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Who Wants a HUG? As the end of the year draws near, the development team at OSBI is focused on the Annual Help Us Grow end-of-year giving campaign or, as we call it “HUG”. During this giving season, we provide unique opportunities for supporters to make their annual contribution thus and become OSBI HUGGERS! Some of these opportunities include the HUG gala and silent auction, the AZ Tax Credit, and Giving Tuesday. This year, the gala was a growing success and many OSBI supporters contributed to the greatest Giving Tuesday efforts yet! $14,000 was raised on this day of global giving, bringing OSBI that much closer to the $125,000 HUG Goal. If you haven’t yet taken advantage of the Arizona Tax Credit, we encourage you to choose OSBI as your qualified charitable organization of choice. Thank you to all those HUGGERS out there, past, present, and future. Happy holidays!
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The Help Us Grow Gala... did just that
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On November 12th, 2022, more than 300 friends, supporters, and program participants joined us for the first One Step Beyond in-person Galas. Yes-- you read that right— Galas plural! As a multi-state organization, we recognize the importance of ensuring our families and community from both Arizona and California are able to share in the celebration and Help Us Grow. Due to the extraordinary generosity and ambitious auction engagement, the combined fundraising efforts totaled over $175,000! These much-needed funds will strengthen and grow the mission of OSBI, providing new and unique opportunities for the families and communities we serve.
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We started with a cocktail hour at beautiful venues, followed by musical performances from OSBI participants, sit-down dinners, and live bidding with exciting auctioneers (who really brought the fun to FUNdraising)! A week-long silent auction, bursting with over 150 items and experiences was open to everyone regardless of gala attendance. We are truly grateful for the support that made these events such a smashing success. Thank you to the OSBI Board members, sponsors, and volunteers for your love and dedication to our participants and programs. The community support for these events was simply amazing.
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Did you miss the gala?
Here is one of the featured videos shown during the evening,
Just click below!
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Community Partners Step Up! The fight for equal opportunities and equity for people with disabilities is a top priority for OSBI. Our focus is to create partnerships with community businesses that will pay our OSBI participants minimum wage, not a lower contracted rate. We have met an all-time high in providing partnerships that fairly compensate OSBI participants with a minimum wage salary or higher! Since 2021, we have 6 community-partnered job sites providing minimum wage or greater to 33 OSBI participants throughout our AZ & CA campuses!
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OSBI on the road again!
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The Wait is Over! The New Frontiers Annual Trip is a longstanding tradition that many OSBI families look forward to all year long! The OSBI participants embrace the opportunity to hit the road and share independence-building experiences with their peers. Pre-pandemic, OSBI chartered 3 big buses each year and filled the seats with 100 participants and 30 staff eager for a memorable road trip, alternating between a CA theme park or Camp Pinerock in Prescott, AZ. Finally, this November, we were able to bring back camping! 3-years of anticipation built up a lot of excitement for our intrepid OSBI campers. And to add to the magic, it snowed! Snowball fights, building snowmen, and hot cocoa with friends made new meaningful memories. Check out the video above to see all the smiling snowy faces!
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Featured photo: Below, Mike and Angie Homco outside the Kevin Hart comedy show venue.
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Mike Homco, AZ Executive Director... Big Fan!
We are big fans of OSBI’s very first employee. Since 2003, Mike has worked tirelessly to show his tremendous dedication to the participants, staff, and mission of OSBI. So, it's no surprise that he went above and beyond for the Galas. Not only did he co-emcee the AZ Gala, but was also a sponsor of the event, and the WINNING bidder on one of the highly coveted live auction items.
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“Advocate” doesn’t even begin to explain Mike’s nature. He’s a champion and a hero, to more than he knows.
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As co-founder of Westside Speech and Language Services, alongside his mother, he also teaches speech pathology and has integrated speech therapy into the OSBI program. For Mike, the fight for inclusion and equity for people with disabilities is not a just job, it’s his life. So, here’s to Mike, we hope that you enjoyed your first day off EVER, while you were hanging with your family and Kevin Hart last week!
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Christmas Shopping?
Make this year's gift-giving extra special and support artists with disabilities
HOLIDAY ART COLLECTION
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Purchasing original artwork in the OSBI Shop promotes the Inclusion Revolution by providing artists with the fair earnings they deserve.
70% of the sale goes directly to the artist who created the artwork.
Thank you for your support of equal compensation for artists with disabilities.
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Fundraising is a constant and necessary effort; it is vital we provide unique opportunities for our participants to thrive in the experiences they deserve to continue their personal growth.
Please visit OSBI.org to help support OSBI participants and programs. |
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Stay Tuned...
Newsletter: Q1, 2023 Edition
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