The South Shore ARC is looking for families who would like to host under the Shared Living program. This is a state program that matches up adults with developmental disabilities with "host families."
If you would like to open your home and your heart, please visit the ARC's Shared Living page....
Statewide Transition Conference for Parents
The Arc of Massachusetts is holding a transition conference for parents of children with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 22. Attendees will be able to choose from a variety of workshops focused on the best practices of creating seamless transitions from school into the adult world.
The conference will take place from 8:00...
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Senator Elizabeth Warren Files a Bill to Raise the SSI Resource Limit
Another reason to love Senator Warren. As you likely know, an SSI recipient can have only $2,000 in her bank account. It’s an absurdly small amount to keep on hand. It can barely cover any emergencies (like car repairs) and causes a lot of anxiety among SSI recipients and their families as they perform...
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Department of Public Health Survey on Health Needs for People with Disabilities
This landed in my inbox. It took about 5 minutes to fill it out. Due date is May 31. Here are the details:
Help influence health care in Massachusetts! The Health and Disability Program, part of Office of Health Equity at the MA Department of Public Health (DPH) is conducting a health...
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Sailing for Special Needs Students this Summer in Marshfield!
Marshfield Recreation department is offering two separate days this summer for special needs individuals, ages 7 and up, to enjoy sailing. The boats will have 5 people in it (2 students, 2 parents, 1 instructor), so this will be a very intimate, private sail! The Marshfield Recreation Department is offering this at the Green...
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Does Your Special Needs Child Really Need a Guardianship?
Last week I gave a presentation to Weymouth parents of special needs young adults, and from our conversation, it was clear that the school system was telling them that when a special needs child turns 18, the family must obtain a guardianship. As I’ve written elsewhere, this costs money, involves lawyers, and requires...
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Thank You Eunice Kennedy Shriver
We learned this morning that Mrs. Shriver passed away over night. I love that all the stories today discuss that she was the founder of the Special Olympics. After all, mentioning the name "Kennedy" in your morning broadcast would be enough to catch the attention of commuters still in their morning fog. But they...
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Always Keep Time & Expense Records When Helping Another
So many children, nieces and nephews, and good neighbors pitch in to do heavy lifting for an aging or disabled family member or friend. You may be running errands, cleaning out a basement, doing weekly grocery trips. We do these things on a volunteer basis, usually receiving just reimbursement for purchases made. And...
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Support the Arc on the Full Moon!
The good folks at Margaritas in North Weymouth hold Full Moon Margarita Madness every month on the night of the full moon - and donate 5% of the evening's take to a local organization. For the rest of the summer, they are hosting the Arc of the South Shore. So swing on by Margaritas...
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HBO’s The Alzheimer’s Project: Caregivers
This weekend I watched the film Caregivers (don’t you just love On Demand?). One theme that jumped out was the isolation that caregivers suffer. Several of the film’s stars (I think that’s a good name for them) talked about how very quietly the invitations to events and gatherings stopped. Not only does...
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