Program for March 11, 2021 - Easter Seals

History of Easter Seal's (ESs) in New Hampshire and the Connection to Rotary International.
 
Our speakers today are Christine Pederson, and Michelle Kennedy from ESs New Hampshire.  Christine reviewed the history of ESs and it connection to Rotary; and Michelle spoke about the support ESs gives to active military service members and veterans.
 
From Christine:
 
Edgar Allen, “father of Easter Seals”, was a Rotarian in Elyria, Ohio, member and friends with Paul Harris.  Allen’s son was killed in 1907 streetcar accident when Elyria had no hospital.  Allen sold his business and raised money to build the city’s first hospital in 1908.  At that hospital, he met a boy named Jimmy with physical disabilities.  Allen realized such problems would require specialized care.
 
Allen next led the charge to build “Gates Hospital for Crippled Children”, first of its kind in the US.  “Kids had the opportunity to go outside.” 
 
1919, Ohio Association for Crippled Children was created and began to evolve; 1921, National Society for Crippled Children formed; by 1929, 23 states were members.  Rotarians helped organize Crippled Children’s Societies.
 
1934, stamp-like seals were created to raise money.  Michelle said, “ESs is NOT a religious organization.  Easter means resurrection and new life and what they were doing for the children was like giving the children a new life.”   (Some of us noticed that the first seal showed a child with disabilities superimposed on a background of a large white cross, which some of us do interpret as a religious symbol.)
 
First Easter Seals
 
1936, Ezra Jones, NH’s first orthopedic surgeon, joined forces with NH Rotary and formed the NH chapter.  ESs NH is now 85 years old.
 
1944, “and adults” was added to the “National Society for Crippled Children and Handicapped Persons.”
 
1952, adopted the lily as symbol and took the name “Easter Seals Societies” since everyone called them that already. 
 
 
2016, ESs changed the logo to the one pictured at the top of this article
 
Mission of ESs:  All people with special needs and disabilities have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.
 
Like Rotary the headquarters for ESs is in Chicago
 
In New Hampshire, Christine reported that  90 cents of every dollar on programs and services in New Hampshire. Last year, Easterseals NH programs served more than 25,600 children, adults, and seniors, as well as veterans and their families from every county in the Granite State. Many thousands more received Disability Awareness and
 
Information & Referral Services. 
Annual budget = $100 M, one of the largest in the world Easter Seals chapters in the world
Only 10% admin. rate;  ESs provides 11 core programs and 80 sub-services
Funding sources for programs comes from:
  • Government contracts/support
  • Fee for service
  • Foundation/grants
  • Fundraising/community support
From the NH ESs Web Page:
Easterseals NH opened its doors in 1936 as the NH Society for Crippled Children under the leadership of NH’s first orthopedic surgeon Ezra Jones and Crotched Mountain founder Harry Gregg. At that time, the organization provided services to children out of a small office in Nashua, NH.

For more than 83 years, Easterseals NH has provided exceptional services to ensure we change the way the world defines and views disability by making profound, positive differences in people’s lives every day.

Easterseals NH services include : Child Development Centers and Family Resource Center, Early Supports and Services, Autism Services, Residential & Educational Services, Transportation Services, Camps and Recreation, Community Based Services, Workforce Development, Military & Veterans Services, Senior Services, Substance Abuse Treatment, and Oral Health Services.

As a leader in social services for individuals with disabilities and special needs, Easterseals NH employs more than 1,800 individuals who serve more than 28,000 children, adults and seniors with our 12 core programs throughout the sta

ES core programs
Michelle Kennedy then provided us a overview of veterans services
  • Easterseals Military & Veterans Services, in partnership with Veterans Count, goal is to responds rapidly, efficiently and effectively to the unmet needs of service members, veterans and their families to ensure that they can thrive in their communities.
  • “UV Does Count” – newest chapter; building relationships with Hypertherm and Dartmouth.
  • “Veterans Count” is the fundraising arm for what ESs does with vets and active service members
  • Care coordinators work with emergency financial assistance, mental health, anything falling through gaps of what’s provided by other organizations. 
  • In VT, you can get eviction help through the state but only $500 once, and only after eviction.  ESs steps in before eviction, not limited.  We help with budgeting, help them get work, keep them in their home while being helped.  “A hand up, not a hand out.”  Committed to holistic model.
  • UV Veterans Count – working with some law school students to help with paperwork.  They have a clinic willing to help.
  • Michelle pairing with “Quechee Club to do a 5K and a golf tournament this year.
  • Veterans Count is doing lots of work in northern NE.  We’re trying some hikes.  One of our leaders works at Hypertherm helping with community support.
Read more about Veteran Services by clicking here
Questions:
  • John Yacavone:  I grew up in CT.  I remember March of Dimes and Help the Kids Around the Corner.  I thought these evolved into Easter Seals
    • Christine:  “I cannot answer that. I will try to find our and send answer to you via Jane  Mason”  March is about birth defects; we work with children after birth.
  • Bruce:  How do you relate to the NH developmental disabilities area system in general, and to Pathways of the Upper Valley in particular?
    • Christine:  We have advocates who engage in planning processes.  Our COO Nancy Rollins works with area agencies on expanding services. 
  • Hank:  Are you working with American Legion, VFW, DAV, others?
    • Michelle:  With covid, connections have been a little slower, but I’ve been attending Zoom meetings and starting to work my way around the organizations.  Have made some contact with American Legion in Barre (where Michelle works) has helped get me with the VT American Legion.
  • Christine:  We did a big mailing to all civic groups in January seeking speaking opportunities to keep us in the public eye now that our events have slowed down.
 
BILL SECORD presented a book in honor of our speakers that goes to the Children's collection at the Kilton Library:  A Trapezoid is not a Dinosaur 
 
Bill Shared: 
The book for Christine Pederson and Michelle Kennedy is A Trapezoid Is Not a Dinosaur!
Easter Seals supports giving opportunities to everyone, no matter any disability.  This children's book focuses on "fitting in".
 
In this wildly amusing, unconventional shape concept book, Trapezoid is here to declare that he's a shape, too. He's NOT a type of dinosaur!

Shape up, shapes! Triangle is hosting auditions for all the best shapes to be in his play. Circle, Square, and Star each get a part. But Trapezoid just doesn't "fit in." Is he even a shape? The others think he sounds like a type of  dinosaur . Determined to show off his usefulness, Trapezoid tries to act like the other shapes, to no avail. Eventually, though, Trapezoid celebrates his own distinct shape properties in order to become part of the performance.