Hello from Savannah, GA!

LauraLaneMcKinnon

Hello Everyone! It's nice to "e-meet" you all!

My name is Laura Lane (double first name) and I work at an organization in beautiful Savannah, GA that works with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, commonly referred to as IDD. We prepare people with IDD for competitive employment and community integration through three main programs: community access, pre-vocational training, and supported employment services.

I'm a wife, mom, and pet mom. I love to read, enjoy being outdoors, and am generally a pretty curious person.

I look forward to engaging with folks through this digital community! Thanks for allowing me to join.

[Deleted User]

Hi Laura Lane - that has a nice ring to it! Thank you for introducing yourself - and I love how you described yourself as a pet-mom. My kids are grown, and that's something that I can call myself too!

LauraLaneMcKinnon

It's nice to "e-meet" you, Tammy! Thanks for taking the time to reply to my intro -- I sincerely appreciate it! Hope you have a great week!

KentWeimer

Hi @LauraLaneMcKinnon

I love Savannah. Beautiful city. I used to the the executive director of strategic development for an organization like yours.Good work!

Cheers,

Kent

LauraLaneMcKinnon

Thanks for saying hello! It's nice to "meet" you, @KentWeimer !

I moved to Savannah to go to college, never intending to stay beyond those four years, but 31 years later, here I still am! It's a beautiful place with a lot of charm -- it sort of pulls you in before you realize what's happening. : ) Even so, I can't imagine living anywhere else.

If it's not too much trouble, I'd love to hear more about the organization that you used to work for. What is it called and where is it located? I'm always looking to compare notes with others who have faced similar challenges and experienced those things that are somewhat unique to the disabilities world.

Thanks,

Laura Lane

KentWeimer

I was only in Savannah once. I worked for Lake Forest College in the Chicago area, along with @KaraAdams and was visiting alumni in Georgia. I used to live in Key West, so that kind of waterfront town with a rich history has great appeal to me.

You're asking me to really dig into my past @LauraLaneMcKinnon . That was a long time ago. Right out of college I was the manager of a group home for developmentally disabled adults. I was a volunteer for them while in college and they offered me a job when I graduated. Much later, but still a long time ago I worked for an organization in the Chicago area. The purpose was to help people with developmental disabilities be fully included n their community and enjoy a good quality of life.That was 25 years ago, so I don't think I'll be of much help.

I applaud what you do and where you live Laura Lane - I just had to use the 2 first names 😊

Best,

Kent

LauraLaneMcKinnon

Ah, gotcha! That is a while ago. Thanks for sharing what you did all those years ago -- at a minimum, it's nice to know that you've got an understanding of my challenges and have walked the same path. It's always good to know that you're not out there all on your own and that others have an appreciation for the work you do. : )

I really enjoy my job and adore our program participants, but like any position, it can also be exhausting. I find that brainstorming with others in similar roles helps me to stay energized and thinking creatively about the various barriers and issues we face -- especially around those things that are somewhat unique within the disabilities world. (Think unreasonable or contradictory regulations or funding mechanisms, etc. -- of course every non-profit has these things, but people within categories can relate to each other best.)

I also often think about the extra effort that those organizations that are in "challenging" sectors face that other orgs in more socially-acceptable sectors don't. Those of us working in things like domestic violence, disabilities, mental health, poverty reduction, homelessness, youth in crisis, women's reproductive health, etc. face issues that those folks working in less confrontational organizations, like pet rescue, arts & culture, general health issues, recreation, etc. -- overcoming the uncomfortable feeling that people often have around those issues, for one. Convincing people to align publicly with a cause that others think is unseemly takes a special person and I've found that those who are willing to take on the more challenging topics don't always have the funds to give, or at least at the same level.

I could go on and on and on, but I'll stop for now. : )

Thanks for taking the time to reply earlier - I do appreciate it! Have a nice evening.

Laura Lane

P.S. Thank you for knowing that mine is a double-first name.... I am always DELIGHTED when people get it without me having to point it out or telling people that I prefer to be called by my first name, which just happens to be two words. : ) No one thinks anything of Mary Ann, but I get some strange looks because some folks assume that 'Lane' is my maiden name. So, thanks again!

KentWeimer

You're so right about the challenges. Stating the cause for dogs at the shelter or art in the museum is easy.Other stories are more difficult to tell and perhaps more challenging for people to understand and form an affinity.

While in college when i volunteered at the group home with another buddy of mine, we were out with another friend. We had to stop at the group home for something and we just told the other guy we had to make a quick stop at a friends house. When we brought him in the house, he was freaked out that it was a home full of people with developmental disabilities. Yet to me and my buddy, we were literally just stopping at a friends house. it never dawned on us that we had to explain where we were going.

I do applaud you for your work. It's important.

Though I was born in Midwest, lived much of my adult life in Chicago, I've lived in the south long enough to know that two first name is rather common. One thing I have had to get used to is people down here who go by the initial of their first name. Like T Boone Pickens. The T is for Thomas, but he never used it - just T. And people would call him either T or Boone. I know several other examples of that here as well.

Best to you Laura Lane!

Kent