Alleghenies United Cerebral Palsy | March 2021
NEW FACES at AUCP
Kaite Dacheux Team UPMC Central
Autumn Nichol Team UPMC Southwest
2021 VIRTUAL HIGHMARK WALK The 2021 Virtual Highmark Walk kicked-off last month and we are well underway to reaching our goals. Like most things, this year looks way different than the normal, but that isn’t stopping us from raising the bar. We know that there are people and causes that need our help and that’s why we do what we do. All the funds that are raised through the Highmark Walk go directly into our Community Fund that allows us to give back to our community in ways beyond what our services provide. This year, our goal is to raise $7,500 between both the Pittsburgh and the Laurel Highlands walk. In addition to fundraising goals, we know that friend-raising is just as important. We would like to see a total of 105 walkers and 10 teams. We’re already well along the well, but we know we can only reach these goals with your support! Visit our website to learn how to register and donate to help us raise the bar: https://scalucp.org/hmw2021/. You can also stay tuned to our social media and website for the most up-to-date stats!
A HOLIDAY BLESSING COMPLETE You might remember back in December when we participated in our yearly Holiday Blessings initiative. Of the recipients was one of our participants, Sally Campbell. She was in need of having the garage door to her home fixed. The garage is the only handicap-accessible exit to her home. Since she was unable to open the garage door, Sally was unable to leave her home. Through Holiday Blessings, we were able to provide the finances to have Sally’s garage door replaced and an electric opener installed. She is very excited to have the door fixed and can’t wait to begin using the automatic opener! See the pictures to the right for the before and after of the garage door. We would like to thank our supporters that make opportunities like this possible for our agency. If interested in becoming a sponsor of AUCP, we invite you to learn more on our website or contact us today at info@scalucp.org. We look forward to continuing to make a difference in the lives of our community with your support!
UCP
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Alleghenies United Cerebral Palsy Service Coordination
844.819.4455 | WWW.SCALUCP.ORG | INFO@SCALUCP.ORG
STAFF HIGHLIGHT - Cait Farber This month for our Staff Highlight, we are featuring one of our new Community Health Workers, Cait Farber. Cait was the HUB spotlight for the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health. Below are some excerpts from her interview. You can read the full article on their website at www.1889jeffersoncenter.org/. Tell us about yourself. What drew you to the Community Health Worker position in the first place? My name is Caitlyn, but I like Cait. I’m 27 years young, a lifelong Cambria county native, and a tired psychology student. I’m a very proud mother of two beautiful and bossy toddlers that were my inspiration for my recent joining of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children). It was early on that I found my passion for helping people. I spent most of my life clawing my way out of poverty, generational abuse, and overall bad luck. Eviction, abuse, single parent life, homeless, unemployed… I’ve been there. It’s so hard to pull yourself out of it, but it’s not impossible. It’s what makes me a competent and successful community health worker. I’m not here to tell you how to live. I’m an everyday member of our community who has used the exact resources I refer my participants to. The moral of my story would absolutely have to read, “Be who you needed.” I am who I needed.
What do you feel is the most important quality for a CHW to bring to the table when working with a participant? The most important quality to have to be a CHW is genuine compassion. Sometimes we are put in situations that challenge us, and you will need to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. You need to care more about your participants more than checking all the boxes and meeting a quota. We are all people who have struggled like the people we serve. This means we can relate to the people we serve on a personal note. To be a community health worker, you have to be strong, resilient, determined but also cordial, receptive, and patient. What is the most challenging part of being a CHW? The most challenging part of being a CHW is finding a barrier or a gap in services but having little power to change it quickly. We want to be aware of the mind, body, and soul cohesively, but also individually, as each participant has their own life. This includes physical health, but also social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
AUCP RE-USE IT INVENTORY By scanning the link below you will be able to see a list of the current medical equipment that we have available through our ReUse It program. Donations are approved and accepted by appointment only. If you, or someone you know, are in need of any of the items on the list or if have any questions, please contact Jessica Backus at (814) 915-4540 or Jocelyn Hartman at (814) 915-4055. We will gladly assist you as best as we can. If we do not have the item(s) you are looking for, we are also able to provide referrals to other reused equipment programs.
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COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AUCP’s RE-USE IT PROGRAM accepts donations and redistributes medical equipment and assistive technology to the public for free.
The UCP ELSIE S. BELLOW’S FUND is a national program providing funds to individuals with disabilities for assistive technology.
AUCP’s SCHOLARSHIP FUND grants scholarhsips to two high school seniors pursuing a degree in the human services field each Spring.
PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PROGRAMS ABOVE!
CONTACT US TODAY!
TOLL FREE: 844.819.4455 LOCAL: 814.619.3398 FAX: 814.262.7174
OFFICE LOCATIONS: Johnstown, Altoona, & Pittsburgh
@AllegheniesUCP @AllegheniesUnitedCerebralPalsy @AllegheniesUCP