June 2008
Donations Needed
We are still collecting donations/sponsorships for the Buddy Cruise. Please
contact Pam at joinus@buddycruise.com
if you are able to help out. We are also putting together baskets for
raffle/door prizes. If you have a new item/gift card to donate please email the
above address or mail item to:
FRIENDS
PO Box 677
Brandon FL 33509
Any donation/item is greatly appreciated!
Project Lifesaver
FRIENDS-Support is proud to be partnering with the Tampa Police Department
and other local agencies to bring this valuable resource to our area. Read more
about it at http://www.projectlifesaver.org/site/
May 2008
Summer Camps, Programs, and Activities
A statewide list of camps is available at:
http://cflparents.org/Information/Resources/SummerCamps.htm. Also, the
Brandon YMCA offers opportunities for children who are mentally, physically, and
developmentally challenged to participate in adaptive activities. Call for
information on dates and times.
Brandon YMCA 813-685-5402
Tampa YMCA 813-962-3220
Sprouts Info
We had the pleasure of from Rene from Sprouts joining us at our last meeting.
Please visit www.sproutskids.com for
information on the many programs she offers!
Gold Coast Down Syndrome Conference
Conference Information |
Conference Registration
Florida Down Syndrome Conference
Save the date - Sponsored by the Down Syndrome Association of Central
Florida. August 15-16, 2008
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
April 2008
SAVE THE FAMILY CAFE!
Dear Friends,
We need your help! The Family Café recently learned that all funding
for The 11th Annual Family Café Conference in 2009 has been cut from the House
budget. That means that State of Florida funding for next year’s Annual
Conference has been completely CUT!
It goes without saying that this is completely unacceptable for the thousands
of families that look to The Family Café for training, information and support.
The Annual Conference has benefited tens of thousands of Floridians over the
last ten years, and people with disabilities in communities throughout the state
look forward to the opportunity to gather, share their experiences, and learn
about available services, and develop resources that the Annual Conference
provides.
The Family Café Annual Conference is a worthwhile use of state money,
please contact your state legislator today and let them know how important the
Annual Conference is to you and your community.
People with disabilities and their families have a powerful voice when we
speak in unison. If we come together to raise that voice in the name of making
sure The Family Café Annual Conference continues to provide all of the
education, information and community that it has in past, we can certainly
convince the State of Florida to provide the resources we need to serve families
like yours.
Here are some facts to keep in mind when you speak with your Legislators:
- The Family Café Annual Conference serves 10,000 individuals with
disabilities and their family members from all regions of Florida each year.
- The Family Café has served more than 85,000 Floridians over its ten year
history.
- The Annual Conference provides critical information and resources to
Floridians on waiting lists, which comprise approximately 20% of all
conference attendees.
- The Annual Conference is a great value for Florida, with a cost of only
$2.23 for each hour of training for each individual at the event.
To find your State Senator online, visit
www.flsenate.gov and enter your zip code. To find your State Representative,
visit
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/myrepresentative.aspx
and enter your zip code.
Please take a moment to call, write or e-mail your Senators and
Representatives. Remember to tell them how essential it is for the Legislature
to fund The Family Café Annual Conference. Let them know how important it is to
you personally and how it has positively affected your life.They need to hear
about the impact the Annual Conference has had on your family’s life!
It would also be helpful for you to contact one of our greatest supporters in
the Florida House of Representatives, Rep. Bill Galvano, whether or not you live
in his area. Please make a point to thank him for his work on our behalf, and
express the need for his continued leadership. His Tallahassee office can be
reached at 850-488-4086, his Bradenton office is at 941-708-4968. Thank you very
much for all of your efforts on our behalf. We here at The Family Café consider
all of the people that come to our event to be part of our extended family, and
we hope you feel the same way. We want to keep bringing information, resources
and togetherness that has made our past Annual Conferences so worthwhile.
Anything you can do to make that possible would be welcomed.
Thank you,
The Family Café
March 2008
World Down Syndrome Day
We will be celebrating March 21 by teaming up with Barnes and Noble for another very special pajama story time. It will be held at the Brandon location at 6:30pm. Come celebrate the joy of our wonderful children.
HARC Opens New Center
The Centre for Life Development, 2714 W. Kirby St. Tampa, 33614
- Specially designed 6-bedroom group home for adults with Down Syndrome & Alzheimer's
- Senior Center serving disabled and non-disabled seniors
- Two large Activity Buildings offering art and computer labs, dance and music studios, audio visual and sensory rooms
- Community Center with commercial kitchen for vocational training. Available for rent for weddings, meetings, etc.
- APD staff, Support Coordinators, Donors, Adults with Special Needs, Providers and Potential Donors are welcome to attend either day
- Helping hundreds of adults with disabilities "Build Everyday Lives" throughout Hillsborough County since 1953
Imagination Library Program
Imagination Library Program started by Dolly Parton to enhance pre-school readiness and increase literacy. **Open to all children born on or after 9/1/2006** Child will receive a new book each month until the age of 5 at no charge. To register log on to www.unitedwaytampabay.com and click on - Imagination Library.
Down Syndrome Study
Eisai, Inc. and Pfizer, Inc. are currently enrolling for a new investigational study using Donepezil HCI for kids with Down Syndrome. Do you know someone with:
- Trisomy 21 Down Syndrome
- Between the ages of 10 and 17
- Residing in the community with a caregiver &
- Have no unstable health conditions
If so, you may qualify to participate in this study.
Qualified participants will receive study-related care and study drug or an inactive medicine at no cost and may be reimbursed for reasonable time and reasonable travel expenses. If you or someone you love meets the above criteria and are interested in participating in a clinical research study contact:
Meridian Research
4751 66th Street North
St. Petersburg, FL
727-347-8839 or 1-888-777-8839
"Making the Connection" Conference
This event will promise to deliver great presenters, free materials to review, free lunch and exciting door prizes! We're inviting you to take this great opportunity to meet and greet the vendors and services available in your community! Join this fun and informational conference to meet other parents and get the information you've been looking for in one place!
Saturday, March 15, 2008. Conference times are: 8:30am - 3:30pm! To register: Contact Christine Stolz at Family Network on Disabilities of Florida: 727-523-1130 or email Christine@fndfl.org
SPARC 2008 Conference
Who: You – plus your friends, family, teachers, and therapists
What: One of the Best Annual Educational/Social/Emotional Resource Conferences in the Tampa Bay Area! We are pleased to announce the 3rd Annual STAND-Pinellas Accessing Resources Conference (SPARC 2008)
When: Saturday, September 20, 2008
Where: Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School Campus, Largo, FL
Mark those calendars, take the day off work, and reserve the childcare care now! Watch the STAND website at www.standadvocates.org for more details in the upcoming months!
Center for Guardian Advocacy
As most of you are aware, parents lose their natural authority over their children when those minors reach the age of 18, authorized from that point on to look after their own affairs. However, many people do not realize that this is true even if an individual has a developmental disability. At age 18 these individuals are stripped of the natural safeguard provided by their parents throughout their childhood. A process called guardian advocacy exists to reestablish parental authority, an abbreviated form of guardianship where physician’s reports replace incapacity exams and most reporting requirements may be waived. However, many families don’t act on this because of fear of the court or big legal fees. As a result, many individuals with DD lack a legal representative to speak on their behalf, only asking the court to help when an emergency requires it. Guardian Advocacy is where parents have all the protective powers without actually having to declare the person incapacitated. It's also much simpler and less costly process than full Guardianship. The center utilizes volunteer attorneys to provide the legal services that are needed to establish Guardian Advocacy on a sliding scale. The center is starting with individuals in Hillsborough County with eventual plans to expand to other counties. For more information, contact staff at the Center for Guardian Advocacy, 813-528-3876.
February 2008
Nikole Whitehead to present on the Buddy Cruise
Joining the cruise is Nikole Whitehead, co-founder of the STatewide Advocacy Network on Disabilities, Inc. (STAND), an organization dedicated to assisting parents in navigating the special education system. Mrs. Whitehead has presented at conferences across Florida such as The Family CAFÉ, Partners in Policymaking, as well as serving as a resource member to the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council. She is a past Board member of the national Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA).
Family Café
The Family Café Annual Conference is a statewide event designed to meet the informational and networking needs of individuals with disabilities or special health care needs and their families. The Annual Conference provides a truly unique environment, where Floridians can attend educational breakout sessions relevant to their specific needs, interact with government policy makers, network with other families and learn about the wide range of services available to them. The Family Café is committed to the belief that better informed individuals make better decisions for themselves, and The Annual Conference is our way of putting that belief into action.
The 10th Annual Family Café Conference is scheduled for June 13-15, 2008 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, FL. As in past years, registration will open on Valentine's Day, February 14. Financial Assistance will be offered as available. For more information visit www.familycafe.net.
Emily Perl Kingsley to Keynote Buddy Cruise
Emily Perl Kingsley, a writer and activist for children with special needs will also be joining us to keynote this historic voyage. Her experiences with her son Jason (an actor with Down syndrome) inspired her to include people with disabilities into the Sesame Street cast. She has received 17 Emmy Awards and 13 Emmy nominations for her work on SESAME STREET and is the author of “Welcome to Holland”.
Sujeet Desai to sail with the Buddy Cruise
The Buddy Cruise will feature the talent of Sujeet Desai a 26-year-old accomplished musician born with Down syndrome. He and his wife Carrie have been featured in Wall Street Journal, Time magazine, and have aired on national TV shows such as The View, 20/20, and The Oprah Winfrey show. Not only will he entertain us; he will present his story in an inspirational slide show.
News
