Success Stories

Michelle Anderson has been a resident of UCP of Greater Cleveland’s Edendale Group Home, as well as the Organizational Employment Program since 1999. Over the course of the past several years, she has made continual gains in self-sufficiency and independence.

Up until the year 2009, Michelle was transported to UCP for work in the agency’s transit bus, which is a service arranged by UCP staff. She was apprehensive utilizing public transportation and was not comfortable participating in group community outings for local attractions or performances. UCP of Greater Cleveland staff worked with Michelle to discuss opportunities for increased community inclusion, the benefits of socialization and recreational outings and how she could benefit from learning what the area has to offer.

In August, 2009 Michelle began to arrange her own transportation through RTA’s Paratransit System. She arrives daily at UCP’s Wolstein Center ready to work, doing so with great confidence and knowing she has the ability to plan her own activities and workday. Michelle has also started to engage in more outside social activities, including group theatre outings. She enjoys entertaining (especially dinner parties), surfing the Internet and shopping.

In 2010, Michelle was honored with the Boots Fisher Memorial Award for her strides toward independence, and she continues to reach personal goals and make gains in both of the programs she participates in at UCP.

At the age of 21, Keri Reid was accepted into the Vocational Services Program at UCP. She came to UCP on that first day ready to begin work and contribute to her own livelihood! The Organizational Employment Program at UCP contracts with area businesses, allowing individuals with disabilities the opportunity to work in a safe setting with the necessary supports. Keri is legally blind and has cerebral palsy, which made this program ideal as she worked to gain more independence in herself and her abilities. Her disability has not affected Keri’s ability to complete almost every job available on the work floor at UCP, including things like packaging, shredding and collating. She was also one of the first individuals to learn a new and exciting job that came to UCP – Cosmic Bobbins!

Cosmic Bobbins is a unique product line of handbags and accessories manufactured from recycled materials. Magazines, annual reports, books and other products are re-used to create one-of-a-kind items. UCP clients take thousands of magazines and other print materials and sort through the pages by like color and style which then go through the manufacturing process. The partnership between Cosmic Bobbins and UCP has been a great match, and Keri has connected with the project and thoroughly enjoyed participating.

Despite her visual impairment, UCP employees could see that Keri wanted to be a part of this unique project as part of her workday. She took to the task without a problem, sorting the papers with extreme accuracy independently or assisting individuals with different abilities to complete the job. If another client cannot physically manipulate the papers, Keri will do so for them as they correctly sort the pages, allowing more individuals to earn money as a result of this project. Individuals are paid piece rate – for each pound of sorted paper, and everyone loves this work! This is one of Keri’s favorite jobs, as it is easy and allows her to make a lot of money! She is also learning how to problem solve as part of a team in a work setting. She has been dubbed ‘the Cosmic Queen’ and is very proud of the work she does.

Keri is building confidence at the same time as learning new skills. Her long term goal is to work in the community with children, which she is working towards by volunteering in the UCP Children’s Services Department each week. She is very friendly, has a positive attitude and is always willing to help others. Keri also participates in other social skills groups at UCP, allowing her to interact with her peers and build confidence. The work opportunities and other supports at UCP have helped Keri build her confidence, preparing her for a bright future led by self-determination, independence and inclusion in the community.

When asked to describe what UCP of Greater Cleveland means to them, many parents of children in agency programming use the word hope. This small and seemingly simple word can mean so much when you have a child with a disability, and Meghann and Lance Green credit UCP for helping bring hope back into their lives. The future seemed uncertain for their son Logan, born sixteen weeks premature at just 15 ounces and ten inches long. He spent the first six months of life in the hospital, undergoing heart and eye surgeries, coping with kidney failure and enduring endless blood transfusions and tests. He was diagnosed with Periventricular Leukamalasia and cerebral palsy and doctors predicted that, due to brain damage, Logan would never walk or talk, and that he would grow up with severe cognitive delays. Logan and his parents refused to give up.

After a year and half of traditional therapy services at a local medical institution, Logan’s mom heard of UCP of Greater Cleveland through her participation in the Cleveland Triathlon. She knew that with the right tools and people, Logan could be pushed to do more – and after one visit to UCP, she knew it was worth a shot.

When he started at UCP at the age of two, Logan could not hold his head up or sit up independently, making it difficult for him to play and interact with the world around him. After his first four-week Steps to Independence intensive therapy session, Logan built up the strength to reach these milestones. Up until this point, his parents could not imagine what his true potential was; and while they were not planning to make the switch to UCP for all therapy, they decided that ‘this was where he needed to be.’

After eighteen months of therapy at UCP, Logan can now move from a sitting position into a standing position without any assistance. He is able to reach for toys while keeping his balance and is crawling all over the place! Logan has built confidence and makes it clear that he WANTS to do more. His parents have even more confidence in him today as well. Logan Green is an amazingly strong, smart little boy. He is a true bookworm, loves to sing songs, take walks and blow bubbles.

Logan’s parents could not be more proud of him, and everyone at UCP shares in their joy. As he develops and continues to explore the world, there is no telling just how far Logan will go.