Stories of Impact

Britt is very active in the Special Olympics. She participates in the following events: snowshoeing, aquatics, bocce ball, softball, volleyball, flag football, bowling and cheer dance. In December, she helped raise funds by participating in the Polar Plunge and plans to do another Polar Plunge in March.  She was interviewed by Carson JS Reichardt for We Are Iowa on January 8th about her events and experiences with the Special Olympics and shared a demonstration of Snowshoeing. Then on January 31st, she was interviewed by Megan Reuther on Hello Iowa about Special Olympics, her experiences and how athletes and volunteers can get involved.  Britt is also working with Link Associates and will be a guest on Link Leisure Live to discuss mental health, how to identify the signs of depression and where people can get help for their depression. Britt has been a Special Olympic athlete for 36 years and a Global Messenger since 2017. She has given speeches to grade schools, churches, outreach committees in the community and at Link Leisure banquets and award ceremonies.
 
There have been several moves within the HCBS program and the moves hae turned out to be very beneficial to members. Emily’s move to Knapp from Aspen was a great success. There has been lots of giggling and joy among the ladies. So much so that one night, they could not eat their supper because they were laughing so much. Additionally, Emily and two of her housemates have even been back to Aspen to visit Emily’s friends there. Dustin moved from Stonebrooke to Cheville house. He met a new friend named Todd, and loves his new house. It is a great fit. Sarah moved from Roxboro to 24th Street and is much happier in her new home. She has stronger friendships and more in common with her new housemates. Gina also moved from Roxboro to Stone Brooke where it feels like she fits in better. She enjoys her new roommates and loves her newly decorated bedroom.
 
A couple of months ago Shawn’s father passed away. She was a daddy's girl and this hit her very hard. Recently, her staff member Aimmie took Shawn to Build A Bear at the Mall of America and helped her pick out a bear and outfits. They also put some pins of her Dad's in the bear as a way to memorialize him. At the mall, Shawn also discovered a fun shop with a whole bunch of pop-it fidget things and she was able to purchase a few that she liked the best. She spent the day having lunch, shopping with staff and having a wonderful time. 
 
Steven recently began physical therapy.  He now has more mobility in his arms allowing him to independently drive his electric wheelchair, feed himself with more success and adjust his recliner without having to call for staff for help.
 
Amy has dementia and has not slept in a bed for 5 years. One morning, Amy was found was sleeping comfortably in her bed. Serena, the Team Leader at her home had previously purchased some noise canceling headphones for her to wear when listening to music. But, even better, the headphones help her to calm and relax, especially in the evening which is a challenging time for her with her dementia.
 
Judy, who lives at our 75th Street home, celebrated her 72nd birthday on January 30th. When she was little her family was told she would not live past the age of 14.  She has been with MSL for 30 years.