Down Syndrome Association Of Northeast Indiana Inc

TO ENHANCE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH DOWN SYNDROME, TO ADVOCATE ON THEIR BEHALF, TO PROVIDE INFORMATION AND SUPPORT TO FAMILIES AND PROFESSIONALS, AND TO PROMOTE ACCEPTANCE AND INCLUSION OF PEOPLE WITH DOWN SYNDROME IN NORTHEAST INDIANA.

DSANI WAS PROUD TO OFFER THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS TO OVER 250 FAMILIES DURING 2023. ALTHOUGH, IN SOME INSTANCES, PROGRAM ATTENDANCE IS STILL SEEING NEGATIVE IMPACTS FROM THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, OVERALL PROGRAM ATTENDANCE WAS ON AN UPSWING AGAIN. INFANT-TODDLER PLAYGROUP - THE PLAYGROUP CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFANT AND YOUNGSTERS (AGES 0-4) TO PLAY AND SOCIALIZE WHILE THEIR PARENTS AND SIBLINGS FIND SUPPORT IN A FUN AND ENVIRONMENT. THIS GROUP DID BEGIN MEETING IN-PERSON AGAIN IN 2023. FAMILIES WHO HAVE MEDICALLY FRAGILE CHILDREN ARE STILL HESITANT TO ATTEND GROUP OUTINGS. AVERAGE ATTENDANCE (IN A NORMAL YEAR) - 120 PEOPLE BUDDY CLUB - THIS GROUP OFFERS SOCIAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN AGES 5-12, TYPICALLY MEETING EVERY TWO TO THREE MONTHS. CURRENT AVERAGE ATTENDANCE IS 32 PEOPLE. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: THIS GROUP MET FOUR TIMES IN 2023, DUE TO ONGOING PANDEMIC CONCERNS, AND THE RISK TO CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX MEDICAL ISSUES. FRIENDSHIP CLUB - AIMED AT TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS, AGES 13 TO 21, THIS GROUP INCLUDES TEENS WITH DOWN SYNDROME AND OTHER LEARNING DISABILITIES, AS YOUTHS WITH DS DEVELOP FRIENDSHIPS IN SCHOOL AND IN THE COMMUNITY. AVERAGE ATTENDANCE FOR EVENTS: 24 (AT EACH OF FOUR EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR). ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: BOWLING, LASERTAG, SWIMMING, SKYZONE SELF-ADVOCATES - INDIVIDUALS WITH DOWN SYNDROME WHO ARE 21 AND OLDER. TOTAL ATTENDANCE FOR SOCIAL EVENTS - 177 (6 EVENTS IN 2023). ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: SPONSORING AN EASTER EGG HUNT FOR YOUNGER FRIENDS WITH DOWN SYNDROME, MAKING MEALS FOR RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE, PIZZA & MOVIE NIGHT, TIE-DYE ACTIVITIES, ZOO TRIP, ETC. GRANDPARENT'S GROUP - THIS GROUP OFFERS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR GRANDPARENTS TO SUPPORT FAMILY MEMBERS AND EACH OTHER IN A NURTURING, CARING ENVIRONMENT. DUE TO LACK OF A GROUP CHAIRPERSON, THIS GROUP WAS UNABLE TO GATHER IN 2023. DADS GROUP - DADS APPRECIATING DOWN SYNDROME. THIS GROUP PROVIDES SPECIAL EVENTS TO BRING TOGETHER DADS IN SUPPORT OF EACH OTHER AND TO BUILD STRONG FAMILIES. AVERAGE ATTENDANCE - 5 AT EACH OF SIX GATHERINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: DINNER/FELLOWSHIP AT SIX DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS. THE DADS GROUP ALSO HOSTS AN ANNUAL GOLF OUTING. IN 2023, THE OUTING HOSTED 130 GOLFERS AND UTILIIZED OVER 24 VOLUNTEERS. MOMS GROUP - THIS GROUP WAS FORMED TO PROVIDE DSANI MOTHERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK WITH OTHER MOTHERS, LISTEN TO GUEST SPEAKERS AND ENJOY TIME WITH OTHER MOMS. ATTENDANCE DURING FOUR 2023 DINNERS - 53. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: DINNER MEETINGS -THE MOMS GROUP MET FIVE TIMES IN 2023, AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS. OUTREACH - THE OUTREACH COMMITTEE IS UNDOUBTEDLY OUR MOST IMPORTANT, AS THIS IS THE COMMITTEE WHO WELCOMES FAMILIES NEW TO THE WORLD OF DOWN SYNDROME, INTO OUR ORGANIZATION. IN 2023, WE CONTINUED MEETING WITH NEW FAMILIES IN OUR 11 COUNTY SERVICE AREA. THIS WAS DONE TO INTRODUCE DSANI TO THEM, PROVIDE INFORMATION, RESOURCES AND SUPPORT. IN 2023, WE WELCOMED 14 NEW FAMILIES TO DSANI. PROGRAM EVENTS - IN ADDITION TO THE SPECIAL-INTEREST OR AGE-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES THAT DSANI TYPICALLY SPONSORS IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, 2023 SAW DSANI HOSTING A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS, NEW AND OLD. WE HELD A NUMBER OF ZOOM WORKSHOPS THROUGH THE YEAR. VARIOUS SPEAKERS PRESENTED TOPICS PERTINENT TO THE DOWN SYNDROME COMMUNITY. WE ALSO HOSTED TWO IN PERSON WORKSHOPS, BRINGING NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED DOWN SYNDROME SPECIALISTS TO FORT WAYNE. A TOTAL OF 162 PEOPLE ATTENDED THESE SESSIONS. WE HOSTED A TALENT SHOW FOR OUR FRIENDS WITH DOWN SYNDROME IN MARCH 2023. OVER 127 PEOPLE ATTENDED. WE ALSO HOSTED A NEW PARENT BREAKFAST IN SPRING 2023. OVER 30 PEOPLE ATTENDED. WE HOSTED A 3-21 (WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY) CELEBRATION IN 2023. A TOTAL OF 168 PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. WE HOSTED AN EASTER EGG HUNT FOR OUR FAMILIES. 57 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. DSANI HOSTED A PONY RIDE EVENT FOR OUR FAMILIES. A TOTAL OF 45 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. IN ADDITION TO VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS, WE ALSO HOSTED A NUMBER OF IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS. A TOTAL OF 89 PEOPLE ATTENDED THESE OFFERINGS. WE HELD THE ANNUAL DSANI TINCAPS EVENT IN AUGUST, AS THIS WAS A TOTALLY OUTDOOR EVENT. THERE WERE 124 PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED. OUR ANNUAL BUDDY WALK, OUR BIGGEST FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR, WAS ABLE TO BE HELD IN-PERSON, IN EARLY SEPTEMBER. A TOTAL OF OVER 3,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED THIS FANTASTIC CELEBRATION. WE SAW NEAR RECORD DONATIONS AND RECORD ATTENDANCE AT THIS EVENT, HELD ANNUALLY AT PARKVIEW FIELD. IN OCTOBER 2023, WE HOSTED OUR FAMILIES AT OUR ANNUAL FALL FEST EVENT. A TOTAL OF 143 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. WE WERE ABLE TO HOLD OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY IN EARLY DECEMBER. JUST OVER 300 PEOPLE ATTENDED THIS VERY POPULAR EVENT. ONLY PRE-PACKAGED SNACK FOOD WAS SERVED, VISITS WITH SANTA ENJOYED AND GAMES AND CRAFT ACTIVITIES WERE ENJOYED BY CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE. ALONG WITH OUR MANY GROUPS AND PROGRAMS, DSANI ALSO PROVIDES: -LIBRARY RESOURCES -INFORMATIONAL EMAILS TO MEMBERS -OUTREACH & EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS & COMMUNITY GROUPS -RESOURCE REFERRALS TO FAMILIES WHO REQUEST SUCH -WEBSITE -A TREMENDOUS SUPPORT/MENTOR NETWORK FOR PARENTS WE ALSO CONTINUED NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS, PROFESSIONAL GROUPS, ETC. AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. OUR DSANI FAMILY CONTINUES TO GROW, AS DO OUR OFFERINGS TO OUR FAMILIES.