The Bangor Chapter
Gives Back
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The Bangor Chapter has started volunteering at the Salvation Army Thrift Store. They started volunteering because they really took to heart something that David Unger (SUFU’s Executive Director) had said. He encouraged all the chapters to find ways to give back to their communities. Bangor Chapter ran with that idea and made a connection with the thrift store.
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The thrift store is a place where people can shop for clothes, etc. and it doesn’t cost a lot of money, so it helps out a lot of people. The Bangor Chapter is in charge of sorting through some of the clothes that will eventually go on sale and they are also in charge of helping get those clothes on the sales floor.
I asked the members what they enjoyed about volunteering. They all said that it was fun. Here are a few descriptions some of the members shared with me about their experience.
Crystal and Dana said, “We feel like volunteering is a good way to learn job skills.” Crystal also added, I love getting to know people from all over, and really enjoys interacting with the customers.”
Daniel talked about how he is really excited that the chapter is doing this together because it’s a way to get the chapter’s name out into the community and hopefully inspire some new members to join.
Melissa talked about how she really likes clothes, so volunteering at the thrift store is a great fit for her. I have to say that I like clothes too, so she’s a woman after my own heart.
Savick shared,
“Volunteering not only helps you to appreciate what you have, but it also helps you appreciate what you have to offer other people.”
What he shared really stuck with me.
The Bangor Chapter goes once a month and the next time they go, I might have to go with them to see
what it is all about first hand.
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Get to Know ...
SUFU Member,
Eric McVay
!
I’ve been working here at SUFU for a while now and it’s full of some pretty incredible members! One of the most politically aware members that we have is Eric McVay from the Bangor Chapter. If there’s a bill or a law being talked about in Maine or in Washington that affects people with disabilities, Eric knows about it. In fact, if you have any questions about a bill or a law that affects people with disabilities, Eric is a great person to ask because he usually knows the answer.
Eric has been an extremely active member of his Chapter and the SUFU Board for several years now. This year, he became the treasurer of the SUFU Board. ERIC loves being able to make a difference in the lives of Maine people with disabilities!
Eric also loves being able to make a difference to people with disabilities all over the United States! When you get to know Eric, one thing you will learn pretty quickly is that he is extremely proud of being a Board member of Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE). SABE is a national self-advocacy organization, which means it involves the entire United States.
Eric talked about how he got involved in SABE and what SABE does…
“In 2012, I went to my first SABE Conference, in Minneapolis. I got to present a workshop, which was great.I had so much fun that when I had the chance to join the SABE Board at the Conference, I did! At first, I was an Alternate which means that I was on the Board and could give my opinion on things, but I couldn’t vote. In 2016, I became a voting member. We work on projects that can help self-advocates all over the country. For example, we have a voting project…
The voting project makes sure that people with disabilities who want to vote in the United States are able to not only get into places to vote and fill out ballots, but also to understand the issues being voted on.
Through SABE, I’ve also become a reviewer for “Self-Advocacy Online.” I make sure that information on the website is correct.
SABE is a website for self-advocates, where you can find a group in your state, learn about lots of cool self-advocacy subjects like Supported Decision Making, hear stories from self-advocates, and more. Check it out at
www.selfadvocacyonline.org
Eric is dedicated to making the lives of people with disabilities better and I’m grateful for all the work that he does.
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Are you having problems with your transportation provider?
SUFU wants to hear from you…
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Hi Everybody,
A couple of weeks ago, SUFU had a great meeting with the State to talk about problems a lot of us have with transportation services. They really want to help make things better but in order to do that, they need to hear from SUFU members when problems happen.
We want to help because
everyone deserves to get to where they want to go on time, safely, and be treated with dignity and respect.
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Exercise becomes an adventure!
I did something that I never thought I’d ever do.
I went indoor rock climbing.
Let me explain: for years, my doctors have been telling me to get some exercise. If you’re anything like me, you want to do it, you say you’re going to do it, but life gets in the way and you don’t. Laurie Bernier, who is one of SUFU’s Chapter Advisors and also is the head of SUFU’s Sports Program contacted me last week. She asked me to get a notice out about indoor rock climbing for people with disabilities.
When she mentioned it was in Orono, which is very close to where I live, I thought, “why don’t I go?” I’m afraid of heights so you might be wondering why I wanted to go.
Honestly, I thought it would be a lot of fun and tackle my fear of heights at the same time. So on Sunday February 11, I went with Bangor Chapter member Eric McVay up to Maine Bound Adventure Center at UMO.
The first thing they did with me is strap me up really good in a harness so that I wouldn’t fall (which I really appreciated).
😊
That took some time so while I was getting ready, I had the chance to talk with Enock Glidden who organized the event. Enock is also a person with a disability. He uses a wheelchair due to Spina Bifida. He got into climbing because a lot of his friends who didn’t have disabilities were doing it and he wanted to get in on the action. Not only has Enock done indoor climbing but he has also done mountain climbing and he’s even sky dived! Enock said that he hopes to inspire more people with disabilities to try climbing.
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As you can see in the pictures, I’m pulling myself up by a lever that is connected to a rope. It’s a lot harder than it looks and by the time I had done it twice, I was drenched in sweat and was ready for a nap. It felt really good though, the higher that I got. It made me realize that I wanted to do it again and see how much better I could do the next time. I got my chance really quickly because I found out that people were going to meet every Wednesday. So on Valentines Day, I went back and tried again. I still had a great time and even though I haven’t made it all the way to the top yet, I’m going to keep trying and challenging myself.
If this is something that you think you might be interested in, please contact Enock Glidden at (207) 237-2676 or
enockglidden@hotmail.com
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Have an Idea for Something to be in The Connector?
Contact: Avery Olmstead
SUFU Communications & Development Manager (207) 956-1004 / Ext. 4
aolmstead@sufumaine.org
Facebook: Avery Olmstead SUFU Maine
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SUFU CONNECTOR
Speaking Up For Us of Maine
207-956-1004
www.sufumaine.org
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