"Ohio Valley Goodwill Hosts 2011 Advocacy and Leadership Summit!"

L to R: Matt Graves, DJ Turner, Katie Wietmarschen, Danny Crews and in front, Samantha Woolery, Summit Planning Committee Members. Ohio Valley Goodwill and the members of its Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC)  are excited to announce that the organization is hosting the 2011 Advocacy and Leadership Summit at its corporate headquarters on Wednesday, May 25th. The Advocacy and Leadership Summit is designed to be an opportunity for program participants to learn about independence; to  share stories of personal advocacy efforts; and to talk with other local advocacy groups about becoming involved in their organizations. This year’s event represents the second annual Advocacy and Leadership Summit hosted by Ohio Valley Goodwill, which last year welcomed hundreds of interested attendees. The 2011 Advocacy and Leadership Summit will feature both a morning and afternoon session at its Springfield Pike location on May 25th and an additional session will be held on Thursday, May 26th at its Westwood Training Center for the convenience of interested participants.  “The 2011 Advocacy and Leadership Summit will be a great chance for people to learn about advocacy and how to speak up for themselves,” said Danny Crews, CAC President. The theme for this year’s Summit is “Advocacy at Work: Real People, Real Stories.” The idea is to help people understand how making choices affect their lives. “The point of this event is to help individuals truly grasp what it means to be a self-advocate,” explained Katie Wietmarschen, Summit Planning Advisor. “This can be as simple as choosing your own outfit for the day all the way to buying your own home,” further explained Wietmarschen. Goodwill’s Consumer Advisory Committee members are really looking forward to this year’s Summit and know that it will be a huge success. Stay tuned for updates about the 2011 Advocacy and Leadership Summit.