HAPPENINGS AND ACTIVITIES
September meet-up in Bangor area, October in Portsmouth, see Happenings and RSVP soon
SOON: RSVP NOW IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER AND WOULD LIKE TO BE OUR GUEST:
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH, OLD TOWN (BANGOR, BREWER AREA GROUP AND GUESTS) - POT LUCK AND GOOD COMPANY
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4TH, PORTSMOUTH (SOUTHERN MAINE AND NEW HAMPSHIRE AREA AND GUESTS) - ART OF ALL KINDS TO SHARE
OCTOBER 14-18 IN SEATTLE, WA - THE ONE AND ONLY: ALDACON (SEE WWW.ALDA.ORG)
ANYONE WANT AN AUDIOLOGY DAY ONLINE AGAIN? IF SO, LET ME KNOW AND WE WILL CHECK ON AUDIOLOGIST AVAILABILITY.
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Examples of ALDA-MAINE meetings and past events:
SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2009 IN BRUNSWICK: Special thanks to our July meeting speaker, Kelly Lynch (audiologist specializing in tinnitus, working at Maxwell, Kluger and Makaretz, ENT practice in Portland, Maine). Also kudos to our CART provider that day, Dennis Ford. Captioning helps us all. We were happy to see so many Brunwick community people at the beautiful Library there (and thanks again to the Library's Mr. Heath.)
JUNE 2009: first Bangor area Pot luck - was so much fun! Thanks Marge!
DECEMBER 6, 2008, 5:30 TO 7:30. CIVIL RIGHTS INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION, AT MCD, WITH CART. HOLIDAY POT LUCK.
OCTOBER 2nd, 2007, 500 PEOPLE AT THE PORTLAND LIBRARY SPECIAL EVENT with ALDA-ME!
Richard Russo, award winning Maine author was the attraction. The place was filled. ALDA-ME was so proud to introduce and pay for CART for all there! It was an educational event, and part of our outreach for new members and supporters.
Here is the three minute 'introduction' offered for all interested in the audience - it got a loud round of applause! We hope some there join us, with hearing, or with hearing loss, so we can expand our programs and welcome more to our chapter of ALDA-ME.
"Hello all, can you hear me?" (Lots of smiling faces). My name is Lauren Storck and I am president of ALDA in Maine, a new chapter of a wonderful national all voluinteer association for hard of hearing and deafened people of all ages and families too. Ninety-five percent of over 30 million people with hearing loss in our coungry will never use sign language because we live in the hearing world. We need captioning (CART) as we have tonight on the screen for all to enjoy. ALDA-ME is pleased to provide this with our CART professional (Shari Majeski).
Most hard of hearing and deafened people will not be with us tonight, having stopped coming to these wonderful public events because it's too much of a struggle to understand the words. We hope you will pick up our brochure and join our efforts in Maine for more resources. Look us up online too.
If you know anyone who is HOH, please let them know about ALDA-ME, and also tell them they are allowed, by Federal and Maine Laws, to rquest Captioning for any public event - at their own library, for a town meeting, a doctor's appointment, at school, at work, and in other places.
Finally, I'm so much looking forward to "hearing" with my eyes, what Richard Russo has to share with us tonight. His writing about people, families, and relationships is why we are all here, and I hope one day he will write a story about the experience of losing hearing also! Thank you everyone. "
THE ABOVE REMINDER IS POSTED HERE AS ENCOURAGEMENT TO ALL MAINE LIBRARIES AND AUTHORS TO THINK ABOUT PROVIDING CART FOR ALL AUDIENCES. QUESTIONS? CONTACT ALDA-MAINE NOW.
2008: Monthly meetings continuing all of that year in Windham at the Windham Public Library, thanks to the leadership of Edna Rollins, dedicated ALDA-Mainer.
January 2009:ALDA-MAINE IS HAPPY TO SAY THANKS TO THE "ACCESSIBILITY EQUALITY FUND" (BASED AT THE MAINE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION) FOR TV CAPTIONING (THREE TIMES A WEEK) ON THE MAINE PUBLIC BROADCASTING NETORK (MPBN) OF THEIR PROGRAM CALLED "MAINE WATCH." CHECK IT OUT FRIDAY EVENING OR ON THE WEEKEND.
August 28, 2007: ALDA-MAINE IS HAPPY TO SAY THANKS! to the following MAINE COMPANIES for their sponsorthip of TV Captioning on Maine Station WCSH 6:
NEWS CENTER - OAKHURST DAIRY, NORTHEAST BANK, AND PATRIOT SUBURU
PROGRAM "207" at 7:00pm - GORHAM SAVINGS BANK
Bill Green's Maine has MAINE BANK & TRUST
TV CAPTIONS are vital for ACCESS for all of us with hearing loss in Maine - we are over 100,000 people in Maine, of all ages.
WE NEED REAL TIME CAPTIONING ON ALL MAINE TV NEWS ALSO! VISUAL SUMMARIES ARE NOT EQUAL COMMUNICATION ACCESS.
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Year 2, June 2007 - May/June 2008
June, meeting in Windham/Portland with CART - Our Annual General Meeting announced our first Board of Directors (Officers) and thanked the Windham group for their hospitality. Items discussed included outreach for new members, planning for future months, and fundraising.
Note: The Windham meetings continue for November and December, 2007. New location in planning for 2008. Contact us for more information.
July, Rockland Public Library Speaker with CART - about 30 people, including some ALDA in Maine members, enjoyed the speaker, CART, and the entire special evening in the beautiful Rockland Public Library. (Education, outreach, social.)
August, Great Diamond Island/Casco Bay meeting with CART - An ALDA ME member used CART provided by our Chapter to participate fully in an important annual meeting of an association that has been prominent in that family's life. With serious hearing loss, the ALDA-ME member was able to have full communication access. ALDA-Maine was pleased to support a member in this way, and the event was both educational and outreach to that entire community and region.
October 2, Portland Public Library, see above summary.
November, EMS Training with CART, Rockland
ALDA BOARD meeting with CART - time and place to be decided
December? Holiday Party? - Open for members' planning
January 2008? Feb 2008? through May 2008 - Open for members' planning.
June 2008 - ALDA-MAINE Annual General Meeting for reports, planning forward; time and day to be announced.
Year 1, April 2006-May 2007 (This was our organizing year. We met with many people who were interested in the development of ALDA-Maine, and filed all the paperwork needed by ALDA to become an official Chapter.)
CART provided from several donations for member meetings around the State (Rockland, Rockport, Gorham/Portland, Augusta, others). Donations were from individuals, companies, and families. DoD paid for two meetings. DHHS paid for one.
In April 2007, our grant application made in the Fall of 2006 was awarded as seed money for us (from the Maine Community Foundation; see details on separate link page here).
Several members, from day one, made valuable donations in kind, e.g. refreshments, copying costs, raffle items for June 2006 Deaf Conference in Portland). Sincere thanks to all!
***ALDA-MAINE is able to educate our communities about hearing loss and the resources needed to continue an active and healthy life. Please get in touch soon to help us include CAPTIONING for one of your own favorite community events.
***ALDA-MAINE has members serving on Maine State councils and committees concerned with hearing issues for all Maine citizens, be they deafened, hard of hearing, deaf, or hearing. We all live together.
***ALDA-MAINE sends ADVOCACY letters to State and National legislative and executive leaders for the needs of deafened and hard of hearing people in Maine.
***ALDA-MAINE is a member of a new national coalition called COAT for all people with disabilities. This coalition meets regularly to shape important federal legislation that protects our rights outlined in the ADA Laws.
Others
ALDA-MAINE ONGOING PROJECTS INCLUDE MEETINGS FOR MEMBERS AND GUESTS, A MEMBERS' ONLY ONLINE FORUM FOR INFORMATION AND SUPPORT, THIS PUBLIC WEBSITE TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT HEARING LOSS AND RESOURCES, AND ADVOCACY FOR ALL MAINE PEOPLE WHO NEED HEARING ASSISTANCE.
ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION ARE DAILY ACTIVITIES. SPEAK UP AND BE COUNTED WITH US. YOUR VOICES ARE NEEDED.