The League for People with Disabilities is committed to offering individuals the opportunity to gain independence, to increase self-sufficiency, and to improve the quality of life. | |
My League Story, The Wellness Center, Frances M. | |
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August is National Wellness Month, a time to prioritize self-care and take care of your physical, mental, social, and emotional health. At The League, participants, employees, and Wellness Center members are empowered to take a holistic approach to their overall health and well-being. One individual who is maximizing her whole body’s potential is Frances M., a 70-year-old resident of West Baltimore and Wellness Center member since 2020.
Frances has always remained active, visiting local gyms and pools with her girlfriends on a regular basis, but when the pandemic caused them to close, she relied on her friend to help her stay determined. Because The League’s Wellness Center was one of the only facilities with a pool open at the time, they signed up for memberships and never went back to any of the other facilities.
Even though Frances passes 4 other gyms with pools on her way to The League, she doesn’t mind going the extra miles and paying the slightly higher fee to get to her “happy place.” Still working full-time, she enjoys coming to the Wellness Center 2-3 times a week once she clocks out to spend 2 hours working on her fitness. She begins with an hour-long soak and swim session in the heated pool. After a quick shower, she spends about an hour in the fitness center using the equipment to maintain her physique.
According to Frances, one of the best things about The League’s Wellness Center is that everything is so accessible, not only for the disability community, but also for the elderly members. She loves to see the children with autism using the pool after school and is completely inspired by the League participants who work with the Therafit team to achieve their goals. The positive attitudes in the Wellness Center are infectious, provide perspective, and motivate Frances to continue taking care of herself.
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“The pool is my medicine. I don’t want anyone else to have to take care of me. I only wish I would have known about [The Wellness Center] sooner.” | |
With a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain types of cancer, Frances takes her health very seriously and wants to remain active for as long as she can. Although she is planning to have her second knee replaced very soon, she is confident that an aqua therapy routine in the heated pool will help her immensely on her road to recovery. She has built meaningful friendships with the other members – many of whom have also had knee replacements – and they can all attest to the healing powers of community and exercise in the warm water. | |
Children in the Youth Autism Services Program visited the Ravens Training Camp on July 20th! They got to watch their athletic idols practice on the field and then meet them in a private session of autograph signings and photo opportunities. | |
Adults in our Day Habilitation Program have been having a busy summer in the great outdoors! In addition to frequenting their favorite community volunteer sites, they visited scenic recreational and leisure sites like Loch Raven Reservoir and the Baltimore Museum of Art. | |
Camp Greentop campers and staff members enjoyed an afternoon carnival on July 31st thanks to the very generous members of the Rotary Club of Baltimore! Because of the long-standing relationship between Camp and the Rotarians, everyone had fun playing games, eating sweet and salty treats, and getting their face painted! | |
Adult Medical Day participants went to Prom on August 1st! To prepare for the excitement, our creative attendees designed and made all of the decorations for a "wacky" celebratory theme. Guests dressed in their most unmatching outfits and enjoyed plenty of dancing, refreshments, and priceless picture-perfect moments. | |
The League's Meaningful Day Services Career Day on July 31st was a SUCCESS thanks to the incredible staff members and volunteers who spent the morning conducting mock interviews with 16 employment-seeking individuals in our program! These intimate workshops and personalized sessions help adults prepare for the hiring process so that they may ultimately achieve their professional goals in the real-world. | |
We are extremely grateful for our individual volunteers, corporate partnerships, and networks of connections with volunteers! If you, your school, company, or organization is interested in making a difference with The League, please contact Kait Wieler, Manager, Community Engagement, at kwieler@leagueforpeople.org. | |
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The League for People with Disabilities is inviting passionate community members to join our Human Rights Committee. Help us protect the rights of individuals receiving support through The League. If you have a basic understanding of fundamental/civil rights and are willing to advocate for individuals with disabilities, we need you!
Training will be provided and you would be expected to review incident reports quarterly, collaborate on recommendations for involved parties with a time commitment of 2-4 hours per quarter.
Interested individuals are invited to apply by sending a brief email about why you’re interested along with your resume to dwitherspoon@leagueforpeople.org.
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The League's Employee Appreciation Picnic | |
On Saturday, July 27th, The League's Employee Culture Committee hosted an outdoor picnic and movie night for our employees and their loved ones of all ages! We had games, a live concert from local talent "Nelly's Echo," dinner from Jimmy's Famous Seafood, and dessert from Icy Delights. This one-of-a-kind evening of fun was capped off with a showing of "Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse" and plenty of movie theater snacks! Thank you to everyone who joined us and brought your families to enjoy a beautiful summer evening together in the garden! | |
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On Thursday, September 19th, Strategic Factory is hosting Strategic Fest to unveil the opening of their newest facility in Owings Mills, Maryland! The League is one of Strategic Factory’s twenty-five charities to support as they celebrate 25 years of business. Your ticket proceeds can be designated to benefit The League! | |
Need a reason to wear your Halloween costume one more time this upcoming Spooky Season? Spend October 12th with the coolest clubgoers in Maryland painting nails, playing BINGO, selling merchandise, or mixing up mocktails! Volunteers are always needed to make CLUB1111 fun for everyone! | |
The League's Annual Holiday Drive could use both individual and group volunteers! Wrap gifts from Santa for children and assemble care packages for adults in our Medical and Meaningful Day Programs. If you are interested in signing up early, please contact Kait Wieler, Manager of Community Engagement. | |
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The League’s signature annual fundraising event incorporates stories of triumph, tastings from local partners, a taste of the CLUB1111 Experience, an Online Auction, and more!
We are actively recruiting volunteers for our Tastes, Toasts, & Triumphs Event Committee and Ambassadors. If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, please contact Robyn Dammers, Director of Development, at rdammers@leagueforpeople.org.
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A Concluding Note from Our President & CEO | |
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Wishing you a very Happy National Wellness Month! At The League, our employees and participants benefit from a variety of programs and initiatives that promote physical, mental, and emotional health.
From our fully accessible Wellness Center and high-energy aerobics classes, to our daily incorporation of meditation, exercise, and uplifting recreational activities, we strive to advocate for the healthiest versions of each other. And you can't forget those of us who burn hundreds of calories dancing on the second Saturday of every month at CLUB1111! Thank you to our hundreds of guests who have shown us patience and understanding through the transition to a different ticketing platform!
I would also like to extend immense gratitude to my fellow Rotarians for their sponsorship and facilitation of the Annual Rotary & Friends of The League Day at Camp Greentop on 7/30. We had a BLAST playing carnival games, eating popcorn, cotton candy, and snowballs, and hanging out with the campers and staff members in the Catoctin Mountains!
With the summer fun winding down and school on the horizon for the children in our Youth Autism Services Program, I am so grateful to those who contributed in some way to the annual Back-to-School Drive either as a volunteer backpack stuffer or as a donor of essential supplies!
Take care, stay hydrated, and be well!
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David A. Greenberg
President & CEO
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Your gift to The League Fund allows The League to continue providing important services in our community.
Together, we are able.
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You can also mail a check made payable to
“The League for People with Disabilities” to:
The League, c/o The League Fund
P.O. Box 69647
Baltimore, MD 21264-9647
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