C.I.T.Y. News

Keeping to my word, I will do my best to make the newsletter short, sweet, and with all the information you need in clickable links. But...there are a LOT of amazing events coming up in the next few weeks. It seems crazy to think that we have so much going on considering we're in a pandemic (!), but with our online platform, we have the opportunity to continue to build our community virtually while keeping our 3 main values in mind: connection, collaboration, and celebration. Get out your calendars and join us for the fun in October!

All this stress can be scary!!

C.I.T.Y. of Support has partnered with 5 creative therapists in Chicago, and together we are offering stress-reducing, family-fun activities every Saturday morning during the month of October. These virtual events are available right in your own home and without any special sign-in links. Just visit C.I.T.Y. of Support's Facebook GROUP and tune in via our live stream! Check out our line-up of hosts:

10/3: Prospect Music Therapy's "Fall Chill: Family Music Activities"
10/10: Tiny Voice Therapy's "Speech & Language Fun on the Farm"
10/17: Dynamic Lynks's "Social Sing and Jam"
10/24: Hop Along Yogi's "Spooktacular Halloween Yoga Party"
10/31: My Recess Therapy's "Dress-Up & Calm Down Halloween Yoga"

These events are offered as "Pay what you Can," and all proceeds are being generously donated by the instructors to our nonprofit organization, C.I.T.Y. of Support. We hope you'll take this time to discover these creative resources in our community while unwinding with your family.

Take this hour for YOU. Our next Virtual Happy Hour on Friday, Oct. 9th at 8:00 is going to remind us to address our own mental health during COVID, whether it be related to managing your child's care, remote learning, or the isolation that comes with working/staying at home. Rather than watching more webinars or reading more blogs, THIS event is live and personal. Four exceptionally-qualified specialists will share their expertise and advice in small breakout rooms:

• Hilary Davis (Marriage/Family Therapist & Professional Counselor: Therapediatrics)
• Amy Wechsler (Social Worker: PlayWorks Therapy, Inc.)
• Amy Slutzky (Professional Counselor: LiveNLearn Consulting)
• Lisa Berns (Social Worker: Private Practitioner in Early Intervention)

We can host up to 100 attendees for this event, and so that means that you can have your top questions/concerns addressed LIVE in an intimate, casual group of only 20-25 people! We ask that you REGISTER using our eventbrite link for this free event in order to reserve your spot, and the zoom link will be emailed to you shortly before the event. As always, all are welcome, but space is limited!

There's no question that this year is different, but our annual holiday fundraiser is bigger and maybe even better (!) now that it's being presented COMPLETELY ONLINE through our website! We have commitments from 50 unique vendors from all across the country! With one-of-a-kind items like jewelry, art/print, home decor, edible gifts, and children's toys (including adaptive and sensory-friendly toys/clothes!), you can get ALL your holiday shopping done at one time! Plus, each vendor is offering a special discount for C.I.T.Y. of Support shoppers!

In addition to supporting small businesses and stocking up on holiday gifts, you'll want to pay particular attention to the first week of this 2-week event. From Nov. 1st-6th, EACH shop is giving away at least one $50 gift card to be used on ANYTHING in their shop! Unlike our previous raffle events where gifts were pre-selected, if you win, you will have the chance to CHOOSE YOUR OWN PRIZE. At $3 a ticket, you'll definitely want to try your luck. Plus, EACH ticket doubles as entry into our Grand Prize Raffle (valued at $1000 and announced shortly!).

And...ALL of the raffle proceeds go directly back to C.I.T.Y. of Support. Stay tuned for details as the date approaches, but be sure to earmark the 1st two weeks of November for some serious holiday shopping! C.I.T.Y. of Support appreciates your participation in this annual event that really benefits everyone.

Meet Jaime! His family was gifted a sensory-friendly family photo session this past month with Something Blue Photography in Arlington Heights! According to his mom:

"Jaime is now 18 months old and has Down Syndrome. From Heart Surgery at 5 months old to ear tubes, pneumonia, and a couple other hospital stays, Jaime keeps smiling and thriving. He just recently started holding his bottle, and started to pull himself to stand up. Using his hands and fingers has always been a struggle for him, so this is huge progress.

I'm so thankful for this group and for Something Blue Photography that they were able to capture these photos. With everything that was going on at birth with his feeding issues and heart repair, I never did any other photoshoots. I'm so excited to finally put him up on my wall."

NOTE THE FAST DEADLINE:

Comment on September's C.I.T.Y. Close-Up post in our Facebook Group featuring Jaime by Wednesday night, 9/30 at 11:59 pm, and this month TWO winners will be selected for our upcoming C.I.T.Y. Close-Ups and announced on Friday, 10/1.

C.I.T.Y. of Support is thrilled to be able to provide this opportunity to our members, and we are grateful to Something Blue Photography for their support. We love hearing about your successes, and we appreciate all the amazing parents who share their stories with us.

Sign up to participate in this fun, FREE program (starting in Jan. 2021), and your child will receive a handmade birthday card in the mail from another child who receives therapy services. What a fun way to make early social connections and celebrate everyone. Our Google Form is quick, easy, and secure, so take a minute, and register your child today!

Our mission is to create a dynamic community, both online and in person, that supports all families navigating the needs of their child in therapy, regardless of diagnosis.

Email: hello@cityofsupport.org
Website: www.cityofsupport.org
Location: 733 Hastings Drive, Buffalo Grove, IL, USA
Phone: 224-409-7150
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cityofsupport
Twitter: @cityofsupport