POW! SLAM! KABLAM!
Friday, October 31, 2014
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Kenny & Kevin
This was a post I saw on Facebook - worthy of sharing here. I am also including links to the Special Olympics Unified Sports Program, a recent program that is gaining traction all over the world.
*We are about six months away from our local Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies.
Friday, October 24, 2014
Thank you, Angel

If you know of others we can include on this list, please add in the comments section or email me directly. The web addresses and information have been checked as of today, October 24, 2014.
Angels
in Need
Davidson,
North Carolina
Website:
www.angelsinneed.org
Phone:
704-607-5118
Coverage:
Local & International
Angels in Need is a 100% volunteer,
501(c)(3) non-profit public charity based in Davidson, North Carolina. It is
our mission to serve children with special needs and their families both
locally and abroad. Our goal is to enrich the lives of these children and
families by supporting already existing programs and organizations devoted to
our cause as well as aiding in the development, implementation and financial
support of programs where they are non-existent, all in an attempt to provide
the children with opportunity and a sense of community in which to blossom. Our
target populations include: exceptional children and their families in the Lake
Norman area of North Carolina (Davidson, Cornelius, Huntersville and
Mooresville, NC) abandoned, orphaned, poverty-stricken and disabled children
abroad (Romania and Republic of Georgia) Angels in Need, Inc. operates
strictly, 100% on a volunteer basis. There are no salaries involved and there
is no facility overhead.
Assistance
League of Charlotte
Charlotte,
North Carolina
Website:
charlotte.assistanceleague.org
Phone:
704-525-5228
Coverage: Local & National
(www.assistanceleague.org)
Assistance League of Charlotte is a
nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to improving the lives of children
and families through community-based philanthropic programs.
In 2008-2009, 161 members generated
32,054 hours of community service to local children, and 513 non-members
contributed 13,897 hours. Funds raised are returned to the community through
five philanthropic programs: Operation Check Hunger; Operation School Bell®;
Mecklenburg County Teen Court; Assistance League of Charlotte Scholarship Fund
and Assistance League Outreach.
Assistance League of Charlotte was
founded in 1992 and is the 93rd chapter of National Assistance League®.
Bee
Mighty
Charlotte,
North Carolina
Website:
beemighty.org/en/frontpage/welcome
Phone:
704-384-7894
Email:
Candace@beemighty.org
Bee Mighty
provides funding for medical therapy and equipment to Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit (NICU) graduates. Bee Mighty was established so that families can focus on each
other and concentrate on the development of their child without the added
stress of financial ruin. The Bee Mighty Fund is managed by The Novant Health
Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3.
Kyle
Busch Foundation Charity
Mooresville,
North Carolina
Website:
kylebuschfoundation.org
Phone:
704-662-0000
ext 110
Coverage:
National
The Kyle Busch Foundation is
dedicated to providing essential tools for less fortunate children throughout
the country. KBF will concentrate its efforts on assisting organizations in
fostering a safe environment for children to live, learn and challenge
themselves as well as seeing that day to day needs are met.
In August of 2006, Kyle Busch was
invited to visit a children's home near Grand Rapids Michigan. St. John's home
provides housing and structure to children ages 6-18 that have been taken out
of their previous living situation for various reasons.
Kyle accepted the opportunity to
meet and spend some time with the children living at St. John's, a decision
that would forever change him. His experience provided him with valuable
insight into how these extraordinary kids are working to overcome the challenges
in their everyday lives. He realized the things most people take for granted
are the very things that these children need; a safe home where they encouraged
to learn and taught the skills to achieve their dreams.
Shortly after his visit, Kyle made
the decision to start the Kyle Busch Foundation to provide assistance to
organizations like St. John's and the children who live there.
There are children's homes
throughout the country just like St. John's, most of which are in need of
assistance. With your help, the Kyle Busch Foundation can help make a
difference in the lives of these children.
RHA
Howell Care Centers Charity
Durham,
North Carolina
Website:
www.rhahowell.org
Phone:
800-868-9011,
919-803-2960
Coverage:
National
RHA Howell's mission is to open the
world for people with disabilities and, in turn, enriching the lives of
everyone they touch.
RHA Howell has been helping people
with disabilities and special needs, and their families, make choices to live
more independently for more than 35 years. Integrity, high standards for
quality, hard work are at the core of every RHA Howell disability assistance
program.
Today, RHA Howell, Inc., carries on
the Howell Care Centers tradition. Proven leaders in caring for people, RHA
Howell, Inc. is a pioneering force in the field of human services, particularly
supporting infants and children.
Ride
4 Kidz Charity
Asheville,
North Carolina
Phone:
800-253-6530
Email: support@rideforkids.org
Coverage: National
The Ride for Kids® program supports
the efforts of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation® (PBTF) to find the cause
of and cure for childhood brain tumors. Come join thousands of your
motorcyclist friends at events around the country to make a difference in
children's lives!
The PBTF is honored to be the
official charity of the Honda Riders Club of America (HRCA), which has been the
presenting sponsor of Ride for Kids® since 1991. Thanks to the significant
support of American Honda Motor Company's motorcycle division, Honda dealers
and other motorcycle industry companies, the program has raised millions of
dollars for pediatric brain tumor research.
Our exclusive national insurance
sponsor is GEICO. This partnership brings together the nation's leading
motorcycle charity and one of the country's largest auto insurance companies to
help work toward a cure for children's brain tumors.
Speedway
Children's Charities Charity
Concord,
North Carolina
Website:
www.speedwaycharities.org
Phone:
800-236-2354
Coverage: Local
The mission of Speedway Children's
Charities remains true to the ideals it was founded upon in 1982: To care for
children in educational, financial, social and medical need in order to help
them lead productive lives.
SCC is a non-profit 501(c)(3)
organization and provides funding for hundreds of non-profit organizations
throughout the nation that meet the direct needs of children. Our vision is
that every child has the same opportunities no matter what obstacle they are
facing.
Variety
The Children’s Charity
Website:
www.usvariety.org
Coverage:
National
The chapters of Variety are a multi-million dollar philanthropic organization with
locations throughout the United States. Starting with a baby left on the
doorsteps of a movie theater in 1928, we have continued to be a group of local
business men and women, many of whom hail from the theater and movie business,
reaching out to children in need. Today, through the efforts of our
enthusiastic volunteers and generous corporate contributors, we remain true to
our heritage by bringing children real, tangible help.
During
2014, Variety of the United States continues our outreach by developing a
strongly supported national program to assist children in every community:
Variety's National Mobility Program
provides much needed assistance to children with mobility concerns. Over the
years, we have found that these children desperately want to be active members
of their communities. But they need what most of us take for granted: access.
For children with disabilities, this means having the freedom to go where they
want to, either on their own, or if they need assistance, reducing the impact
they make on those helping them. With the advent of many new mobility
technologies, this access is becoming available to more and more children. The
goal of our Mobility Program is to see that they get it.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Grief
We chuckled when we referred to the two Bens as BO & BM,
their initials forming unfortunate shorthand for human functions not talked
about in polite company. They were in preschool together, neither very mobile
and left on their own much of the time. Ben's mom, Donna, and I bonded over the
mistreatment of our sons, both of us ultimately taking them out of the poor
situation. Donna was going through a divorce at the time and had a lot of
stress on her. She was a single mom trying to help her Ben.
Donna's Ben had a smile that stayed with me. His eyes were part
of that smile and any interaction I had with him, even at that small age of
three, I knew that he was listening and welcomed my attention.
After leaving the original preschool, I lost touch with Donna. A
few years later, we all ran into each other at a children's library and stayed
in touch from then on. Donna wrote a few posts for eSpeciallyBen, and then I
did not hear from her for a few months.
At that same children's library, where we had reconnected, I saw
a mutual friend. She shared with me that Donna had died suddenly. I do not know
the details, but it may have been breast cancer that came out of remission. I
was devastated. What would happen to Ben? How would he understand that his mom
would not be around? The questions hurt.
Donna's parents stepped in and took over full care of Ben. We saw
him often at summer camp and other random outings. His caregiver, who helped
the grandparents, was loving and sweet to Ben. Having never met the grandparents,
I printed out Donna's posts from the blog and sent them to them through the
caregiver. It was my way of showing that I cared about her.
Just this week, I received an email from Ben's grandma, a first. I was
excited that she was contacting me. I immediately thought that we could get the
boys together. She said she had news to share, but wanted to be sure that this
was the correct email.
My brain does not go to bad places quickly. I always assume the
positive and I am, for the most part, optimistic. When at 7am, I read the
return email telling me that Ben had passed, I was shocked. I cried on and off
the entire day, while taking Ben to the allergist, going to the grocery store
and getting ready for a work trip. I cry now as I write this on a plane.
I agree with what Ben's grandma wrote me. God has a plan and we
may not understand it, but we must trust it. He gives us these beautiful
children who change us forever. I grieve for Ben's family that their time with
their precious daughter and grandson was cut short. I will miss Ben's smile,
but he and his sweet mom will not be forgotten. They are both a part of our
life story, made richer by their presence.
eSpecially Parents: Donna & Ben's story
eSpecially Parents: Donna & Ben's story
Monday, October 13, 2014
Lemonade from Lemons
In April, Ben received his long awaited larger Convaid Cruiser, a
portable and light-
weight wheelchair.
Within a month, the canvas seating began to fray on the corners and Ben
pulled off one of the crucial straps for buckling after it frayed beyond
repair. Both were quickly replaced by the distributor, the sales company that
purchases the products directly from Convaid.
Within days of those repairs, the brake broke and a bolt came
loose from the handlebars. Again, the same technician from the distributing
company came out and handled the repair. His general diagnosis about the
continual repairs was that the chair was put together too quickly, probably on a Friday afternoon.
On a "it is a small world" side note, the technician
had an unusual last name and I commented that I was friends with someone in
high school by the same name. He doubted
this because very few families in the world shared this surname. After a
careful game of who, what and where, we confirmed that he was first cousins
with my friend from high school.
Within a few weeks, Ben's Brand new canvas seat began to fray
again. Then our family went to the beach and while Ben and I strolled on the
sidewalk, the wheel completely came off the chair. It took me a minute to realize what happened
because we were suddenly lopsided. Luckily, Ryan was a quick walk away and came
to our rescue. After some serious phone calls to several people in the company,
a technician came to the hotel at the beach and patched up the broken wheel
baring. It was not a permanent fix, but If we were careful, it could work for
the short while we were on vacation.
Throughout the four months of breakdowns and repairs, I stayed in
contact with our salesman who was responsive to each issue. By the time the wheel came off because of a broken
baring, I knew that either a new chair or a complete overhaul was needed. This
was Ben's second Convaid chair so we knew that the product was a good one, just
somehow, Ben received the proverbial lemon.

With much frustration, I looked into the Convaid company,
deciding to send emails to those who may respond to Ben's needs. First, I found out that the company was
started in the 1970's by a mechanical engineer and his occupational therapist
wife, after seeing a gap in the market. Heavy and cumbersome wheelchairs were
the only option for people with mobility issues. The husband and wife team
designed the Convaid Stroller and started a company.
Next, I reviewed all the emails between the salesman and Convaid
to see what had been offered, but more importantly, who had been copied on all
the emails. I happened to find a name attached to the email that looked more
authoritative than the people we were currently in contact with. I also copied
my email to any people I found on the Convaid site that may be higher up in the
company.
My email was informative, respectful and I received a call within
three hours of sending. Ben had a demo chair the next day. By the end of that
week, I knew I wanted to keep this new demo chair. It was a different model,
one I had declined from the online photos during the sales process because I
thought it would not work for us. Our new contact (and new best friend) at
Convaid accepted my proposal to keep the demo. The damaged chair was sent back
to Convaid for review. Clearly, something had gone wrong in the production.
Ben has a new chair with a larger back wheel, cushioned seating
and a very cool fabric basket underneath. We have had no issues and do not
expect to this time.
What I learned: People generally want to be helpful, but things
fall through the cracks. Persistence, follow-through and keeping your sanity
throughout the process will help get the response requested. Keep good notes
and do as much communication through email so there is a paper trail With
dates, names and actions. Creative solutions, thinking outside the box and
getting others involved can make a bad situation better, maybe even great.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)