Tag: community

October 16, 2024

Do Good and Positively Impact Your Bottom Line!

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month Employment offers many benefits beyond financial compensation. It keeps us busy, challenges us, and adds value and structure to our lives. It gives us a sense of pride, purpose, and personal achievement. This is equally important for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) and/or autism. We have witnessed the positive impact of employment on many...

Categories Community/Employment/Everyday Life/General

September 25, 2024

Connect Over a Cup of Coffee – Expand Your Community

On a beautiful Virginia day, Deputy Shannon of the Stafford County Sheriff Department was in Wawa waiting to pay for his items. He noticed a group of people he had met before were outside gassing up their van to go on a trip to the zoo. Deputy Shannon also noticed that one of the individuals was starting to walk away...

Categories Community/Resources

August 14, 2024

Project Lifesaver to the Rescue!

Last revision 8/24 Do you support someone who is prone to wandering from home or a program site? Have you had to call 911 when a loved one cannot be found? Project Lifesaver, a program comprised of components specifically designed to protect “at risk” individuals, may be able to help you to be proactive in supporting a loved one or...

Categories Community/General/Resources/Technology

July 17, 2024

Breaking News: Milestone HCQU West is on Facebook!

What is a HCQU? Do you know what HCQU stands for? What services do they offer? Back in January of this year, I had the privilege of attending the Everyday Lives conference in Hershey, PA. Some of my colleagues and I shared a vendor table with the other Health Care Quality Units (HCQUs) across the state and had an opportunity...

Categories Community/Everyday Life/General/Resources

November 13, 2023

FACT: People with Intellectual Disabilities & Autism Can Be Outstanding Employees

In a world where there’s a Help Wanted sign in the window of every other business, it should be easy for a job seeker with an intellectual disability (ID) or Autism to find work. But business owners and hiring managers are often reluctant to even grant an interview. At Milestone HCQU West, we wanted to lend our support to all...

Categories Community/Employment/Everyday Life/General

May 3, 2023

Faith… Hope… and Choice…

As I reflect on the last 2 years it’s hard to believe how much life has changed for so many people. I think back about Covid-19, all the weather emergencies, as well as disasters that happened. With so much information to follow and so much devastation in our country, it made me think about how we handled all these situations...

Categories Community

April 26, 2023

Sensory Friendly Films

Who doesn’t love a good movie?  I am not a big movie theater person, but every once in a while a movie comes along that I want to see.  Usually, I wait till I can watch it on TV; however, there are times that I want to go to the movie theatre for the full movie experience…big screen, comfy seat,...

Categories Community/Resources

April 5, 2023

Community and Connection: One Step at a Time

As you may know we have implemented walking programs for self-advocates in several of our counties. This was initiated because many people with intellectual disabilities in our community suffer from constipation. One of the best ways to combat constipation is physical activity. So twice a month we all tie up our laces, slip on comfy clothes, and hit the open...

Categories Community/General

March 1, 2023

Hersheypark Striving for Accessibility for All at The Sweetest Place on Earth

Even though we are smack dab in the middle of winter, no time like the present to start planning some summer fun.  And no better place than right in our own Pennsylvania back yard. The land where they say the air smells like chocolate and the streets are paved with cocoa. Alright, maybe that’s not exactly accurate.  But Hershey PA,...

Categories Community/General

February 16, 2022

That’s the Power of Love!

Ok before you skip off to youtube or rewatch 1985’s Back to the Future that featured Huey Lewis’s fantastic single “The Power of Love”, I want to share some thoughts with you this Valentine’s week. Romantic love gets a major spotlight on Valentine’s Day but let’s not forget nor underestimate the power of friendship. Think about what having a friend...

Categories Community/General