February Bulletin

2/6/2023

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February Bulletin

Contents:

Inclusive Theater Performances
Professional Recording of Shows
Business Ad Opportunity
Special Onstage Guest Cameos
Spring Classes Now Registering
Black History Art Show
Purple Bucket Campaign
Community News

Barrier-Free Buzz

COMING SOON!

Join us March 17, 18, 19 for The Great Casino Caper and Check Matey, at McDaniel College's Alumni Hall!

Tickets $10 available online or at the door.

Let's see where the chips will fall! Join Kevin Bond and his partner, Arnold Palmeroy, as they embark on solving the wackiest heist in casino history -- The Great Casino Caper! Follow along as seemingly innocent conference attendees practice the art of deception at The Great Casino's annual Detecticon, a conference for police detectives. Will the heist go as planned or will the thieves be caught red-handed as they attempt to acquire expensive merchandise using the ol' five-finger discount?

Up next, for this crew of pirates, there's just no adventureon the high seas anymore. Nothing new to fill their day. No obstacles in their way. That is until the wind blows a strange "map" on their shores, thus changing their tides forever! The map? A chess board! Guided by a team of chess players, these crazy buccaneers are ready to learn the game in their own way and win the World Chess Tournament. Together, they’ll tell the world they’re more than just brains and scallywags!

McDaniel College's Alumni Hall is wheelchair accessible and accommodating for patrons who have mobility considerations. We will have staff onsite to assist you as needed.

Click Here for Advance Tickets

Click Here to Order

Advertise in our Program

Attention all businesses! Want to reach a captive audience of theater-goers and support inclusion at the same time? Advertise in our upcoming inclusive theater program!

Expected audience is 700+ including THREE special guests by local leaders! Don’t miss this opportunity to make a lasting impression on your target market.

Click Here to Submit an Ad

Guest Cameo Actors

We're thrilled to announce that this season, we're welcoming not just one, but THREE Carroll County leaders to the stage as the Chess Grandmaster in Check Matey.

Guest Actor #1 Mayor Mona Becker of Westminster has already been been announced, follow us on social media for clues about our other two special guests!

Spring Classes Now Registering

Join us for a Spring Expressive Arts Class held at The Westminster Community Center! Spring classes are open to individuals of all abilities 18+ with a supportive environment for neurodivergent adults. We welcome new & returning participants, no prior experience is required!

Click Here for Details

Black History Month Art Show

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate Black history, culture, and heritage last night at our Black History Art Show! We were honored to have the opportunity to open our space to community artists of all ages to share their artistic talents. Barrier-Free looks forward to a continued partnership with Downtown Sykesville Connection to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our wonderful Main Street community.

A special thank you to community leader Mayor Stacy Link for stopping by and showing support for local artists!

Purple Bucket Campaign

Mark your calendars and get ready to give back to the community with Barrier-Free's largest direct donation campaign of the year, “The Purple Bucket Campaign”! Every March, we call on our supporters to help us keep our programs affordable and accessible for all families.

The name of the campaign is a nod to Barrier-Free's humble beginnings, where patrons used to purchase show tickets and their change was collected in a purple plastic bucket. Although we've come a long way since then, our commitment to serving our community remains the same.

Community News

CCPS Resource Fair

Mark your calendar for Wednesday, March 22nd for the Carroll County Public Schools Resource Fair from 6 - 8pm at Winters Mill High School.

This fair is open to the community and an opportunity to meet and learn about services in Carroll County.

Autism and the Gut

Dr. Pamela Compart is a developmental pediatrician and integrative/functional medicine physician who has a particular expertise in and passion for treating children with Autism. During this session, Dr. Compart will share how she combines these “outside in” and “inside out” treatments to help a child reach his or her true potential, particularly as it relates to gut intestine imbalance, toxins, deficiencies in vitamins or minerals all to optimize brain function. Learn more and register here.

Downtown Sykesville Events

Mark your calendar for the upcoming events happening in Downtown Sykesville! Barrier-Free will take part in many of these wonderful events to showcase #inclusion in our community!

Learn more about the work Downtown Sykesville Connection does to support our vibrant Main Street.

Thank you for you support!

Pictured: Studio Members enjoying lunch in Downtown Sykesville at Local Motive.

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January Bulletin

1/6/2023

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January Bulletin

Contents:

Theater Performances
Black History Month Art Show
NEW Job Skills Partnerships
Professional Promo Video
Music as a Universal Language
Milestone Celebration
Community News

Barrier-Free Buzz

Coming to the Stage March 2023

Join us March 17, 18, 19 for The Great Casino Caper and Check Matey, at McDaniel College's Alumni Hall!

Click Here for Advance Tickets

Can’t make it to our live shows?

Don’t worry! You can order a professionally filmed DVD or digital recording created by SchoolDays Productions HERE.

Black History Month Art Show

In partnership with the Downtown Sykesville Connection, the Historic Colored Sykesville Colored Schoolhouse, local schools, and artists to bring Sykesville’s first Black History Month Art Show to life!

Our Barrier-Free artists will be creating many art pieces to celebrate Black History, Culture, and Empowerment to share with the community.

Have an art piece to share? Learn about submission criteria here.

Job Skills Partnerships

Hatton Animal Rescue

On the first Monday of the month, we are will be volunteering at Hatton Animal Rescue to learn job skills! The rescue, located in Glenelg, MD, was founded by Gary and Annette Hatton who saw a great gap in our society when it comes to the care and support of special needs animals and seniors. These animals are the ones most left behind and typically deemed un-salvageable or un-adoptable due to their medical conditions and age.

This month we cleaned the duck pools and helped feed the horses, goats, and cows. The opportunity to volunteer helps us extend our sensory threshold, improve our motor planning, focus on tasks for extended periods, and more.

Tidal Salt Co.

Jenn Banks, owner of Tidal Salt, a boutique, artisan shop, continues to #SupportInclusion in our community by partnering with us on multiple job skills initiatives! During Artist Workshop, our Barrier-Free”ers” create art pieces to be sold at Tidal Salt. We learn micro business skills including pricing, packaging, and branding items for sale.

Newly added as part of our Job Skill Coaching program, Barrier-Free members have the opportunity to work at Tidal Salt to learn retail and business management skills in an authentic setting. Pictured Left to Right: Aaron, Jenn, & Tyler, both participants in this program.

Fresh off the Press

“For me, singing is more effortless than social communication.”

- Emily Wachter, Self-Advocate, Peer Mentor, and Barrier-Free’s resident blogger

Read at https://www.barrierfreemd.com/blog

All About Barrier-Free

Barrier-Free's Inclusive Programming for Neurodivergent Adults

Do you know someone who may benefit from Barrier-Free’s inclusive community-based programming? We invite you to share our new promo video made by GLBAL Media to showcase all that Barrier-Free has to offer!

Our programs support the development of life skills and social skills through an integrated arts model with a focus on interpersonal interaction, authentic practice, and group collaboration in a community-based setting.

Milestone Celebrations

We’re adding milestone celebrations to The Life Skills & Social Studio! These Studio members have all been part of our program for 12 cumulative months or longer and earned their way into the "One Year" club, plus a commemorative t-shirt!

Barrier-Free programs are designed to support our members for the long-term. We provide ongoing skill development mixed with community integration. Building a supportive network of friends helps us navigate society and obtain life goals with greater independence and confidence.

Community News

Integrative Oral Wellness

#CommunityInvolvement at Barrier-Free! We are thrilled to share that Integrative Dental Wellness has selected us as the featured artists for January & February.

At The Life Skills & Social Studio, we create art together as a tool to improve cognitive and sensorimotor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, and more.

Autism and the Gut

MDH has specifically requested dedicated use of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to fund up to $5M in competitive grant awards to DD licensed and certified providers and nonprofit community organizations that support the DD community.

DDA is hosting an ARPA Grant webinar on January 30, 2023 from 12:00 - 1:00 pm. The presentation offers additional information and insight into the DDA’s kickoff for the ARPA Competitive Grant application. The webinar will go through a complete review of the scope and use of the GrantVantage platform for the application. Register for the webinar here.

Thank you for you support!

Pictured: Studio Members with Hannah, owner of Botanigal. Barrier-Free was fortunate to be Botanigal’s December non-profit, and receive 1% of total monthly sales.

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Music as a Universal Language

12/3/2022

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"Music is the universal language of mankind."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

For me, singing is more effortless than social communication.
Music has a pattern to it. Social communication may or may not have a pattern, depending on the context in which it occurs.
Music has a rhythm to it. A conversation does not have a rhythm to it.
Music is easier for me to memorize. It's easier to memorize because of the rhythm, beat, and repetition of the chorus.
Music makes me feel free. Conversations make me feel restricted.
Music lets me block out all the noise that occurs in the world. Noise comes from many things: television, microwave, oven, computer clicks, and cars. I have control of the volume of the music I listen to. I can't control the volume of the things around me.
Music helps me focus. It takes a lot of work to focus on a conversation.
Through music, I can communicate my feelings without having to put actual spoken words to what I feel. Sometimes when I'm upset a song will play in my head and that is a signal that something is wrong.
Music allows me to express myself. Music allows my friends and me a chance to freely stim. Stimming is something people with autism use to regulate themselves.
Music helps me accomplish tasks I struggle to do and achieve them faster.

Pictured Left to Right: Amanda, Katie, Emily, Brian, & Katia rehearsing the opening song at Inclusive Theater rehearsal. January 2023.

Emily Wachter

Blogger

Written by Emily Wachter

Emily Wachter is the owner and entrepreneur of Photography through Autism. She is a lifelong writer and photographer with a passion for disability rights, social justice, and psychology. She is a peer mentor with Penn-Mar Human Services. She is a college student at Carroll Community College with dreams of being a case manager. Emily has spoken on a number of disability panels on living with autism and experiences of bullying. She is involved with a number of disability groups in Maryland, including YoungLife Capernaum, Disability Express Group, and Special Olympics. In her free time, she likes spending time with family and friends, coloring, and shopping.

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Barrier-Free Awarded Safeway Foundation Grant to Support Cooking Skills Projects for Neurodivergent Adults

11/3/2022

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Join us in saying THANK YOU to the Safeway Foundation! The foundation has awarded Barrier-Free a $2000 grant to support the expansion of our Cooking Skills projects for neurodivergent adults at The Life Skills & Social Studio.

Please help us show our appreciation by visiting your neighborhood store and telling employees how much you appreciate their support!

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November Bulletin

11/1/2022

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November Bulletin

Contents:

Giving Tuesday
Upcoming Events
Grant Announcement
Individualized Skill Coaching
NEW Merch for the Holidays
Community News

Barrier-Free Buzz

#GivingTuesday

Giving Tuesday occurs the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It is touted as a "global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.

This year, on Tuesday, November 29th, consider making a donation to Barrier-Free to support our mission of inclusivity and help us reach our $5000 goal.

You can also support Barrier-Free by hosting a personal Giving Tuesday Facebook Fundraiser.

Click Here to Donate

Funds for Friends

Join us Thursday, November 17th ALL DAY at The Greene Turtle in Westminster, MD to raise funds to support Barrier-Free!

20% of your dine-in or carry-out meal (including drinks) will be donated to Barrier-Free.

All proceeds help fund our Inclusive Theater Company production budget.

Holiday Party

You’re invited to join us for an afternoon of cheer at Barrier-Free's Holiday Party!

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10 • 2 - 4PM

Liberatore's Eldersburg 6300 Georgetown Blvd. Eldersburg, MD 21784

Cost per person - $45

Buffet Meal includes: Fried Calamari • Bruschetta Caesar Salad • Bread and Butter • Chicken Marsala Penne Vodka Sauce • Sausage & Peppers • Butter Noodles • Family Style Servings of Homemade Oreo Cake • Mini Cannolis • Coffee, Iced Tea, and Sodas

This event is open to Barrier-Free”ers” families, friends, and our greater community! All guests must purchase a ticket to attend.

Click Here for Tickets

Grant Announcements

Exciting news! The Safeway Foundation has awarded Barrier-Free a $2000 grant to support the expansion of our Cooking Skills projects for neurodivergent adults at The Life Skills & Social Studio.

Please help us show our appreciation by visiting your neighborhood store and telling employees how much you appreciate their support!

Individualized Skill Coaching

Barrier-Free Individualized Skill Coaching program supports neurodivergent adults in achieving their independence, employment, or social goals.

Highly-skilled coaches work with participants and families to develop an individualized goal plan for maximized support. Skill coaching is typically a combination of in-home and community-based work.

Arrangements can vary in length and frequency, with a typical plan ranging from 3 - 20 hours per week.

Skill Coaching services are paired with regular attendance at Barrier-Free programs to support relationship-building and whole-person development.

Click Here to Learn More & Get Started

NEW Merch for the Holidays!

Barrier-Free merch makes the perfect holiday gift and supports an #inclusive organization!

NEW to our offerings - Campfire Mugs, that pair perfectly with Barrier-Free Blend coffee from Pork & Beans Store.

Shop our merch offerings at our online store HERE.

Community News

Sykesville Craft Beer Festival, November 12th, 12 to 4 pm

Enjoy unlimited sampling of over 50 beers, live music, food trucks, and artisans in beautiful historic Sykesville.

Click here for details and tickets.

Thank you for you support!

Pictured: Studio Members enjoying their Halloween Party!

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