Chandler Balch

Chandler Balch – Oh the places you may go!

You can click your heels three times, and say there’s no place like home, but after you say that, where will you end up? Today we are going to discuss pros and cons of different living arrangements that you can use to help your young adult live independently. Understand that this is not an exhaustive list but several issues I have discovered. Also remember that each option has both financial and personal freedom costs that each individual and family needs to consider. For example, what’s the level of freedom/independence are you willing to forgo in order to have specific services? These are not easy questions but essential when looking into the future. First things first, before we discuss the benefits and disadvantages of the [...]

By Scott|2017-03-03T10:00:35-05:00March 3rd, 2017|Blog, Blogroll, Chandler Balch, Intellectual & Developmental Awareness Month|0 Comments

Chandler Balch – Legislative Visit

Bringing reality to Harrisburg, through the testimony of those facing real issues. On January 31, 2017 Chandler Balch, student intern for The Arc Alliance, along with other self-advocates from across the state and staff from both The Arc of PA as well as The Arc Alliance met with several Legislators and their staff to discuss issues facing individuals with disabilities. The meetings focused on key legislative issues concerning those persons with disabilities and their families. The issues presented covered Burden of Proof placed on parents verses school districts, the troubling Waiting List for I/DD Services, lack of funding for valuable services, increased employment opportunities as well as the closure of state institutions. Chandler took an active role presenting concerns focused on the lack of [...]

By Scott|2017-02-01T13:15:39-05:00February 1st, 2017|Arc news, Blog, Blogroll, Chandler Balch, News & Views|0 Comments

Chandler Balch – Social Security is not just for grandma.

When you have finished this article, I trust you will have a better idea of what Social Security (SSI) is and how to apply for it. You will have a better understanding of the process, how to proceed and how to avoid some common mistakes that families make when. For people that do not know what Social Security is, here’s the definition. A United States federal program of social insurance and benefits developed in 1935. The Social Security program's benefits include retirement income, disability income, Medicare and Medicaid, and death and survivor-ship benefits. Most people think that Social Security is only for senior citizens, but that is not true. Individuals with disabilities can also collect Social Security. The kind you can receive, if you [...]

By Scott|2017-01-19T14:52:50-05:00January 19th, 2017|Blog, Blogroll, Chandler Balch|0 Comments

Chandler Balch – To work or continue your education; that is the question.

Once your son or daughter is finished with their high school education, a decision needs to be made as to whether they get a job or continue their education. That is where OVR can help you. The last time we communicated, I talked about waivers and what it takes to apply for them. Today I want to touch on The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR). Many people with disabilities (and other people needing assistance) use OVR to help them obtain a job or continue their education. Like everything else that we are going to discuss in the next couple blogs, applying for OVR is another process. We just have to take it one step at a time. For a complete list of resources that [...]

By Scott|2017-01-17T08:58:05-05:00January 17th, 2017|Blog, Blogroll, Chandler Balch|0 Comments

Chandler Balch – Happy Holidays to All!

https://youtu.be/CBjV4SUAPwU Here’s wishing you and your family a joyous holiday season and a prosperous new year. I hope you have enjoyed reading my blogs from 2016. My latest blog on waivers had a lot of information which I hope will be helpful. My plan for 2017 is to continue to post blogs about applying for Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), applying for Social Security, different living options, and more. I look forward to sharing my transition to adulthood with all of you in 2017. I would like to thank all of the legislators for taking time out to meet with me and I would also like to congratulate Paul on celebrating his 31st anniversary as CEO of The Arc Alliance. In this season of [...]

By Scott|2016-12-23T09:15:41-05:00December 23rd, 2016|Blog, Blogroll, Chandler Balch|0 Comments

Chandler Balch – My last year in School

I can’t believe where time has gone, but in June of 2017, I will be graduating from high school and starting the next phase of my life. Over the next couple of months, I will be taking you along with me as I prepare to graduate from high school. My blogs will explain to you the different processes that I must complete and decisions that I must make before I graduate. These include guaranteeing that my current services continue, decisions about where I can live, and whether I will continue my education or if I’ll get a job. Curiosities about waivers after high school? Don’t kill the cat, read this instead! Today’s blog will be about the waiver application process. At the conclusion of [...]

By Scott|2016-12-20T14:16:11-05:00December 20th, 2016|Blog, Blogroll, Chandler Balch|1 Comment

Chandler Balch – Berks County Legislative Breakfast

Berks County Legislative Breakfast Today my blog will be about a legislative meeting update. As you guys know, I have been very, very busy with my legislative meetings. In fact, Thursday I went to a breakfast where we presented several key issues impacting individuals with special needs, their families and the organizations that support them. There were a several legislators there and they all had different opinions. At times the discussions were intense as Paul, the CEO of The Arc Alliance presented complicated details. As part of the larger group I was able to present the issues that are specific interest and concern for me and for many students in similar situation who are unable to speak for themselves. As these meetings [...]

By Scott|2016-02-29T13:41:03-05:00February 29th, 2016|Blog, Chandler Balch|3 Comments

Chandler Balch – Meeting Legislator Rozzi

Hello everybody, today my blog will be about my visit with Representative Mark Rozzi. Last Thursday, Scott, myself, Paul Stengle, the CEO of The Arc Alliance and Carol Lawrence went to visit Representative Mark Rozzi to talk about many issues as well as the budget. I went with my grandfather which if you watched Channel 6 Action News when the crew came to the legislative roundtable discussion on November 12, my grandfather was the grandparent that spoke on the news. It took about 20 minutes to get to the Representative’s office. While waiting for Scott, I had opportunity to talk to the representative’s assistant. I asked her about her job responsibilities. She jokingly said that she was the one who gets all the complaints [...]

By Scott|2016-01-12T15:51:00-05:00January 12th, 2016|Blog, Blogroll, Chandler Balch|0 Comments

Chandler Balch – God’s Will

Hello everybody, Chandler hard at work Have you heard the song called “God’s Will”? I found it this past weekend and boy is it good. “Some people say it’s a miracle that I will live, I guess you could say it was God’s will to let me live.” Today the blog will be about a video that is the embodiment of those words of the song by Martina McBride aptly named God’s Will. In the video, Martina is sitting on a park bench watching a boy with a disability and his mother. A violin starts to play and then she begins to sing, “I met God’s Will on a Halloween night, he was dressed as a bag of leaves”. You can see the [...]

By Scott|2015-12-16T08:50:25-05:00December 16th, 2015|Blog, Blogroll, Chandler Balch|1 Comment

Chandler Balch – Holiday Budget Cuts

Hello everybody, today my blog will be about two things; what the holidays mean to me and also the state budget. Did everybody have a nice Thanksgiving? I sure did! Considering that we just got through Thanksgiving and Christmas is only a couple of weeks away, if you can believe that, today my blog will be about what the holidays in general mean to me. When people think about the holidays there are normally two things that they think about. They either think, “Oh my gosh, I love the holidays” or “Bah, humbug! I don’t like the holidays!” But for me, holidays mean more than glowing colored lights or snowy winter nights, they mean happiness and joy and family. Over the Thanksgiving break, I [...]

By Scott|2015-12-16T08:53:43-05:00December 8th, 2015|Blog, Blogroll, Chandler Balch|0 Comments

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