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

Perspectves (January - March 2015) from Charlie Weidanz, Abilities United Executive Director

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Robin and Charlie Weidanz enjoy the Anderson Art Collection at the
Stanford Cantor Arts Museum during a  March Adult Day Activities field trip.

To create the life we want tomorrow, we will live that life today.

As I reflect on my first 9 months at Abilities United, I see that services, options, and community inclusion have come a long way since Abilities United was founded. However, we have a long way to go to reach our vision…a society where people of all abilities learn, live, work, and play with no barriers between them.  We want the best life possible for our participants and their families - a life without barriers to education, employment, or housing.  As we continue to provide services and supports to remove existing barriers, we constantly challenge ourselves to seek new opportunities, programs, and partnerships so participants can live the fullest life possible in our community. To accomplish this, we are putting the finishing touches on the three-year strategic plan that will drive our accountability and our participants’ success, in three areas:

    •    education Today, the high school graduation rate is 61%
for people with disabilities compared to 80% for other
students; post-secondary school attendance is 27% vs 68%. We strive for graduation and attendance rates that are the same for all students by preparing them for the classroom, helping them navigate their school years, and more recently, opening post-secondary educational opportunities at local colleges.
    •   employment Only 1/3 of people with disabilities are employed. Their average annual earnings are $10,000 less than other employees.  Abilities United places people in jobs that utilize their skills, talent, and experience so they are hired for work they are qualified for and want to do. Our goal is to place 100% of candidates in jobs that challenge them, maximize their abilities, and provide them wages that are commensurate with their experience.
    •    housing Training and support for daily living are readily available but housing opportunities for people with disabilities are few.  While we continue to teach the daily living skills required to live independently, we will also work to achieve a placement rate of 85% so most people who are ready to live in their own house or apartment can do so.

This may seem like a daunting job, but remember how much progress has been made in the last 50 years. Imagine how much more can change in the next 50 years and how rapidly that change can happen.  With our vision of equality and inclusion for all, Abilities United has defined strategic goals for 2015-2018 that will enable us to address the issues that still exist around education, employment, and housing.  By the end of 2018, Abilities United will:

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

How are we going to accomplish all this? One step at a time, one person at a time, one goal at a time.  For example, we will achieve seamless service transition throughout the lifetime of participants.  To accomplish this, we will:


    •    Create a roadmap that defines the transition points in participants’ lives and the services they will need.
    •    Identify which of these services we can deliver and partner with community organizations who provide complimentary services.
    •    Implement an information database so we can reach out to current or past participants at upcoming transition points in their lives and offer assistance to navigate through those transitions.
    •    Focus on personal relationships with participants and their families so they know they can trust us to provide the resources, support, and services they need throughout their lives.

We clearly have a lot to do here at Abilities United and we are eager to make progress on further removing the barriers to full inclusion for people of all abilities.  Today, our work begins and continues until we reach our goals. Join us in our quest to deliver seamless service transitions for participants throughout their lifetime.

Until then, if you have any questions about our strategy, please contact me.  I look forward to keeping you informed about progress at Abilities United.

Charlie Weidanz
Executive Director

A Valentine thank you! We reached the "United for the Future" goal!

"Heart" acrylic painting by an
artist in Adult Day Activities

Dear Friend of Abilities United,

At this time of the year, we think of our love and appreciation for those individuals who are special to us. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I want to express our appreciation for your support of Abilities United and the people we serve.  You clearly embrace the idea of “sharing the love” as is evidenced from your
incredible generosity to Abilities United this past year.   Because of your support, we now have the critical financial resources needed to expand and improve our inclusive services for children, adults and families in our community.

I am proud and delighted to report that, because of your generosity, we exceeded our “United for the Future” goal of $2,000,000.  At the end of this two-year campaign you contributed a total of $2,161,179! You have enabled Abilities United to realize our vision for inclusive services for the community members we serve. “United for the Future” donations included 10 naming opportunity gifts totaling $ 823,000 to begin new initiatives. Your gifts to sustain and expand existing services exceeded $900,000.  The Authors Luncheon audience gave another $112,205 through the very lively and energetic auction. Finally, you closed our exceptional 2014 with end-of-year gifts of $284,342.

Our new and expanded services will include a sponsored art program for resident artists, increased job placement services for adults, additional therapy equipment for children, and more scholarships for low-income individuals and families. And to improve our capability to deliver those services, your generosity allows us to install an improved reporting system so that we work more productively and effectively. All these changes and improvements position us well for our future.

So today, we celebrate you for helping to create excellence in our services and we look forward to sustaining this excellence over the coming years.  Through your generosity, you have made an extraordinary difference in the lives of many individuals and families. 

Please accept our heartfelt thanks for the extraordinary difference you have made.

Charlie Weidanz
Executive Director

Happy 2015 from Charlie Weidanz, Executive Director

January 6, 2015

Happy New Year!

I am delighted to wish you a very happy and healthy 2015! We have a very exciting year ahead of us! I’ve been reflecting on all that you’ve contributed to Abilities United in 2014 and want to thank you again for all that you made possible. In 2014 we reached significant milestones including

1. Three year “exemplary” accreditation status awarded by CARF, the national  rehabilitation services accreditation commission
2. “Agency of the year” award from the Department of Rehabilitation
3. Record $480,000 raised at the Aquathon and Authors Luncheon fundraising events to sustain our “exemplary” services
4. Successful completion of the 2013-2014 “United for the Future” $2 million campaign for the launch and expansion of services to meet the life-long and inclusionary needs of participants
5. New or expanded partnerships include
• Stanford University social skills collaboration to benefit 100 children with and without autism
• Housing Choices Coalition collaboration to provide post-high school education and daily living skills to adults with developmental disabilities who live independently
• City of Redwood City to teach swim and water safety lessons to 400 children from 200 low-income households
• Levi’s Stadium selected Abilities United as a “partner of choice” for job placement at the stadium

You have so much to be proud of because without you, these achievements were not possible. For that, I can not thank you enough.

Throughout 2015, I will share with you the progress we make on the launch of our 2015-2018 strategic plan to even further increase the quality of our services and the impact made on the thousands of individuals our services benefit. The strategic imperatives you’ll learn more about are:

1. Seamless transition among Abilities United services throughout participants’ life
2. Facilities redevelopment to strengthen our ability to meet the needs of the people we serve
3. Strengthen the Abilities United brand so it is more well-known and liked in the community
4. Financial sustainability for Abilities United services

So as we close the door on the past year, we open the door to a new year full of promise and progress. I wish you all a very happy new year and look forward to you being a part of the milestones Abilities United reaches in 2015.

Wishing you and your family all the best in 2015!

Charlie Weidanz
Executive Director