UCP youth with disability attends ADA anniversary luncheon

We were so proud to have Krissy O’Keefe representing UCP of Greater Sacramento at a recent luncheon celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act!

Krissy has become quite the advocate for youth with disabilities. At just age 23, she is already taking an active role in helping teens with disabilities get through the tough spots she experienced.

This is one of my favorite things I once heard Krissy say: “My advice to kids with disabilities is to live your life to the fullest and try to do the most you can. If you think you can’t…try. You never know.”

That’s why we were so proud to have Krissy at the California Foundation for Independent Living Center and Youth Leadership Forum networking luncheon at the Sacramento Convention Center a few weeks ago. She had the chance to network with other promising youth and adult leaders with disabilities who are working in a variety of career fields.

Krissy is making us all proud as she continues to find new ways to live life without limits!

Incredible teen raises $7,800 in memory of son with cerebral palsy

We first told you about the amazing Caty Rodriguez back in April. This dynamic teen was a senior at Winters High School when she lost her 18-month-old son, Isaac, who had cerebral palsy.

She turned her grief into a mission to raise funds and awareness for cerebral palsy as part of her senior project. And she entrusted UCP of Greater Sacramento with all donations raised. Last we knew, she had raised $7,000 as she wrapped up her project.

But Caty didn’t stop there. At the beginning of this month, we accepted a check for $7,800 in memory of precious little Isaac. Though her heart was broken, she held car washes, yard sales, hosted a hike at Bobcat Ranch and even sold a spa. In fact, her tenacity earned her a second feature in the Winters Express yesterday!

As she heads off to Solano College this fall, Caty plans to continue as part of the UCP family, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. We are so proud of this incredible mom whose love for her son shines through everything she does.

12 kids with autism enjoy the thrill of camp!

Summer camp truly is a one-of-a-kind thrill, as 12 of our Autism Center for Excellence (A.C.E.) campers discovered a couple weeks ago.

Too often, children with autism are isolated or only interact with each other. But that was not the case at Grizzly Creek Ranch. Our A.C.E. campers interacted so well with other typically developing campers attending Grizzly Creek camps that staff chose to integrate them even more than planned. In fact, one staff member from another camp commented that our campers were better behaved than theirs and that they were highly impressed with our staff!

The campers learned swimming, arts and crafts, kayaking, archery, volleyball, scooter hockey, fishing, soccer and dancing. They also enjoyed a movie night, campfire time and a talent show.

A.C.E. Camp was a pivotal opportunity for these kids to further develop friendships with each other and other campers while also building on the skills they learn daily at UCP’s Autism Center for Excellence at Sacramento State.

But this opportunity came with a price tag. Many thanks to our wonderful community members who stepped up to help foot the bill, understanding these families were already stretched thin. Together, they raised $9,668!
• Teichert Foundation
• Setzer Foundation
• Active 20/30 Club
• Janelle Okamoto
• Steve Rau
• Randy Gutfield
• Laurie Gwinn
• Steve and Stacey Horton
• India Carter
• Jackie DeMuth
• Denise Rhyne
• Jean Bristow
• David Houseworth
• Katie Winchell
• Tatyana Razumovsky
• Debra Ascarte
• Teofilo Judal

You have provided a summer these children will always remember—and skills they will use for a lifetime.

Your electronic junk is UCP’s treasure!

Thanks to a great partnership with Tri-Valley Recycling, UCP of Greater Sacramento can now recycle your electronic waste!

You can generate money for our programs that empower people with developmental disabilities to live life without limits while at the same time conveniently and environmentally disposing of your e-waste.

It’s a win-win!

Here’s what we can use:
• Televisions
• Monitors
• Computers and laptops
• Computer components
• Network equipment
• Printers
• Mp3 players and iPods
• Scanners
• Video games
• Fax machines
• Arcade machines
• Cell phones
• Household phones
• Stereo equipment
• Music instruments
• Amps and speakers
• Digital cameras
• CD/DVD/VHS players
• Video cameras
• Wires
• Power tools

You can schedule a pick-up at your home or office by contacting Tri-Valley Recycling at (800) 317-3112. Make sure to tell them it’s for UCP! If you have any questions, contact us at (916) 565-7700 or donations@ucpsacto.org.

Thanks for recycling with UCP! Your gift helps us continue to empower people with developmental disabilities to live fulfilling and productive lives.

UCP’s CFO receives Nonprofit CFO of the Year Award

Congratulations to Dainna McArthur, our devoted CFO who was just named Nonprofit CFO of the Year by the Sacramento Business Journal!

She received the award for a few different reasons:
• She decreased expenses by 30 percent over four years by automating data entry.
• She reduced administration overhead by $300,000 in the past three years.
• She created a dashboard system to show real-time financial health indicators.
• She produced an internal website and incentives for team members.
• She increased communication with employees by 10 percent, according to a poll.

Busy lady!

In her acceptance speech she said, “Working at UCP of Greater Sacramento, I feel like I make a difference to this community in a way that I've not done in previous companies. I know my team’s accomplishments will live long into the future.”

I think we all feel that way, working here at UCP. It’s a fantastic place to not only earn a living, but also make a difference in the lives of so many people in our community. And Dainna has done an outstanding job of making sure our organization is healthy so we can continue to empower people with developmental disabilities to live life without limits.

Congratulations, Dainna!

You can help kids with autism go to camp!

Were you lucky enough to attend summer camp as a kid?

I was, and to this day, certain smells bring back that thrill of being away from my parents, enjoying nature while bonding with other kids.

We want to make sure that kids with autism have that same one-of-a-kind thrill this summer!

There are 15 kids in our Autism Center for Excellence program who have worked especially hard this year and will be rewarded with a fun, exciting week at Grizzly Creek Ranch learning swimming, arts and crafts, kayaking, archery, volleyball, scooter hockey, fishing, soccer and dancing. They’ll also enjoy a movie night, campfire time and a talent show.

A.C.E. Camp is a pivotal opportunity for these kids to further develop friendships with each other and other campers while also building on the skills they learn daily at the Autism Center for Excellence.

But this opportunity comes with a heavy price tag: $600 per child. Our families are already stretched thin, so we are relying on your help.

Without the community’s help, A.C.E. Camp will not happen.

You can provide a summer these kids will always remember—and skills they will use for a lifetime. To donate to A.C.E. Camp, contact Samantha Garcia at (916) 283-8317 or sgarcia@ucpsacto.org.

Stay tuned for more information in June about how you can support a child at A.C.E. Camp!

Congratulations to Los Rios' Dr. Brice Harris!

In less than a week, we will honor a man who has made a profound impact on the Sacramento community: Dr. Brice Harris, chancellor of the Los Rios Community College District.

On May 13 at our 17th annual Humanitarian of the Year Award Dinner, UCP of Greater Sacramento will give Dr. Harris the Humanitarian of the Year Award, which we reserve for people who have displayed a passion for life and a desire to work toward enhancing the lives of others.

Dr. Harris has done extensive work to provide access to higher education, a key component of independence. We are so grateful to Dr. Harris for ensuring that people with developmental disabilities have the opportunity to pursue a college education.

Our annual Humanitarian of the Year Award Dinner is our largest fundraiser of the year, and over the last 17 years this event has raised more than $1.5 million for children, adults and families with developmental disabilities. We’re expecting 400 people this year!

This year’s guests will enjoy a hosted bar, a free raffle to win a night on the town, and auction items including Disneyland tickets, a River Cats suite night and a trip to Cabo San Lucas, among others.

Stay tuned for pictures of this exciting evening. Please join UCP in congratulating Dr. Brice Harris on his many accomplishments!