Fall is in full swing and before you know it, we will be preparing for the winter holiday season. This month, we count all of our blessings and give thanks for all we have been blessed with this past year. Perhaps no one in our “Ms. Wheelchair” family is as thankful as Dawn Peterson, Ms. Wheelchair Louisiana State Coordinator. We begin this newsletter with her thank you to all of you.

Hello Everyone!

No, I haven’t found a place to stay. I am still staying in a hotel in Pensacola, FL. All hotels within a 200 mile radius of New Orleans have rented the wheelchair accessible rooms to able bodied people, stating the fact that when there is a disaster it is first come, first serve. I urge each and every one of you to contact your local officials to set some kind of guidelines that might reserve these rooms for people who really need them. I was stuck really living out of my car and from here to there for about three weeks due to not being able to find a room. And finding services and equipment has been especially difficult as well. I truly appreciate your generosity and the donations will really help.

As all of you might have heard, Dan and l have lost everything except what we were able to put in our car. Several members of my family and Dan’s family have also lost everything, but at least we are all physically OK. We have been working with FEMA and other agencies to help find a new place to live. Eventually we would like to return to New Orleans and rebuild. I miss and love my home.

It has been really great knowing I have such a great support group in all of you. You all have a special place in my heart and I appreciate everything soooo much.

I Love Y’all !!
Dawn

Coordinator Updates

Congratulations to those states who held successful pageants in October. We have new state titleholders in Alabama, Nebraska, New York and Tennessee. November is another busy month for state pageants. Kentucky, Maryland and District of Columbia will all crown new state titleholders this month. We wish those state coordinators all the best for their events.

November is also the month for the MWA Board of Directors Annual Meeting. Your Mentor will be contacting you, if she/he hasn’t already done so. At the Annual Meeting, each MWA Board member will update the rest of the Board on activities in their mentor states. The Board will also review the surveys from the national pageant. Thank you to everyone who completed their national pageant surveys. Your feedback will help shape next summer’s national pageant. Your insights are truly appreciated.

News from Kristen Connors, MWA 2006

Well, October was a busy month! I had the occasion to speak at many events here in Rhode Island as well as other states. Here in Rhode Island I visited Dorcas Place, an adult education facility. I also spoke at meetings of local Rotary Clubs.

I spent October 21st, 22nd and 23rd in New York where I attended the 2006 Ms Wheelchair New York Pageant. I was honored to have the chance to meet with the contestants and I know that the new titleholder, Shameka Andrews, will do a fine job representing women with disabilities in NY.

While I was in New York, I also toured Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital in Schenectady. I met with staff and patients of the facility and got a first hand view of the important work they do everyday. I received a very warm reception and had a great afternoon. I also had the opportunity to attend a brunch and fashion show for the Saratoga Therapeutic Equestrian Program, a therapeutic riding program based near Albany. Not only did I get the chance to see what will be in fashion this year but also I learned about a program that is helping many children with disabilities.

My final weekend in October was spent in Richmond, Virginia with Ms. Wheelchair VA 2005, Angie Wilkerson. Together we took Richmond by storm and attended events, TV interviews and also Ms. Wheelchair Virginia’s Musical Celebration of Life. I had a wonderful time and was able to meet some amazing women who are involved with the Ms. Wheelchair Virginia program. Thanks Debra and Angie for a great weekend.

I look forward to November when I will be attending Maryland’s State Pageant and hopefully the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. See you next month!

Giving Thanks

Have you thanked your sponsors and your state committee this year? We hear about how important it is to let the people who support us know how much we appreciate them, particularly if we want to keep them involved in the upcoming year. Here are some creative ways to thank those who have helped your state program.

1. Send a cheerful holiday update to your sponsors. This can take the form of a newsletter, a holiday photo collage of activities your state titleholder has been involved in or a simple post card. There are so many user friendly desktop publishing programs out there, this does not need to be an expensive or elaborate project. Better yet, delegate the job to one of your committee members, the one who enjoys creating these documents- you have one of those, right? This correspondence can help keep your state program fresh in the minds of those who have made contributions, and shows that you appreciate their efforts.
2. Write a letter of thanks to the editor of your local newspaper. This is a public way to acknowledge all of the community sponsorship you have received. It also provides some awareness of what your state program is all about. After the national pageant this summer, Denise DiNoto, MWNY state coordinator, wrote a letter to the Albany (NY) Times Union thanking all of the local businesses who had donated goods and money towards the national event. Denise said, “It made the sponsors feel good because their contributions were publically acknowledged and it also helped keep the Ms. Wheelchair name out there in people’s memory.”
3. If a local church or nonprofit organization has helped your state program, find out if they have special holiday events coming up where they might need volunteers. Organize your state titleholder and your committee and serve as volunteers for their event. Robert Watson, MWMD state coordinator, and his titleholders have had great success with this type of volunteer service. As he puts it, “It helps show the community that we are an active organization, capable of serving others, not just asking for them to support us.”

Finally….a note from the ED

The trees in the northeast are losing their leaves, it’s dark at 5:00 PM and last week I woke up to 2 inches of wet snow on my van! This can only mean that winter is coming and it’s time to hibernate. WRONG! In this month of giving thanks, it means that it’s time to take stock of where our organization is, and where we have come from this past year.

Personally, I am most thankful that I do not have to plan another pageant for another 11 months! On a serious note, I am very thankful that as an organization, Ms. Wheelchair America is still growing and moving forward. We now have 31, yes, THIRTY ONE states in the Ms. Wheelchair America family. That is an accomplishment that we have been working at for as long as I have been involved with the program. But, as wonderful as this is, we still have 19 states that do not have a program. The work continues and with your help and support, we will continue to grow, rather than hibernate through the upcoming winter months.

Thanks to all of you for making this an amazing year. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings!