JUST PUBLISHED:

THE ARC OF SNOHOMISH COUNTY — LEADERSHIP NEWSLETTER 2022, ISSUE 1

The Arc of Snohomish County’s first Leadership Newsletter of 2022 was published on April 19th and is available for public viewing.

This quarterly publication highlights the many accomplishments and happenings of The Arc’s leadership and advocacy team members, Arc community leaders, parents and caregivers, self-advocates and others. The publication also offers updated information on important legislation, tools and community resources.

To access this most recent issue, visit tinyurl.com/4d6s3pf8.

The Arc of Snohomish County: Recent Staff Promotions

The Arc of Snohomish County recently promoted Alaina Kube from her previous role as a Parent to Parent Coordinator to the position of Family Support and Education Program Manager. As a program manager, Alaina will guide projects and activities through The Arc’s Connecting Families program, including Parent to Parent and Sibshop programs, support groups, speaker events, and more. You can contact Alaina Kube at (425) 258 2459 ext. 111 or alaina@arcsno.org.

Whitney Stohr will also transition this month from her previous role as a Parent to Parent Coordinator to Leadership and Independent Living Program Manager. In this role, she will oversee leadership, independent living, self-advocacy and advocacy staff and programming. You can contact Whitney Stohr at (425) 258-2459 ext. 106 or whitney@arcsno.org.

We also look forward to welcoming new staff members in the upcoming weeks, who will support the Connecting Families and Sibshops programs. Stay tuned!

Meet Lily Sommer – Arc Sibshop Super Sib!

Lily Sommer is one of our Super Sibs at The Arc of Snohomish County.

She is 10 years old and is the middle sibling, with two brothers, ages five and (almost) twelve. Of being the middle sibling, Lily says: “It is tough and exciting because you’re not the one always getting picked on and not the one always getting told what to do.” Totally makes sense!

In her free time, Lily enjoys drawing and playing video games. Roblox is her favorite. She also likes Minecraft. She is “in love with animals.” In fact, her whole family are cat lovers! They have a pet cat named Nemo — as in the movie Finding Nemo.

Lily’s family also plays board games together. They like to spend time outside, as well. Sometimes, Lily and her brothers will play video games together.

Lily likes making new friends. She has a lot of friends, especially in school. She has also attended Arc Sibshops for some time. Lily shared that she feels that it is very important for kids to meet other siblings who have brothers or sisters with disabilities.

The Arc of Snohomish County’s Sibshop program is a specially tailored program for children, ages 8 to 12, and teens, ages 13 to 18, who have siblings with developmental disabilities. Learn more about the national Sibshop program at siblingsupport.org.

A tidbit of sibling advice from Lily: Make sure your siblings stay safe and that you watch them carefully.

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Whitney Stohr is a Parent to Parent Coordinator at The Arc of Snohomish County. She is passionate about advocating for medically complex children and children with disabilities and their families. She is a mom and medical caregiver herself, who is energized by working closely with other parent/family caregivers. She lives with her four-year-old son Malachi and husband Jason in Lynnwood. Connect with her on Instagram @rollin.w.spinabifida. Contact: whitney@arcsno.org.

A Celebration of Siblings on National Siblings Day — April 10th

Let’s hear it for our SIBS!! On April 10th, we celebrate National Siblings Day!

According to the Siblings Day Foundation, “Siblings Day follows the spirit of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, an uplifting celebration honoring people who have helped in our development and who have shaped our values, beliefs, and ideals.”

At The Arc of Snohomish County, we celebrate siblings every day! Through our Sibshops program, we support kids and teens, ages 8 through 18, who have a sibling with a developmental disability. The concept of Sibshops was founded through the work of the Sibling Support Project, a national program “dedicated to the life-long and ever-changing concerns of millions of brothers and sisters of people with special health, developmental, and mental health concerns.” (Learn more about the Sibling Support Project at siblingsupport.org.)

The Arc of Snohomish County currently offers Sibshops for siblings ages 8 to 12 and a Teen Sib program for youth ages 13 to 18. For information about upcoming Sibshops, visit our online event calendar at arcsno.org/calendar.

Additional support and resources for the siblings of children with disabilities can be found on the Sibling Leadership Network website: siblingleadership.org; and in the books and publications of the Sibling Support Project: siblingsupport.org/publications.

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Whitney Stohr is a Parent to Parent Coordinator at The Arc of Snohomish County. She is passionate about advocating for medically complex children and children with disabilities and their families. She is a mom and medical caregiver herself, who is energized by working closely with other parent/family caregivers. She lives with her four-year-old son Malachi and husband Jason in Lynnwood. Connect with her on Instagram @rollin.w.spinabifida. Contact: whitney@arcsno.org.