United Disabilities Services Foundation

Our thanks and appreciation to Hopeland United Methodist Church for raising $1,000 through their VBS week to benefit the UDS Service Dogs Program! We feel truly blessed with this kind and generous contribution, making a difference in the lives of the people we serve. Every dollar does make a difference. THANK YOU! Linda Rineer, our volunteer extraordinaire was on hand with Dugan to share our program. Linda has raised and trained 19 dogs for our program and always does an amazing job as an Ambassador.

A very Happy Pride to all of our LGBTQ+ friends and family! The Lancaster LGBTQ + Coalition is a wonderful community resource not just this month, but all year long! https://www.lgbtlancaster.org/

UDS and our Service Dogs family wishes all fathers a #HappyFathersDay. Pictured is Ambassador Nova with her pop pop, a friend and dog food donor! We are blessed and grateful!

For the first time ever, this year Juneteenth one of the most significant anniversaries in American history, commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States will be celebrated as a federal holiday. The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which passed unanimously in the Senate, was signed into law on Thursday by President Biden. Read the story of Opal Lee, one of the activists who has worked for decades to make it happen: https://www.today.com//opal-lee-94-was-driving-force-behin

The home modification experts at UDS can work with you to make your bathroom safer, more accessible, and better suited to your needs! We offer roll-under sinks, walk-in tubs with bath seats, bathtub lifts, handicapped-accessible showers with seats, barrier-free shower doors, shower screens, hand-held shower controls, hand grips, grab bars, safety rails, wall-mounted sinks, non-slip surfaces, transfer benches, easy-transfer toilets, wheelchair turnaround areas, and easy-access... storage. Learn more about how we can make your bathroom more accessible on our website: https://udservices.org//per/accessible-home-modifications/ #UDSHomeMods

Independent Living Services recently had the opportunity to share information about their services through the LINK webinar series. Check it out to learn more about all ILS has to offer.

During these difficult times many in our community are experiencing great hardship. Now more than ever we as a community need to come together to help those in need. The Churches of Lancaster are joining with Blessings of Hope and the Lancaster Barnstormers to bring hope to our community and show Love in Action. A community drive/walk thru free food distribution of 40lb food boxes for those in need will be held at Clipper Magazine Stadium on Saturday, October 31 from 9am-2pm. Click the link to donate or register to receive a food box. bit.ly/31DFbBc

The Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) supports the right of all eligible Pennsylvanians to vote in the 2020 general election. This is a unique election, in that it is occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, and any qualified voter has the option to vote by mail-in ballot. HCBS participants face unique challenges in exercising their right to vote in this election due to health risks associated with the pandemic. As such, OLTL encourages all Service Coordinators working with Community HealthChoices (CHC) and OBRA waiver participants to develop plans for facilitating voting by their participants.

It's the last week to sign up and participate in The Great Pup-kin, the Virtual 5K that supports the UDS Service Dogs program! You can do whatever physical activity you enjoy, and t's easy to sign up! Just complete a 5k distance (3.1 miles) at a location of your choice, until October 31, 2020, and upload your results. All of the proceeds benefit our Service Dogs program. Don't forget to send us photos so we can share them! Find all the info you need to know and sign up here: bit.ly/TheGreatPupkin5K

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. We encourage all women to get regular testing as advised by your doctor, and anyone who can financially support to donate to help those in need and find a cure!

People with disabilities can be the most motivated and reliable employees, but they are often overlooked. However, many employers have found that hiring people with disabilities is both the right thing to do and a smart business decision. If you need help finding disability-friendly employment in PA, the UDS Employment Services program makes the road to fulfilling employment easier. We match qualified applicants with employers who are looking for hard-working full- and part-time employees. This story is a perfect example of what our program can do. Find more info about how UDS can help with Job Skills Training, Work Assessments, and other assistance here: https://udservices.org//enrichment-li/employment-services/

Mark your calendars! In just one month, we are participating in ExtraGive again! Every year the #ExtraGive raises millions of dollars for hundreds of organizations, including UDS! We know that we're surrounded by such a generous community, and this will be the perfect time to show it. All day on November 20th from 12:00AM to 11:59PM you can make a donation and help us spread the word on social media.

Announcement: Event Cancelation- We are sorry however due to continued concerns of large group gatherings, our Bingo event rescheduled for November 7th has been canceled! All current ticket holders will receive a refund! Stay tuned for an Announcement of our 1st online silent auction, where all our beautiful baskets of goodies will be displayed and available for bidding. We hope you will support this fundraising initiative to benefit our Service pups in training. Thank you all!

Congratulations to @Second Melody on their 15 years and new location! They were hard at work this year creating a new design for all the UDSF websites and we’re thrilled with the results You can check out their awesome work and learn more about UDS at www.udservices.org

So much goes into the training of the dogs in our Service Dog program, did you know that you can directly support our pups?! Treats are an important part of the learning process for our dogs, and $10 buys one bag. You can see Oliver here with his favorites! It's also important to keep our dogs fresh and clean (Samson loves to look good!), and a donation of $25 covers the cost of grooming supplies for one of our dogs for one month. See all of the ways you can contribute directly to our Service Dogs here. https://udservices.org/shop/

Our team of Care Coordinators have special training in working with adults with autism, and we offer support services to people who participate in the Pennsylvania Adult Autism Waiver. Your dedicated Care Coordinator will help you develop a personalized care plan that allows you to live independently in your community. Our coordinators work with a maximum of 35 participants at a time to ensure you receive prompt, high-quality care. Our trained staff can connect you to a varie...ty of support services for adults with autism, including: Assistive Technology Community Inclusion Counseling Therapy (Occupational, Speech, and Language) Behavioral Specialist Services Community Transition Services Day Habilitation Family Counseling Job Assessment Temporary Crisis Services Specialized Equipment and more! Find out more information about our Adult Autism Care Management services here: https://udservices.org//planning-support/adult-autism-care/

You can still sign up to support the UDS Service Dogs by participating in our Virtual 5k event The Great Pup-kin! You can do whatever activity you enjoy, no matter your level of fitness. It's easy to sign up! Just complete a 5k distance (3.1 miles) at a location of your choice, any time between September 1 and October 31, 2020, and upload your results. All of the proceeds benefit our Service Dogs program. Find the answers to any questions you may have and sign up for the Pup-kin here: bit.ly/TheGreatPupkin5K

Amazon.com Prime Day is October 13-14th this year that's two days where you can donate to UDS while you shop! When you use Amazon Smile while you shop on Prime Day next week you're giving back to your community and helping UDS continue to provide our services to our clients. Find out more information about the free program and about how you can sign up here: https://udservices.org/give/other-ways-to-help/

There's still plenty of time to join the fun and support the UDS Service Dogs with our Virtual 5k event The Great Pupkin! It doesn’t matter what your level of fitness is or what activity you enjoy, because you can do whatever works best for you. Just complete a 5k distance that's 3.1 miles! at a location of your choice, any time between September 1 and October 31, 2020, and upload your results! All of the proceeds benefit our Service Dogs program. ... Find the answers to any questions you may have and sign up for the Pup-kin here: bit.ly/TheGreatPupkin5K