News Postings is our version of a BLOG and will address topics under multiple categories including: Reflections, News, Events, Christopherisms and others we may add in the future.  These categories are intended to give you a glimpse into our life as we deal with the diagnosis of ALS.  We invite you to click on comments and give your feedback which will appear on the site.  The comments you make may spark further discussion and are greatly encouraged.  If you don't want your comment public, just send us an email instead.   Thank you for being here!

In the constant pursuit of our mission, we are thrilled to announce that the Denver area chapter of Extra Hands for ALS is now being created.  Jennifer will be the Program Manager with me (Steven) as her trusty assistant.  This is a multi-dimensional nonprofit organization primarily designed to assist families that are dealing with ALS.  We are actively recruiting potential student volunteers, adult mentors and ALS families. 

Two student volunteers, high school or college age will team up to assist an ALS family with various activities for two hours per week.  Tasks could include mild house cleaning, repair and maintenance, dog walking, errands, etc.  Simply reading to or conversing with an ALS patient can provide invigorating company and also give the caregiver a much needed break for personal time.  Public ALS awareness programs are conducted once per semester that the students coordinate and/or participate in.

These volunteers will have an adult mentor to act as somewhat of a guidance counselor.  The mentors will be responsible for following up with the students and families to address any questions or concerns either might have as the relationship develops.  Mentors can also expand our ALS community by sharing their personal experiences with friends and coworkers, potentially recruiting more volunteers through these avenues.

Finally, we need ALS families that could benefit from some extra hands during the week.  These families will be assisting the growth of our ALS community by exposing a new generation to what ALS is and how people cope with a devastating illness.  These lessons have proven invaluable to the students participating in the other seven chapters of Extra Hands for ALS.

We encourage you to reference the Extra Hands for ALS website and watch the videos provided.  Click here for the program overview giving more detailed descriptions of the Extra Hands for ALS mission and individual position responsibilities.  The most commonly asked questions can be found here. 

This organization will be a powerful addition to the ALS community here in Denver and we are inviting you to be part of it.  Corporate sponsors are also encouraged.  As part of our charter, funding is required to run the chapter and support our founding organization, the Jack Orchard ALS Foundation for ALS research. 

We have tentatively scheduled an orientation and training for student volunteers and adult mentors on Saturday, November 12^th, with the time to be determined.  Please reply back as soon as possible as to your interest and availability.  If you cannot attend the orientation, but are still interested or know someone that might be, please let us know!

Thank you, in advance for your support of our new venture.  We can't wait to start sharing success stories.