Meet Jeffrey, who has been an Adult Day Program Instructor since November 2022. Jeffrey enjoys working at Las Trampas because he likes learning new things every day about how to support individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. His favorite memory at Las Trampas was winning the ugly sweater competition at our Christmas party last year. We appreciate all you do, Jeffrey!
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Las Trampas Participant Appreciation Day
Thank you to all of our participants, families, and staff who made it out to our “Participant Appreciation Day” on Wednesday, October 18th! We had so much fun celebrating our participants and the community that we have built where all individuals have the right to lead meaningful, self-determined lives.
Down Syndrome Awareness Month
October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month! Down syndrome is the most common type of intellectual disability, and it occurs when an individual is born with a full or partial extra copy of the 21st chromosome. Join us in celebrating and supporting the many abilities and accomplishments of our friends and 9 participants with Down syndrome during this special month. https://ndss.org/down-syndrome-awareness-month
World Cerebral Palsy Day
October 6th is World Cerebral Palsy Day! 17 million people worldwide live with Cerebral Palsy, a physical disability that affects movement and posture. It is often tied to other related vision, hearing, communication and mobility needs.
Our friend Heather, who has Cerebral Palsy, has been at Las Trampas’ Day Program since 2012. Heather’s face lights up when she listens to music, hears stories read, and goes for walks in the park. Heather is self-sufficient, has a great sense of humor, and is very considerate of others.
We recognize individuals living with cerebral palsy, their families, supporters, and organizations with the aim to ensure a future in which individuals with cerebral palsy have the same rights, access and opportunities as everyone else. https://worldcpday.org/
Meet Garrison
Meet Garrison, a participant in Las Trampas’ Adult Day Program and Independent Living Services. Garrison has been coming to Las Trampas for 8 years, and he loves being a part of our paid janitorial work crew, specifically “dusting and wiping down the sinks in the bathrooms.” In his free time, Garrison loves going bird watching with his mom at the reservoir. His favorite bird is a Common Pochard, which he loves drawing when he is in our art room. Thank you for always being such a valued member of our community, Garrison!
Participant Art Greeting Cards Now Available!
The holidays will soon be upon us, and with them the season of greeting cards. Fortunately for you, Las Trampas’ Participant Art Greeting Cards are now available for pre-order! Thank you to Annie, John, Heather, and Emma for sharing their beautiful art with the Las Trampas community. Proceeds help provide essential programs and learning opportunities to individuals served by Las Trampas. Available for shipping or pickup on campus. Click this link to pre-order your cards today! –> https://bit.ly/3LrN83b
Meet Jessica
Meet Jessica, an Adult Development Instructor for our Adult Day Program (ADP) and sister of our participant, Joshua! Jessica joined our team in April 2023 and has been working in our art room ever since, supporting participants to master their art skills and explore new creative interests. Jessica thinks that the design elements of Las Trampas’ new campus are incredibly beneficial for participants, allowing them to have ownership over and flexibility with what works well for them. She loves when participants’ personalities come out in different ways, especially for those who don’t communicate verbally. Thank you for all you do for our community, Jessica!
2023 Summer Newsletter
Dear Friends,
We hope you are having a wonderful summer! It has been a very exciting time here at Las Trampas. We continually strive to improve and innovate on our gold-standard programming, and we are seeing many fruits of our efforts!
NEW VANS!
Our new wheelchair vans have arrived! Thank you to our 2023 Spring Gala donors, the William A. Kerr Foundation, and MobilityWorks for making this dream a reality. Las Trampas has been greatly in need of reliable, safe wheelchair accessible vans, and we are excited to provide our participants with the safety and security that they deserve when traveling. Joey and Kim, pictured, were thrilled to check out one of the new vans: Kim says the vans are “rad” and Joey says “we’ve never had a van like this!”
RESIDENTIAL HOME CONVERSION
As our residents reach senior age, we are required by law to send them to a Residential Center for Elderly (RCFE) facility. We just recently relicensed Sheila House to a facility for elder care, so that our residents can continue to live in the home they love! We also welcomed our newest resident of Sheila House, Barbara, and the home is once again at full capacity.
D.I.S.C.O.V.E.R. PROGRAM
Our Adult Day Program (ADP) recently implemented DISCOVER, which is a new and innovative program that gives participants the opportunity to choose their own classes, much like in a junior college. Choices of class include: Art, Health & Wellness, Life Skills, Adventurers/Explorers, and Volunteer & Occupations.
- Our Art Class has been very busy creating pieces in our beautiful art room. You can see some of their art hanging in the Las Trampas Gallery in the main lobby across from the elevators.
- Our Occupations group has begun weekly custodial work here on campus and are learning how to use Paycom to record their time worked. Participant Melissa, who is on the autism spectrum, says that she gains a lot of self-esteem and pride from being given directions, following those directions, and earning spending money through Las Trampas’ janitorial program.
- Our Volunteer Group recently volunteered with the Ladybug program making personal care bags, went to parks to pick up trash, and are exploring other volunteer opportunities.
TERRY R. HAWS LEGACY GIFT
The Haws Family was saddened to announce the passing of Terry R. Haws, a dedicated advocate and Founding Father of Las Trampas, on March 19th 2023. Terry will be dearly missed, but his legacy will live on every time we enter the Nina Haws Community Hall or drink from one of the Haws water fountains at the new Las Trampas campus. On Friday, July 28th, Terry’s younger two daughters, Sallie Haws and Amy Peck, presented Las Trampas with Terry’s $1.35M Legacy Gift. With his incredibly generous Legacy Gift, he will support our financial stability for years to come. He is leaving a legacy of kindness, generosity, and commitment to supporting our friends and neighbors with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thank you to everyone who showed up to honor Terry’s legacy, and the impact that it will have on our community for years to come!
Thank you for your continued support for our friends and neighbors with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We couldn’t do it without you!
Daniel Hogue
Executive Director
Click here to view our full summer newsletter!
Meet Emma
Meet Emma, a participant in our Adult Day Program since 2017. Emma has the most contagious laugh and loves to sing along to music while painting in our art room. If you play the song “Always On My Mind” by Elvis Presley, she will surely know all the words! Thank you for bringing such a warm presence into our community, Emma!
Meet Sekander
Meet Sekander, a participant in Las Trampas’ Adult Day Program for 8 years! Sekander’s favorite thing to do with Las Trampas’ outings class is bowling on Fridays and ordering a burger at the bowling alley. He also enjoys walking along the trail with staff member, Shereen, and getting pushed on the swings at Civic Park by Brandon. A fun fact about him is that he loves listening to the song “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles. Whenever you see Sekander on campus, he will definitely put a smile on your face!
