Website Launch

Our mission at Easter Seals has always been to promote the independence of people with disabilities to live ordinary lives. We work tirelessly to ensure our community is aware of the challenges they face, but more importantly, we spread the value of treating all people equally. Since 1919 we have been the leader in providing both children and adults with the tools they need to reach their full potential. Because we are ever-growing with services that reach a huge spectrum of people, it’s safe to say that our website hasn’t always been quite caught up. But, all of that is about to change…Easter Seals Florida is delighted to unveil our new and improved website! We decided that it was about time that we had an online presence that was just as beautiful as our mission itself. We’re proud to announce that we’ve surpassed all expectations.

New Features:

·        Live social media feed

·        Mobile friendly formatting

·        New drop down navigation feature

·        Dynamic and appealing web design

·        Content tailored for the user experience

·        New news section replete with client success stories

Most importantly: We designed our website to be accessible for our special needs clients so they can have all the information they need at their fingertips!

Be the first person to Tweet what year our logo began feturing a lily with the hashtag #ESFL and win a free iPhone 5 case! (Hint: it's under "History")

 So, what are you waiting for? Come check us out!

 www.easterseals.com/florida

Valentine's Day According to Easter Seals

Love truly is blind. It doesn't care what ethnicity you are, where you are located or even if you have a disability. It always finds its way into your heart. With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching we would like to reflect on the many different kinds of love found in our organization. From the love of a husband and wife to that of two friends who met in one of our programs, Easter Seals has a passion for spreading love and all its beauty. With that said, here are some of the kinds of love you’ll find in our organization:

-          Love of Learning: A child with a disability is just as curious and eager to learn as the rest of us. We get such joy from seeing our young members grow and develop. Their thirst for knowledge is inspirational and their love for books, blocks and all things colorful keep us wanting to teach them all about the world around them.

-          Military Love: We offer respite services to the families of military veterans while they are serving our country. It’s incredible to see how big of an impact these individuals have in the community and we are lucky to be able to work with such honorable citizens. In them we constantly see the love they have for their country and, of course, the love of their families who are anxiously awaiting their arrival.

-          Family Love: The love and support our clients receive from their families never fails to amaze us. Mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters are some of the most incredible people we come across. Their passion for our organization is what drives us and the unconditional love they provide for their family member living with a disability or special need moves us deeply.

-          Summer Love: Our annual summer camp, Camp Challenge, always leaves us feeling like we made our campers truly happy. The entirely accessible campground gives our members the ability to do things such as feed farm animals, ride horses and even zip line! Their love for animals, the outdoors and their freedom keeps us looking forward to another successful summer.

-          Community Love: Our community is a huge support for our mission of awareness and independence for those living with disabilities. We have amazing volunteers and local partners whose devotion is truly treasured. Their constant love and willingness to help is something that we value beyond measure.

-          True Love: We often hear and see happy couples with one of the two dealing with a disability. Their love stories are touching, to say the least. The pure love for one another is often something out of movies and we can’t thank them enough for the generosity of sharing their fairytale endings with us at Easter Seals.

So, now that you know some of the different types of love we are surrounded by, we’d like to wish you a happy and healthy #ValentinesDay and invite you to join conversation by #Valentweeting your love story! 

Calling All Volunteers: Did you know that your volunteer time could be tax deductible?

It’s a New Year and what a better way to spend the year new year than by saving a few bucks?  You may not give big dollars or throw a big fundraising soirée but your volunteer time is valuable to us too.

During this season of giving, we want to let you know how much the giving of your time means to us. Time is such a precious gift, and through the time taken out of your busy schedule, time away from family or friends, you are impacting the lives of our families. As a small way to say thank you, we wanted to share the ways to deduct certain volunteer expenses on your tax returns this year.

Here are a couple of items that the IRS allows volunteers at a nonprofit to deduct from their taxable income (These can be verified through the volunteer coordinator of Easter Seals Florida):

Car and transportation expenses

This includes expenses such as, but not limited to, back and forth from home to office, meetings, or events. This can be recorded as actual gas used or by keeping track of the mileage at the rate of 14 cent per mile.

Travel expenses

This includes expenses such as, but not limited to, airfare, other transportation, accommodations, and meals when preforming services away from home.

Other: Out-of-pocket expenses

Includes expenses such as, but not limited to, supplies for arts and crafts, new books purchased, printed materials for activities, background screening (unreimbursed), etc.

For more information on the limitations of tax deductions please visit, http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/remind-nonprofit-volunteers-tax-deductions-29659.html.

If you would like more information about volunteerism at your local Easter Seals please visit www.fl.easterseals.com/volunteering. Can’t wait to hear how much you saved this year. #SavingBig #TaxBreak

Susan Boyle's Dreams Become a Reality

Dreams are meant to be extravagant and daring. They’re meant to be fun, measurable and achievable. Some dreams are only dreams, but other dreams become reality. With the right amount of belief and support, dreams can be achievable and they can be reality… just ask Susan Boyle.

Boyle, who is Scottish, is the amazing singer that “became famous overnight after her audition for “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2009,” reported CNN. She has awed people with her beautiful voice and now has the opportunity to voice her own opinion as an individual living with a disability. At the age of 52, Boyle hopes that openly discussing her Asperger’s syndrome will help “lead people to understand and treat her better.” She quotes, “I am not strong on my own. When I have the support of people around me I am fine.”

Like Boyle there are many others living with a disability but they don’t let it slow them down. Children and adults with a disability are no different from you and me. Living with a disability is not easy. But through a variety of resources, Easter Seals helps people with all types of abilities get the right care they need, and focus on their abilities, talents, and strengths.

 Find out more about how you can make your dreams become reality and prove to others that you can achieve your dreams. Because at Easter Seals, all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.