Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay AreaEmpower • Inspire • Support

IMPACT

20

19

Proud parents, Tamara and Jonathan Oribello, welcome

Baby Dax, born November 2019

“I was 26 weeks pregnant when I received the Down syndrome diagnosis for my baby girl. My husband and I previously had no contact with persons with Trisomy 21, so we had no idea what to expect.... We were greeted warmly at the parent meetings, and they were very informative and well organized....

We always look forward to the family activities; we all have so much fun, especially big brother. We feel pampered by the wonderful setup and activities, the contributions from sponsors and volunteers. Thank you!

But most importantly, we see kids and adults with Down Syndrome of all ages interact and have fun. That is most valuable to us.”

– Stephanie Gabriel

Celebrated Abilities

Olivia and Azaria proudly carry their signs

across the finish line at the 2019 Step Up for

Down Syndrome Walk.

Celebrating 21 years of services to our community with an extra 21st chromosome.

Nancy LaBelleExecutive Director

Dear Friends of DSCBA,

We are excited to enter our 22nd year supporting our amazing community.

2019 was a year of significant growth thanks to our generous donors, members, volunteers, board, and hardworking staff. Because of your support, we met our budgetary goals, which allows us to enter the new year with confidence.

We welcomed 47 beautiful new babies and all who love them into our DSCBA family, and increased our reach by adding new programs for teens and adults throughout the Bay Area. Our community events and support groups connecting families continue to grow in attendance, which tells us our efforts on outreach are working.

In 2020 we will continue to focus our development strategy on the needs of our members, researching key partnerships to enrich our program and service offerings.

We expect 2020 will be another year of supporting our vast Bay Area communities of hospitals and school districts. We have proven that by nurturing these relationships we can positively impact a new family’s start on their journey and our school-age members’ educational experiences. Thank you for the many ways you continue to support our work. Only together can we continue to positively impact the quality of life of those we proudly serve.

“My husband and I felt the gamut of emotions in the wake of our prenatal diagnosis. And walking into that first support group meeting this past March admittedly had my stomach in knots. I was nervous about what I’d see, what I’d hear, and how I’d feel about it all….

But our fears melted away as we listened to other parents share their experiences, and to watch their adorable children laugh and play buoyed our fragile hearts. To see that the kids were just that: kids!

Down syndrome is just a part of who they are; it does not define them or their families.”

-Carissa Thilgen

Welcomed 47 New Babies

Welcome Harper Jane Mariano, born May 9, 2019.

Medical Outreach Alliance & New Family Support

The overarching goals of our Medical Outreach Alliance and New Family Support programs are to provide pregnant and new parents with compassionate and up-to-date information, resources, and support that they need when confronted with a new diagnosis, and to help educate the medical community, who has the first contact with these families.

Last year, DSCBA embarked on an expanded outreach campaign to Bay Area medical professionals. Over the past two years, we have contacted more than 2,000 pediatricians through a listing provided to us by the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. This resulted in a dramatic expansion of the reach of our program, with many more medical professionals being reached, as well as more families discovering DSCBA and utilizing our services, which is reflected in many of our activity numbers.

Welcomed 47 new babies and their

families!

Provided new parent packets to 177 new

medical offices.

Provided 600 hours of phone and in-person

consultation.

Hosted 22 Early Connections support

sessions.

“I have noticed an increase in Saige’s vocabulary as well as her intelligibility. We have had many family members and friends comment on her progress as well. As she has started back to school, she is doing a much better job with the routine of the school day. Her aide said she noticed a difference even after two days back.”

- Crystal Leiser, mother of CRP participant Saige

Ian Park (left) and Lorenzo Burgos gain AAC exposure and build literacy skills in CRP.

Prepared for School

Down Syndrome Education Alliance & Communication Readiness ProgramDSCBA had another successful year implementing the Down Syndrome Education Alliance (DSEA) and the Communication Readiness Program (CRP). In fact, the two programs are working more closely with each other, as our education director is working with administrators at the schools attended by students who participated in the summer CRP. We scheduled teacher trainings and workshops such as Road to Success, Accommodations & Modifications, Motivating Independence, and Inclusive Education & Strategies to Support It. Last year, through all of these workshops, the DSEA team reached more than 550 educators and parents, along with more than 2,500 students through our continuing Ability Awareness presentations. These workshops and presentations can help change the culture schoolwide to support inclusion and accommodation strategies for children with disabilities.

Gave Ability Awareness presentations to 2,584

students.

Delivered educational workshops to 561

educators and parents.

Welcomed 16 students to CRP, which included communication & AAC

training.

Provided post-CRP on-site consultations and

training to 68 educators.

“The kids that she has met in [Peer Development] classes along the way make up her social circle today. Not only has our daughter derived so much in the way of learning and enhanced self-esteem from her involvement in the classes, she has also been given the opportunity to ‘give back’ by working as a teacher’s aide at the Down Syndrome Connection.”

-Layne Alfrey, mother of K. Leigh

Sam Morris and Benjamin Nordell enjoy friendship and making art at the adult Peer Development Class in San Mateo.

Built Lifelong Friendships

Peer Development Classes & Adult ServicesDSCBA has been about connections since our founding, and Peer Development Classes, formerly called “Step,” have been offered since the beginning. The Peer Development Classes are weekly sessions by age level that build social, motor, speech and language, and literacy and communication skills. One of the extraordinary benefits of Peer Development is the friendships and social bonds created among participants that can literally last a lifetime. In 2019, we dramatically expanded this program into more communities than ever before. The greatest expansion has been classes for teens and adults with Down syndrome.

We also continue to grow our support and services for adults and their caregivers, with the addition of a private Facebook group for parents of teens and adults, a Down Syndrome & Dementia Caregiver Telephone support group, and information and referral.

Offered 12 weekly Peer Development Classes to 96 individuals in 9 locations:

Antioch, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Danville, Dublin, Oakland, Pleasant Hill,

San Francisco, and San Mateo.

Provided 150 hours of consultation to families of teens & adults with Down

syndrome.

Employed 6 adults

with Down syndrome.

Conducted 21 support group meetings for grandparents,

parents of school-age children, & DS & dementia

family caregivers.

Offered 51 Music Therapy classes

in 3 communities: Danville, Oakland,

and San Mateo.

DSCBA Peninsula provided over 25

Music Therapy, Peer Development Classes, meetings/workshops,

and social events.

Provided 6 workshops in

health, wellness, arts, and other

topics.

Engaged over 400

volunteers.

Increased social media outreach through two private Facebook groups; Facebook followers up

13%; Instagram followers up 61%.

Therapy Through Music & Play

Supporter Highlight

It takes a community of generous people to move the DSCBA forward each year.

Janet and Rick Cronk are donors who have given generously to us since 2015. In fact, they are top donors at our Gala each year, raising their paddle for our Fund a Need, setting the bar high and encouraging others to give.

Janet and Rick joined our DSCBA family via our Board Chairman Tom Delaplane and his wife Linda, as they have been dear friends for many years.

Tom says, “It’s wonderful to have the Cronks join our table at the Gala each year,” adding, “We are known to be competitive and we have fun trying to beat out each other’s bid each year.”

When we asked Rick why he and Janet give to the DSCBA, Rick told us, “Because we are happy to support world-class children and adults who thrive through the one-of-a-kind programs and services at the DSCBA.” Rick says that he is specifically impressed with our Medical Outreach and Education Alliance partnerships that expand our influence in the broader community.

Tom Delaplane has been with DSCBA as Chairman for four years, and has brought many wonderful people to our organization. We are humbled that we have donors such as the Delaplanes and the Cronks with us who truly believe in giving back to make a significant difference in the quality of life of others.

Janet and Rick’s grandson, Chris Cronk, volunteered last fall semester in our Early Elementary Peer Development class.

We cannot thank the Cronk and the Delaplane families enough for their support over the years. Gifts of time and funds from our community are what enable us to continue and grow our programs year after year. Thank you.

The Cronk Family

(from left) Rick Cronk, Linda Delaplane, Janet Cronk, and Tom Delaplane at the DSCBA Gala.

Gratitude

Financial Statement

THANK YOU to ALL of our supporters at any level. Due to limited space, we are highlighting those at $5,000+.

Anonymous Foundation

Barr Family Foundation

Janet & Alan Bartizal

Carl Gellert & Celia Berta Gellert Foundation

Chevron

Janet & William F. Cronk

Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation

Tom & Linda Delaplane

Frank & Pat Elliott

Kenneth & Susan Fusselman

Jay Hatfield in memory of Leon Paulson

Jam Handy Character Building Foundation

John Muir Health

Alicia & David Keenan

Gayle & Pat Leiser

Macy’s

Marino Family Charitable Foundation

NAILBA Foundation

Nicholson Foundation

Noll Foundation

Nordstrom

Pure Good Foundation

Quest Foundation

Rite Aid Foundation

Rotary Club of Danville/Sycamore Valley Community Foundation

Share the Spirit Program of the Contra Costa Crisis Center

Sunstate Equipment Foundation

Wayne & Gladys Valley Foundation

Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area

101-J Town & Country DriveDanville, CA 94526

(925) 362-8660www.dscba.org

INCOME

EXPENSES

Grants: $292,112

Gala: $230,891

Step Up Walk: $224,775

Other Fundraisers: $96,712

Contributions: $72,225

Service Fees: $60,421

Reserved Funds: $50,000

Misc: $720

TOTAL: $1,027,856

Programs: $760,720 (77%)

Fundraising: $111,672 (11%)

Administration: $109,760 (11%)

TOTAL: $982,152

Carryover to 2020: $45,704

Marissa Erickson, DSCBA Community Outreach

Associate & Self Advocate.