Everyone Deserves a Life Without Limits

UCP of West Alabama (UCPWA) is proud to celebrate an exciting step forward as our organization takes on a leadership role in Alabama’s statewide Community Autism Initiative, strengthening early intervention support for young children and families across the state.

Mary Beth Vick, a member of the UCPWA team, previously served with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services and has been involved with the Community Autism Initiative since its launch in 2018. Through her leadership and experience, she continues to help advance this important work across Alabama.

Through a partnership with The University of Alabama, which holds the Department of Early Childhood Education (DECE) grant for the initiative, UCPWA is now supporting the initiative by providing Mary Beth’s expertise and leadership as the work continues to grow statewide. This collaboration allows UCPWA to help guide and expand a program that is already making a meaningful difference in communities across Alabama.

The Alabama Autism Interagency Coordinating Council has recognized the Community Autism Initiative as a model program for caregivers and providers serving children under the age of five. With UCPWA helping lead the effort, the initiative is expanding its reach to support more early childhood educators, providers, and families throughout the state.

Currently, nineteen trained Community ASD Mentors serve communities across Alabama through an interactive Learning Collaborative model. This research-based approach provides hands-on, practical training in small groups, with each group paired with a mentor. The model focuses on five core intervention strategies that educators and caregivers consistently report are effective, practical, and easy to implement.

The program was recently highlighted at the University of Alabama Autism Conference as a model approach, showcasing the statewide mentor network and the supports available to communities across Alabama.

UCPWA is honored to play a role in expanding this important work and strengthening supports for children with autism and their families across the state.

A Day of Fishing and Friendship

Tim and Felicia Hagood recently opened their property for a special fishing day with friends from United Cerebral Palsy of West Alabama. It was a simple and meaningful day spent outdoors — casting lines, sharing stories, and enjoying time together.

The Hagoods have been strong supporters of UCP for many years. They regularly attend our fundraising events and have also made generous gifts to help purchase vehicles for our organization.

Those vehicles make a real difference. They allow our staff to reach more families and individuals with disabilities throughout West Alabama by traveling to homes, schools, and community locations. Because of supporters like Tim and Felicia, we are able to expand services and reach people who need support the most.

The fishing day was a wonderful reminder of the kindness and community that surround UCP. We are grateful to Tim and Felicia for opening their property and for their continued support of our mission.

Support from friends like Tim and Felicia helps UCP reach more families and create more opportunities for people with disabilities across West Alabama.

When UCP of West Alabama reopened its doors in 2021, we were serving just 24 families. At the time, resources were limited, but the need in our community was clear. To get started, we purchased four vehicles — the best we could afford. Each one cost between $5,000 and $6,000, and they allowed our staff to begin reaching families who needed support.

Those vehicles quickly became essential to our work.

Today, just a few short years later, UCP of West Alabama serves more than 3,000 families across 19 counties. Our programs have grown significantly, and so has the need for transportation. Staff travel daily to homes, schools, and community locations to deliver services, provide support, and create opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

What began with four vehicles has now grown to a fleet of 28.

But the original vehicles that helped launch our services are still on the road every day. After years of constant travel, four of them now have more than 200,000 miles. While they have served our mission well, they are reaching the point where repairs are becoming more frequent and reliability is becoming a concern.

Reliable transportation is critical to the work we do. Our vehicles allow us to reach families across a wide geographic area, especially in rural communities where services are often limited. When a vehicle is unavailable, it can mean delayed services or missed opportunities for the people we serve.

Replacing these high-mileage vehicles will help ensure that our staff can continue reaching families safely and consistently. As UCP of West Alabama continues to grow, dependable transportation remains one of the most important tools we have to serve our community.

Contact Becci Hauser at 205-657-5331 or bhauser@ucpwa.org if you can help serve this need.

Reliable vehicles help UCP of West Alabama reach thousands of families across 19 counties — keeping our mission moving forward every day.