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~To empower, educate and connect those living without both arms or more |
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October Spotlight
Andy Mattox
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Faces of ESFL
Andy Mattox's life significantly changed on August 31, 2021 because of a workplace accident. In the fall of 2022 he attended the Skills for Life (SFL) workshop. His perspective on his injuries and struggles immediately shifted. Being able to meet others with bilateral limb loss of various ages and stages of life and seeing how they were living full, happy lives was extremely inspiring. Check out Andy's video to learn more about why he wanted to hold a fundraiser for ESFL.
*Each month, we will try to highlight different people in our community. Contact us if you would like to share your story with our newsletter audience.
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Personal Passion
ESFL's commitment's is to create community and connections, and Andy's Rock & Bowl Fundraiser weekend was a wonderful extension of exactly this. He took inspiration from his experiences with our ESFL family and in turn inspired all of us. Since March 2023, Andy has immersed himself in all the details that created a jam-packed two-day event that brought together many ESFL attendees for an incredible experience as well as to raise funds for the work of ESFL. Although the final numbers are still being totaled, Andy is quite confident he raised almost $30,000 this weekend!!!! This was his first time doing any type of fundraising and he certainly knocked this out of the park. Andy, we can't thank you enough, these resources are so appreciated as it ensures that the programs and services we provide will grow and our community will thrive.
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Grassroots Support to Grants
ESFL started with a Grassroots effort and has continued to grow thanks to the support of fundraisers like those hosted by Ronnie and Andy, for individual donors who believed in us, and for organizations that provided sponsorship and support of all kinds. Whether you have given time, talent, or treasure, your gifts have helped us reach a five-year milestone that defines us as a successful non-profit in the eyes of the IRS. Your Facebook birthday fundraisers make a difference, as does every gift of every kind.
To build our capacity to serve the ESFL community, we have added grant research and application to our strategies. If you are interested in offering your grant or development skills, please let us know. We would love to have you join us on our foray into the grant world.
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We are Growing!
Please help me welcome MaryBeth Schneider as our new Operations Specialist. MaryBeth shared that "I am so pleased to have the opportunity to work with Enhancing Skills for Life. I bring with me over 35 years of experience working with and for people with disabilities in a variety of capacities within non-profit organizations. Despite my job titles over those years, I tried to always remain person-centered in my approach to support. While I am becoming familiar with your unique organization, I can already see a clear alignment with that focus." She added that "I frequently share that my favorite quote is 'it is in the shelter of each other that the people live' because I think we all thrive in accepting, inclusive communities where talents are celebrated and support needs are addressed. I am eager to share my experience with you and, in return, hope that you will teach me along the way."
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MaryBeth Schneider,
Operations Specialist
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To conclude, we hope you enjoy this video Samoana "The Turkey" Matagi made highlighting the bowling adapter made by Texas Assistive Devices, just one of the groups that we count as a partner and supporter in so many ways.
Please keep reading below for important information and updates.
Warm regards,
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AOPA - So Every BODY Can Move!
Participate in a survey on physical activity in people with limb loss, limb difference, or limb impairment
American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association is inviting you to participate in a short survey. In this survey, you will be asked questions about your participation in physical activity and your experiences using assistive devices like prosthetics or orthotics. Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your thoughts and experiences. If you have any questions or encounter any issues with the survey, please feel free to contact Dr. Susannah Engdahl at sengdahl@AOPAnet.org or (571) 431-0843.
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Sexual Health & Intimacy Guide
We are looking for feedback on our Sexual Health & Intimacy Guide which is specifically geared towards our ESFL community. Contact us to receive the first draft. Those who provide feedback will be listed as a contributor in our acknowledgement section!
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Adaptive Pet Care Tips
Thanks to Alyssa Daniels for taking notes from our July Pet Care zoom, speaking with several ESFL pet owners and gathering more resources online. See anything we missed? Contact us and we will get the the tip sheet updated.
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YouTube Video Tutorials
Over the last few months, we have had several requests to show a few basic videos or our ESFL community engaged in daily life tasks. Here are two new videos added to our ESFL YouTube channel.
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Melissa Gibson demonstrates how to break down and reassemble a portable electric wheelchair (video)
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Ania Marecka demonstrates how she orders a drink at the drive through (video)
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Peer Connections/Resource Request
Are you new to the Enhancing Skills for Life community? Is there an ADL task you are still having trouble with? Maybe you've been around awhile, but still looking to connect with someone similar? Are you a caregiver/family member looking to be introduced to others? The increase in requests we've received the last few months is a direct result of you spreading the word about our organization. We can't thank you enough for helping those in need be able to find us so quickly!
Contact us or fill out this form and we will get you connected.
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Guest Contributor
Sandy Crisp, LPC-A, CRC, LCDC
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Mental Health Matters: Procrastination & Depression
We've all heard jokes about procrastination, like the classic quip, "I was going to write a book on procrastination, but never got around to it." While procrastination is often seen as a common behavior with mild consequences, research over the past six years has revealed a deeper, more concerning connection between procrastination and mental health, particularly depression. In this month’s MHM, we'll delve into the links between procrastination and depression and explore potential coping strategies. Keep reading to learn more.
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October Private Zoom
Come join us on Wednesday, October 18th at 7:00pm central. Samoana Matagi and others will talk about their weekend in Ohio at Andy's bowling tournament. Please bring questions you might have about bowling. These zooms are open to limb loss/limb different individuals and their family members. It is more of a support group so a safe space is our aim. Links will also be posted to our Skills for Life FB private group and sent out to the segment of our newsletter list identified as limb different and/or family.
BOOKMARK ZOOM LINK: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/97649737361?pwd=Q1pqMmEwa1pIOUtXVWkxbkh6UnZnQT09
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Get Involved!
Thank you to those who contacted us over the past few months! We are still looking for help, so let us know if you have time, experience, resources, or referrals/connections with any of the below.
- Grant Writing/Development
- SFL 7 Planning Committee
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Board of Directors. Nomination Form
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Upcoming Events & Programs |
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Prosthetic Management for Therapy Professionals
Prosthetic Management for Therapy Professionals is a comprehensive four-day course that covers the essential knowledge and skills needed to collaborate with an interprofessional clinical team providing prosthetic care. Engaging lectures and interactive clinical experiences featuring actual patients provide an intensive review of patient assessment, biomechanics, prosthetic prescription development, and essential therapy techniques needed to treat patients that require upper and lower limb prosthetic care.
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Bionic Reconstruction Conference
Join us at NYU, and our esteemed national and international faculty, to address advances in upper limb surgical and state-of-the-art prosthetic technology. Our Keynotes include Oskar Aszmann, MD and Paul Cederna, MD. This conference will be multidisciplinary in its approach and will set the stage for future research and study.
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Change a Life, Donate Today
The Skills for Life workshop was developed in 2002 with a specific focus on people living without both arms or more and the unique set of circumstances they face on a daily basis. The nonprofit was founded in 2017 to ensure we could continue supporting the members of our community with programs, events, resources, and connections. Please click the Venmo or PayPal donate buttons in this section to donate. PayPal allows you to donate via your account or with a credit card. Venmo requires you to have an account. Donations can also be made via check, payable to Enhancing Skills for Life, 16111 Park Center Dr, Houston, TX 77059.
Any and all donations, large or small, are greatly appreciated!
Enhancing Skills for Life, 501c3 Tax ID: 81-2619137.
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CONTACT US | 713-240-8336 | skills_for_life@aol.com
Enhancing Skills for Life, 501c3 | 16111 Park Center Dr, Houston, TX 77059
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