds to advance our mission.
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Photo Credit: Nina Pomeroy Photography
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Thank you to everyone who attended our annual night of giving event - REACH for Your Dreams! |
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Connect with Tri Valley REACH | Website
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