Harriet Redman with Amanda Upton 2017 Sibling’s Choice Award. Nominated by Charlotte and Eleanor Woeflel and presented by Former WI Governor Martin J. Schreiber
Caregivers. Most siblings don’t see themselves that way. But the fact is that nearly EVERYBODY in the U.S., regardless if they are a sibling or not:
– has been a caregiver for a family member.
– currently is a caregiver for a family member.
– will be a caregiver for a family member.
This month, WisconSibs CELEBRATE caregivers…those people who may help a family member get to the doctor, make a meal, clean their home, shovel their sidewalks, drive them to church, take them grocery shopping, balance their checkbook, pay their bills, pick out their daily clothing, help them eat, use the bathroom, get ready for bed, take their meds ….WHATEVER the care needed, they are there.
Lori Moy, 2017 Sibling’s Choice Award winner, with brother Jon and family.
This year, WisconSibs, inc was honored to award the 9th annual Sibling’s Choice Awards to Amanda Upton and Lori Moy. These two women represent nearly 600,000 caregivers in Wisconsin who devote over 500 million hours of unpaid care to loved ones. READ MORE about them
More recently,WisconSibs, Inc has joined forces with other disability and aging agencies throughout Wisconsin to form the Wisconsin Family Caregiver Support Alliance. This group has many projects for 2018 to support caregivers. READ MORE
Recently, the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region reported on the Autism and Me project that WisconSibs started a couple years ago. We were able to reach many kids growing up with a sibling with autism, but if we missed YOU, please let us know and we’ll get you a book.
The feature story is about Katie and Kristie Carlsen, sisters who live together and really help one another get through life. While not originally what either of them planned, they are having a great time living in the community together. Read about what it takes to be a caregiver sister and the rewards they both enjoy.
Other news includes:
Tips for Caregivers Sibs
A Letter of Thanks from an Adult with Disabilities to Her Sibs
WisconSibs conducts many different activities during SIBshop, like the “Sound Off” activity. This activity has the child answer a few questions. This is not just a great writing activity, but also a great conversation to have with your kids.
The activity goes like this:
If I could tell…. (my parents, my friends, my teacher, the whole world)
Just ONE THING that is …. (good, so-so…)
About having a sib with special needs it would be….
Some of the examples we received were:
If I could tell my friends,
Just one thing that is good
About having a sib with special needs it would be: that I get to be noticed from her and I get to come here.
If I could tell The whole world
Just one thing that is good
About having a sib with special needs it would be: I ALWAYS have a friend.
If I could tell my parents
Just one thing that makes me angry about having a sibling with a disability, it would be:
The amount of attention my sibling gets even if I know the reason why.
If I could tell my parents
Just one thing that is not-so-good
About having a sib with special needs it would be: I feel like I have to make them proud enough to fill the void of my sibling not doing so well in school.
Parents, this would be a great activity to do with your children! Some sibs may not want to share a not-so-good moment because they understand that you are busy and you don’t need more stress. These questions can bridge the gap. Also, sound offs can create a great atmosphere of positivity! Give it a try and let us know how it went for you.
The counselors at Sibdays of Summer truly set the tone for the week. Camp is an amazing experience not only for the campers, ages 6-12, attending but for the teen counselors as well. They develop relationships with the kids and with one another.
At the end of camp we ask the parents and counselors to fill out a survey to get feedback. One of the questions that we asked our counselors is what they felt they got out of volunteering for the week.
Multiple answers reflected on what WisconSibs is truly about, relationships with other siblings. They form a special bond with the other counselors and friendships that truly will last through all their life adventures. The counselors also said how great it was being able to work with the kids and seeing their growth throughout the week and how amazing it felt at the end, knowing they were apart of something like this.
Many noticed how their own leadership skills grew from participating with our Teen Sib Leadership training and then the week of SibDays. The counselors had a great week and we are so grateful for all of their hard work and dedication!
How do you feel you benefited from being a volunteer counselor at SibDays?
“It showed me how unique the kids are and that they each have their own ways of learning.” (age 14)
“I got to spend time with kids other than my siblings and have fun with them.” (age 14)
“I got better.” (age 14)
“I had fun but took charge.” (age 15)
“I have met some of my best friends from SibDays.” (age 15)
“The feeling of making a difference and helping the kids.” (age 16)
“The feeling after the week is just amazing, knowing you contributed.” (age 16)
“I feel like I am more responsible.” (age 16)
“I love being a counselor for kids. It’s so much fun!” (age 17)
“I was able to meet new people and also practice my leadership skills.” (age 17)
“It gives me a sense of purpose.” (age 17)
“Connecting with others and helping campers.” (age 17)
“I feel that I made an impact on the kids and know more about myself.” (age 19)
“Knowing other people like you are out there and making a difference in someone’s life.” (age 21)
If you saw our quarterly newsletter, SibNews July-September 2017, you met Jenni. Her older brother, Mike, has been a huge part of her life, including her career decision: special education teacher. What does she want every sibling to know? Find out Jenni’s story in this short video. Then be one of the first to subscribe [read more]
Hello! My name is Karenna Lillo and I am proud to be a WisconSib! My favorite food is chicken pho and love the color purple. I have been involved with WisconSibs since the early age of 6. I remember attending many SibDays of Summer as a camper and counselor. I always look forward to Curt’s Carnival! My brother Jordan is 21 years old and lives with Autism. My favorite activity to do with my brother is to go on long car rides. Jordan can always make me feel good with his constant smiles and you’d be surprised at how high and loud he can jump in the morning. Jordan graduated from high school this year!
My summer as an WisconSibs intern flew by! I think back to when I had my interview with Harriet in March and how much I have personally changed. I went from thinking that I would just work in a daycare for the entire summer to having a job that actually made a difference both in the community and for myself.
I have seen just how much energy it is to run a non-profit. Originally, I thought non-profits were easy systems that anyone can run. Boy, was I wrong! Harriet just makes it look incredibly easy and graceful. She truly has the best intentions for every sib that she encounters.
From this experience, I can now say that I have experience running fundraisers, acting as an Assistant Director for a summer camp, organizing lots of supplies, and writing newsletter articles (check it out) and editing websites! What other summer job could create that kind of resume? I will certainly take all of these skills with me for the rest of my life.
What’s next? – I will return to Concordia University Wisconsin to continue working on my rehabilitative science undergrad and then eventually a master’s in Occupational Therapy. I am also excited to be working as a resident assistant for the Bethesda College on campus! I will personally be an RA to 6 residents. I’m looking forward to continuing to help with various WisconSibs activities in the future.
Hi my name is Jyll Van Vooren. I have been a WisconSib for over 5 years. Within WisconSibs I have been a counselor for SibDays of Summer and the Circles of Life Conference.
My brother is Noah Van Vooren. He is 22 years old and has Down syndrome. A couple of our favorite things to do together are taking walks, car rides with tons of singing, going to Miracle League, and watching football. My favorite thing about Noah is his love for others and his genuine happiness that he radiates to those around him.
In a blink of an eye the summer of being an intern for WisconSibs is wrapping up. I have learned an incredible amount in these past ten weeks. As an intern, I was able to partake in helping with fundraisers, special events, meetings, helping coordinate and run Teen Sib Leadership Day, and being an Assistant Director for the older campers at SibDays of summer. I have learned how to coordinate a fundraiser and other events with various companies to host events that benefit the WisconSib organization. Harriet has been a great role model and has taught me a great amount about nonprofit’s and how they are run. She truly is the heart of WisconSibs and it was amazing being able to learn from her. I am extremely grateful to have been involved in WisconSibs in this unique way. It was truly a great learning experience and it was a great summer!
What’s next? – I’m returning to Concordia University of Wisconsin as a Junior, where I am focusing on Social work. I am also blessed to have a new position at school: ARD (assistant resident director) of two dorms. All of what I have learned from WisconSibs will be applied to this year of school and beyond!
Thanks to WisconSibs donors for making this internship opportunity possible. You make a big difference.
How could we have a holiday themed week and not include 4th of July during the month of July? Well, we did include it. We wanted to end with a bang. I think we did. Along with preparations for the closing reception, fun was had. All groups created Firework Salt Art. Those projects really blew our minds. Some of the sibs tied fireworks to their lives. Their siblings with disabilities add so much color and excitement to their lives. We are glad connections like these can be made!
Before the reception, everyone had a chance to go swimming with friends one last time. Our closing reception was a smash once again and even included ice cream!
How does the week of SibDays always go so fast? Everyone enjoyed “Every Day’s a SibDay!” Some of the favorites included swimming, Curt’s Carnival, Zoozort, and meeting new friends. We hope to see you all next year during our SIBshop and SibDays!
Photos from Yesterday (Thursday!)
Zoozort came yesterday! Noelle is the creator of this fantastic organization. In this picture, she is holding the adorable wallaby, Amelia.
Meet Mimi! This is a 9-banded Armadillo. She cannot curl up into a ball, but she is a very good digger.
Cornelius the Chameleon! FYI: chameleons camouflage, not change colors and they also have individual eyes, so they can watch one side of the room while stalking something else!
Hello Igor! He is a very nice toad.
Here is a close up of Amelia the Wallaby! Amelia was my personal favorite.
A camper is showing the other campers what a hollow tortoise shell looks like! Noelle also brought an alive tortoise named Clementine:)
Recently, the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley Region reported on the Autism and Me project that WisconSibs started a couple years ago. We were able to reach many kids growing up with a sibling with autism, but if we missed YOU, 
The feature story is about Katie and Kristie Carlsen, sisters who live together and really help one another get through life. While not originally what either of them planned, they are having a great time living in the community together. 
