In November, Special Olympics athlete Chris Nikic became the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon. Nikic, 21, finished a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run at the Ironman Florida competition in Panama City Beach in 16 hours, 46 minutes and 9 seconds, just 14 minutes under the 17-hour cutoff time. Throughout his training and completion of the race, Nikic inspired others to follow in his footsteps.
Our 16-year-old daughter, Penny, wakes up to the beeping of her alarm. On her way downstairs, she picks up her iPhone to check her texts. She eats breakfast, gathers her sneakers and pompoms for cheerleading and heads to school. When Penny was diagnosed with Down syndrome a few hours after she was born, I didn’t expect our mornings to feel so ordinary.
We’ve all been impacted by Covid, but our community in particular has been hard hit.
A letter published recently in the American Journal of Psychiatry on behalf of the directors of the nation’s 13 intellectual and developmental disabilities research centers — which are funded by the National Institutes of Health — is sounding the alarm about the devastating impact the pandemic has had on an already vulnerable population.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A program that started in North Carolina to connect people with Down syndrome during social distancing is going global.
Every week, 14-year-old Melia Griffin goes to check the mail in hopes she will receive a letter from her pen pal Jenna. She is one of 125 people participating in the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem’s pen pal program. After social distancing requirements forced the organization to cancel all of its events and programming, the group thought of a way to help members socially and emotionally connect. Melia’s mother, Kendra Griffin, said it’s doing exactly that.
“Getting her letters and knowing that there’s not that many people with Down syndrome so it’s comforting as a mom to know that there’s other families just like ours not just here in the Triad but all around the world really,” Kendra Griffin said.
Melia lives in North Carolina and her pen pal Jenna lives in Michigan. After three weeks of sending letters back and fourth, Melia said the two have created a special bond.
“I want to go to Michigan, and I want to see her,” Melia Griffin said.
There are many relationships being formed through this program. Clay Janke, 8, lives in Nebraska. His pen pal is Josiah from North Carolina. Clay’s mother, Leah Janke said it’s a welcome distraction for the entire family.
“There’s something about paper mail. We’re taking anything that’s fun and exciting right now while everyone’s at home, so getting paper mail has been really fun and Clay likes to run out and check the mail box and see if he has any mail,” Janke said.
The program keeps growing, with no end in sight. Down Syndrome Association board president, McNeil Cronin, said the group’s goal is to bring on as many people as possible.
“Right now we are at over 30 states in the U.S., three different countries, so we’ve gone international, and we have over 125 members currently, and we are really proud of that. It’s struck a core with people all over the world, and it started right here in Winston-Salem,” Cronin added.
Participants range from the ages of 1 to 48 and are all from different races and backgrounds.
If your child has Down syndrome and would be interested in participating in the pen pal program, you can e-mail Executive Director, Jay Callahan, at [email protected].
Lyf
t Launches Jobs Access Program in 35+ Cities with National Partners Including Goodwill®, United Way, and The USO
Everyone needs access to reliable, affordable transportation — to get to work, visit the doctor, make it to school, or simply participate in city life. In fact, a recent study pinpoints commuting time as the single strongest factor in the odds of escaping poverty. Our own study shows that 44% of Lyft rides start or end in low income areas, and that our passengers saved 178 million hours compared to other transportation modes.
Lyft is committed to expanding transportation access to those who need it most. In May, we announced a $50M annual commitment to improve our cities through transportation infrastructure, donated transportation, and sustainability initiatives.
As part of that commitment, we’re excited to announce Lyft’s Jobs Access Program, a new initiative that aims to close short-term transportation gaps related to employment access and job training. For the unemployed, reliable transportation to a job interview or to the first few weeks of work can mean the difference between successful, long-term employment and lost opportunities. So we’ve partnered with several leading national and local organizations dedicated to workforce development in order to deliver free or discounted rides to people making their way through the employment pipeline.
Lyft’s Jobs Access Program will focus on three key interventions in the employment pipeline that are critical to individual success, and where transportation can play a major role:
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Rides to/from job training programs
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Rides to/from job interviews
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Rides to/from the first three weeks of employment, until individuals receive their first paycheck and begin to pay for their own transportation
We are focused on communities that stand to benefit most from short-term transportation support, ranging from veterans to individuals with disabilities. Our nonprofit partners will play a vital role of connecting individuals in need with Lyft rides in 35+ markets across the U.S. and Canada.
One of our partners is the National Down Syndrome Society. According to Ashley Helsing, NDSS’ Director of Government Relations, “There are roughly two million people living with disabilities in the United States. Of those two million, nearly 30 percent, or 560,000 people, are unable to leave their home because of transportation barriers. The ability to get around easily, especially for employment in the disability community, is crucial to the future.”
In addition to NDSS, our national partners include:
“United Way believes that people of all ages and abilities should have an opportunity to improve their economic status through employment,” said Alicia Lara, Senior Vice President, Impact, United Way Worldwide. “When we work with corporate partners like Lyft in pursuit of this goal, the entire community benefits and together, we can affect sweeping change that benefits us all.”
This program builds on Lyft’s ongoing partnerships with cities and transit agencies to provide longer-term jobs access solutions. Across the country, transit agencies partner with Lyft to extend the reach of public transit and create additional reliable transportation options to and from work that do not require owning a car. These partnerships are a critical lifeline for many communities and people with non-traditional work schedules, accommodating geographies and time periods that are often challenging to serve with traditional fixed-route transit. For example, public agencies in Detroit and Washington, D.C. have partnered with Lyft to provide affordable rides for workers commuting from work during late-night hours.
You can join Lyft in supporting this important work by donating to partners like the USO through our Round Up & Donate program. With each ride, your donation will help support the USO’s efforts to connect transitioning service members and veterans with Jobs Access rides, as well as support programs for active service members and their families. Tap ‘Donate’ in the main menu of your Lyft app to opt-in.
Kayla McKeon…the FIRST individual with Down syndrome to serve as a lobbyist in Washington DC
Down Syndrome Awareness Month
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and although the 3-21 Foundation works towards raising awareness all year long, October presents a unique opportunity for raising EVEN MORE awareness in our communities! In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month we have partnered with Kayu Design, a sustainable fashion accessories company to launch the Changing Faces of Beauty, our awareness initiative highlighting models with Down syndrome! Be sure to check out Kayu’s new Batik hair accessories collection. Every purchase benefits the Foundation and supports our programs and services to promote the independence and inclusion of people with Down syndrome.
If you haven’t seen Peanut Butter Falcon, go see it at the movies while you still have the chance. An authentic Tom Sawyer adventure story starring a young man with DS – it will warm your heart. We are so protective of our loved ones we can be guilty of “infantiling” them – I wish a true friendship like this one for all friends with DS.
https://www.nationalreview.com/…/peanut-butter-falcon-movi…/
Instead of guardianship when our kids turn 18, have your considered supported decision-making for your self-advocate? This is a relatively new legal status and worth learning more about…..
https://www.disabilityscoop.com/…/in-lieu-guardiansh…/27113/