February has been filled with exciting events and activities that have helped us settle into the new year. Between the grand opening of a new Adult Day Services location and our Autism Services kick-off, February has brought so much cheer and raised our spirits. Take a look at what we’ve been up to below!  

Disability Inclusion Game Day with the Anaheim Ducks  

Easterseals Southern California and the Anaheim Ducks’ new partnership was on full display with an action-packed game day on Sunday, February 2nd. As the Duck’s official Disability Inclusion Partner, Easterseals was well-represented throughout the Honda Center with more than 300 staff, participants, and leadership in attendance.   

Read our blog post about the event and our partnership with the Ducks to learn more.  

Adult Day Services Glendora Grand Opening  

In February, Easterseals Southern California celebrated the grand opening its newest Adult Day Services location in Glendora, CA. The packed event had a western theme in honor of the location’s former occupant, the historic Golden Spur Restaurant. Guests enjoyed music, a photo booth, speeches from Easterseals’ leadership and participants, and a ribbon cutting. 

Watch the video below to see highlights from the grand opening:  

Autism Services 2025 Kick-Off Conference  

Leaders from Easterseals Autism Services gathered in February for their annual Kickoff Meeting, centered around the theme of ‘Resilient Leadership.’ The event brought 216 leaders in Autism Services together in person and another 177 joined virtually.  

The day featured a Team Immersion exercise designed to strengthen personal resilience, along with an inspiring keynote where attendees gained valuable strategies for leading effectively through challenges. In the afternoon, associates explored “Activation Booths,” where they connected with colleagues and discovered exciting projects, initiatives, and new ventures happening across Easterseals.  

Easterseals Joins BlueSky!  

Easterseals Southern California is now on BlueSky, a social media platform that has been getting a lot of positive attention. Our goal is to connect with the disability community and beyond, as well as share the impactful work we’re doing while expanding our reach. 

We’d love for you to join us on BlueSky by following our account. You can also find us by searching for Easterseals Southern California. 

We look forward to connecting with you! Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to grow and amplify our mission. 

Stay In the Know 

Learn more about what we’re doing at Easterseals on our website, and be sure to follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest happenings across our service lines:  

• Facebook: @EastersealsSoCal 

• Instagram: @EastersealsSoCal 

• TikTok: @EastersealsSoCal 

• Bluesky: @eastersealssocal.bsky.social 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/easterseals-southern-california/ 

• YouTube: @EastersealsSouthernCalifornia 

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Easterseals associates and their families enjoying the game.

Easterseals Southern California and the Anaheim Ducks’ new partnership was on full display with an action-packed game day on Sunday, February 2nd. As the Duck’s official Disability Inclusion Partner, Easterseals was well-represented throughout the Honda Center with more than 300 staff, participants and leadership in attendance.   

From the moment guests arrived at the Honda Center, they were greeted by a welcome table featuring custom Easterseals beanies and information about our services. Before the game, the Ducks recognized Easterseals with their Community Hero Award for our dedication to increasing disability inclusion. The award was accepted by Matthew, an Easterseals Living Options resident, and Andres Rojas, Living Options Residential Administrator. 

Two Autism Services graduates, Samantha and Jack, joined DJ Jojo in the DJ booth.

Throughout the afternoon, the Ducks included Easterseals participants and staff in several more exciting activities. Two Autism Services graduates, Samantha and Jack, had a blast joining DJ Jojo for a “hype moment” in the DJ booth, while another graduate, Vihaan, got to enjoy a Zamboni ride during the first intermission. These experiences created special memories for our participants as the Ducks showcased their commitment to inclusion.  

“Seeing this partnership come to fruition during this game was truly so special,” said Brynne Jones, Easterseals Senior Director of Partnerships. “It was a testament to the team’s genuine investment in our shared mission to make Orange County more inclusive for all. And we’re just getting started!”  

Inside the Honda Center arena, a large scoreboard displays “Today’s Matchup” between two hockey teams, sponsored by Easterseals Disability Services.

As part of our partnership with the Ducks, Easterseals Disability Services signage will continue to be featured prominently throughout the Honda Center.  

Easterseals, through our partnership with the Anaheim Ducks, is also proud to be the presenting sponsor of the San Diego Ducks Sled Hockey Team, a program that supports athletes with physical disabilities and their families through the adaptive sport of sled hockey.  

We look forward to working alongside the Anaheim Ducks to spread the message of disability inclusion in Orange County and beyond.  

Learn more about Easterseals partnership with the Ducks on our website.  

The post Breaking the Ice: Easterseals Teams Up with Anaheim Ducks for Disability Inclusion Game Day appeared first on Easterseals Southern California Blog.

As I reflect on the importance of Black History Month and the work I do as a clinician and member of the Easterseals Southern California IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access) team, I think of my own cultural background and how that shapes how I see, experience and perceive the world. I realized that although I was raised by my grandmother, in her home, we had different experiences within the same culture. That keeps me mindful of seeking to understand other’s experiences within and across cultures. Recently, I further reflected and appreciated my grandmother’s experience, and I listened to her recall some very trying times. 

Crystal Leonard, PsyD, BCBA (right) with her grandmother Mary (left).

I had the privilege of visiting my family in McAlmont, Arkansas for the holidays and was immediately transported back to the days of me growing up in the kitchen, cooking many of the holiday black family staples with my grandmother. We made black eyed peas, greens, yams, dressing, ox tails (this was a first for me), and the most touted delicacy of them all, chitlins, or chitterlings if you will. 

Slave owners would take the best part of the pig while enslaved people were given the scraps of pigs, which included the intestines, feet and ears. Chitlins (chitterlings), the pig’s intestines, cooked and served by slaves became a demonstration of surviving, persevering and making the best of the worst. 

The pride I felt in the kitchen this holiday season while we prepared chitlins and ox tails was a realization of my grandmother honoring where she came from, recognizing the peril of that time while appreciating the freedom of the present. I listened as I cleaned out the deep freezer for her and she talked about the big boss and the straw boss of the cotton field; she described her picking cotton for the boss and the urge to meet the quota for the day fast enough to still be able to pick enough for her to sell to provide for her own family. 

It took a while for me to understand and not groan when I had to clean out the deep freezer as a young child. I loathed the days of taking out all the frozen food, leftovers and on sale food items packed full to the brim of the deep freezer kept in the laundry room of our house. After removing all the food, the task was to chip away built-up ice so that we could of course fit more leftovers and food to use for the next holiday or any old Tuesday. But what I didn’t immediately understand was that my grandmother had an internal worry that she wouldn’t have enough because of the many days when she didn’t have enough. So, she stocks up, to never have to be without. Trauma response to some, survival and celebration to others. I get it, and happily clean out the deep freezer and revel in the goodness and the beauty of her pride of owning her own home, filling her deep freezer weekly and her 89-year-old memory that keeps her cooking on any old Tuesday, because she can. 

Learn more about Easterseals Southern California’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access) initiative as we develop resources for associates to ensure our services are inclusive to the diverse populations we serve and to advance health equity in our communities.

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In January, representatives from Easterseals Southern California attended the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. From a discussion with TheWrap to the announcement of the 2025 Easterseals Disability Film Challenge genre, Easterseals’ footprint was unmissable at the festival. 

TheWrap Panel: Reimagining Hollywood

Easterseals Southern California representatives at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

While at Sundance, Easterseals participated in an insightful discussion, hosted by TheWrap, about the state of disability inclusion in Hollywood. Easterseals Chief Advancement Officer Nancy Weintraub and Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Founder Nic Novicki sat down with TheWrap CEO Sharon Waxman to discuss a ground-breaking new report conducted by Easterseals. This report shows that representation of disabilities in media has stagnated despite a U.S. audience commanding $490 billion in spending power.  

Watch the full panel discussion on TheWrap’s website to hear more about what Easterseals is doing to address disability representation in entertainment.  

Learn more about the report and how Easterseals is putting disability in Hollywood front and center by visiting our Reimagining Hollywood webpage.  

Easterseals Disability Film Challenge Announcement  

On Saturday, January 25th, Nic Novicki, founder of the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, announced this year’s film challenge genre: Thriller and Suspense!  

The 12th annual film challenge will kick-off on April 1st, so interested filmmakers must register by March 31. Winners will be announced in May at an awards ceremony at Sony Pictures Studios. Learn more about the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge on our website.  

Watch Nic’s Announcement from Sundance 

More Highlights from Sundance 

(L to R) Easterseals CEO Mark Whitley, Chief Advancement Officer Nancy Weintraub, and Senior Director of Partnerships Brynne Jones.

This year, Easterseals Southern California had the honor of being Sundance’s official press inclusion sponsor to help ensure diverse coverage of the festival. We also had the opportunity to support the launch of Shoshannah Stern’s directorial debut, Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, a documentary about Marlee Matlin’s life and journey as the first deaf actor to win an Oscar.  

“The Sundance Film Festival attracts the world’s most creative minds and innovative thinkers in entertainment,” said Brynne Jones, Easterseals Senior Director of Partnerships. “Over the years, Easterseals has had a presence at Sundance to ensure that the disability community continues to be at the table. We look forward to seeing the fruits of these important conversations and initiatives as our Reimagining Hollywood report reaches new audiences.”  

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If you’d like to partner with Easterseals Southern California in our efforts to support disability representation in Hollywood or want to learn more about our Reimagining Hollywood report, please reach out to Brynne Jones, Senior Director of Partnerships.  

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