SPRING 2014 GREATER BAY: PROGRAMS & SERVICES IN YOUR COMMUNITY
RELATIONSHIP MATTERS: 8 HOURS TO A LIFETIME OF RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION Having a successful relationship is hard work even in the best of times. MS can make it even more challenging. The National MS Society is proud to offer a program specifically designed to help couples negotiate and manage the uncertainty of living with multiple sclerosis Relationship Matters: 8 Hours to a Lifetime of Relationship Satisfaction.
Couples participating in the program have the opportunity to engage in creative and interactive course curricula designed to deal with challenges related to MS. Participants will acquire the skills and access resources to more successfully manage the effects of MS on your relationship. When you know how to take charge as a couple, MS doesn’t have to rule your relationship. Please join us in Livermore on Friday and Saturday, May 31st - June 1st at the Hilton Garden Inn. The program is $50 per couple and hotel rooms are $99 per night. Space is limited. To register call 1-800-344-4867. ◊
The Relationship Matters program exists to help you and your partner minimize the impact of MS on your lives by: • Improving communication and problem
solving skills
• Learning how to manage MS as a team • Developing skills for life • Helping your partnership thrive
08 UPCOMING PROGRAMS Registration is required for all programs. To register, visit www.nationalMSsociety.org/can or call 1-800-344-4867.
Lagunitas Brews and Blues Against MS Monday, March 31st 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Lagunitas Brewing Company 1280 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma Mark your calendar! Lagunitas Brewing Company has joined the movement for a world free of MS by donating 100% of the night’s beer proceeds to the National MS Society. We will have an appetizer buffet and feature SF blues band favorite, Jan Fanucchi. Bring the family, friends and fun to this event celebrating the last day of MS Awareness Month! Walk MS: Santa Rosa - bring it on! Team Captains who have the most ticket sales in support of their team will win the night’s beer proceeds towards their team’s fundraising! Tickets are $10 at the door and all proceeds go back to supporting Walk MS: Santa Rosa. Register today for the walk on Sunday, May 4th at www.WalkMSNorCal.org. Don’t want to walk? Register to volunteer!
GREATER BAY: PROGRAMS & SERVICES SPRING 2014 Everyday Matters: Living Your Best Life with MS (with Catherine Freemire) Five-week series, Mondays: April 21st - May 9th 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Kaiser Permanente Medical Office Building “MOB” (on Newell Ave. side) 1425 South Main St., 3rd floor Redwood Room, Walnut Creek Everyone has their own idea of their best life. For people living with multiple sclerosis, the idea of that “best life” can change due to the challenges of having a chronic, often unpredictable, lifelong disease. To address this challenge, the Society developed this free, inperson program for people living with MS, their support partners and family members. This program strives to increase participants’ knowledge about the fundamental teachings of positive psychology and how to apply these methods to address everyday challenges. The building is wheelchair accessible.
Newly Diagnosed Orientation Wednesday, May 7th 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. National MS Society Office 1700 Owens St., Suite 190, San Francisco If you or someone close to you has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, you probably have a lot of questions and concerns. You may be feeling overwhelmed by the diagnosis, and unsure of what questions to ask or who to talk to. With the Newly Diagnosed Orientation you can get the information and support you need to live comfortably and confidently with
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REGISTER AT NATIONALMSSOCIETY.ORG/CAN | 1-800-344-4867 this change in your life. Friends and family are welcome for this overview of MS facts and how the Society can help you.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Central Valley • Rally in the Valley on April 12th in Oakdale • Newly Diagnosed Orientation on May 6th
in Modesto
• Yoga for MS on Tuesdays in Modesto
Greater Sacramento • A Night at the Ballpark on April 15th in
Sacramento
• Newly Diagnosed Orientation on May 1st in
Carmichael
South Bay • Horse Power: Living Strong with MS on
Thursdays from April 3rd - May 8th and May 29th - July 10th in Gilroy
• Everyday Matters on Tuesdays, April 8th -
May 6th in Santa Clara
• Care Partners of MS Social on April 12th in
Santa Clara
• Newly Diagnosed Orientation on May 6th
in Santa Clara
• Morning Tea: Tea Party for Mothers,
Daughters, Sisters and Friends on May 17th in San Jose
• Wine Down Wednesday on May 21st in Los
Gatos
• Take Me Out to the Ball Game at the San
Jose Giants on June 13th in San Jose
• Gentle Yoga for MS, Thursdays in Saratoga
• Mix and Mingle Networking Hour on June
SELF-HELP GROUPS
• Have MS, Will (Still) Travel: Tips for
ALAMEDA COUNTY
18th in Sacramento
Traveling with MS on May 14th in Carmichael
• Free From Falls on Wednesdays from May
21st - July 9th in Citrus Heights
• Mix and Mingle Networking Hour on June
18th in Sacramento
• Alameda - Sharon: 510-521-6260, Ray:
510-522-5210
• Berkeley: Lunch Group (meets
periodically) - Toni: 510-653-4534
• Central Berkeley - Audrey: 510-287-6543 • East Bay: Lesbians - Nora: 510-313-3862
North State
• Fremont - Kim: 510-793-0765
• Lagunitas Brews and Blues Against MS on
• Oakland - Katrina 510-523-1891
March 31st in Petaluma
• Chair Yoga with the Eureka Self-Help
Group on May 3rd in Fortuna
• Oakland: African Americans - Karen: 510-
757-3290
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MS CONNECTION: SPRING 2014
• Oakland: Latinos - Elsa: 510-777-1414
WOMEN NEEDED FOR STUDY
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Five doctoral students at the California School of Professional Psychology, along with Rhoda Olkin, Ph.D., are doing a study on the daily hassles, discrimination and multiple identities experienced by women living with a disability. The study aims to understand the types of experiences encountered in daily life.
• Brentwood: MS for Lunch Bunch
- Kathy: 925-286-7674, Julie: 925-5134686
• Mt. Diablo (Concord) - Cindy: 925-677-
0737, Jan: 925-372-0859
• El Cerrito - Thad: 510-528-8540
MARIN COUNTY • Corte Madera (Group does not meet in
July or August) - Vicki: 415-892-7370, Anita: 415-892-5548
SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY • San Francisco: Young at Heart Group
- George: 415-724-0064, Ann: 415-5738949
SAN MATEO COUNTY
Participants will complete five to six questionnaires and a 90-minute focus group for women with disabilities. They will be thanked with dinner and a $15 gift card. The study requires that participants be 18 years or older, live in the Bay Area, and be diagnosed with a physical or visual disability for at least five years. We are currently recruiting participants for focus groups in May. If interested, please contact womendisabilities@gmail.com or 925-953-2084 to verify eligibility.
• Foster City - Eli: 650-377-1970 • San Mateo - George: 650-281-7646
FIND CONNECTIONS AT MSCONNECTION.ORG Create a profile and browse people, discussion boards and the blog. Or start your own discussion group and get input from community members. With MSConnection.org, you don’t have to face MS alone. Care partners, family, friends and those with MS are all welcome. Make every connection count by visiting www.msconnection.org.