Happy Thanksgiving!

What’s Up at CIDA

We at CIDA would like to express our genuine appreciation for you taking the time to attend our 2023 CIDA Gala on October 12. Your attendance at the event was greatly appreciated and contributed to our common goals of equity and inclusion.

We hope you had as much fun at our gala as we did planning the event. It was lovely to see the community coming together and contributing to the event’s dynamic atmosphere. Your engagement meant a lot to us, and we appreciate it.
This year, we focused our fundraising in supporting CoSpire, CIDA’s career and job development program and Art Initiative for young adults with disabilities. The funds we raised will be used to purchase t-shirt printing machines, CoSpire cafe materials, and art supplies, as well as fund language access support.

Your generous contributions and partnership help carry out CIDA’s mission of inclusion and equity of people with exceptional needs including families impacted by disabilities and language barriers.
Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and being part of discovering possibilities for our community!

The event photos are available for download from this link: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAYDxs

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New Art & Cooking Teachers

Cooking Instructor: Nathalie Reid
Chef Nathalie Reid has been a natural food chef for over 20 years, 12 of which she has spent teaching. Cooking is her passion and teaching others to cook is part of that wonderful experience.

Art Instructor: Jasmine Oza
Since 2007, Jasmine Oza has worked in various positions as an instructor to children and students with disabilities, and has helped them foster their creativity and expression in the world of art. She looks forward to utilizing both her artistic and teaching experiences to support the members of our CIDA community.

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CoSpire Cafe!

We were proud to celebrate our third CoSpire Cafe Pop-up Event on Friday, October 27th. The co-op members provided excellent customer service and, of course, excellent coffee and tea to their community, and we couldn’t be more proud of how far they have come in terms of workforce development. We hope to see YOU at our next CoSpire Cafe Pop-up on November 10–we will also be serving hot cocoa!

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Cospire Member Highlights

Jennifer has been a shining star in our CoSpire program during this Cohort. Her artwork was featured at the CIDA 2023 Gala. She demonstrated extraordinary dedication by attending CIDA three days a week, more than most students. Alongside her art classes and job training classes, she’s been mastering her barista skills in our pop-up coffee events. In addition to her personal growth, Jennifer has gone above and beyond, offering her kindness and assistance to both peers and teachers.

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New Resource Page on Autism Spectrum Disorders

We are excited to announce that a new page on Autism Spectrum Disorders has been added to CIDA’s ‘Information and Resources’ section. From defining the autism spectrum to debunking widespread myths, we have compiled all the essential information for easy reference. The content is available entirely in Korean and also includes resources created by other organizations. We invite you to explore and would greatly appreciate your attention and interest.

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FAQs on OPWDD Housing Options

We are pleased to inform you that the answers to questions received during our webinar on housing options with New York’s Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) this past June have been uploaded to CIDA’s website. The content is available in both Korean and Chinese. As these answers are based on actual questions posed by families, we believe you will find the information valuable.

Workshop & Support Group