Spotlight on Daniel S. at Equinox

On a recent Saturday evening, Daniel took to the town to eat sushi with his friends. That followed an afternoon of basketball. On another weekend, Daniel rode a tandem bicycle across Westwood with Kyle, his friend and independent living instructor. 

"Daniel stands next to Kyle, his friend and independent living skills instructor, outside of Daniel's job at the Equinox health club in Westwood."

Daniel does all of the things that other 22-year-old’s do. He likes to have friends, a love life and a career. For him, the possibility to carve out his own path in life has not been taken for granted. 

After graduating from the UCLA Pathways program, Daniel came to Best Buddies California hoping for help finding a job. Because Daniel is a very assertive person, he made it known that he wanted a job-ASAP.

In March of 2011, Daniel started working as a front desk attendant at the Equinox, an upscale health club in Westwood. Their company slogan “It’s not fitness. It’s life,” sums up the overall experience members enjoy when choosing a membership there. For Daniel, these words couldn’t be more true.  

Equinox members challenge their bodies with barbells and treadmills. So does Daniel. They pamper themselves with massages and spa treatments. So does Daniel. 

While Daniel is roughly the same as any other 22-year-old, there remains one major difference between him and everyone else. He’s funnier than everyone else. 

Blair Tudas, the Equinox Front Desk Manager, said that Daniel’s sense of humor has been a great addition to the front desk. His affable nature and sardonic humor has rubbed off on the staff and customers.

“He makes everyone laugh. He brings a sense of humor and his bold statements, sometimes unexpectedly at times,” Tudas said laughing. “The customers have gotten to know Daniel and found that he has a funny personality.”  

“I think his humor allows people around him to be at ease,” said Erin Slack, a front desk attendant who works with Daniel. “When you are being silly, it allows other people to be silly around you.” 

While Daniel likes to kid around, don’t be mistaken, he takes his job responsibilities very seriously. In fact, because of Daniel’s professional demeanor, some members of the club have no clue of his talent for comedy.

“He’s very reliable with counting classes and putting together new member packets,” said Tudas. “It’s all quality assurance with Daniel. Customers have gotten to know Daniel and they go to him directly--He’s the go to parking (validation) guy.”

Daniel has earned that honor due to a relentless pursuit to make sure the customer is well served. He is very attentive to the members who check in at the front desk. 

“I’m really proud of what I do. I’ve improved at everything, swiping cards. I’m really good at counting classes. I feel a lot more comfortable here. I really enjoy what I do here,” Daniel said. 

While the Equinox’s members are transforming their bodies through fitness and the power of good health, Daniel is transforming his life by adding more purpose to his life. 

“(Life) is a lot better. I’m a lot happier. It’s nice to have a job. It’s nice to have friends here. It gives me more stuff to do, like take my girlfriend out for a date,” Daniel said.

Daniel and his friends like to go out all over Westwood. He likes having money and going out, just don’t expect him to pick up the tab for you. You are more likely to be karate chopped, according to Daniel.

Back To School With Buy4 and BBCA!

It’s our favorite time of year here at Best Buddies California (BBCA) when we get to “go back to school” with our students, faculty, advisors and parents and recommit to creating important friendships and lasting social change for people with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD). 
 

The beginning of the year brings with it that time honored tradition of back to school shopping; we just got our “school supplies” in the mail today! Whether you’re planning on shopping at Wal-Mart or TARGET, Amazon or Macy’s we hope you’ll think of us and get all of your back to school necessities using our charity partner, Buy4.

Buy4  is an amazing online shopping site with over 1700 of your favorite top name retailers, each of whom donates a percentage of the purchase price back to us.  It’s easy!  All you have to do is go to BBCA’s portal on Buy4 www.buy4.com/bestbuddiesca and join as a member – there’s no cost at all to you!  Everything’s the same with the purchase except that the retailer has agreed to donate a percentage of your purchase price back to us.    

So, whether you need backpacks or books, new school clothes or dorm supplies, please purchase your items through Buy4 and support BBCA in the process. Use Buy4 and tell your friends!  

Enjoy the last days of summer. We’ll see you on campus, at a fundraising event or on facebook soon.

Thank you. 

Andrea Coen

San Francisco Bay Area Director

David's Smile

Three years ago when David Gauthier started his job as a Legislative Intern for Mayor Bob Foster of Long Beach, he had no idea how drastically his life was going to change.  David was used to working in physical jobs, such as a truck driver.  When former First Lady of California Maria Shriver’s We Include Initiative presented the opportunity, David started a new career in the public eye working for Mayor Foster.  Since then, David has been interviewed by local newspapers, coordinated tours of City Hall for elementary schools, spoken at numerous events including Maria Shriver’s Women’s Conference, and he’s been to Washington D.C. with Best Buddies International to lobby for services for people with disabilities.  And he’s done all of this with a smile.  

But, David’s smile wasn’t what he wanted it to be.  David had lost a tooth seven years ago and had lived with that missing tooth, unable financially to complete the very costly dental work required.  Throughout all of his public speaking as a Best Buddies Ambassador, he put any feelings of self-consciousness aside and focused on his message – people with disabilities are valuable people and deserve the same chances as people without disabilities.  But David felt that no matter how professional he looked in his suit and tie, people were always noticing his missing tooth.

David Before his visit to CDHC in Long Beach

Mayor Foster decided to do something about that.  “I knew that David was self-conscious about [the missing tooth] because he had talked about it some,” said Mayor Foster.  He decided to send David to his own dentist.  “I was deeply honored that the Mayor himself took this issue on personally,” David said.  From the Mayor’s dentist, he learned just how extensive and expensive the dental work would be.   “It was a prohibitive amount of money, especially for David,” Mayor Foster explained, who then reached out to a contact at the Children’s Dental Health Clinic (CDHC) in Long Beach.

 

The Children’s Dental Health Clinic serves Greater Long Beach through clinics in Long Beach, Bellflower, and Catalina Island, as well as a Mobile Dental Clinic.  They offer general dentistry as well as specialized dental services and share education to the community about the importance of good oral health.  “The Children’s Dental Health Clinic is an amazing asset for underprivileged and poor families in Long Beach.  They provide an often overlooked service.  People don’t realize the significant impact that dental hygiene plays on health,” Mayor Foster said. “Doctors donate their services.  They show up in emergencies and provide services for free.  The doctors have done a lot for the community that people don’t know about,” Barbara Lieberman-Jones, the Development Director of the CDHC, further explained.  The CDHC is truly a community effort and has been in operation for over 79 years, providing services to more than half a million needy children.

 

Knowing that finances were a barrier for David, Mayor Foster spoke with Barbara at CDHC.  While he was not a child, David clearly needed help.  “We knew that we had to figure out how to help David,” explained Barbara.  “And, if anybody could help, it would be Dr. John Blake.” The Children’s Dental Health Clinic’s Executive Director and Dental Director, Dr. Blake arranged for David to meet a local Long Beach dentist, Dr. Lynn Fasnacht, who has volunteered his services to CDHC for the past 30 years.  “The Children’s Dental Health Clinic was merely a conduit in finding a dentist to help David.  Any recognition should properly go to Dr. Fasnacht,” Dr. Blake told Best Buddies.

Through the introduction from Dr. Blake, David received the dental work that he waited for over seven years to receive.  David received a bridge on his upper teeth as well as additional restorative dental work.  “Dr. Fasnacht is warm and personable and a really good dentist.  His staff is amazing and I can’t say enough about them,” David stated.  “I am humbled and flattered that so many people would take this much interest in me.” Dr. Fasnacht told Best Buddies that he was happy to help David but that he preferred that all attention be directed towards the work that the Children’s Dental Health Clinic is doing for underprivileged children.  “If anyone needs to be thanked for their hard work, it is Dr. John Blake,” said Dr. Fasnacht.

David's new smile

Now that David’s smile is perfected, he’s ready to step in front of an audience again. “I feel normal.  I feel that it will make me a more respected public speaker and advocate for people with disabilities,” David said.  “The next time I get up in front of a crowd and speak from the heart, I won’t feel like people are focusing on my smile.”

To learn more about the services offered by the Children’s Dental Health Clinic, visit their website at http://cdhc.org or call 562-933-3141.  The clinic also has a donation wish list that can be found on their website as well as information on how you can volunteer.

The simple side of our programs: Ice-breakers

(Seriously, this is better than a how-to article on ice-breakers)

Best Buddies is always warmly welcomed at the Arc of San Francisco, as we were this Tuesday for our summer-time Bay Area Social. Intern Christina Vanciu was the star of the show as she led three ice-breakers that she designed. If you lead any kind of group (a youth group, a Best Buddies club), or if you work with people with disabilities, here are some lessons to think about how to structure a great meeting, and how to greet your participants’ many different abilities:

Item #1: Ice-breakers are the perfect, simple but structured activity that is essential for keeping your crowd happy. In Best Buddies, you have the ingredients for successful social inclusion (those ingredients are the people, who all want to be there). You need to stir the pot with a good structured activity. 

Item #2: Ice-breakers sound banal – but with a thoughtful crowd, they’re so awesomely creative and fun. Like our friends from the Arc John, Gena, Justin, Charles, Howard, Anna, and Susan, your club members will have amazing attitudes. You’re probably used to being forced to do ice-breakers somewhere you don’t want to be, like a class. But places like the Arc or your Best Buddies club are special. Your club members come to the group with a level of patience, respect, and creativity that means ice-breakers become really interesting.

For instance, I our game “Ha!” might have failed if people weren’t so creative. This is a game you might have played in 6^th grade, where everyone sits in circle and recites sequentially increasing numbers of Has (Person 1: Ha, Person 2: Ha ha...). We had trouble counting, so I suggested counting on our fingers. People used their fingers – way too seriously. Dead silence except for “Haha.” “Hahaha.” I thought the game was a Big Fail. But then: Royenne started signing instead of saying her numbers. John got annoyed and just said however many has he wanted to say. I started giggling, and everybody laughed…

Item #3: The point is to break the rules: If things are mad awkward, you warm it up by being goofy, laughing, and changing the rules. Let other people change the rules, too.

Item #4: Be ready to make your ice-breakers accessible - make your space safe for people to express their needs. I spent hours once on the internet searching for “accessible” ice-breakers for people with disabilities and was depressed by the suggestions that came up for adults in nursing homes. Today I learned that people with disabilities will be the first to make it work. Someone will use sign language, and someone else will say “I need it this way.” We all have the natural inclination to express our own needs and the point of a Best Buddies club is to make it a safe, expressive space that inevitably leads to fun.

Item #5: How to use ice-breakers for the whole year: We’re in Best Buddies for the simple joy of being together, and a simple ice-breaker captures that. Christina has arranged a compilation of ice-breakers so that you can have one, two, or three at all of your meetings for a whole semester. As we learned today, three ice-breakers and snacks can take up a whole hour. Consider having your entire meeting structured with activities – you don’t actually need to include any “free time” because people will naturally chat.

Many thanks to the Arc for hosting us with open arms, as always. And congratulations, Christina, on finishing a great internship.

Christina, our amazing intern!

Clients outside the Arc of San Francisco. John Coulter, center, Buddy Ambassador and in attendance yesterday.

From the Field: Leadership Conference Teaches, Inspires, Connects 2012 Leaders

Touchdown: 1400 of us (students and staff from around the world) have just returned from our biggest programmatic event of the year, the Best Buddies International Leadership Conference. The conference captures what our programs are really doing, and now you can learn about our programs from students themselves: Rebecca shares a letter about Conference below and Aracely reflects on Conference in her blog.

July 27, 2011

Dear Sponsor,

Thank you for making Best Buddies Leadership Conference possible for me by sponsoring me. I cannot express how thankful I am to have met other Chapter Presidents from my area, as well as those from Colombia, Egypt, France, and much more. Through Leadership Conference, a number of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have inspired me through their moving speeches and messages. Ultimately, Best Buddies Leadership Conference opened my eyes to how big of an organization Best Buddies really is, and how lucky I am to be on the forefront of a true social movement that changes lives every day.

Although Best Buddies has hosted Leadership Conference for over twenty years, I am the first Chapter President from my chapter to be able to attend such an important conference. This fact deepens my gratitude for having been given the opportunity to go and be exposed to everything Best Buddies had in store for me. I arrived at Indiana University with haphazard thoughts on how to lead my chapter next year. Now, it is safe to say that I am ready to guide my chapter with confidence and excitement.

The variety of sessions I attended during Leadership Conference have solidified any haphazard thoughts I had with leading a Best Buddies Chapter. I came back home with pages of notes and knowledge on how to lead a successful chapter that truly lives up to the Best Buddies mission. In four days, I jotted down multiple ideas for fun fundraisers and engaging activities.  Ultimately, attending Leadership Conference provided me with guidance and materials that will guide me through the upcoming year smoothly and effectively. I hope to set a good example for the next Chapter President, my fellow officers, and peer buddies.

Before attending the conference this year, I hardly knew anyone involved with Best Buddies out of the scope of my own chapter. My knowledge of Best Buddies was limited to my experience within my school’s chapter and monthly conversations with my Best Buddies Program Manager.  I knew there were other chapters in my area, but I rarely had the chance to interact them. Now, I am close friends with a few chapter presidents in my area (within walking and driving distance). Over the course of four days, we bonded and experienced everything Best Buddies had to offer for us. Plans to bring our chapters together through social outings are currently in the making!

As much as I dread the start of school again in three weeks, I am ecstatic to share my experience acquired from the conference with my fellow officers and begin leading my chapter. I am extremely lucky to have attended Leadership Conference this summer. It was life-changing and memorable, so thank you so much for making it happen. 

Sincerely,

Rebecca Tso

Cupertino High School

Cupertino, California

CA students in a "break-out" educational session. Escaping the 100 degree humidity in air-conditioned classrooms!

Rebecca Tso and comedian Alan Shain.

Resources for JOBS- The Job Accomodation Network, JAN

Article by Jessica Patton, Employment Consultant Best Buddies Jobs

As an Employment Consultant for Best Buddies Jobs, I work daily with my JOBS participants to troubleshoot when there are questions regarding accommodations in the workplace.  But sometimes, we cannot figure out the best answer on our own.  That is where an amazing resource called JAN –Jobs Accommodation Network – comes in.  JAN is a service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy through the U.S. Department of Labor.  They offer free advice for employers, individuals, and agencies that support individuals with disabilities on questions regarding workforce accommodations or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

JAN is an extensive resource.  They provide an A-Z list of disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as physical disabilities.  JAN offers information about each disability including definitions, causes, and treatments.  For most disabilities, there is also detailed information about how a business can accommodate a person with that particular disability.  They offer questions to consider as well as suggestions for accommodations that are broken down by some of the most common needs of people with that disability.  Lastly, JAN offers descriptions of common situations as well as solutions that JAN has recommended.

JAN also provides SOAR, the Searchable Online Accommodation Resource.   This allows you to explore various accommodations for individuals in work or educational settings.  These are just ideas to get you thinking and are not inclusive of all accommodations that are available, nor all disabilities.  SOAR is a great place to get started in your research on accommodations.

If you need more information on how to provide or request an accommodation, one of the best resources from JAN is their free, confidential technical assistance hotline where you can speak with a JAN Consultant trained on accommodations and the ADA.  To reach JAN, call 800-526-7234, Monday through Friday from 6am-3pm, Pacific Standard Time.

You can also utilize this great resource by going to their website at http://askjan.org.