FANS Network Goodwill Donation Drive is May 20-21
This year, why not do some good along with your spring cleaning? On May 20 and 21, you can support the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities FANS Network when you donate your gently used goods at participating Goodwill locations. Your donations will provide Goodwill vouchers to individuals the Board serves who need clothing and household items. For more information and a list of participating locations, click here. Make sure you tell them you’re donating on behalf of the FANS Network!
Save the date! Board to host Employment Fair June 7
The Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities will host an Employment Fair on June 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its Larc Lane Training Center at 1155 Larc Lane in Toledo. The event will focus on filling vacancies at the Board as well as direct support professional and other employment vacancies with providers that support people with developmental disabilities.
Many positions are available, including those in personal care, health care/medical, social services, business/finance, human resources, case management, personal transportation and group transportation.
This Employment Fair is ideal for those who want to gain experience working with people with disabilities. For more information about participating as an employer or as a prospective employee, contact Melissa Merritt at mmerritt@lucasdd.org.
Board to present SSI Spotlight Classes
The Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities has scheduled 90-minute Spotlight Classes during the month of May. These free virtual sessions will cover topics like SSI, SSDI, Ohio’s STABLE program and overpayments from Social Security.
May 17 – Spotlight on ABLE/STABLE Accounts
May 24 – A Deeper Dive into Working While Receiving Social Security Benefits, including Reporting Income and Overpayments
Each session runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. To register and receive class materials, email shathaway@lucasdd.org.
People First to meet May 19
People First of Lucas County will hold its May meeting in the Ability Center’s Overlander Room on May 19 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This month’s meeting will feature a discussion about how to safely interact with police officers. The Ability Center is located at 5605 Monroe Street in Sylvania, and there will be a $5 admission fee. For more information, contact Quinn Thomas at quinnt@ccsohio.org.
SALUTE to present Adaptive Storytelling event May 17
For the past few weeks, SALUTE has partnered with Rebecca Monteleone, assistant professor of disability studies at the University of Toledo, for an eight-week Adaptive Storytelling Workshop. During this series, students have perfected the art of telling powerful personal stories of self-advocacy and personal growth.
The workshop series concludes with an adaptive storytelling event on May 17 from 4 to 6 p.m., during which the students will perform their stories in front of a live audience. Open to the entire community, this event will be held in the McMaster Center on the second floor of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library’s main branch at 325 Michigan Street in Toledo.
Next Grant Workshop Wednesday is May 25
The Next Grant Workshop Wednesday is scheduled for May 25 at noon. The featured guest this month will be Amanda Buzo from Community Fund Ohio, a nonprofit tax-exempt organization that enhances life for Ohio residents with disabilities by protecting their eligibility for government benefits and funding their current and future needs through pooled trusts, grants, community education and related services. Community Fund Ohio’s next grant cycle deadline is June 30. Instructions and eligibility requirements for these grants can be found here. To join the virtual workshop, click here.
Save the Date! ‘Let’s Glow’ prom night is June 18
Adults who receive services from the the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities (and their guests) are invited to iDance APAC’s Let’s Glow prom night on Saturday, June 18, at 6:30 p.m. The event, which will include dinner and dancing, will take place at the Stranahan Theater and Great Hall at 4645 Heatherdowns in Toledo. The cost is $25 per person.
In addition, iDance APAC will hold a Free Dress Day on Sunday, May 22, from noon to 4 p.m. at 151 N. Michigan Street, Suite 229, in Toledo. Dresses are available while supplies last, and no alterations will be available.
For more information about Let’s Glow, click here.
‘Ohio Housing for People with Disabilities’ webinar is May 17
The Center for Disability Empowerment will hold a “Ohio Housing for People with Disabilities” webinar on May 17 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. This event will feature panelists who work with various federal, state and local programs. Attendees will learn about these programs and who might qualify for their housing services. For more information and register, click here.
Christy’s Corner Cafe to present STABLE Account information session
Christy’s Corner Cafe in Elmore, Ohio, will host a STABLE Account information session on May 17 at 3:30 p.m.
Doug Jackson, deputy director of STABLE Accounts with the Office of the Ohio Treasurer of State, will discuss the option for employees with disabilities to directly deposit earned wages into a STABLE Account without risking the loss of necessary support through Medicaid and Social Security.
Christy’s Corner Cafe is located at 368 Rice Street in Elmore. For more information and to register, contact Kathy Barbee at christyscornercafe@gmail.com.
OOD schedules ‘Inclusive Employer Handbook’ webinar series
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities will host the final session of the “Inclusive Employer Handbook” webinar series on May 19 at 10 a.m.
During this session, Accessibility Hour, attendees will learn ways to create a disability-inclusive workplace, steps to provide workplace accommodations and create workplace accessibility, and how to recruit, hire and support employees.
For more information and to register, click here.
Affordable Connectivity Program provides internet access discounts to SSI recipients
The Federal Communications Commission’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) gives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients access to reasonably priced internet services. The ACP provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households. Eligible households also can receive a one-time discount of up to $100 toward purchasing a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating providers. To qualify for this one-time discount, households must contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. Any household with an individual who receives SSI is eligible to receive discounted internet service through the ACP. To learn more, click here.
DODD offers OhioISP information session for families
The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities has developed an Ohio Individual Service Plan (OhioISP) that Ohioans with developmental disabilities can use to outline the services and support they receive. To learn more about the OhioISP, join a free virtual information session June 22 from 6 to 7 p.m. To register, click here.
Starfire to offer ‘Families at the Center of a Connected Community’
Starfire, a nonprofit organization from Cincinnati, Ohio, will offer a three-part online training series, “Families at the Center of a Connected Community,” on May 19, May 26 and June 2. The series will offer practical tips, lessons, values and stories from families walking the talk of inclusion in their neighborhoods. Each session takes place from noon to 2 p.m.
Starfire strives to build better lives for people with disabilities by connecting them with their communities. These connections help to lessen the isolation and loneliness that people with disabilities often experience by uniting them with people and passions in their local areas. Click here to learn more about Starfire.
To register for “Families at the Center of a Connected Community,” click here.