Friday Update: September 6, 2024

Special Olympics Softball State Games tomorrow

The state's best Special Olympics softball players will descend on Lucas County tomorrow as Special Olympics Ohio hosts the State Games at William P. Coontz Recreation Complex in Oregon. Our own Lucas County Lightning have several athletes competing in the Skills Competition from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Free admission for everyone. Come cheer on the best of the best!

SALUTE Meeting on Monday

Join Lucas DD's self-advocacy group for their monthly meeting from 5:30-7 p.m. Sept. 9. September's guest speaker is Keith Jesse & “K9 Ian,” of Community Safety Program for People with Disabilities. Jesse is a former Auxiliary Police Sergeant. Please contact Deetra Kelly at dkelly@lucasdd.org with any questions.

Lucas DD Family & Advocate Forum on Tuesday

Join Lucas DD Superintendent Michele Myerholtz and other department directors for our quarterly Family & Advocate Forum from 9:30-11 a.m. on Sept. 10. The Lucas DD Family & Advocate Forum is open to individuals served, their families, providers, and any other advocates in the I/DD system to meet and have conversations with Board leadership. Can't make it in person? Click on the link above and join us live via Zoom.

DSP Appreciation Week Event Tuesday at Lucas DD

Join Lucas DD from 4:30-6 p.m. on Tuesday as we host a free concert to show appreciation for Direct Support Professionals throughout Lucas County. The event will be on the lawn on our beautiful campus, headlined by Toledo's legendary musician Johnny Rodriguez. We'll also have ice cream, popcorn, yard games, and some rock painting. Be sure to bring a lawn chair or a blanket to sit on the grass!

Common Ground Social Group on Tuesday

Lucas DD's Common Ground and Friend Network is for people 18+ to gather together and build lasting, sustainable friendships and connections. The next gathering is from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at our Larc Lane Training Center. Questions? Contact your Service and Support Specialist or click here to email Deborah Tyree.

Lucas DD Family Fun Day on Sept. 15

Our annual Lucas DD Family Fun Day is back with something for everyone. Food trucks, games, a kickball tournament, a provider expo, performances by iDance, and so much more! Free and open to all Board staff and families, individuals served and families, and our provider partners, too! No registration required.

Wealth & Wisdom on Sept. 18

The topic on Sept. 18 is SSI. You may attend in person or virtually. In-person attendees are offered a free dinner (must register) at 5:30 p.m. The presentation/zoom begins at 6 p.m. Click here to join the zoom meeting, or copy/paste: https://lucasdd-org.zoom.us/j/86538139753 Attendees can also receive 2.0 hours of DODD continuing education credits. Questions? Email wealthandwisdom@lucasdd.org.

Family Ties on Sept. 19

Lucas DD's Family Ties Support Group is an informal opportunity for parents of I/DD individuals to make connections and build a network that they can lean on for support. The group meets monthly, with the next meeting scheduled for 6:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 19 at our South Toledo headquarters.

Help Us Bring the 2030 Special Olympics USA Games To Cleveland!

Cleveland is known as "The Land."

Ohio is known as "The Heart of it All."

The Special Olympics is known for "The Flame of Hope" as well as the heart of these incredible, inspirational athletes.

Help the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, Special Olympics Ohio and Destination Cleveland as they prepare a bid to host the largest inclusive sports event in that city's history. The USA Games, held every 4 years, bring over 5,500 athletes and coaches from around the country, as well as more than 125,000 family members and attendees. The bid committee needs our help to bring this important, inclusive event to Cleveland. Be a part of...

• The Land of Hope
• The Land of Heart
• The Land of Heroes
• The Land of the Special Olympics 2030

We can’t do it without you, your family, your friends, your neighbors, and your colleagues. We need your help! To make Cleveland’s application as strong as possible, we need to demonstrate community support for having the event here.

Please click the above link to sign the petition to support Cleveland’s bid!

Sunshine Concert with Girl Named Tom tomorrow

Sunshine Communities is celebrating 75 years of supporting people with developmental disabilities with a free outdoor concert headlined by Girl Named Tom. The Fulton County natives are previous winners on the hit NBC show, The Voice! Uptown Maumee will be rocking, especially the main stage at the intersection of Conant and Dudley, 5:30-9 p.m. Sept. 7.

TOPSoccer on Sunday

US Youth Soccer TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a recreational sports program for children and adults with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities offered only through local U.S. Youth Soccer-affiliated soccer clubs. The next free session is 2-3 p.m. on Sunday. TOPSoccer provides people with diverse abilities an opportunity to play soccer in a structured environment that is safe, fun, supportive, and inclusive. They have a new registration program. Click headline for details.

ADA Seminar: Accessible Cultural Spaces on Sept. 13

Join The Ability Center at the Toledo Museum of Art's Glass Pavilion on Friday, Sept. 13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to hear from state and national experts on how to make your cultural space accessible and welcoming to patrons with disabilities.

Grants Available for Lucas County Businesses!

Lucas DD is offering grants of up to $20,000 to help local businesses create more inclusive restrooms! This is your chance to improve accessibility and expand your customer base. Lucas DD Adult Changing Table Grants were established to award Lucas County businesses/agencies the opportunity to develop inclusive spaces with the ability to install or modify changing tables in restrooms for all individuals. Application deadline is Oct. 4. Click the link above to learn more and apply! 

Adult Day Grants Application Deadline is Oct. 31

The third and final cycle of the 2024 Lucas DD Adult Day Grant application is underway!  The goal of the grants, of up to $10,000, is to help fund technologies or programs that expand or enhance Adult Day or Employment services, promote community integration and community employment, and/or helps people achieve their goals related to Adult Day/Employment services & supports. 

Tips for planning accessible trips

Planning an upcoming weekend or fall getaway? Travel can be a bit more complex for those with accessibility needs. Learn about how to plan an accessible trip and check out helpful resources like ChangingSpacesCampaign.com which maps out universal changing tables.

We Thrive Together

We Thrive Together is an Ohio based non-profit organization that hosts virtual programs including games, classes, virtual trips, advocacy training, educational presentations, arts & crafts, discussion groups, parties, and so much more. Individuals in all 88 counties in Ohio and from over 18 states, Canada, and Mexico have participated in We Thrive Together programming. Check out all the free virtual programming available to at no cost to anyone served by Lucas DD. To see a list of upcoming events click here,

Bed Bug Resources

Are bed bugs driving you buggy? Recent outbreaks of bed bugs across the U.S. have been reported by multiple news sources. Here in Lucas County, we have had numerous infestations of individuals' homes and many providers have inquired about resources available for dealing with infestations of these bloodthirsty little critters. The Environmental Protection Agency offers a variety of informational resources related to bed bugs. These include tips on how to identify and treat for bed bugs; including a Do-it-yourself guide, as well as a searchable list of EPA approved bed bug eradication products. You will also find myth-busting information and Top Ten List of tips related to the control of bed bugs. 

Lucas DD is looking for some trunks with treats!

Sign up to decorate your trunk and hand out treats to all the Trunk & Treat attendees on October 15! Email Lori Balogh to sign up.

Courageous Community Services Survey

Did you attend a CCS camp over the summer? They are asking for feedback about your experience. Please click here to submit your opinion.

Inclusive Haunted Trail Needs Volunteers

S.O.A.R., the Christ United Methodist Church of Oregon, and Friends of Maumee Bay State Park are working together on an Inclusive Haunted Trail fundraiser at Maumee Bay State Park. The event, 5:30-10 p.m. on Oct 11, and again on Oct.12, is aimed at bringing the community together to support individuals with disabilities and have a lot of fun. There will be a sensory-friendly trail from 6-7 p.m. on both days. The group is looking for clubs or organizations to adopt a section of the trail that they'd like to decorate as a scary scene. Prizes will be awarded for the top vote getters. Click on the link above for more info, or email jeanb@soarllc.org or call/text 419-461-7366.

Sleep & Safety Monitoring Study

This study is part of a transformative technology project funded by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. The goal is to enhance the safety and quality of life for people with developmental disabilities by using advanced AI-powered monitoring systems. Click on the link above to learn more and sign up.

Ohio Family Resource Network Survey

This survey will help the Ohio Family Resource Network better understand the experience of families and community partners as they connect with the Ohio Family Network organizations. Family Networks help connect families who have family members with disabilities, so they feel less isolated and better supported. They encourage families to have high expectations for their family members with disabilities and envision bright futures where they are active community members. They also work within local communities to help community resources better welcome and support all families.

Friday Update is the weekly newsletter of the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

Was this email forwarded to you and you want to receive it directly?

Click here to receive the Friday Update.

Have some news or an event to share? Contact Us!

419-380-4000

marketing@lucasdd.org