#easterser

[sa2fanmusical]

Our very own @the-duke-va, voice of Eggman for the SA2 Musical, crafted and starred in this 2024 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge entry.

Duke is an amazing person. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with him on the SA2 Musical production. We are delighted to uplift his work and share it with you.

You can also follow Duke for more shenanigans on his youtube or his twitch stream.

[barbaracompany]

https://youtu.be/FUtv8kYDe5s

Here’s my work buddy from many years ago when I was a temp at the MTA. Please ‘like’ her work. I’m so proud to know Lachi. She soars!!

[susiestamps]

2019 100 years Easter Seals 2019 (from Crippled Children Easter Seals)

[cigarettestreetlight]

So I fucked up.

I think easterseals is going to terminate all my services bc I didn't schedule an appt with my cm? Idek anymore. They never gave me like a warning or anything either.

So basically all my therapy and meds and whatnot are going to get cut off I think. So that's been a fun thing to stress out about over the weekend. And I get really really bad anxiety making phone calls, especially to them, so I terrified to even call and figure out what's going on.

So I massively fucked up now and I don't think I can fix this and idk what to do. Fantastic

[tasiaadams18art]

Easter Seals Central Pa

Easter Seals Central Pa

(717) 901-9339

https://g.co/kgs/TK8ymn

Getting a job soon.

[autisticadvocacy]

"Accessible transportation is not just a means of getting from point A to point B; it is the lifeline that connects individuals to their communities."

[briarpatch-kids]

Not sure if this could help that anon but I work at goodwill and we give out our disability aids for free, essentially on a bring it back when/if you want basis. We only do things that can be easily cleaned and usually only have things that are common like wheelchairs, walkers, and canes, but many goodwills will have different aids in stock for you to try if you don’t want to invest money into a disability aid that may not end up being helpful for you.

Awesome!!! Good to know. I think there's also borrow closets at places like Centers for independent living (in the US) as well as charities like Knights of Columbus (catholic group) or Easterseals (run by goodwill)

I know goodwill also does employment training and gives out professional work clothes at the end too, my mom did that when she was a housewife going through divorce!

[rhys-ravenfeather]

Off now.

Today was pretty good :P

Started coloring the second of two OTO Halloween pics, went out on a walk with my Easterseals lady...I WAS going to watch another spooky movie, but once I got back, I wasn't really feeling it anymore.

Oh yeah, and I was able to set up a counseling appointment--so I'm pretty proud of myself for that :P

Welp, I'mma finish up the latest SotF chapter now :P

I'll see you guys when I see you.

[trumpetnista]

Goodbye, Daddy. With love from Cookie.

August 3rd 1964 - August 15th 2023

As I mentioned a few journal entries ago, my dad had been sick and bedbound due to a bedsore that became an open wound. That open wound became septic down to the bone. While there were signs of it healing, his body could no longer take the stress it was under. The pain he was in was too intense. There was nothing more that could be done to help him medically. After discussing things with all of us, Dad was put into hospice care on the 8th. The IV drip was removed and he was put on a morphine/diluadid regimen to reduce his pain and aid his departure. Even after that, he kept fighting to stay with us. He didn't want to leave us. I know that in my soul but in the end? Loving someone is knowing when to let them go. We had to let him go so he could depart in peace, so he could be Free and out of agony.

This morning, at 2:30AM, he took his last breath.

My mom, my Aunt Paris, my younger brother, and myself were there. My big sister @dynamicspacebabe and her husband joined us shortly afterwards. Our whole family and several of his friends visited over the weekend and yesterday because we all knew that it would be soon. His kidneys had begun to fail. His brain was shutting down. He was no longer able to eat, drink, speak and during his last 48 hours, see us despite his eyes being open.

He could still hear us, though.

My mother had been playing music for him the whole time but in his last 48 hours, I took over as the DJ. Songs that he loved, songs from my childhood kept playing, and each one was deeply comforting, even the ones that made me sob. Eventually, I began singing to him, surprising everyone. I typically am not one to sing in public, despite having a pretty good voice, but I wanted him to hear me as much as possible. I wanted to let him know that I was still with him, even though I no longer had any words to say other that I loved him and that I would always be his Cookie.

His nickname for me happened on my birthday. According to the story, when I arrived, I looked like just like a gingerbread cookie. My mother's adopted father wanted to call me Pumpkin but that was promptly shut down. Too many stories about people getting into trouble involved someone known as Pumpkin, at least according to him, which was actually pretty accurate given that we lived in Gary, Indiana at the time. So, Cookie it was and Cookie it stayed. He was the only one who was allowed to call me Cookie. Cookie, it will remain for the rest of my life.

I know that I mentioned that I had conflicted feelings towards him. I know that I said that I was angry at him for his behavior towards me and my siblings as a parent in the past/present. I still have those feelings but they are outweighed by love. It was like that before he passed away and it will definitely be going forward. I won't pretend that it never happened. I won't rewrite history. I can't but I can have nuance. I can have balance. I can forgive but not forget. I can have empathy, not just for him but for my Mom.

Mom and Dad met when they at U of M in their late teens. They were together for 40 years. They were best friends and now, she's by herself for the first time since before they met. She still has us. She has her mother and siblings. She still has her true friends but I am terrified that we will lose her, too. Diane and I gave her resources to keep her here. Diane gave her the Suicide Prevention Hotline number and I told her how to use the crisis line at Easterseals, which I've been using frequently since the 8th. I also figured out how to check into a mental ward that's closer to home, not just for her but for myself.

I'm still afraid to be in a ward by myself but I have to be realistic. I have faced tragedy many times in my life. My family has faced tragedy many times but nothing on this level. Every time we've been through hell, Dad was always there. He supported us all as best as he could but this time? He is the tragedy and what makes things worse?

This could've and should've been avoided.

The nursing home who neglected my Daddy, murdered him. It's as if they pointed a fucking gun at him and shot him point blank. It wasn't congestive heart failure or diabetes that took him away. It was them.

If it wasn't for their callousness, their lack of professionalism, their utter contempt for the people in their care? He would still be with us.

And my father isn't the only victim. Every time we named the facility, people recognized it and reacted with sadness/horror. I am well aware that there are many other nursing homes just like the one who murdered my Daddy. I am well aware that it's a systemic problem through the United States and globally. I get it. I've been a Caregiver for over a decade. I have no choice but to get it.

That being said, I'm making it my mission to take down the nursing home and every person inside of it who took my Daddy away from me. I want to make sure that no one else will lose their loved one to them. I want to hit them where it hurts the most: in their wallet and I want to expose their shitty reputation to the masses.

It won't bring him back. It won't restore him to the man he was before all hell broke loose. It won't undo the pain and trauma we've gone through since late February-early March. It won't and can't do any of that but having a place to target, having people to blame for this makes the situation better. Having a mission after tragedy adds to the motivation to stay alive, at least to me. Maybe it's because I watched too much Batman growing up or maybe it's just me being spiteful but I'll take it.

I am heartbroken but not spirit broken. I can't speak for the rest of my family members but I know that I will survive this. I have the coping mechanisms, the support system, and most of all, I have a promise to keep.

Before cancer stole my Bunny, my Sara Elizabeth from all of us, she made me promise two things: she made me promise that she would not die alone in a hospital and she made me promise that after she was Gone, I would do my best to be happy and to live well.

I keep my promises and the promise I made to Sara will be double downed on for my Daddy.

All he wanted was for all of us to be safe. All he wanted was for all of us to be happy. He adored his family and he showed it as best as he could. He did the best that he could and flaws and all? He was a good man. He was a good husband. He was a good father. He was a good friend.

Reginald Thomas Dixon was a good man.

He was my Daddy.

And I will always, always be his Cookie.

I love you, Daddy.

I'm so sorry that this happened to you and we will make the pieces of shit who hurt you, who murdered you pay for it.

I no longer believe in the doctrine that I was taught but I do still believe in an afterlife. I do believe that you are at peace and I believe that you are with our Bunny. Please hug her for me.

I sang one of your favorite Donny Hathaway songs after you were released from the prison your body became. I sang that Someday We'll All Be Free and your Someday has come.

Smile, Daddy. You're Free.

With all the love in my heart, Cookie.

[markanthonydyson]

How Easterseals Help Older Workers Breakthrough In Their Job Search

Empowering Senior Job Seekers: Insights with Dion Smith of Easterseals In this episode of 'The Voice of Job Seekers,' host Mark interviews Dion Smith, Manager of Programs and Compliance at Easterseals. They discuss the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) aimed at helping job seekers aged 55 and older transition from volunteerism to employment. Funded by the Department of Labor, this Title V program offers training through partnerships with nonprofit and government agencies, providing participants with a stipend and job-related skills. Dion highlights the importance of digital skills and collaborations with tech companies like IBM to enhance employment readiness. Listeners are encouraged to visit Easterseals.com or the Department of Labor's website for more information on local SCSEP opportunities. 

00:41 Meet Dion Smith from Easter Seals

00:57 Overview of the Senior Community Service Employment Program

 01:38 How the Program Works

02:15 Finding Local Projects and Host Agencies 03:12 Program Duration and Flexibility

 03:53 Q&A: Funding and Grants

05:36 Combating Ageism and Building Skills 06:00 Importance of Digital Skills

06:42 IBM Partnership and Digital Intelligence

07:42 AI in the Workforce

08:56 Final Thoughts and How to Get Involved  

Check out this episode!

[valleyledger]

Easterseals Eastern Pennsylvania Welcomes New Board Members

Image: Left – Jeffrey Heiser, Owner of Stanley Steemer franchise in Gilbertsville; Right – John D. Kucher, Manager – Business Services at PPL Electric Utilities. Both were elected to the Easterseals Eastern Pennsylvania board this spring. Easterseals Eastern Pennsylvania Welcomes New Board Members Seasoned business leaders help raise awareness of and advocacy for individuals with disabilities…

[cnacertificationprogram]

This informative webinar concentrates on the journey of labor force advancement within Easterseals, FL. Beginning with Easterseals’ function and objective, Ayana Washington, Director of Workforce Development at Easterseals, goes over the core worths that drive our efforts to attain 100% equity, addition, and gain access to for individuals with impairments, households, and neighborhoods. Learn more…