Missoula has a number of services and meetings that we want to make sure are highlighted this winter!

Blind and Low Vision Education and Support Group meets every second Tuesday from 1-2:30 pm in the Summit conference room. Anyone with a vision loss is welcome to come check out this group.
Senior Companions are trained volunteers who go into people’s homes. We have six Senior Companions who work with elders with disabilities once a week. A huge thank you to our senior companions: Rose Blick, Karen Bollinger, Mary Montgomery, Eva Warthem, John Weig and Betty Zander for their energy and commitment.

Missoula Valley People First Fundraiser: The chapter held a fundraiser with Herberger’s Department Store. The chapter members sold coupon booklets for Community Days in November. The chapter received a bonus check for the number of coupons that were used, which made this the most successful fundraiser for the chapter.

Youth Opening Doors through Advocacy (YODA) will hold a January focus group to help build the vision for The Playground Project.  YODA youth will discuss the traditional playground experience as they have lived it and respond to inclusive playground designs and equipment.  The group will also brainstorm ways to realize the community building potential of the new playground, to be sited in McCormick Park in 2013.

Please share your opinion by completing The Playground Project survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/G7N5NPF

Thanks to Jenny Montgomery of The Playground Project for contributing to this update!

2012 Winter classes:

January 9-13 is our orientation for Living Well and Working Well classes.
Come hear about the classes and sign up if you are interested.
Working Well starts Tuesday, January 17 from 10 am to noon and runs every Tuesday through February 28.
Living Well class starts Monday January 23 from 10 am to noon and runs every Monday through April 2.
The second young adult Empower Me II class will start on Thursday February 2 and run through March 29.

Women’s Safer and Stronger Program

Summit is now recruiting participants for the Women’s Safer and Stronger Program pilot. The program is an online education tool that is designed to help women with disabilities learn to be safer from abuse and to provide them with information about local resources where they can get assistance if they are experiencing abuse. Participants will need to plan to spend 2-3 hours and will be compensated for their time. Compensation is also available for childcare and transportation expenses.

If you or someone you know may be interested, please contact Susan or Jude at the Missoula Summit office: 1 (800)398-9002 or 728-1630.

Jude Monson, Program Manager