Community Connections Newsletter | | |
Check out what's new this issue!
- Furniture Donations
- 2025 Youth Summit
- May We Help Equipment Event
- Writing Contest Celebrates ADA Milestone With Stories of Empowerment
| | New Life Furniture is looking for furniture donations! To meet their goal of 2,500 households in 2025, New Life Furniture NEEDS furniture! There is a listing of items that New Life Furniture accepts and doesn't accept on their website. To get all the donation details, visit https://nlfurniture.org/take-action/donate-furniture/. | | There is an individual we serve who needs a dresser, blankets, a comforter set, a nightstand, and a table lamp. If you would like to donate any of these items, please contact Jenny Mann at jamann@butlerdd.org. | | Put in a Nomination for the 2025 Community Recognition Awards! | | We are accepting nominations! Help us celebrate the many unsung heroes whose work and advocacy make the world a better place for people with developmental disabilities! We'll honor them at the Community Recognition Awards on Thursday, September 18. Nominations are due by Friday, June 6. This year, the award categories will be Partner of the Year Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Community Advocate Award, Young Pioneer Award, Community Inclusion Award, Volunteer of the Year Award, Outstanding Educator Award (new this year), and Community Impact Award. To put in a nomination and see the descriptions of each award, visit the link! | | |
Berachah WOW Fishing Day
Saturday, May 31 from 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Attend the Berachah Church WOW Family Fishing Day! Lunch will be provided. Fishing equipment will be available, but if you have your own, feel free to bring it along! If you would like to register, visit the website!
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May We Help Equipment Event
Sunday, June 1 from 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
May We Help is having an equipment event! You may donate or receive adaptive equipment at NO cost to you! The event will take place at 7501 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45227. Gait trainers, walkers, standers, wheelchairs, activity chairs, strollers, bikes, lifts, bath/shower chairs, and much more will be available! If you have any questions, please visit https://maywehelp.org/.
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Are You Ready to Move Out?
Sunday, June 1 and 8 from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Join the 4-week series on what living independently could look like, especially if you aren’t sure where to start or if it’s even possible. The series will take place at EmpowerMe Living located at 6600 Clough Pike. The cost is $100 per adult/caregiver team. Register today!
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2025 Youth Summit
Thursday, June 5 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Attend this FREE youth-led event! This year, Miami University's summit's theme is "Youth Unleashed," and their goal is to help young people remove any barriers in the way of them achieving creative thinking, powerful advocating, and remarkable leadership. Teens will get to select workshops that cater to their interests, ranging from peer leadership and mental health to fitness and content creation. The event will have multimedia activities, food, and fun. Lunch is provided, community service credit is available, and you will receive goodies for attending! Participants can be incoming high school freshmen to seniors who attend high school in Butler County. Register for the Youth Summit now!
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Summer Bash
Thursday, June 5 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Join us at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields for a Summer Bash! This will be our first-ever outdoor dance at the Miracle League Fields featuring the GE Title 14 Band! The Summer Bash will take place on Thursday, June 5, from 6-8 p.m. All ages are welcome. Please RSVP by Wednesday, May 28, by visiting our website! If there is inclement weather, the event will be cancelled. Please watch our Facebook page for updates.
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Annual DD Fishing Derby
Saturday, June 7 from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
The Hamilton Optimist Club will hold the Annual DD Fishing Derby at 567 Beissinger Road in Hamilton, Ohio! All food, drinks, and bait will be provided. Participants should bring a fishing rod. If participants do not have a fishing rod, one can be provided. All participants receive a prize. Please arrive early to sign up for the fishing derby. Please contact Terry Baker at troscoeb1959@gmail.com or 513-603-0021 with any questions.
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4th Annual Challenging Perceptions Adaptive Trail Race
Saturday, June 7 from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Greene County Board of DD will be holding their 4th Annual Challenging Perceptions Adaptive Trail Race at Russ Nature Preserve located at 2380 Kemp Road in Beavercreek, Ohio! Anyone is welcome to participate! To get more details and register visit the website!
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The Future is Now
Tuesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 12 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The Future is now is a multi-part series designed to help caregivers and their family members make plans for the future. Throughout this journey of discovery, we will guide families in creating their own letter of intent. A letter of intent is a non-legal document that captures family desires and goals for the future. Parents, caregivers, individuals with developmental disabilities, and siblings are encouraged to attend as a family unit. Sessions will be hosted by people with a passion for helping individuals and families prepare for the future. Participation is limited to eight families per session. You MUST attend all sessions within the series. Series will take place at the Janet Clemmons Center located at 282 N. Fair Ave., Hamilton, OH 45011. A meal will be provided. Registration must be completed 1 week before the session begins! Please contact Jenny Mann at jamann@butlerdd.org or call 513-785-2813 if you have any questions. REGISTER FOR THE FUTURE IS NOW!
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Regional Tech Summit
Tuesday, June 17 from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Attend the Regional Tech Summit where you will learn how the Ohio Tech Ambassadors use technology to live their best lives! There will be many featured topics such as, tech for work, tech for the bathroom, tech for low vision, and tech for dressing. The tech summit will take place at Cincinnati Deer Park Branch Library located at 4020 E Galbraith Road in Cincinnati, Ohio. Register today to attend!
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Cookies & Connections: Shared Living & Respite Services
Tuesday, June 17 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Join the latest Cookies & Connections workshop! This workshop will focus on personal care and support services that create a family-oriented environment for individuals living in a care provider’s home, including respite services for temporary arrangements. Shared Living Providers make long-term commitments to sharing a home, helping with daily routines, and inviting someone with a developmental disability to be part of their family, resulting in lifelong relationships. This session will take place at the Janet Clemmons Center. Register for the session!*(Parents and other family members can now provide support to their loved ones as a Shared Living Provider. However, they are required to complete the same background check, training, and onboarding as un-related caregivers. Their family member must also have a qualifying Waiver to pay for these services)*
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Join the Speak Up Self Advocacy Group!
Tuesday, June 24 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Join the advocacy group Speak Up sponsored by the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities! Everyone can be a self-advocate! Meetings occur once a month at the Janet Clemmons Center and are focused on ways to advocate for yourself and your community. If you have any questions please contact Courtney Hineman at crhineman@butlerdd.org or Lynn Goodwin at mgoodwin@butlerdd.org.
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Safety Town for Children with DD
Monday, July 28 - Friday, August 1 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Join Hamilton's 53rd season of Safety Town! Safety Town is a free, interactive summer program for children that teaches them safety tips and information. Your child will be instructed in pedestrian, vehicle, school bus, stranger dangers, gun safety, and fire safety. This year, Safety Town is offering a special week designed specifically for children ages 6-10 with developmental disabilities! While Safety Town is inclusive of all children and welcomes those of all abilities throughout the summer, the week of July 28th is a week tailored for children who may benefit from a more focused experience. The program will cover the same content but will include a sensory-friendly environment, breaks throughout the morning, and a smaller class size. Safety Town will be held at Office Bob Gentry Park, 105 Williams Avenue, Hamilton, OH 45015. A caregiver/parent will be required to attend. Register today!
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Resource Butler County Social Services Expo
Friday, August 15 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Attend the 13th Annual Resource Expo! This is an incredible opportunity to share information about your organization and learn more about Butler County's services. The event is free and will be held at Spooky Nook Sports Complex, 601 North B Street in Hamilton, Ohio. Sign up as a vendor!
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Luke5Adventures Reds Game
Tuesday, September 2 at 6:30 p.m.
Join Luke5Adventures for the first-ever Luke5Adventures Reds game on September 2nd as the Reds take on the Blue Jays! Tickets are $20, and there will be MANY accessible seats reserved for those who need them. If your family needs accessible seats, please request enough for your entire group, not just the person requiring accessibility. For more details and to register, visit Luke5Adventures' website!
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Hamilton Chalk the Block
Sunday, June 22, July 13, and August 10 from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Chalk the Block is a free, non-profit event dedicated to connecting art and the community. Held once a month at Rotary Park, located at 208 High St. in Hamilton, Ohio, this five-hour event invites kids and families to explore their creativity, meet professional artists, and engage with special guests from various fields. Each event will feature hands-on artistic experiences, themed guest appearances, and opportunities to celebrate self-expression in a welcoming environment, with a special focus on creating a sensory, engaging, and friendly atmosphere. Each of the 3 days Chalk the Block will take place, a different theme will be featured as well as different activities! To volunteer for the Chalk the Block, visit the link! For Artists who would like to sign up for Chalk the Block, visit the link! To keep up to date on all things Hamilton Chalk the Block, visit their Facebook page!
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Outdoors for All Writing Contest Celebrates ADA Milestones With Stories of Empowerment
To mark the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), central Ohio organizers are inviting youth (ages 14–23) and adults (24 and older) to submit prose, poetry, or an ASL-performed statement for a special writing competition. The contest celebrates the ADA’s legacy and the doors it has opened for people with disabilities. Winning writers will receive cash prizes and be invited to present their work at a celebration event on July 11, 2025, at the Columbus Museum of Art. Submissions should respond to the prompt: "The ADA has done things for America’s disability community. What are you doing that might not have been possible without the ADA?" Entries are due by 11:59 p.m. on June 2, 2025, and should be emailed to hello@austindunn.net. Submissions must be from Ohio residents and should be sent as a Word document in an attached email. ASL submissions may be included as a YouTube link. Judges with significant literary and disability experience will evaluate the submissions.
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Advocacy in Action With Courtney Hineman & Cassie Mattia
BCBDD Community Outreach Advocate Courtney Hineman has made it her professional and personal mission to advocate for inclusion in the developmental disability (DD) community. In April, Courtney took her advocacy on the road to Washington, D.C., to attend the Disability Policy Seminar and Advocacy Day. While in D.C., Courtney met many fellow advocates, shared her story, and explained why disability policies are vital to the DD community with several U.S. legislators. Join Courtney and the BCBDD PR Coordinator, Cassie Mattia, for an all-new sit-down interview where Courtney dives into her Washington, D.C., trip and her latest Ohio Developmental Disability Council meeting in Columbus! Watch the interview!
| | We would never be able to do all that we do without our amazing community! THANK YOU for coming alongside us in support of the individuals and families we serve! | | | | |
