All posts by Hope

THE SUPPER CLUB

We are thrilled to announce, THE SUPPER CLUB, the first major program we would like to bring into our community of amazing families.

How many times have you come home after a long day of therapies, appointments, work, school or from the hospital just in time to scramble for dinner? Not only make it but even figure out what to make? From our family to yours, we know how truly upsetting that can be.

THE SUPPER CLUB is here to prayerfully alleviate a little of that stress. Allow us to become a part of your team, even if only a couple times a month, and let us do the planning, shopping, preparing and delivering!

To begin, we will pilot this program to SEMINOLE County, Florida residents first. We will start with two families to receive two meals a month. The goal is to build a rotating list of families to serve and receive supper, while building a relationship with fellow families.

We are pleased to have the opportunity to provide grocery store gift cards to the meal providers to use fresh and nutritional ingredients as well as the proper tools needed to pack the meals.

Please join us by signing up using the Google form below. We will be in touch to assign your date and family for providers and recipients.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtqXmmsHLVWTcjMTkGmMbUH3w1IpEz61QSs2JyDZlywxNBYQ/viewform

World Down syndrome Day 2020

Happy WDSD!!! Around 12 years ago, 3.21 of each year was declared World Down syndrome Day. Why March 21? Because Down syndrome is defined as a Person having 47 chromosomes versus 46. The extra chromosome is a third (3) copy of the 21st chromosome.

To celebrate this day it has become a fun tradition of wearing funky socks! But why? Because when you look at your DNA under a microscope our chromosomes are shaped liked little socks!

So from all our families to yours- Happy WDSD! Thank you for showing us your funky socks!! here are a few of our Favorites. ??

The ‘Chak Pack
The Tramontana Fam
The Rodgers Family
The Ehresman Family

#GivingTuesday

GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past seven years, it has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

Whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give.

We are so thrilled to be taking part of projects around our communities this year. “Brunch on Myrtle” is a First Responders appreciation breakfast that has happened the last four year’s and we can not wait to see the turn out this year. In 2015, there were only around 7 Paramedics, Police or Firefighter’s that came, but last year we proudly served 28 First Responder’s. This event is so important to us because as a family we have relied on their quick responses many times. Our daughter has Epilepsy and seizures are always scary for us.

Our City Beautiful and Big Joe’s Home Service are also partnering together to offer free lawn maintenence to a handful of Veteren’s this year. Neighbors are nominating their Veteren friends and neighbor’s and Big Joe’s Home Service will pick a handful of them to service.

What are you doing in your community this year? Giving time at a nursing home or food bank are always great ideas.

We would love to ask that if you plan to donate financially this year that you consider giving to Our City Beautiful. This year Facebook and Paypal are matching donations given on December 3rd, Giving Tuesday, beginning at 8:00 AM. They are offering up to 7 Million Dollars to registered charities throughout the USA. As an organization we can have up to $100,000 matched. Your $10 donation could be doubled to $20, $1,000 becomes $2,000 and so on.

You can find our DONATE button to the left side of the site and our Facebook fundraiser is linked on our page. 100% of your donation is given straight to the HOLLAND land fund and there are NO fees taken from these donations.

We are excited to watch that thermometer grow.

Chatter & Chow

This past weekend, November 9, was the first ever Chatter & Chow. What an amazing day!

First, thank you to the team at Chianti’s Pizza & Pasta for so graciously providing the Brunch and a beautiful place to host this event.

We had an amazing show of support with about 30 people in attendance. I am so proud of this. I was worried we would have not one person show. It was amazing to see Parents, Grandparents and Self Advocates come to this meeting!

At C&C, I was able to discuss our inspiration and vision for the tiny home community, “Holland”. We had a few moments of a Q&A session and most importantly, there was time to get to meet and learn about one another. Those are the moments I am most grateful for. It has been my experience that families like mine are not always Welcomed or feel uneasy when trying to attend events or playgroups. We need to build each other up!

I’d like to thank our VP, Katie, for capturing this photo of myself and my youngest daughter. I think it just shows that a Mother’s work is never done!

Dream Design

So I am by No means an artist, architect, plans designer or what have you. But when I think of the living community this is what I imagine.

A safe, eco friendly, beautiful and inspiring place for our neighbors to live, and work, and socialize.

our story- the short version

Nothing extravagant or super special about us, but I do have to say we have awesome moments.

We are a family that is slightly larger- Two parents and Five kids at home all the time, and two more live at home with their Momma in Tennessee. We are beautiful mix of Yours, Mine and Ours. Something that we all have in common is our desire to make the World a better place and we say, where better to start then in your own backyard?

In 2015, we, the Chinchaks, began the long road of International Adoption. Paperwork, fundraising, physicals, homestudy visits, paperwork and more paperwork led us to the heart of Ukraine. It was there that I (Hope) met our son, Pasha. So began a beautiful, complicated, and loving road of having a child with Down Syndrome.

We loved him so much that we decided to hit that drive again later that year and begin the process all over. Our second son, Bodie came home from Ukraine a year and a half later.

As time has passed we began wondering what the plan would be if anything ever happened to us. Would they be able to take care of themselves? We are blessed with amazing children who would care for their brothers in a heart beat, but we want them to have options. What if they could live independently? Or with minimal assistance? Thus, OCB was formed!

What if young adults with Down Syndrome or other moderate special needs could infact live on their own? What if they could live in a community of other adults and be just like everyone else? What if their Mom and/or Dad could rest easily at night knowing their child was in a safe, loving and inclusive environment?

The only issue is that a community for young adults with special needs is very few and far in between.

That is why we are here! We feel God’s whisper to our ears. We want to create this space. We want to be the extended family for these people. We want to build an inclusive community for our children. For your children. For the children who need a voice lifting up their own.