4 minute read
Special Needs Living Akron/Canton- August 2022
Sponsor Spotlight
Sharing Solutions
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Support for Families and Caregivers
By Sarah Smith
Sarah Smith
Sharing Solutions is a monthly adult support group for intellectual or developmentally disabled individuals, their families, caregivers, community professionals, and transitioning high school students. The group supplies support, guidance, and education to help navigate through the daily life of an IDD individual. Sharing Solutions has a partnership with The Arc of Ohio and Stark County Board of DD and connects with the community professionals who attend the meetings.
Beth Miles and Jodi Broom, co-founders of Sharing Solutions, have been best friends for over 27 years. They met at the North Canton Montessori School in 1995, where their children, Max, and Alyssa, were students at the Stark County Integrated Preschool Program. “As our disabled children transitioned into adults, procuring community services and benefits they needed to be successful was overwhelming,” said Broom. “We realized that many families were struggling with the same issues as us. Sharing Solutions was started as a grassroots support group to empower families with the knowledge they needed to navigate the adult world of IDD services. We are two moms who have a passion for empowering people in our disability community.”
Sharing Solutions IDD Support group started in Beth’s house in January 2018, moving to Walthers Twin Tavern for meetings in August 2018. In 2019, Sharing Solutions merged with Stark DD Family Information Series quarterly support group, and now The Arc of Ohio is using Sharing Solutions as a model to help create support groups across Ohio.
“The Sharing Solutions IDD Support Group is vital for families; it is centered around parents helping parents with knowledge and emotional support,” said Stark DD Superintendent William Green. “Not only does the group provide a listening ear, but they also assist families in getting the support that they need. The meetings also host professionals, whether it is us, the ARC of Ohio, the DD Provider Community, or speakers for relevant meeting topics, which helps foster a collaborative and cooperative partnership between professionals and families.”
Beth and Jodi are involved with many community outreach opportunities, whether it is a postsecondary transition through the local school districts or community health fairs or any other community functions where they can bring awareness of Sharing Solutions. They are committee members of the Stark County Technology Collaborative with the goal of bringing assistive and supportive technology awareness to the disability community. In 2023, Sharing Solutions will be collaborating with many postsecondary transition agencies to create an after-graduation series to help students and their families develop plans for adulthood.
“The Sharing Solutions group is extremely helpful to families and caregivers,” said parent Carol Lichtenwalter. “By supplying current and complete information from those providing direct services and support, we can stay informed of important resources and topics. Networking with other families is also an important benefit.”
Jodi and Beth recommend that other parents of IDD individuals get involved with a productive support group, be realistic about their child’s disability, and realize that knowledge empowers. They encourage caregivers to sign up for emails from organizations such as the Stark County Board of DD, the Arc of Ohio, and Disability Cocoon.
Monthly meetings are held at Walthers Twin Tavern in their banquet room except for July and December. They offer a 5 p.m. social hour for attendees to converse with other families, professionals, or topic presenters. Meals and drinks can be bought during this time. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. and usually lasts a couple of hours.
Beth and Henry Miles have been married for 31 years. They have two children, Alyssa (29) and Matt (22). Alyssa has a rare genetic neurodegenerative disorder, BPAN. She was always cognitively disabled but was diagnosed at age 25. She was ambulatory until two years ago when her disorder started to progress. She attends a wonderful day service, Jason’s Place, where she gets the services she needs.
Jodi and Sean Broom have been married for 33 years. They have three adult sons with autism, Max (30), Cameron (27), and Tristan (22). Max and Cameron are employed in the Stark County community, while Tristan receives Voc-Hab services from Pegasus Farm and Clearview Developmental Services. The family has been part of the Canton Challenger Baseball and is currently involved with Stark Public Special Olympics.
