2014 Greyhounds OSMR All You Can Eat Shrimp Boil
$15 All You Can Eat Shrimp Boil
Saturday, August 30th @ 5pm
You can download the flier for more information
Ocean Springs Pairs Up with Disability Connection
We are incredibly thankful for our partners, volunteers and supporters. Together, we are creating a connected community. This week, the city of Ocean Springs has partnered with our organization in support of our Community Assist program.
Connie Moran, Ocean Springs Mayor, says, “In order to provide information and resources for people with mental and physical disability, veterans, and for the elderly, a disability staff member will be available 20 hours per week at the new office starting next month.” (Via WXXV)
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If you’re an employer who may have positions available and would consider interviewing our applicants, please contact Deborah Snyder:
office@disabilityconnection.org or (228)-870-7775.
![By Knight Foundation (Knight-Crane Convergence Lab) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons](https://disabilityconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/512px-Knight-Crane_Convergence_Lab_-_Flickr_-_Knight_Foundation_2.jpg)
2014 Senior Fraud Prevention & Wellness Expo
Harrison County
Senior Resource Agency & SMPDD
Present:
Senior Fraud Prevention and Wellness Expo 2014
This is an event designed to compliment the lifestyle and needs of the older adult.
September 24, 2014 9:00AM – 2:00PM
Door Prizes and Giveaways You Won’t Believe!!!
• Extra Help – application assistance to Medicare beneficiaries • Games
• Special Entertainment
• Nutritious Lunch & Snacks
• Specialized Health Screenings
• Flu & Pneumonia Shots
• Shredding Available on site for Sensitive Documents
Lyman Community Center
13472 Highway 49
Gulfport, MS 39503
For more information on how to become a vendor or to register your organization
Please Call 228-896-0412
Hero Ex-SVP : “Walgreens has “dream goal”, …10% disabled workforce within five years”
A Truly Uplifting Story
Randy Lewis has an incredible story to tell. “It’s the tale of how a man who led logistics at America’s largest drug-store chain, supporting it as it grew from 1,600 to 8,000 outlets with the most advanced logistics network in its sector, did so while giving job opportunities to thousands of disabled people.”
Randy is an advocate. He understands the benefits that inclusive organizations experience. Think ability, not disability.
This is another quote from the article. It really shows how perseverance and teamwork are so important to the success of any strategy:
“Walgreens had previously employed disabled people to do “ancillary rather than mission-critical work”, cleaning for example, but Lewis wanted to do something more. “We wanted an opportunity to bring people in as our own employees,” he recalls. That opportunity came with the building of a new distribution centre; larger and more automated than any the company had owned before.”
The full article goes in to depth regarding Randy’s personal inspirations and current advocacy work.
I encourage our followers to read the full article
2014 Healthy Family Fun Fair
Bring the Family!
• Free Photo Booth
• Free Prizes
• Live Entertainment
• Free Health Screenings
Contact:
Kay Daneault, Executive Director
Mental Health Association of South Mississippi
4803 Harrison Circle, Gulfport, MS 39507
228-864-6274 phone; 228-864-1310 fax
Introducing “The Ability Club”
There are a plethora of online job-search sites available today.
Now there is a job-search site specifically for people with disabilities.
“Online applications are so complicated that they form a barrier to the job market for people with developmental disabilities. When I saw that the McDonald’s application included psychological testing, I knew there was a problem,” says Wade Ogletree, IDD Director, Jackson County.
“Ability.Club is a system “where employers can post jobs for free and prospective employees and their service providers can search for free.”
This is an excellent new resource for the disability community.
Introducing “We Connect Now”
Check out this awesome organization!
Letter from the creator of “We Connect Now”
I would like to share with you the link to the We Connect Now website. http://weconnectnow.wordpress.
I wanted to share the We Connect Now website with you so that you may post it as a resource on your website or otherwise share it with any students that you serve. The website has been used as a resource by institutions of higher learning and has been linked to by colleges and universities and groups serving people with disabilities in all states and at least 10 foreign countries.
I thank you for any and all help that you may give me in promoting this project as a service to all college students with disabilities.
We are also on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/
Sincerely,
Gabriela McCall Delgado
Hero, Local Veteran Gives Back
Dave Flowers is a local hero making a huge difference.
The Dave Flowers Foundation was established for the purpose of providing critical support to veterans underserved by current public and private veteran support programs.
The Dave Flowers Foundation is focused primarily on veterans of WWII, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict. The service area of the foundation will be the three coastal counties of Mississippi.
“Although great emphasis has been placed on post service care for those detached from military service since Desert Storm there is a large and woeful gap between the services provided to veterans exiting military service today and the services provided to veterans of less recent wars and conflicts. Compounding the services gap is the reluctance of older veterans to ask for help; even when desperately needed. This unwillingness stems from pride, perception, and past poor experiences with veterans support organizations.The Dave Flowers foundation will help veterans overcome both real and perceived obstacles and will deliver services where gaps exist. The Dave Flowers Foundation will identify veterans of historical conflicts and war, assess their needs, and work to fulfill those needs. Services provided will include financial support for critical needs, assistance with identifying available resources, helping veterans in utilizing existing resources, and providing a helping hand with critical projects. This country owes these veterans a great debt.
The Dave Flowers Foundation mission is to ensure all veterans within our region of influence receive the care and respect they deserve.”
To read more about Dave’s story and about this wonderful organization, visit www.DaveFlowersFoundation.org
2014 Playground Party Success
Thank You for supporting an Earth Day event in support of our friends in South Mississippi with disabilities. The “I Love My Playground Party” was the opportunity for our community to celebrate the one year anniversary of building the Disability Connection Community Playground in Harrison County. Over 200 individuals participated in the Picnic including about 140 kids and adults with disabilities.
This event was made possible by the support of Harrison County Parks & Recreation, Kaboom, and Kohls with help from additional volunteer friends such as the VA Veteran Warriors, Job Corps, Disney, and the MS Department of Rehabilitation. The participants planted bushes, freshened mulch, raked and bagged leaves, and other tasks that beautified their playground. Following the work, everyone had a picnic lunch, enjoyed music and an art project, and, of course, enjoyed playing on the playground.
Your support assists us in ensuring that people with disabilities in South Mississippi have access to social, recreational, and educational opportunities that improve the quality of life for both individuals and families. In addition, DC currently assists with eliminating barriers to employment and home repair for some individuals in need with priority to seniors, veterans, homeless, and people with disabilities.
The Disability Connection staff, volunteers, and friends appreciate your support of our programs. Your support allows us to continue doing important work in our community, and we are proud of our partnership. Other well-attended Disability Connection inclusive events include the Arbor Day 5 K-1 Mile Run/Walk/Roll & ¼ Mile Challenge, the Mayor’s Disability Awareness Health Fair, and the Art Ability Fair. As a Disability Connection Donor you will be helping DC to reaching over 4,500 community members each year.
Thank you for your donation. O’Keefe Educational Media, dba Disability Connection is a 501 c 3 Corporation, and your donations are tax-deductible; no goods or services were received for this donation.
Most Sincerely,
Janie O’Keefe
Local PRAM Chapter Supports DC
From the PRAM’s monthly newsletter:
Community Service Project
Disability Connection
“Dear PRAM members,
For our next service project, we will be partnering with Disability Connection who helps seniors and veterans as well as people with disabilities to gain employment. For the months of April, May and June, we will be collecting new or gently worn work attire. Most of their clients are looking for entry level positions, and we can accept any and all sizes and styles. Feel free to donate nice jeans, polos, suits, dresses, ties, scrubs, etc. They will also accept letter or letter-like (imitation) portfolios/folders for their clients who are out interviewing. These portfolio/folders look professional for interviews and some of us have ones we don’t use. Thank you for supporting this service project through your donations. I challenge you to go through you closets now. You can deliver those directly to Disability Connection, located at 700 Pass Rd in Gulfport in the Gulfport School Annex down the hall from maintenance. Call first to (228) 604-4020 to coordinate drop-off or bring these items to the next PRAM meetings. Feel free to visit www.DisabilityConnection.org or email Office@DisabilityConnection.org for more information.”
Thank you,
Jessica Breazeale, Community Service Chair