Volume 1182 - Circle of Friends Ministry 105 E. Stuart Avenue, Lake Wales, FL 33853 - March 2023

March is Developmental Disabilities Month.

Governor DeSantis declared March 14 as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day in Florida.

A Message from Our President

Have you ever tried sewing with your eyes closed? How about washing dishes with one arm? Oh, here’s a good one… Have you ever tried to listen to a lecture while three people were one inch away from your face, one touching your neck and back, one clanging a cymbal, and one popping gum in your ear? What these questions describe are some of the everyday obstacles that someone who has no sight, has the loss of use of an arm, and who lives with sensory issues from Autism go through, and might I add, are expected to overcome and perform as well as you and I do at home and in the work field!  These differences do not disqualify a person from being able to complete a task.  The challenges they face make them stronger and more capable of overcoming issues that may arise at work or home.

As the CEO of a nonprofit for adults with special needs, I meet many parents of students who have done a wonderful job telling their children they can do anything while restricting them at the same time. That is conflicting! Parents mean well. They are the people on the front line who get to witness the falls, the mistakes, and the hurt their child goes through before reaching adulthood. So, of course, they are conflicted. I, on the other hand, get the benefit of working with their child, whom they have loved and taught, without the seared-in memories of all those traumas and experiences. It is hard at times for parents to let go and allow their children to take that last step into adulthood because it is a doozy! Their child will face the temptations and traps of what we all face as adults, and that for most parents is unthinkable. No parent wants their child to be harmed, regardless of their age.  Then there are adult children who cannot understand as adults, and those children are understandably protected by their parents as well. I would not drop a child into a sinful worldly situation on purpose either! It is not our profoundly disabled I am speaking of though, it is the adults who possess the ability to grow and adapt, who are held back to which I am speaking of.

I have come to find that placing our clientele is difficult because we are battling to place them on two fronts. The first is employer ignorance. The employer needs to learn that our demographic can perform most job duties. I love it when our students show up and show out for these employers. Powerful testimonies of true abilities come from those moments. The second front is telling the employer that our clients can perform the job duties required for a position, which is true, but then having to explain that their potential new employee has all these rules set by their parent or guardian that make them more burdensome than helpful. Honestly, it makes them appear incompetent and negates the talent which these adults show. My job is to connect our clientele with employers would work immensely better if the parents would just allow their adult children to take that last step. They do not realize that they are at times, the very ones holding back that little sparrow trying to spread its wings.

I end with this:  Your children and fellow community members living with disabilities have earned the right to try and live a “normal” adult life. Have an open mind and give them a chance to put into action what they have learned in life, the Hard way. Most of the time you will be surprised at just how much they can do!

- Crystal Higbee, President/CEO

PROCLAIMING OUR POTENTIAL

P.O.P. PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

From painting to pool to digital learning to library visits, our Circle of Friends are continuing to have fun and make an impact across our community!

Reaching Hands Support Group

This public support group is offered to the parents and caregivers of individuals with disabilities of any age. We meet every third Friday of the month at 7 pm.

Stay in the Know!

We are so grateful to the 19 Polk County Businesses that are supporting our "Disability Awareness 2023" Wristband Campaign

Our 1Community4ALL fundraiser is selling $5 wristbands. The first round of businesses joined us for Developmental Disability Awareness (March) and Autism Acceptance Months (April). We are looking for partners during Mobility Awareness (May) and Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Months (June). We invite organizations to sell $5 disability awareness wristbands, and participating businesses will offer a benefit to their customers!

Circle of Friends was well represented at Developmental Disability Day at the Capitol! Advocates from all across the state went to Tallahassee to lobby for expanding access to care and services that keep people with disabilities with their families in their community. The Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) administers the Medicaid Program for Floridians with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities through the "iBudget".

Get Involved!