I care deeply about the Sibling Leadership Network. I am passionate about the mission of the organization which supports siblings of people with disabilities and their families. While our focus is the siblings, we also include people with disabilities in our work and provide education to parents and professionals. For me, meeting other siblings has helped me get the information and support that I need and has also helped me to be a better sister. I have had the opportunity to meet other siblings who have different stories and experiences and have felt a common thread that we share as people who have a brother or sister with disabilities.
At the 2019 SLN National Conference this past summer I reconnected with old friends and met many new siblings during a weekend of learning, sharing, and connecting. The community of support has become like a family to me and I have learned new things that I have brought to my own family to help with navigating services and support as well as planning for the future so my sister can live her best life. Also, SLN has helped to bring together thousands of siblings and sibling supporters from across the country and I have seen the power in numbers to advocate for change to improve the lives of people with disabilities and their families.
As siblings, we often have the longest relationship of our lives with each other. The SLN supports siblings and their families throughout life as their needs change. Sibling needs evolve from young siblings who learn to answer questions from their peers about their brother or sisters disabilities, to teens who sometimes deal with bullying and who also advocate for inclusion of their sibs, through adulthood in learning how to navigate the complicated system of services and support as well as planning for the future as their parents age and much more.
I invite you to support the SLN by donating so we can do more to support brothers and sisters. Investing in siblings benefits people with disabilities, their entire families, and the larger community. Your donation will make a difference. We have an anonymous donor who will match up to $3,000 for our holiday appeal, which goes through the end of December and we are almost halfway there. Please give what you can and know your donation will be doubled. Thank you!
Happy Holidays and all the best for the New Year,
Katie Arnold
Executive Director of SLN
Ways to support us:
Click here to donate online.
Send a check to “Sibling Leadership Network” and mail to:
Sibling Leadership Network
332 S. Michigan Ave, Ste 121 – S240
Chicago, IL 60604-4434
Note: The Sibling Leadership Network (SLN) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and your donation will be tax deductible.