Dear Sibling Leadership Network members and supporters:
Happy Holidays to you and your families. The holiday season is often focused on family—it can be a mix of love and support, frustration and pain, and remembrance of those that we have lost. As a sibling, I’m looking forward to spending the holidays with my family, including my siblings that have really shaped who I am today and influenced my career path. At the Sibling Leadership Network (SLN) we know that families are messy and complex and we all go through good times and bad times. We learn a lot from our families about life and love. The SLN is dedicated to providing siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote the issues important to them and their entire families.
This year has been a good year for the SLN full of great growth for our organization. We have lots more work to do and much more capacity to build for our organization to continue to expand our efforts to reach more siblings of people with disabilities and their families. As I reflect on the past year, I am thankful for all the dedicated volunteers that have help our organization get to the next level. I’m also grateful for the dedicated staff consultants who are all working diligently in their part-time roles to do our work well. We have accomplished much this year — please take a look at some of the highlights: 2016 Annual Activities and Accomplishments.
In the coming year, we have exciting work that lays ahead. We are planning our 2017 National SLN Conference – be sure to save the date and help us spread the word. We will continue to expand our network and nurture additional sibling chapters beyond the 22 states chapters we currently have (our vision is that every state will have a chapter). We have some great new leaders on our Board and a committed group of continuing Board members to chart a strong and successful direction forward. Our new Diversity and Social Justice Committee is being launched. And, we will continue to educate our network about relevant policies and advocate for important changes to supporting siblings of people with disabilities and their families.
Please consider giving a year-end donation to help the SLN continue to grow and make an impact on the lives of siblings of people with disabilities and their families. You can easily donate online or by sending your donation in the mail. Click here for more details on how to donate.
Wishing you much peace and happiness in the new year!
Warmly,
Katie Arnold
Executive Director
Sibling Leadership Network
1 Comment