Thank you! You made all these achievements possible!

Authors Luncheon authors Thomas Mallon, Annie Barrow, Silicon Valley tech writer, Ashlee Vance andPam Muñoz Ryan

We had a wonderful autumn and I want to share these successes with you because you made all this possible! Much has been accomplished in the last couple months, so as we celebrate Thanksgiving and on behalf of everyone at Abilities United, thank you for everything you have done to help people with developmental and physical disabilities.  

In the spirit of the season, please join us to celebrate “Giving Tuesday” on December 1. Now in its fourth year, Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration. GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many of us focus on our holiday and end-of-year giving.  Abilities United’s Giving Tuesday campaign goal will be to raise the final $15,000 needed to place 50 individuals with disabilities in jobs that match their skills and interests and meet the needs of the employer.

You can donate to our Giving Tuesday employment campaign now or look for our "Giving Tuesday" email next week.

Thank you for all your contributions because everything you do brings us closer to reaching our goals to:
    •    Provide seamless transition from one service to another throughout the lifetime of participants.
    •    Increase Abilities United brand awareness.
    •    Assess the needs for redevelopment of Abilities United facilities.

Join me in celebrating the successes of the last couple months.

fundraising events

    •    authors luncheon The 24th annual Authors Luncheon once again broke its fundraising record and raised $356,000 for services for children and adults with developmental and physical disabilities. More than 500 book lovers and friends of Abilities United joined four acclaimed authors Annie Barrow, Thomas Mallon, Pam Muñoz Ryan, and Silicon Valley tech writer, Ashlee Vance for an entertaining lunch on Saturday, November 7, at the newly remodeled Crowne Plaza Cabaña in Palo Alto.   Many thanks to the hundreds of dedicated volunteers, donors, and book lovers who consistently make this one of the community’s most anticipated and beloved annual fundraising events. Please join us for the 25th anniversary of the Authors Luncheon in 2016!



    •    aquathon The 38th annual Aquathon made a splash on Sunday, September 13, at the campus pool of West Valley College in Saratoga.  Returning lead sponsors were Oracle and De Mattei Construction.  Twenty swim teams with 126 swimmers raised over $80,000. The Abilities United Aquathon is a community event that demonstrates how each person can participate and contribute. Special thanks to all the individuals, teams, and groups for their support of the people with developmental and physical disabilities that Abilities United is privileged to serve. Congratulations to everyone and let's dive in to the Abilities United Aquathon 2016!

staff and volunteer awards
    •    sarc "service above self" awards  We are so proud of Lupe Arizaga, our Children’s Services Occupational Therapist, and Board Member Mike Aquilar, who each received a coveted SARC recognition awards. Lupe’s 20 year career with Abilities United Children’s Services and Mike’s decades of work as an advocate for people with disabilities garnered them the “Support Staff of the Year” and the “Advocate of the Year” awards respectively.  We are also delightged to note that Abilities United staff has received the award 4 out of the last 6 years and participants have won the "advocate" award two times!  Join us in congratulating Lupe and Mike on being recognized for their professionalism and leadership!

services

    •    employment services The compelling Palo Alto Weekly cover story “Able and Willing”, about employment options for people with disabilities, featured Abilities United Employment Services participant Brett Carmody, an auto detailer at Tesla in Palo Alto and Joel Martinez, a morning server in the dining room of the Homewood Suites Hilton Palo Alto.  Read the story here.



The Abilities United special guest speaker at the Authors Luncheon, Pat Romzek, father of a son with Down syndrome, Vice President of Cloud Strategy of Cisco Systems, and a member of the Abilities United board; further expounded on the importance and power of employment in the lives of all people, and especially people with disabilities.   His impassioned speech about the employment rights of people with disabilities compelled the Authors Luncheon audience to donate approximately $115,000 to fund the placement of 50 individual with disabilities in jobs in the community.
Watch Pat Romzek’s speech here.

    •    integrated living Abilities United celebrated the grand opening of the 1585 Studio apartments located in Mountain View. As part of the grand opening, they purchased and showcased ten original works of art by artists from Abilities United.

 Eleven Abilities United participants are residents of 1585 Studios and also receive personalized one-to-one coaching through our newest program “Integrated Living”. This two-year pilot project is a coordinated program of educational, social, vocational, and independent living training needed by post high school or college-aged students with disabilities. The extensive instruction will benefit the participants with employment placement, increased independence, and access to college and community resources and activities. The ultimate goal is for these young adults to live independently after completing the two-year program.
Learn about the new Integrated Living program. 


As we approach 2016, I look forward to keeping you informed about more progress at
Abilities United.

Charlie Weidanz
Executive Director

An end of year report on July 1, 2014 through July 31, 2015

Reflections on your contributions this past year

This year, Abilities United celebrates 52 years of service to our community. I am proud to be a part of this important agency that you helped create and sustain and am pleased to report out on the highlights of this year.

Our success is due in large part to you, our thousands of donors, volunteers, and partners who support the organization.

Each of our donors and philanthropic partners was critical to the successful completion of our United for the Future campaign, which raised over $2 million.  We also had record revenue from the Authors Luncheon which raised $350,000 and the Aquathon having raised $125,000, and The Sobrato Family Foundation 2 to 1 Challenge grant which contributed an impressive $225,000.

Like any nonprofit, Abilities United depends on the generosity of our volunteers to propel us beyond what our existing human and financial resources can accomplish.  In 2014/2015, dedicated and talented volunteers donated nearly 6,500 hours to Abilities United services and administration. Their hard work is valued at over $170,000 and is equivalent to 3 full-time staff members!   This year in particular, we have had tremendous insight and talent provided by more than 335 dedicated and talented volunteers.

Our community partners ensure that the people we serve receive the best services available. The Regional Centers, as well as the Department of Rehabilitation, are key partners in our ability to provide award winning services to thousands of Peninsula and South Bay children and adults.  To enhance all of our service offerings we have also partnered with over 200 corporations, nonprofits, schools, service organizations such as Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs, and government organizations including the City of Palo Alto and the City of Sunnyvale.

Highlights of accomplishments you made possible

• children's services Early Intervention, Therapy and Milestones Preschool benefit children and their families throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. New in May 2015, Milestones Preschool was licensed for and expanded to be a full-day preschool in addition to a half-day program.  We also launched our collaboration with Stanford University to offer social skills classes to children with and without autism.
• family support We continue to provide after school care, respite services, and computer education classes to people of all ages so their family members can continue to work full-time and attend to other familial and personal needs.  We continued our partnership with the City of Palo Alto for a second year to manage the city's "Summer's Excellent Adventure Camp" designed for children with and without disabilities
• adult services The Adult Services program offerings continue to expand having received regional center authorization to open two new services: Tailored Day and Integrated Living, both of which offer one-to-one coaching for adults to expand their skills to live independently.  Continued partnerships with over 100 Bay Area employers ensured that we placed 40 individuals in appropriate jobs, including placements at Homewood Suites-Hilton in Palo Alto, Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Stanford University, and Safeway stores throughout the area.   We continue to provide employment assessment, job placement, and job coaching. We are proud that we now have over 400 individuals placed in jobs that utilize their skills and interest. Adult Day Activities participants also produced their first two TV shows for MidPeninsula Community Media Center, "Using our Community Connections" and "Betty Wright Aquatic Services"  to promote and educate the community about the  accomplishments, talents, and rights of people with disabilities.
• aquatic services The rehabilitation, fitness and recreation aquatic programs continue to be offered in local warm-water pools including the Timpany Center in San Jose and Channing House in Palo Alto, as well as our new Redwood City partner, Hoover Pool. We are proud and delighted to have provided swim and water safety lessons for over 400 low-income children from Redwood City and water safety education for their parents.  This special program was made possible by a generous donation from a family who believes in the importance of water safety for all.

You're sure to make an impact in 2015 and into our next 50 years!

The Abilities United Board of Directors had an extremely fruitful year.  In September it approved the Abilities United 2015-2018 Strategic Plan, which positions us to address the changing needs of people with disabilities and our community.  Specifically, our 2015-2018 goals are to

• Provide seamless transition from one service to another throughout the lifetime of participants.
• Increase Abilities United brand awareness.
• Assess the needs for redevelopment of Abilities United facilities.

I can't thank all of you enough for the diverse contributions you made to Abilities United in this past year.  Each of you, whether you are a donor, volunteer, partner, staff member, participant or long-time friend of Abilities United, truly is what makes Abilities United successful and a valued member of the local community.  All of our accomplishments are only possible because of your support and belief in this organization.  We sincerely appreciate your ongoing commitment to the people who benefit from Abilities United services.

As we begin our new fiscal year, I look forward to keeping you informed about progress at Abilities United.

Charlie Weidanz
Executive Director

Lupe Arizaga, Occupational Therapist with Abilities United for 20 years, wins SARC "Support Staff of the Year" award

Lupe Arizaga accepts her SARC "Service Above Self"
award Support Staff of the Year

On Saturday, October 24, Lupe Arizaga, received the San Andreas Regional Center "Service Above Self"  Support Staff of the Year award.  Lupe has been an Occupational Therapist and led the Early Intervention Spanish-speaking parents groups at Abilities United for over 20 years. Over the years, we estimate that she has impacted the lives of thousands of children and their families from throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

Lupe has an amazing personal story that has led her to being an exceptionally dedicated, talented, effective, empathetic, and compassionate occupational therapist for children and their families.
Lupe was only 3 years old when she was in a car accident. While the car tumbled over and over, her arm went out the open window.  A large piece of glass from the shattered window shield fell on her right arm and severed it above her elbow.  Lupe was one of thousands of people, who, each year, acquire a disability.  Unlike most people, Lupe was very young and grew up and into her disability.  She affectionately refers to her right arm as her “little arm”.   Lupe has adapted well to her “disability” and together with the experiences she has had in life because of it, Lupe is the strong, determined, accomplished person she is today.

As an amputee, Lupe spent entire days of her childhood and as an adult with doctors and residents throughout Northern California.  She experienced the medical model first hand (pun intended) and through her father who was born deaf.  Lupe is tri-lingual having grown up speaking Spanish with her mother, using sign with her father, and speaking English in school.  Learning English, and adjusting to life without an arm was quite an adjustment.  But adjust she did, and Lupe won a scholarship to the UC-Davis developmental preschool where she got her first introduction to teachers especially preschool teachers. She learned that school is a wonderful place to learn new things every day, including how to navigate her new world.  As an only child, Lupe needed to learn how to interact with her peers despite getting teased about having one arm.  When she wore her prosthesis, other kids and even professors noticed her arm looked different and teased her well into her college years.  She credits her father for being a great example of how to handle teasing.  Because Lupe’s father was deaf, he also got teased but put on a good face in public.  He didn’t receive the adaptive services he needed early in life or as an adult and this had a deep impact on Lupe and this drove her to want to ensure other people with disabilities and their families receive the therapeutic and medical services needed to minimize the long-term impact of their delays or disabilities.

Motivated by these early experiences, Lupe began to chart her professional course in life and by the time she was in junior high, she knew she wanted a career in Occupational Therapy to help the disabled community, especially in the Spanish speaking community. Lupe eloquently expresses why she became an Occupational Therapist and her passion for serving families: “I was fortunate my family and community let me be who I am.  They never belittled me, they didn’t treat me any different from before my accident.  I never heard ‘No, you can’t do it.’ They were very supportive and provided me an opportunity to be the first family member of our entire family to graduate from high school, read and write, and graduate from college.”

Explaining further, Lupe said: “I know exactly why I do what I do.  I am happy to have this opportunity to work at Abilities United and work with the families we serve.  I have worked with families from all walks of life; from the converted one-room garages in East Palo Alto to the mansions in Atherton.  But that doesn’t determine what is going to happen with the child or family.  Look at me.  I grew up with parents who were illiterate, who never went to school.  My father was deaf and couldn’t speak Spanish or English but developed his own verbal language.  My mother couldn’t write her name until I was in 5th grade, until then she marked a document with an X.  My family provided me a home and clean clothes and good food.  I didn’t even know I was low income until I went to school and got a ticket for lunch.  But they showed me the importance of hard work and making no excuses.  That’s why I value every family and respect their cultural experience.  I am being invited in to their family and am honored to have that invitation.

I’ve been with Abilities United for over 20 years because the organization shares my values.  I like the fact that we serve people of all stages of their life and of all abilities.  When I am working, I see the child and I get to be a part of their family.  I don’t pigeonhole a kid because that’s not how I see things; you don’t know what a child can do, what the family can do, what the community can provide.”

Lupe didn’t let anything stop her from taking every opportunity life had to offer.  She made some choices just to make a point.  Lupe played competitive sports in high school partly to show other kids what she was capable of. And capable she was!  She made varsity soccer as a freshman.  She tried out for field hockey and played all 3 years.  She amazed her coach who didn’t believe Lupe could hold a stick with only one arm.  She broke pushup records in the high school President’s Physical Fitness exam.  In college, Lupe made NCAA track shot put, discus and javelin. She also took up fencing and martial arts and practiced with the men’s soccer team because she played at their level.  By the time Lupe was well into college, she no longer felt a need to prove to people that she was capable.  She stopped using her prosthesis all the time and only used it when she needed it to accomplish a task.
Lupe says she became an Occupational Therapist because she wants to help others.  She received her Bachelors of Science degree in Occupational Therapy with a minor in Arts from San Jose State University.  She wanted to specialize in Pediatrics and did her 3-month internship at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto.  While working at the amputee clinic at the hospital, Lupe realized she needed to wear her prosthesis; to be a role model for children who were going to have an amputation.

The families at Abilities United have come to respect and love Lupe.  They value the fact that she has lived with and gone through many of the same things their child and family are going through.  And they appreciate her hopeful way of looking at life.  Her optimism is contagious and they have hope for their own children.  These families say Lupe is “inspirational”. 

For the Spanish-speaking families experiencing the challenges and struggles of helping their child with a developmental disability or delay, it is vital to have therapists and educators who speak Spanish because the information they are getting is complex and medical in nature.  It is also very important for the therapists to understand the Latin culture and relate to families through their language and culture.  Because of Lupe’s personal background and cultural identity, she has empathy.  As an individual, she has experience with the medical model, the appointments, the emotions, and the translations for parents.  She understands how difficult it is for parents to know what to do and how they can help their child.  Lupe recognizes that her mother trusted the system but didn’t have the resources to help her as a child.  This has made a huge impression on Lupe and she wants to help parents feel empowered and better equipped to help their children.  Because she knows these children will have long-term or lifelong affects, she acknowledges and reinforces what families are doing positively.  Most often, Lupe is working with mothers and encouraging with every interaction.  She understands the psychological stages families experience and that each one is unique for each parent and family member.  Lupe respects where families are in this process and she’s sensitive to their individual needs and where they want to be.  Lupe states; “If they invite me to help, I am happy to encourage them and help.”

Lupe has successfully aided, encouraged and inspired families for over 20 years at Abilities United.  In those years, she has impacted thousands of lives…the lives of individual children, their parents and siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, along with their entire community.  Lupe has taken on many roles to serve children and families who need early intervention services.  She is a therapist, teacher, role model, confidant, resource, and cheerleader.  And a dedicated friend.  Lupe’s personal experiences and her infectious philosophy and optimism, truly speak to the power of “the village” and she takes pride in taking on a matriarchal, or as she calls her “co-madre” role in this village of families who desperately need and benefit from early intervention and occupational therapy.  Lupe states: “My personal experiences have helped me to understand and highly value what families want for their child and I see my role as being one that supports, rather than hinders, their decision.  I believe in making decisions with them, not for them. And this in turn teaches the parents how to work with their children.”

Abilities United Aquathon FUNdraiser brings swimmers of all ages and abilities together at West Valley College in Saratoga on September 13

SRI Sharks Team with San Jose Sharks mascot "Sharkie"

Twenty-five teams and hundreds of swimmers and volunteers will make a big splash at the 38^th Annual Abilities United Aquathon www.AbilitiesUnited.org/aquathon and https://www.facebook.com/events/1475144659394370/ on Sunday Sept 13th.

This fun, family oriented event is scheduled from noon – 4 pm at the West Valley College Nyquist Aquatic Center at 14000 Fruitvale Avenue in Saratoga.  The fun-filled swim relay raises money for Abilities United services for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities.  Proceeds go directly to the lifetime of services available to these individuals and the community.  The event have currently raised over $40,0000 toward the $120,000 goal.  The Aquathon has grown exponentially since its beginnings in 1978 when it raised under $5,000.  

Over 400 swimmers and volunteers from throughout the Peninsula and South Bay attend the event.  Event volunteers include the Homestead High School Interactor Club of Cupertino.

The swimmers and fundraisers include employees from throughout Silicon Valley, participants and staff at Abilities United programs, and local community residents.  Lead sponsors of the Aquathon 2015 are Oracle and De Mattei Construction. Other sponsors include Captain Kirk’s San Francisco Sailing, Homewood Suites by Hilton Palo Alto, MarketRiders, Mulcahy Family Dentistry, Prodigy Press and SRI International.

The Aquathon is a community and team-building event where people of all walks of life, all ages and all abilities, swim side-by-side to raise money to help fund the training, education, and support that Abilities United provides to people with developmental and physical disabilities so they can reach their potential.

Each year, one of these individuals is chosen to be the “honorary” swimmer to kick-off the Aquathon with the inaugural swim.  This year's honorary swimmer is retired Executive Director of the Palo Alto Family YMCA, Dan Logan.  In sharing his story, Dan said: “My wife and I have been donors to Abilities United since 2001.  We firmly believe in the services they provide to people with disabilities and the value the organization brings to the community. While I was happy to donate and be involved as captain of our Aquathon team, I could not predict that one day I would actually need to use Abilities United services.  That day came in September 2002, at age 58, when I suffered a spinal cord injury that fractured my spine at the neck.  Immediately, I lost the use of my muscles from the navel on down, paralyzing my legs and I became a wheelchair user for the rest of my life.

After eight weeks of intensive rehabilitation at the hospital, I went home to resume my roles as husband and father, and community leader. To resume my life as best as possible, I had to regain my strength and increase my flexibility and ability to move. Right down the street from my house was the Abilities United Aquatic Services.  And as a career YMCA guy, I knew the benefits of water exercise for people of any age and ability..

My first venture outside of our home was to the Abilities United Betty Wright Aquatic Services. With the help of my aquatics therapist, I used the warm, buoyant water to enable me to stand on my feet, regain my sense of balance, and get hundreds of hours of strength training and cardio exercise. I also learned to make use of goggles and snorkel equipment. 

All of these enabled me to swim more than one hundred miles over three years, including the miles I have swum at the Abilities United Aquathon.  My team and I have raised over $150,000 to help Abilities United provide services for people like me, and the thousands of other community members, who need these services. My Aquathon team - comprised of family members, friends, YMCA members and staff, from preschool age to folks in their late sixties - has had a lot of fun while making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities.  As the 2015 Honorary Swimmer, I now have the opportunity to tell even more people how important Abilities United services are for our community members who live with a disability or may acquire a disability.

Why do I contribute, raise funds, and keep swimming in the Aquathon?  Well, certainly because I need aquatic exercise and therapy. But more importantly, I want to make sure Abilities United continues to provide these services to all community members who do or can benefit its services in the years to come.” Dan’s story is available on the Aquathon’s Honorary Swimmer page http://www.abilitiesunited.org/honoree

New this year, Raquel Boales, a 14-year old gold and silver award winning synchronized swimmer from Synchronized Swimming Athletes with Disabilities, will demonstrate her solo synchro routine.  Raquel is one of the organization's Synchro Ambassadors and travels around the world to inspire other countries to introduce synchronized swimming as a Paralympic Sport. Based in San Jose, Synchronized Swimming Athletes with Disabilities is an international advocacy and information group to help people with disabilities (Physical/Intellectual/Cognitive) who can swim and/or are interested or involved with the sport of synchronized swimming, will also have an informational booth about their programs.  It is appropriate to have a synchronized swimming demonstration at the Abilities United Aquathon because origins of synchronized swimming date back to 1907 and began with a woman who had a “disability” as a child. At age six, professional swimmer Annette Kellerman, wore steel braces to strengthen her weak legs. To further overcome her disability, her parents enrolled her in swimming classes. By the age of 13, she gained nearly complete leg strength, and by 15, she had mastered all the swimming strokes and won her first race. In 1907, she performed in a glass tank at the New York Hippodrome as the first underwater ballerina/synchronized swimmer. 

The Abilities United Aquathon epitomizes the vision of Abilities United, a society where all people; of all abilities; learn, live, work, and play together creating great fulfillment, benefit and unity for everyone.  It is a society where there are no barriers to the full inclusion and contribution of people with disabilities and their families. 

Teams, made up of 6 to 8 people from all over the Bay Area, swim for 30-minutes to raise funds. Corporate matches are added to team totals. Sponsors of the Abilities United Aquathon include:

Silver/$5,000

·      Oracle (11 years as sponsor, 20 years of team swimming!)

·      De Mattei Construction of San Jose (4 years as sponsor)

Bronze ($2,500) sponsor in 2015 is:

·      Laurie T. Jarrett (A friend and supporter of Abilities United for 40 years.)

Dan Logan, Honorary Swimmer for Abilities United Aquathon 2015

My wife and I have been donors to Abilities United since 2001.  We firmly believe in the services they provide to people with disabilities and the value the organization brings to the community. While I was happy to donate and be involved as captain of our Aquathon team, I could not predict that one day I would actually need to use Abilities United services.  That day came in September 2002, at age 58, when I suffered a spinal cord injury that fractured my spine at the neck.  Immediately, I lost the use of my muscles from the navel on down, paralyzing my legs.  Immediately, I became a wheelchair user for the rest of my life.

After eight weeks of intensive rehabilitation at the hospital, I went home to resume my roles as husband and father, Executive Director of the Palo Alto Family YMCA, and community leader. But, as you might imagine, that was a tall order.  To resume my life as best as possible, I had to regain my strength and increase my flexibility and ability to move. But how could I do that?  Well, I was very fortunate. Right down the street from my house was the Abilities United Aquatic Services.  And as a career YMCA guy, I knew the benefits of water exercise for people of any age and ability. I have loved to swim since I was six years old, so this seemed like a natural and perfect way for me to get the rehabilitation and exercise I needed to rebuild my muscles.
So, as soon as I could, I called and made my first appointment to be evaluated for their aquatic rehabilitation and therapy sessions.  Consequently, my first venture outside of our home was to the Abilities United Betty Wright Aquatic Services. With the help of my aquatics therapist, Morgan, I used the warm, buoyant water to enable me to stand on my feet, regain my sense of balance, and get hundreds of hours of strength training and cardio exercise. I also learned to make use of goggles and snorkel equipment.  All of these enabled me to swim more than one hundred miles over three years, including the miles I have swum at the Abilities United Aquathon.  My team and I have raised over $150,000 to help Abilities United provide services for people like me, and the thousands of other community members, who need these services. My Aquathon team - comprised of family members, friends, YMCA members and staff, from preschool age to folks in their late sixties - has had a lot of fun while making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities.  As the 2015 Honorary Swimmer, I now have the opportunity to tell even more people how important Abilities United services are for our community members who live with a disability or may acquire a disability.

Why do I contribute, raise funds, and keep swimming in the Aquathon?  Well, certainly because I need aquatic exercise and therapy. But more importantly, I want to make sure Abilities United continues to provide these services to all community members who do or can benefit. I invite you to join me and make your own charitable contribution to Abilities United. As a retired forty-year nonprofit executive, I can assure you that the money you give is used – actually stretched - to a high level of efficiency and effectiveness. The commitment of the Abilities United staff and volunteer board members ensures that they are constantly looking for better ways to reach out to people with disabilities and the community in general.
Please join me to keep Abilities United strong for today’s families and those who will need its services in the years to come.

Sincerely,
Dan Logan

A mother's love

When Michael was born in 1970, the hospital medical team knew very little about Down Syndrome.  The limited information they did give his mother, Judy, was negative, outlining “all that your child will not be able to do.” That was not Judy’s vision for her son’s future.  Judy located and visited Abilities United and found many volunteers working with children in an environment that was positive and very encouraging.

Judy remembers, “Abilities United gave me hope for my new baby, that his life would be ok and Abilities United could be a partner with us in identifying resources and providing appropriate development intervention services. They gave me the ongoing encouragement I needed to cope with the many doubts and challenges of raising a child with unique development guideposts.“

“Having a child with a disability is like entering a whole new terrifying world,” she continued, “where you fear your own parenting skills may not be up to the needs of this precious person you want so desperately to walk and talk, but also learn to thrive and eventually make his own way in a world that is very complex.”

Early intervention
At Abilities United, Michael received Early Intervention services including occupational therapy, which helped him learn to eat, walk and talk.  “It was hard to see all the children with their individual challenges, but they improved through the endless patience of the volunteers and staff,” Judy recalls. “No one said I should put Michael in an institution.”

The Abilities United children gathered together frequently and, eventually, all went on to a special needs school. He then attended and graduated from Palo Alto High School . “Michael was smart, resourceful and independent. He could read and write and he loved sports.”  Michael was on the Palo Alto High School wrestling team and worked out every day to stay in shape.  During the summer, he took part in all the city recreation programs that were available and went to soccer camp at Stanford University.

Judy proudly explained: “Michael spent two years at Foothill College in the Community Integration Program. He went to and from his activities alone, having learned the public transportation routes well. In 1995, several of us parents started the Page Mill housing apartments, designed for those with disabilities.  There was a lottery selection in 1997 and Michael, at age 29, was selected and still lives there.”

Staying connected
Through Abilities United, Michael found a job at Marriott, and later, at Stanford University, working in the kitchen. After that, he worked at Abilities United.  Judy states,” Michael was a janitor at Abilities United for five years before retiring. After that, he found ways to continue his connection with Abilities United through the Abilities United Community Connections program and his volunteer work at the BOK ranch.”

In ­­­2007, Judy and Michaels’s stepfather, David, began preparing for retirement. Judy sat on the board of Abilities United at the time and another board member, Ellen Turbow, an estate planning attorney, made a presentation on planned giving.  Ellen met with David and Judy and introduced them to several gift plans that might also provide a lifetime income stream. 
Judy and David decided to establish a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT), funding it with a highly appreciated rental house. They used an attorney that specialized in setting up CRTs to guide them through the process.  By forming the CRT, they were able to create a reliable ongoing income stream for retirement and leave a portion of the remainder of the trust to Abilities United when the trust ends.

Over the years, as Michael matured, Abilities United has provided supportive services such as after-school recreation, day care and respite. As a young adult, Michael enjoyed an evening of dancing and socializing with the Abilities United Club while his parents had a quiet dinner at home. Eventually, Abilities United gave Michael employment support, and help with his transition to independent living.

An independent life
Judy recollects, “For Michael, Abilities United has meant lifelong friendships, adults who are willing to listen patiently, and a place of refuge from the stress of everyday life for an individual with cognitive challenges. Michael is a very social guy who can make friends everywhere in his hometown of Palo Alto, and that is partly thanks to the atmosphere of inclusion that Abilities United has set within the broader Palo Alto community.”

Judy continues, “Michael never misses the 3rd Thursday of the month Abilities United Club, as this event provides a venue for meeting with old friends who come from all over the Bay Area, as well as the many staff who have become his friends and mentors over the years.

“Michael turned 44 in 2014. Throughout his entire life, Abilities United has been his ‘home away from home.’ We want to show our appreciation to Abilities United for the wonderful care and support they have provided for Michael all these years.”

Dozens of original works of art are on display and availablefor
purchase at the Abilities United SVOS art exhibit May 2 - 3.

For the fifth year, artists of Abilities United, a nonprofit which providing training and support to people with developmental and physical disabilities and their families, will showcase original works of art demonstrating the talent and imagination of artists who range in age from 19 – 50 years of age, at the Silicon Valley Open Studio tour May 2^nd and 3^rd at 525 East Charleston Road in Palo Alto. See paintings of returning artists Michael Broadhurst, Judy Wachner and Philip Ma, the 2014 winner of Cupertino’s Emerging Artist, as well as a new artist, Ingrid Lai. View works of art which range from impressionistic landscapes, mesmerizing abstracts, Picasso inspired portraits, to nature inspired photography.

California art collectors have purchased over 200 pieces of Abilities United artists’ work, which are exhibited at business offices, government buildings, coffee shops, libraries, and art galleries all over the Bay Area from San Jose to Berkeley.  Each quality work of art is sold for $25 to $500 per piece, offering a fabulous opportunity to invest in the Bay Area’s unique talents and support the artists themselves who receive one hundred percent of the profit made. 

In 2010, Design Loft proprietor, Hellen Hsieh, a volunteer of Abilities United, suggested that Abilities United artists be included in the SVOS explaining her passion for promoting the art created by people with developmental disabilities; “I want other people to see the beautiful artwork individuals with disabilities are capable of creating, to help people see their talent and ability rather than their disability.  This is an opportunity to give these artists a public space to display their work.”

See how your support can make a difference in the lives of these talented artists who prove that art has no boundaries and unlimited expression.  

Refreshments will be served and there will be  a drawing for Ingrid Lai’s still life All Lined Up (https://www.facebook.com/events/1552747254984792).

Other community members who have been instrumental in making this exhibit possible are, The Great American Framing Shop of Palo Alto and Peabody Fine Art Gallery of Menlo Park, both of which have donated many of the frames, framing materials and framing labor.  They regularly host art exhibits for other local artists. 

Abilities United  is a United Way Affiliated Agency and a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization for children and adults with developmental disabilities (mental retardation, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, autism, and other neurodevelopmental conditions causing developmental delays) and other disabilities who live in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.  Each year, thousands of individuals and their families use its Children’s, Adult, and Family Services.

Silicon Valley Open Studios http://www.svos.org is a non-juried event so it is more inclusive than many other public art events.  This unique event is free and open to the public.  Being non-juried, this event attracts many emerging and first-time artists who have recently moved into this area and chose Silicon Valley Open Studios as their first exposure to the buying public.  In fact, this is why many of Silicon Valley’s finest art gallery owners and museum curators tour the event incognito searching for exciting new artistic talent.  Every year in May, the public is invited into artist’s workspaces to meet the artist, discuss and purchase artworks directly.  Visiting the artist’s studio is the best way to understand their philosophy and motivation, and view a larger body of their work to find the one that speaks to you.  This is a unique opportunity to peak into the world of art creation.  Visit svos.org to view some of the artwork.

Artist profile: Ian Hucke

Artist Ian Hucke 

Ian Hucke, a twenty year old artist who lives in New Mexico, uses a variety of mediums such as watercolor, markers, pastels and pen and ink to express himself and his experiences.  Ian has been drawing and painting since he was a child, but has recently become an even more prolific artist since his brain surgery in October of 2014 which he believes has tapped into and released a new level of skill and passion for his art.  His work Tentacle Boy done in pastel and pencil was inspired by a vivid dream Ian had after undergoing brain surgery that required drainage tubes and the shaving of his head.  It shows a wide-eyed man with pin point pupils and purple tentacles extending from his head representing someone with “A lot on their mind,” according to Ian.  It also shows his thoughts at having to endure illness and medical procedures and how a full beard and head of hair are enviable things.

Ian’s body of work shows a wide range of interest in experimenting with different styles and subjects such as the lovely The Light Tree showing stark light bulbs hanging from the branches of a bare tree made beautiful by its simplicity, to the more recent Kill Your Idols showing his love of drawing portraits.   Earlier works include The Upset Artist which shows a raging artist with an open mouthed scream, furrowed brow and head filled with art tools that seem to be growing from the subject’s enraged brain to The Pencil Shark, a piece which is a play on words. There is also Leonardo Da Vinci, a Mother’s Day gift to his mother Deborah Hucke who as a nutritionist, appreciates fruits, vegetables and flowers but also pays tribute to Ian’s love of the arts.

Leonardo da Vinci

Before his illness, Ian worked as a custodian for Zia Graphics, a retail outlet .  He relished the occasional opportunities to sketch for them, but can now no longer handle the physical requirements and is primarily focused on recovering – a full time job in itself.  While in the hospital, Ian filled the time he had by drawing endlessly.  With much time during recovery spent in waiting rooms and doctors offices, he became an observer of the people around him fascinated by their appearance and possible lives he had no way of knowing anything about.  In response, he developed a new passion, that of not only drawing the people he saw, but of creating a story about them. This is demonstrated in the work Stevie, a portrait of a striking young Australian woman with long red hair whose brief and fictitious life story include having a crush on her math teacher and hating her hair.  His community has also embraced his talent for drawing portraits which has led to a number of paid commissions and continues to increase.  One of these commissions came about when Ian endured a particularly long stay in a rehabilitation hospital.  During this time, Ian’s mother managed to smuggle in his beloved tabby cat, Rusty, for a visit.  Another mother, whose son was also in rehabilitation due to leukemia was inspired to do the same for her son and brought in the boy’s dog.  As a result, Ian was commissioned to do a painting of the boy shown with his beloved pet.

Currently, Ian is concentrating on his physical therapy as well as completing high school.  He will be attending the University of New Mexico in the fall to work on a core set of classes and is especially excited to be working on more portraits with accompanying fictitious stories he plans on revealing next year through an exhibition.  Eventually, he hopes to be accepted into a major art school to continue his work as an artist.  When asked to share a few words about himself, Ian said, “I love story telling.  My art, if I do it well, provides the ability to be a story teller without words.  I am thankful for my ability to excel at it, in spite of my physical deficits. My goal is to draw what I love well, and be able to make a living doing that.” 

Written by Maggie Womack, as told by Ian Hucke