YES! | A History
As YES! continues in 2013, YES! sees the need to cross new thresholds.
A seed of our history
The origins of YES! date back to 1998 when the first “For Eyes Only” support group meeting was held to get input from members, and to be a place where people could come and enjoy the company of other like-minded individuals living with sight impairments while building natural support. From this inauspicious start, the group got involved with promoting outreach events, social gatherings, and volunteering opportunities. The group was quite popular in the blind community.
It was when in 2002 that the founders recognized the value of including people of other disabilities in the membership.At that point, the drive to build inclusiveness caused a great stir within the established membership that led many to decide they did not want to associate with persons with other disabilities. This shocked the founders into action, and in September of 2002, they incorporated YES! of America United Inc., as a separate entity that had no barrier to any individuals who wanted to join. The only requirement was an ability to accept others, give at least one hour a month volunteering in their community, and have a willingness to learn how to live a more independent life.
Taking root
YES! utilized donated space for meetings, and worked with the Florida Orchestra Heartstrings Program, the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, Tampa Yankees, and local restaurants to offer its members tickets and the opportunities to enrich their lives by participating in community outreach events. By focusing on inclusiveness, YES! was able to build and grow an organization that not only offered a supportive and safe space, but promoted self-determination, self-independence, and self-advocacy by providing training to educate members of the disability community, and the general public.
The direct impact of this approach could be seen in the media coverage of YES!’s First Annual Motorcycle Ride and its promotion of the touch screen/audio voting machines. Indeed, as YES! grew into an ever expanding group of individuals, their families and friends, the organization’s work was being recognized by local, statewide, and even national groups.
Growing sprouts: gaining recognition
In 2005, the YES! founder, Becki Forsell, received Federal Daily Points of Light Award, the Florida Govenor’s Point of Light Award, the United Way Volunteer of the Year Human Services Award, and the Partners in Policymaking Alan C. Wesley Award. Along with these achievements, other YES! members were recognized with the Tom Ulvenes Outstanding Community Service Award, the WEDU be More, “The Peoples Choice” Award, the Micheal A. Zagorc Award, the United Way Human Services Volunteer of the Year Award, and the Sertoma 2007 Ranch Hands Service to Mankind Award.
Sapling
The YES! vision of enriching, education, and empowering people to live fuller and more independent lives grew from a support group to a full-fledged organization that gained standing and recognition in the community. While the first years found the organization being run from donated community spaces, and out of member’s homes, the maturity of YES! required that the leaders and members become educated in how to run and grow a non-profit.
YES! organized itself by following its own motto of offering a “Hand-up, not a hand-out.” The founder and members attended non-profit seminars, networked in the community, got involved in local advocacy activities, and started monthly training and education programs. Out of these efforts rose a proper Board of Directors and educated membership that recognized the need for securing funding to accommodate YES!’s growth.
YES! began to apply for and receive grant funding from sources such as the Florida Disability Council, Walmart, the Bank Atlantic Foundation, the Hillsborough County Children’s Board, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, and the State of Florida including the Florida Department of Education. In addition, YES! Started partnering with numerous community organizations, businesses, and individuals who have donated in-kind services and supplies, such as the Arts Council of Hillsborough County, the Carrollwood Area Business Association, Florida Orchestra, Tampa Yankees, Sign Solutions, and more.
Becoming a strong tree
Separate, we are weak, but together, we are strong. We have not forgotten our roots in Disability Awareness. Our outreach has stretched across the state by having our founder, Becki, involved statewide on issues that are important to all people. She has served on the Florida Independent Living Council, the Florida Division for the Blind, The Bahamas synod disability council, Freedom playground board, and continues to serve on the joint Mayor and County Alliances, the local Transportation Disadvantage Board, Florida Volunteer Inclusion Council, the Florida Outreach Project for the Deaf-Blind, and serving a second term on the Florida Rehabilitation Council.
With the onset of the recession in 2008, and deep funding cuts, YES! thought outside the box, and secured space via a major partnership agreement with Suncoast New Options. This made partnership training available to a larger number of people. YES! continued to serve over 200 people and families during its Holiday Outreach, participated in several events with the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD), the Family Café, Freedom Playground Wheel-A-Thon, the Hillsborough County Asia Festival, Prevent Blindness Walk, the Sincerely Santa Program, and more.
YES! has built strong partnerships across the tri-county area and our state for change. In the year of 2012, many outreaches through enrichment and education have been provided including our 4th annual YES! F.A.I.R.
What we have done to grow new trees
Advocating for Disability Awareness
In addition, 2008 saw the long labors and efforts in advocating for Disability Awareness in the Schools rewarded with the passage of the Disability History and Awareness Law. YES! worked for over two years with legislators in Tallahassee educating them on the need for this law. Upon passage, once again YES! Broke new ground by sponsoring the first Disability Awareness in the Schools Program. This program brought YES! Members living with disabilities into direct contact with teachers, students, and educators. YES! was able to educate everyone involved about what it means to have a disability, further breaking down the walls that divide us.
Promoting the need for inclusion and respect for all persons in the community via the classroom has been a great success, and YES! continues to be on the forefront of this new initiative. As in all that we do at YES!, we immediately looked to share what we learned with others while continuing to advocate for more support from our local and statewide representatives in promoting disability awareness.
In 2009-2010, YES! stepped up its efforts to make the need for inclusion and advocacy for persons living with disabilities more widely known. By advocating for a more effective Disability Awareness Bill, expanding the Disability Awareness Outreach in the schools, and with the continuation of the YES! F.A.I.R. YES! has become the place where legislators and policy makers go to get their advice and direction needed to continually expand inclusion in our society.
Our most important program: The F.A.I.R.
In keeping with the YES! motto of offering a Hand-up, not a Hand-out,
YES! decided to combat the economic conditions in 2008 head on by
planning, and organizing the first ever cross disabilities F.A.I.R. (Family
Abilities Information Rally). This would be a F.A.I.R. free to everyone,
with games, activities, entertainment, information, proclamations,
food, and more. This first F.A.I.R. was a great success as YES!
partnered with Hillsborough County with over 50 vendors participating,
and 300+ people attending. The F.A.I.R. provided family friendly activities
while making valuable information on issues dealing with disabilities
available to the public.
In 2012, we celebrated YES!’s 10th birthday at the F.A.I.R. with over
1300 participants and 206 vendors from around the state networking
together. We had a wonderful accessible hayride that all people could
be included in to celebrate our inclusiveness during the F.A.I.R.! After
the F.A.I.R., our attention was directed towards the upcoming Holiday
Smiles program.
‘Tis the season to give
The Holiday Smiles program started with only 24 individuals and is now is now up to over 600 individual holiday packages and 200 families given food. The Holiday Smiles outreach has spread to provide to those in need an outlet to provide for their family during the holidays. Without community partners, and our Silent Auction at the F.A.I.R., these needs could not be met. Many smiles have been shared during this time of the year. This started off the new year fulfilling our mission towards social interaction and self empowerment through improving lives in our community.
Doing the outreach
YES! continues to do social outreach and education, and out of this comes the possibility of self empowerment for all. This is their choice. All of this is the beginning of our next phase of education which led to working with children in the classroom and young adults at community colleges.
YES! was involved with making accessible changes in several hotels to encourage better access to their services for people with disabilities. YES! reached out to different partners and organizations to volunteer in their respective programs. About a month of our outreach was spent in Tallahassee educating our legislators concerning upcoming and needed legislation. We discussed with them bills that could help us and what is needed in transportation, housing, education, and employment for all individuals who want to be included.
From these efforts, YES! was able to expand its programming. The excitement and participation by members was apparent as YES! could be seen at the capitol in Tallahassee advocating for persons living with disabilities and educating legislators about the importance of accommodations. YES! also participated in many other outreach activities including being the largest presence at the Family Café, and having the most active members involved in local community boards and councils advocating for persons with disabilities in Hillsborough County and beyond.
YES! also worked to encourage different areas around the state to partner with YES! after a legislative session to put on their own local awareness events. YES! put on a great event called Spring Fling which is a social event for the community to attend around the Spring/Easter Holiday. This is an annual program where singing, dancing, and meeting new people happens.
As the seasons flow, so the YES! activities continue, YES! has expanded our outreach beyond the goals that were first planned in our strategic plan. YES! has opened new options for outreach moving beyond just our own educational meetings. Instead we are now involved with people across the state by referral, facilitation, and awareness outreach from schools, businesses, organizations and of course individuals needs as required for independence. YES! continues to be a mover and shaker in our state and community.
What we are doing
2013 has started! YES! has finished a new plan criterion. It is a challenging adventure that the board has brought forward. YES! is still working on many of our outreaches, but is looking forward as we grow into changes in our make-up to become a stronger partner in our community and state. YES! still works on old initiatives, but this year we are expanding to encourage more areas around the state to have their own “Celebrate Abilities Concerts,” and also to help YES! promote the “One Touch Karate” classes for individuals with disabilities across the state.
Where we are in the world
YES! is not confined to an office space but often found where advocacy is needed. We are a virtual office, allowing us to be flexible to meet the needs found in the community for people living with disabilities. We are in schools, businesses. the capitol halls, federal, state, and county meetings, teaching others we are all people. YES! sees the need to give back to our communities by giving a Hand Up and not a Hand Out. Watch us grow in our advocacy and join us to share awareness by breaking down attitudinal barriers.