Down Syndrome Association Of Northeast Indiana Inc

AS YOU MAY IMAGINE, OUR ABILITY TO SERVE OUR FAMILIES IN THE "TRADITIONAL" SENSE WAS HAMPERED BY THE ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN 2021. ALTHOUGH DSANI PROVIDED SUPPORT AND SERVICES TO OVER 250 MEMBER FAMILIES AND PROFESSIONALS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS, MUCH OF THAT SUPPORT HAD TO HAPPEN VIRTUALLY IN 2021: INFANT-TODDLER PLAYGROUP - THE PLAYGROUP CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFANT AND YOUNGSTERS (AGES 0-4) TO PLAY AND SOCIALIZE WHILE THEIR PARENT AND SIBLINGS FIND SUPPORT IN A FUN ENVIRONMENT. THIS GROUP DID NOT MEET IN 2021, DUE TO ONGOING PANDEMIC CONCERNS, AND THE RISK TO BABIES WITH COMPLEX MEDICAL ISSUES. 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 26 PEOPLE. 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: 15. SELF-ADVOCATES - INDIVIDUALS WITH DOWN SYNDROME WHO ARE 21 AND OLDER. AVERAGE ATTENDANCE FOR SOCIAL EVENTS (IN THE PAST): 23. GRANDPARENT'S GROUP - THIS GROUP OFFERS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR GRANDPARENTS TO SUPPORT FAMILY MEMBERS AND EACH OTHER IN A NURTURING, CARING ENVIRONMENT. THIS GROUP WAS UNABLE TO GATHER IN 2021. 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. 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 2021 DINNERS: 418. ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: DINNER MEETINGS - THE MOMS GROUP MET FOUR TIMES IN 2021, AT LOCATIONS THAT COULD PROVIDE SAFE SEATING (SOCIAL DISTANCING). 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 2021, WE CONTINUED MEETING WITH NEW FAMILIES IN OUR 11 COUNTY SERVICE AREA. THIS WAS DONE TO INTRODUCE DSANI TO THEM AND PROVIDE INFORMATION. IN 2021, WE WELCOMED 11 NEW FAMILIES TO DSANI. PROGRAM EVENTS - IN ADDITION TO THE SPECIAL-INTEREST OR AGE-SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES THAT DSANI TYPICALLY SPONSORS IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, THE ONGOING PANDEMIC GREATLY AFFECTED OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE THESE MUCH LOVED ACTIVITIES IN 2021. WE HELD A NUMBER OF ZOOM WORKSHOPS THROUGH THE YEAR. VARIOUS SPEAKERS PRESENTED TOPICS PERTINENT TO THE DOWN SYNDROME COMMUNITY. A TOTAL OF 62 PEOPLE ATTENDED THESE SESSIONS. WE HOSTED A 3-21 (WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY) VIRTUAL CELEBRATION IN 2021. A TOTAL OF 114 PARTICIPATED IN THIS ONLINE EVENT. DSANI HOSTED THE POPULAR ICAN BIKE CAMP IN JUNE 2021. THIS CAMP, WHICH TEACHES PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, AGES 8+, TO INDEPENDENTLY RIDE A TWO-WHEEL BIKE, IS ALWAYS POPULAR IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE HOSTED A TOTAL OF 37 RIDERS THROUGHOUT THIS ONE-WEEK CAMP. INCLUDING VOLUNTEERS & RIDERS, A TOTAL OF 62 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THIS EVENT. WE HELD THE ANNUAL DSANI TINCAPS EVENT IN AUGUST, AS THIS WAS A TOTALLY OUTDOOR EVENT. THERE WERE 162 PEOPLE WHO ATTENDED. OUR ANNUAL BUDDY WALK, OUR BIGGEST FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR, WAS ABLE TO BE HELD IN-PERSON, IN EARLY SEPTEMBER. WE SAW RECORD DONATIONS AND RECORD ATTENDANCE AT THIS EVENT, HELD ANNUALLY AT PARKVIEW FIELD. WE WERE ABLE TO HOLD OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY IN EARLY DECEMBER. TYPICALLY ATTENDED BY 300 PEOPLE, MANY ACCOMMODATIONS AND CHANGES WERE NEEDED TO SAFELY HOLD THE EVENT IN 2021. INSTEAD OF ONE 3-HOUR SESSION, WE HELD THREE ONE-HOUR SESSIONS, WITH A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF ATTENDEES AT 100 AT EACH SESSION. ONLY PRE-PACKAGED FOOD WAS SERVED, AND ONLY A FEW GAMES WERE PLAYED BY CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE. A TOTAL OF 201 PEOPLE ATTENDED. 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 -DIRECTORY DISTRIBUTED TO MEMBERS -A TREMENDOUS SUPPORT/MENTOR NETWORK FOR PARENTS IN 2021, WE CONTINUED TO OFFER EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS, ALBEIT THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF ZOOM. WE ALSO CONTINUED NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS, PROFESSIONAL GROUPS, ETC. AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.