Maya Angelou said "You can't really know where you're going, until you know where you have been." As we share our almost 70 years of history serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, we are reminded of Melvin J. Larson's vision: for individuals of all abilities to thrive in an inclusive society. We are so grateful to him and to all of the people, both past and present, who have helped grow our agency to where it is today. Although our vision is not yet complete, and there is still much work to be done, we continue to work toward this goal!

This year’s prom will be held on Friday, May 17th at UCP-Center for Disability Services’ newly refurbished gymnasium. This event is held annually for our teen and transition age students as well as our adult participants. Attendees will dress in their best formal wear, exchange flowers, take prom photos, enjoy refreshments, and of course, dance! Many generous supporters have helped to make this year's event possible, including Catherine’s Gardens, a floral shop in Oak Forest. Catherine’s Gardens is generously donating all of this year’s corsages and boutonnieres. Many other supporters have also graciously donated formal attire.

If you are interested in supporting this year's prom, please contact Beth Kazmierczak at bethk@ucp-cds.org or call (815) 744-3500. New and/or very gently used prom dress (sizes 8-24) donations are still being collected along with suit and/or tux donations or rentals.

Other potential wish list items include: nail and hair service and make up or beauty product donations.

Program News

Students and Participants learn about and experience the solar eclipse!

We had an ACTION packed solar eclipse day at UCP-Center for Disability Services! Our Community Day Services participants drew their own solar eclipses, and a few participants ventured outside to view the

solar eclipse with special eclipse glasses! 

Therapeutic Day school students also learned about the solar eclipse! Ms. Jeannine's class participated in a super fun and creative science lesson that utilized Oreo cookies. The Oreos were placed in the order that the moon would eclipse the sun to help students visualize how the total solar eclipse would appear before it happened.

Community Day Services rolled out a brand new program

for our participants in April called, "Sew What?!".

Participants were able to pick out their favorite fabric and lining and utilized sewing machines to create their own tote bags! The finished products turned out so AMAZING! If you click the button below, you will be able to see some of the finished bags.

A BIG thank you to our supporters who donated

sewing machines, and to Board Member, Kim Tillotson who volunteers her time to lead this program.

Volunteer Spotlight

April was National Volunteer Appreciation Month

Did you know? On average, people spend close to 52 hours

per year volunteering their time.

April was Volunteer Appreciation Month and we want to send out one more big THANK YOU to our incredible volunteers! These amazing individuals support our mission by donating their time and talent and we are so grateful to each and every one of them. Each volunteer's time is so valuable to us, and we could not do what we do without their support.

If you didn't get a chance, next time you are at the agency or at one or our events, please take a minute to thank these incredible volunteers, they are the heart and soul of our organization! 

Staff Spotlight

We are SO excited to begin highlighting our AMAZING staff members and all the INCREDIBLE things they do every day! This month's spotlight features Direct Support Professional (DSP) Melissa, who works with our Community Day Service program!

To learn more about Melissa and what she does as a DSP,

click the button below to read the blog post on our website.

Community Connections

We are out in the Community spreading our mission! Executive Director, Brian Patel and Director of Development, Beth Kazmierczak both attended Joliet Junior College's Career Fair and Director of Human Resources, Sue Fowler and Director of Adult Services, Cassie Farley both attended the Healthy Families Fair in April.

Become a UCP Supporter!

UCP National

Top left photo: Brian Patel with United Cerebral Palsy President and CEO, Armando A. Contreras. Bottom left photo: Brian Patel with UCP Seguin of Greater Chicago President and CEO, Joseph Mengoni. Right center photo (L-R): UCP of West Central Wisconsin, Executive Director Todd Breaker, Brian Patel, and UCP of Mobile, President and CEO, Todd Perkins.

Our Executive Director, Brian Patel, attended this year's UCP Conference in Orlando, Florida and was able to network with many affiliate staff from all across the United States! Attendees went to informative sessions and also and were able to visit UCP of Central Florida and see their amazing facility and the programs they offer! Next year's annual conference will be held in New Orleans, LA!

For more information about UCP-Center for Disability Services, or to stay up-to-date on the latest news and events, be sure to follow us on social media!

ucp-cds.org