Among the list of Rainbows’ Guiding Principles is “Be positive, celebrate success and recognize achievements.” There is one day every year that is designated as a celebration for staff members who have served at Rainbows for 10 or more years, the 10:15+ Club event. read more OCT 16 5 REASONS TO VOLUNTEER AT #FASHIONPASSION2015 Help make Rainbow's goals possible while having fun and gaining work experience. 1. Helping children and their families with special needs: Rainbows serves more than 3,400 children with special needs in Butler and Sedgwick counties. Fashion Passion is our largest fundraiser of the year with a goal of $350,000. By volunteering at this event you can help make that goal possible! read more OCT 07 FRIENDS OF THE HEART 2015 Enriching the lives of the children and families through volunteerism, friend raising, and fundraising. read more OCT 01 NEWBORN SCREENING AWARENESS MONTH Identifying conditions that can affect a child's long-term health. In May 2006 I had been accepted into graduate school for the Audiology program at Wichita State University. For my first Audiology job, I worked at Wesley as part of the Newborn Screening Program. Get up at 5:30 a.m., go to Wesley, screen newborns, do paperwork, home around 2, play with my kids ages 1, 3, and 5, sleep, and repeat. Two weekends a month. Why? Newborns with hearing loss. read more SEP 22 NATIONAL NEWBORN SCREENING AWARENESS MONTH Newborn screening can save a life. He was born on a Thursday morning in the summer of 1996 - all 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and 18 inches of him. He had a long big toe and a mop of dark hair and bright blue eyes, and he was perfect…for 8 days. It turned out that our beautiful, happy, healthy-looking boy had Phenylketonuria, or PKU for short. His liver was missing something that it needed, and he would have to make many adjustments in his life because of it. There was (and still is) no cure. Literally, in one moment, our son went from ‘normal’ to ‘different’, ‘healthy’ to ‘sick’, ‘perfect’, to ‘not-quite perfect’. read more SEP 15 CATHOLIC CHARITIES FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM Volunteers helping children learn values and coping skills. September 13 was a nationwide celebration that honored grandparents for their contribution to our lives. Rainbows’ is fortunate to have three extraordinary grandparents through the Catholic Charities Foster Grandparent program. This special program allows retired individuals to engage in meaningful work that benefits all involved, including Rainbows’ kiddos. Having the opportunity to spend time with older individuals allows children to learn values and coping skills. read more SEP 08 WORLD PHYSICAL THERAPY DAY Therapists evaluate and provide valuable one-on-one services. September 8 is World Physical Therapy Day. Rainbows is privileged to employ nine Physical Therapists and one Certified Physical Therapy Assistant. Physical Therapy is among the many early intervention and specialized services offered through Rainbows. Infant/Toddler Services Physical Therapists provide services in homes, childcare centers, onsite at Rainbows, and any other facility that is convenient for the child and family. read more AUG 31 I TALK TO MYSELF! Encouraging yourself using your own mantras. I love a good mantra! I use them all the time to get myself moving in the morning, to adjust my attitude when I need it, or to get through tough moments. I first learned about the power of self-talk in college, when I agreed to sell books door-to-door in Ohio (crazy right?). We started our days with a silly song about it being “…a great day to be a bookman”. read more