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Congratulations to the three individuals served by BHN who recently received awards at the 18th Annual West Region Self Advocacy Conference in Springfield!

Brian Kitner won the 2022 Edwin Sojka Memorial Award for his dedication to attending Westfield Self Advocacy meetings. Brian is the elected President of the group and works hard to help others succeed. He is a lifelong learner with a great sense of humor and enjoys making others smile. 

Karen Kitner won the award for Best Community Promoter 2022. Karen received this award for her involvement within the local community. She enjoys educating the public about the values of self-advocacy and fights for inclusion and an end to segregation. Karen leads the way for other self-advocates to become involved. 

James Miller was inducted into the Western Mass Region Self Advocacy Hall of Fame at the conference. He received this honor for his strong passion and lasting dedication to self advocacy, for acting as a leader and role model, and for his vision of the future of self advocacy. 

Self Advocacy at BHN

The Open Door Club has been meeting as a self advocacy group for over 30 years. They are an established group with individuals in Northampton and surrounding areas. The Group’s focus is on learning, independent decision-making, and teamwork. They accomplish goals using hands-on activities, short films, and guest speakers. By having each member express their ideas for upcoming meetings, the interest and integrity of the group is maintained by all who participate. Open Door Club self-advocates meet Mondays 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm at 40 Bobala Road, Holyoke. 

The Self Advocates are a long-established group with individuals from all around the Westfield area. This group focuses on trusting themselves and the choices they make to enhance daily life. This is accomplished through utilizing short-term goals, encouraging self-esteem, growth, and strong communication skills such as phone etiquette, reading, sign language, and group conversation for support. All members in attendance vote on future meetings to ensure everyone has a voice as to how the group will meet the needs of all members.

Upcoming plans for the Group include guest speakers, volunteer work, elections, public awareness, and social events. Meetings are held Wednesdays 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at 754 Russell Road, Westfield.

For information on either group contact Maria.Laporte@bhninc.org, (413) 519-0257.