Happy New Year!

The snow is falling fast in Park City, and our programs are in full swing during the winter months. The National Ability Center's Ski & Snowboard Center is gearing up for Session II on January 9th. The equestrian program started Winter Session II today.

If you know of individuals who would benefit from participating in our programs please refer them to our website at www.DiscoverNAC.org.

We thrive thanks to our great volunteers, so if you have an interest in volunteering please let us know and we'll give your more information. Look at www.DiscoverNAC.org for a list of programs where you might use your talents to benefit individuals with disabilities who participate at the National Ability Center.

I would like to ask for some help in this new of 2011. I am looking for stories about participants, volunteers or even stories from the staff at the National Ability Center. I would like to highlight some of the individuals that participate in programs or make our programs possible. If you have a funny, serious, or inspirational story that you would like to share, please e-mail me at benh@DiscoverNAC.org. I am working on making this blog something that highlights individuals and a place we can learn about the people we work for and with. I look forward to hearing and posting some great stories in the coming months.

Thank you for your help, and Happy New Year.

-Ben
National Ability Center
AmeriCorps Member

National Ability Center Ski and Snowboard Center

The National Ability Center had its staff BBQ at the Ski & Snowboard Center a couple of weeks ago. The BBQ was in celebration of the renovations and hard work that many people put into the off season to make the Ski & Snowboard Center a little better.

The equipment room is more space efficient with new places to store ski equipment.

The ski team now has its own locker room to help store its equipment, a place where the team can have meetings, and a separate place for the coaches and team members to hang out.

There is a new locker room that they are calling the Education Locker Space. Instructors will now have more room to store their personal skis, snowboards and different gear that they will be using to teach participants.

The main desk area has been opened up. There is now more desk room and more room in general area where the couches are.

Thank you to all of those who put in long hours to make the Ski & Snowboard Center renovations a success. I am sure the participants and their families will notice the changes and the new feel of a renovated Ski & Snowboard Center.

We are looking forward to a great season together. The returning volunteer training has now taken place at Park City Mountain Resort, and we look forward to seeing many familiar and new faces on mountain this season.

If you are an individual or know of an individual that would like to take part in lessons at the National Ability Center's Ski and Snowboard Center please log onto our website, and check out the programs and the different adaptive equipment we use to teach participants on mountain at DiscoverNAC.org.

If you have a friend that would like to volunteer with the National Ability Center's Ski & Snowboard Center please have them look at our website for the opportunities available at DiscoverNAC.org.

New AmeriCorps Members

The National Ability Center is a host site for the AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps is a volunteer service organization that partners with programs throughout the country. There are six new AmeriCorps volunteers joining the National Ability Center for this coming year. They started the first day of October and will be here for a solid year. They will be working in various programs that the National Ability Center has to offer. Take a few minutes to read about the new AmeriCorps individuals. They are all from different backgrounds, but they are bringing experience and passion to the programs that they will be working with.

Andrea will be the Peer Partner Coordinator and ski instructor at the Ski and Snowboard Center. She is from Fenton, Michigan. She studied Therapeutic Recreation at Central Michigan University and is a licensed CTRS. She finished her degree with her internship in the winter of 2009 at the NAC and fell in love with it. She stayed on as an AmeriCorps member and is excited for a second great year of AmeriCorps at the NAC! She loves the power of recreation to enrich peoples lives.

Her favorite quote is: "You gain strength, and courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face...You must do the thing you think you cannot." Eleanor Roosevelt

Erin in from the great state down south of Tennessee and she wishes y'all a good day. She will be working with the equestrian program and at the ski and snowboard center this winter. She loves rock climbing and staying active in the outdoors. She has completed two years of college at the University of Tennessee and is very excited about AmeriCorps and the opportunities at the National Ability Center.

Erica will be the Ski & Snowboard Program Volunteer Coordinator at the National Ability Center. She will be coordinating the volunteers at the ski and snowboard center. Her hometown is Marinette, Wisconsin and she is a Badger, graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology: Exercise and Movement Science. She was in a dance academy for 12 years growing up. She still has some skills.

Laura is originally from the frozen tundra (aka, North Dakota) and is excited to live in the mountains this year. She will be working with a little bit of everything this year including: aquatics, ski and snowboard center, volunteer coordinating, and outreach. A recent graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth, Laura loves to go trail running, climb rocks, and bike in her spare time.

Michelle is originally from Napa, California. She was able to do an Equine Internship through the National Ability Center in the summer of 2009 and came back the following summer to teach Camp Giddy Up. She went to college at Feather River College in Quincy, California where she majored in Equine Studies. She concentrated her studies in Pack Skills and Stable Operations. She graduated with an Associates Degree in the spring, and decided to take a break from school and come out to the National Ability Center to participate in AmeriCorps.

Teaching therapeutic horseback riding has always been a dream of hers, and through the NAC she has been able to live that dream to the fullest. While being here, she hopes to push her boundaries and try something outside of the equine world. In reaching that goal she will be volunteering in the NAC's ski and snowboard program this winter as well as being in the barn.

My name is Ben. I am originally from South Bend, Indiana. I have a Health, Fitness and Recreation Degree and recently finished going back to school to receive my teaching certification in Health and Physical Education. I love to participate in all things sport. I have participated in seven marathons and about thirteen half-marathons in my racing wheelchair. When the snow flies you will find me on the slopes. I will be working this year with the National Ability Center in the marketing and outreach department, the ski and snowboard center, and the sled hockey programs. I am looking forward to meeting some great individuals and learning many new things in my year as an AmeriCorps member.

If you would like more information on AmeriCorps and the different programs they are currently working in Utah and nationally, you can click on the link below.

www.AmeriCorps.gov

Utah Insurance Opportunity

Primary Care Network is open now for all adults of low income who do not have other health insurance. See www.health.utah.gov/pcn for more information. See the attached flyers and distribute extensively in your networks. Print and post!

“It’s a good preventive care plan,” said Utah Health Department spokeswoman Kolbi Young, who estimates 100,000 uninsured adults are eligible. Currently, enrollment stands at 13,000, down from a yearly average of 18,000.

Applicants must meet the following requirements (please visit the state's website for full list of requirements):
» Age 19 through 64.
» U.S. citizens or legal residents.
» Not covered by other health insurance.
» Meet income guidelines (for example, a family of four must have an income that does not exceed $33,075 a year).
» Not qualified for Medicaid.
» Have no access to student health insurance, Medicare or veterans benefits.

Applicants can apply online at www.health.utah.gov/pcn or can call the PCN hot line at 1-888-222-2542.

Carol Ruddell
Project Director, Work Ability Utah
Utah Department of Health Division of Medicaid and Health Financing
c/o Office of Rehabilitation
1595 West 500 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
phone: (801) 887-9388
fax: (801) 887-9389
cruddell@utah.gov
www.workabilityutah.org

*The National Ability Center (NAC) is not affiliated with Primary Care Network, Work Ability Utah or the Utah Department of Health. This information is passed on strictly as information that may be beneficial to those involved with the NAC's programs. Any concerns about the posting of this information should be sent to info (at) DiscvoerNAC (dot) org.