During these past few months we have been gathering insight from all of you in regard to the strengths and opportunities of our local Down syndrome community. We heard loud and clear that many of you are craving more frequent and consistent ways to connect. We are so grateful for this insight and we have put together a robust lineup of virtual meetups to bring us together as we wrap up 2020. With your support and participation we will make this a cornerstone of our community efforts moving forward.
We are thrilled to introduce our virtual SPEAKER SERIES and FAMILY CONNECTION PROGRAM.
Our SPEAKER SERIES is intended to educate, inform and in some cases, entertain our community. We are kicking this off with a Special Needs Estate Planning Seminar, a Cooking Class
(yes, from the comfort of your own kitchen) and a Town Hall focused on Down Syndrome & Covid-19 hosted by our resident experts Dr. Kishore Vellody, Medical Director of the Down Syndrome Center of Western PA, Dr. Andrew Nowalk, Infectious Disease at UPMC Children's Hospital, and Dr. Megan Freeman, Infectious Disease Pediatrician and regional COVID expert.
Our FAMILY CONNECTION PROGRAM is intended to bring parents and loved ones together to provide support and insight to one another in a safe and comforting environment. These groups are targeted to a specific age or part of the Down Syndrome journey to ensure the content is relevant and relatable for all attendees. Please know that these groups are hosted by DSAP volunteers in our community. In advance, THANK YOU to Kate, Bethany, Gina, Lisa S., Matt, Mike, Maggie, Lisa R., Anne & Betsy for your generous donation of time and service.
And finally, a DSAP TOWN HALL has been added to the calendar for late January. We want to stay connected to YOU and hear what's on your mind ALWAYS. Please bring your ideas as we will be ready with open ears.
Individual sign ups are listed for each event. All events are FREE and open to ALL.
We are thrilled to introduce our virtual SPEAKER SERIES and FAMILY CONNECTION PROGRAM.
Our SPEAKER SERIES is intended to educate, inform and in some cases, entertain our community. We are kicking this off with a Special Needs Estate Planning Seminar, a Cooking Class
(yes, from the comfort of your own kitchen) and a Town Hall focused on Down Syndrome & Covid-19 hosted by our resident experts Dr. Kishore Vellody, Medical Director of the Down Syndrome Center of Western PA, Dr. Andrew Nowalk, Infectious Disease at UPMC Children's Hospital, and Dr. Megan Freeman, Infectious Disease Pediatrician and regional COVID expert.
Our FAMILY CONNECTION PROGRAM is intended to bring parents and loved ones together to provide support and insight to one another in a safe and comforting environment. These groups are targeted to a specific age or part of the Down Syndrome journey to ensure the content is relevant and relatable for all attendees. Please know that these groups are hosted by DSAP volunteers in our community. In advance, THANK YOU to Kate, Bethany, Gina, Lisa S., Matt, Mike, Maggie, Lisa R., Anne & Betsy for your generous donation of time and service.
And finally, a DSAP TOWN HALL has been added to the calendar for late January. We want to stay connected to YOU and hear what's on your mind ALWAYS. Please bring your ideas as we will be ready with open ears.
Individual sign ups are listed for each event. All events are FREE and open to ALL.
Speaker Series
Special Needs Estate Planning - Wednesday, November 18 at 7pm
Special Needs Estate Planning: Providing Quality of Life for your Loved Ones. Lifetime care is important, but quality of life is critical! This is true for everyone, but especially so for families who are planning for the future of a child or other dependent with special needs. Special needs planning is complex, requiring critical legal and financial issues to be addressed. Because special needs planning is a unique endeavor, it requires professional assistance from people who understand the importance of planning and have the expertise in working with such families. Bob Corcoran has specialized training and has experience working closely with Special Needs individuals and their families for more than 16 years. Please register here.
What's for Dessert? - Thursday, November 19 at 5:30pm
This event is intended for individuals with Down Syndrome. Parent/caregiver support is encouraged.
Stuck inside? Make these precious days at home a time for new learning experiences. We are thrilled to introduce and offer a FREE online cooking class from Izabella’s Gourmet Chow! Experience the magic of cooking with Chef Sofya Stearns. Through her cooking, every person virtually travels the world. She embraces countries and cultures through cooking. Chef Sofya Stearns is passionate about giving back to the community and does charitable work especially helping those families with special needs. In this 40-65 minute virtual cooking class, Chef Sofya Stearns will educate and teach all ages how to make Rice Krispy treats. This class is recommended for ages 3 and up. Also, during the class everyone will have an option to color or to play trivia with Chef Sofya. Please register here.
COVID-19 + Down Syndrome Town Hall - Tuesday, December 8 at 7pm
You don't want to miss this!!! With many concerns related to COVID-19 and Down syndrome, we have asked our local experts to host a town hall with our community to educate and answer any burning questions. Dr. Kishore Vellody, Medical Director of the Down Syndrome Center of Western PA, Dr. Andrew Nowalk, Infectious Disease at UPMC Children's Hospital, and Dr. Megan Freeman, Infectious Disease Pediatrician and regional COVID expert will host. Please submit questions in advance via email at info@dsapgh.org. Please register here.
Special Needs Estate Planning: Providing Quality of Life for your Loved Ones. Lifetime care is important, but quality of life is critical! This is true for everyone, but especially so for families who are planning for the future of a child or other dependent with special needs. Special needs planning is complex, requiring critical legal and financial issues to be addressed. Because special needs planning is a unique endeavor, it requires professional assistance from people who understand the importance of planning and have the expertise in working with such families. Bob Corcoran has specialized training and has experience working closely with Special Needs individuals and their families for more than 16 years. Please register here.
What's for Dessert? - Thursday, November 19 at 5:30pm
This event is intended for individuals with Down Syndrome. Parent/caregiver support is encouraged.
Stuck inside? Make these precious days at home a time for new learning experiences. We are thrilled to introduce and offer a FREE online cooking class from Izabella’s Gourmet Chow! Experience the magic of cooking with Chef Sofya Stearns. Through her cooking, every person virtually travels the world. She embraces countries and cultures through cooking. Chef Sofya Stearns is passionate about giving back to the community and does charitable work especially helping those families with special needs. In this 40-65 minute virtual cooking class, Chef Sofya Stearns will educate and teach all ages how to make Rice Krispy treats. This class is recommended for ages 3 and up. Also, during the class everyone will have an option to color or to play trivia with Chef Sofya. Please register here.
COVID-19 + Down Syndrome Town Hall - Tuesday, December 8 at 7pm
You don't want to miss this!!! With many concerns related to COVID-19 and Down syndrome, we have asked our local experts to host a town hall with our community to educate and answer any burning questions. Dr. Kishore Vellody, Medical Director of the Down Syndrome Center of Western PA, Dr. Andrew Nowalk, Infectious Disease at UPMC Children's Hospital, and Dr. Megan Freeman, Infectious Disease Pediatrician and regional COVID expert will host. Please submit questions in advance via email at info@dsapgh.org. Please register here.
Family Connection Program
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Parents of Ages 0-2 - Dec. 10 at 7pm
Parent Leaders: Kate Vitek & Bethany Glyde Please register here. Parents of Ages 6-12 - Nov. 23 at 7pm Parent Leader: Gina Cusano Please register here. Parents of Adults - Dec. 9 at 8pm Parent Leader: Lisa Silverman Please register here. Dads Connection Call - Dec. 3 at 7pm Parent Leaders: Matt McGrath & Mike Mathias Please register here. |
DSAP Quarterly Town Hall
DSAP is committed to hosting quarterly town halls to provide programming updates, gain feedback from the community on DSAP initiatives and hear from YOU. Please join us for our Q1 meeting on Tuesday, January 26! Please register here.
