December is here, bringing a season of reflection, celebration, and togetherness. As we wrap up the year, WILC is excited to share new opportunities to connect, learn, and stay engaged. Wishing you a joyful holiday season filled with warmth, happiness, and connection. Settle in, get cozy, and explore what’s happening this month!

As the year comes to a close, we’re sending our heartfelt wishes for a holiday season filled with joy, peace, and meaningful moments. Thank you for being such an important part of our community, we’re grateful for you and all we’ve accomplished together!

Stay Safe & Warm This Winter

Cold weather can create extra challenges for people with disabilities, from staying safe at home to navigating icy streets. Our latest blog post shares practical tips and strategies to help you stay healthy, comfortable, and prepared all season long.

Read here!

A Fond Farewell to Nadine

After more than 40 years of dedication, Nadine is retiring! We’re so grateful for her years of hard work, commitment, and positive impact on everyone at WILC. Wishing her a happy, fulfilling retirement filled with joy, relaxation, and new adventures. Thank you for everything, Nadine!

Upcoming Free Webinars

We have a full roster of upcoming webinars covering decision support, advocacy, caregiver wellness, and preparing for important school meetings. These sessions offer valuable guidance for families and caregivers. Be sure to join us!

Michael's Monthly Fun Fact

Thanksgiving has come and went, now it’s time to get ready for the holidays. What’s a better way to celebrate? Making gingerbread houses! As we all know, gingerbread houses are an iconic treat that can be fun to make, and good to eat for the whole family.

Here is a little history on gingerbread houses. The tradition of decorated gingerbread houses began in Germany in the early 1800s. Stories like the famous Hansel and Gretel help popularized the idea of gingerbread houses. Since then, they have become more modern and can be seen in almost every house or every store, just sitting on a window sill, waiting for someone to either buy it, finish it, or just eat it as a delicious desert after a hearty holiday meal.

You also might see people try to amp it up by making small towns complete recreated with gingerbread buildings and people. They can also make great use for decorations too. Eating them is not always an option sometimes, but that is up to you. What matters the most is that they can be used as a fun activity for people to come together, and help build, and enjoy it through out the process. One can make many great memories just by that one act alone. What better time than to do it now?

2026 Family Empowerment Advocacy Series

WILC's Parent Training and Information Center 2026 Family Empowerment Advocacy Series will begin on January 8, 2026! Parents and family members, join us for this FREE in-depth 6-session series for families navigating special education - Advocating for Your Child & Strengthening Your School Community.

During this training, participants will learn about their child’s rights, the special education process, and how to effectively advocate for your child and other children. Topics include: In-Depth Knowledge of the Special Education Process & IEPs, Federal & State Rights and Laws, Requesting & Interpreting Evaluations, Working Through Disagreements, Invisible Disabilities, Transition Planning & Life After School, and much, much more.

Morning sessions = 9.30 am-12.30 pm

Evening sessions = 6.00 pm-9.00 pm

Participants can attend the morning or evening session, or both or switch them up week to week to meet their schedule.

For more information, please contact dgreen@putnamils.org

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