Enriching Lives – Fostering Independence
How many brains?!
Guess how many brains are in the jar! First guess without going over wins one free ticket to our comedy night on April 9th! Click here to submit your guess on Facebook!
Winner will be announced March 11th!
For more information about the show, click here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1699822293627201/
At our Belmont house we have a wonderful garden, named “The Drake Friendship Garden”. At the entrance there is a memorial plaque in honor of Fred Drake, who it was named for. We had a touching unveiling ceremony in June of 2014 at our annual Midsummer Night’s Dream Party. (Click here to see the unveiling video!)
Fred was a wonderful and committed member of our Board, and instrumental in our fundraising efforts, i.e. grant writing and creating new connections for us in the community. He sadly passed away 4 years ago and has remained since then in our hearts and minds.
One of Fred’s passions was gardening, and that inspired us to create the friendship garden. We love to spend time in the garden and it has become a great place for volunteers to come and help keep it looking beautiful.
If you would like to be a part of maintaining and adding to the garden, feel free to email Amber Rexrode for more information at [email protected].
Check out this great article from our first comedy night in 2011! And don’t forget to RSVP for the one coming up in April!Click here for more information!
Posted: Friday, March 25, 2011 7:00 am
Mary Alice Blackwell
Daily Progress correspondent
Life can change in the blink of an eye.
It could be something as dramatic as a car accident. It could be something as simple as a fall.
According to Dr. Daniela Ghaida, there are 1.4 million new brain injuries each year.
Ghaida is involved with a local organization that assists those in the community who have suffered traumatic brain injury. Building a Bridge Foundation operates four homes in the downtown area where the injured, their caregivers and staff live in a family-type atmosphere. They dine together, learn together and heal together.
On Thursday night — in keeping with its family atmosphere — the 20-year-old organization is holding what could best be called a “friend-raiser.”
AHA! A Night of Humor, Hope and Healing will kick off with a reception at 6:30 p.m. at the Jefferson Theater. The show starts at 7:30 p.m.
Be prepared to crack a smile or break into a belly laugh.
Two Virginia-raised comedians — Brett Leake and Tony Deyo — will do their best to make sure of that.
Leake has performed at least five times on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” According to his words, he is a comedian who “stands apart — or at least sits apart — from his peers.” Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at a young age, Leake decided to live life and laugh to the fullest.
Ghaida saw him perform in Richmond several years ago.
“He was the motivational speaker for a conference,” she said. “He was delightful and so moving. I thought it would be great to have him as a friend … and he is a role model for a lot of people.”
She knew he would be perfect for the foundation’s evening of friendship and fun.
To steal a quote: He wonders why junk mail is printed on recycled material — it just means the same piece of paper has to get thrown away twice.
Deyo, another Virginian, spent his early career first as a symphonic musician, then as a middle school teacher. Now he calls New York home, where he went to pursue his comedic calling. The self proclaimed “semi-obscure comic” co-wrote “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Jokes” and was part of HBO’s “U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.”
They promise their jokes will be “aimed between the ears and above the belt.”
Tickets to AHA! cost $20, but football fans may want to check out the $75 package deal. There will be a reception with University of Virginia football coach Mike London and a silent auction before the comedy show begins.
Ghaida will present London with the 2011 Never Quit Award for his commitment to family perseverance, and WINA radio celebrity Jane Foy will serve as the evening’s emcee.
By the way, the silent auction, which includes everything from a Keswick golf getaway to books from local authors, will be under way all week at Siips on the Downtown Mall. If you can’t make it to the comedy show, you still can stop by Siips to bid on an auction item and support the cause.
It’s that time again!
Join us for our comedy night! Mark your calendars for April 9th 2016 at Cville Coffee. More details to come!
Click here to join the event page on Facebook!
Click here to see photos from our awesome comedy night last year!
“All of us sport an invisible sign around our necks — “AS IS.” It means, take me as I am. I may not become what you want me to be. And I’m far, far from perfect. But I have some great qualities, too, as well as my share of faults. You will have to take me “AS IS” and I’ll take you that way, too.” ― Steve Goodier
Acceptance is created from an Empowered movement that Educates others to Embrace diversity and Love Life by seeing beyond abilities.
Friends, tell the world you embrace who you are; a person with social rights, who has an opinion, who has interests, who has goals, who loves life, and who will not be without a voice in society. You are not living disabled, you are living.
Supporters, join us in telling the world that you are accepting of people with disabilities – you also have a role in our culture and life. You can have an impact on the future by wearing your heart on your sleeve and proudly demonstrating acceptance.
#internationaldayofacceptance #disABILITIES #charlottesville #braininjuryawareness
When winter snowflakes fall, so do people. Keep these tips in mind when outside in the winter weather! (Courtesy of denverhealth.org)
Prevention Tips
It’s that time of year again! Weather reports calling for at least 2-3 feet of snow this weekend. Are you prepared? Read below for some great tips to get you ready!
Communication Checklist
Heating Checklist
Cooking and Lighting Checklist
Food and Safety Checklist
Have a week’s worth of food and safety supplies. If you live far from other people, have more supplies on hand. Make sure you have the following supplies:
Water Checklist
Keep a water supply. Extreme cold can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes break.
Car and Emergency Checklist
Minimize travel, but if travel is necessary, keep the following in your vehicle:
Be safe!
We had our first Guest Chef for a Dinner group this past weekend!
A big THANK YOU to Monal Patel, Brooke Driver, Geoffrey Dennison, Eric Hodges, Tyler Arbaugh, Rick Dawson from the Courtyard Marriott Charlottesville University Medical Center! They went all out with the meal they prepared and it was an absolute treat. They made lamb meatballs, chicken parmesan, homemade bruschetta and more. Thank you all for volunteering your time and for the delicious meal!
Click here to see more photos of this great group!
Interested in becoming a Guest Chef at The Bridge Line? Contact Amber Rexrode at [email protected] for more information.
Blog post by our former volunteer Alberto from Spain.
Click here to see the original blog.
Vaig conèixer The Bridgeline a través de SCI Catalunya i de seguida vaig pensar que podia ser una bona organització per a realitzar un voluntariat en contacte amb les persones que més ho necessiten dins de la comunitat. The Bridgeline està situada a Charlottesville, Virginia. Es una organització sense ànim de lucre que treballa amb adults que tenen lesions cerebrals. L’organització té tres cases on viuen la majoria dels residents, i també treballa amb molts d’altres que viuen de manera autònoma.
El primer que sobta al conèixer les lesions cerebrals es que poden succeir-li a qualsevol persona: una mala caiguda, un accident de cotxe o un accident domèstic, per exemple. Tornar a començar és difícil però la meva experiència aquí em diu que els avenços són possibles i que la recuperació avança cada dia! És un procés llarg i molt constant, però durant aquests mesos he vist la lluita diària dels pacients i la seva capacitat d’autosuperació. Aquests moments m’han fet relativitzar els meus problemes diaris i m’han fet veure quines són les dificultats reals de la vida i com superar-les amb molt d’esforç.
The Bridgeline té un ampli equip de professionals: metges, treballadors socials i voluntaris, amb els quals treballo a diari. L’ambient de treball és molt familiar ja que molts dels treballadors tenen amics amb lesions cerebrals o hi treballen com a voluntaris.Com a voluntari, treballo amb els residents creant tallers de música, art, esports, cuina, lectura i cinema, entre d’altres. En aquests espais, els pacients aprenen a estimular les seves habilitats i a reforçar aspectes fonamentals com la motricitat i la memòria. Poc a poc, els pacients són més autònoms i refermen la seva integració en la comunitat. És un treball estimulant i molt exigent, tant pel voluntari com pel pacient, però molt reconfortant en tots els sentits. És increïble com d’agraïts son els residents i quantes coses s’aprenen d’ells cada dia! Tots ells són un gran exemple per a mi. M’han ajudat a créixer com a persona en veure que malgrat les seves dificultats físiques i cerebrals sempre tenen il·lusió i metes per assolir.