Local Students Creatively Fundraise to Publish Book on Disabilities and Inclusion

Local non-profit organization hopes to send one copy of “Our Friend Mikayla” to every elementary school in Pennsylvania, and eventually the United States.


By Kristine Porter





Six years ago, a 3rd grade class at Lower Nazareth Elementary School was given a project: to write their autobiographies.

However, one student in the class, Mikayla Resh, suffers from a severe form of cerebral palsy and cannot speak. Members of the class realized Mikayla couldn’t tell her story the way they could, so they decided to tell it for her.

From the assignment grew a book, which was published two years later by the National Inclusion Project, according to Logan Houptley, a co-founder of Mikayla's Voice, a local non-profit organization that raises awareness about children with disabilities and inclusion.

Members of Mikayla's Voice -- including Mikayla's mother and sister -- are actively raising funds in order to send one copy of the book, titled “Our Friend Mikayla,” to every elementary school in Pennsylvania, and eventually the United States, according to Houptley, now a freshman at Nazareth Area High School.

Kim Resh, Mikayla's mother, said she loved the idea of the book, but realized that getting it published was another story.

“I think the true believers in the room were the children,” she said. Despite her own doubts, she always felt that “it’s important to empower kids that they can make a difference.”

The postage alone to mail the books across Pennsylvania will cost $5,000,Resh said. More funds will need to be raised to cover additional costs, like printing.

To date, the non-profit has received $11,500 through grants from Wal-Mart and the ARC of Pennsylvania. ARC is an organization that helps promote understanding of people with disabilities, explained Resh.

Members of the organization have come up with several creative ways to raise funds themselves.

A student-led organization, members have helped out the carhops at Sonic Drive-in, but not on roller skates, according to Houptley, a longtime friend of Mikayla's.

Proceeds from every cherry limeade slush -- Mikayla's favorite -- sold during the month of April at the Lower Nazareth Township restaurant is being given to the local organization.

Silly bands in the shape of lady bugs and glow-in-the-dark bands are currently for sale. The glow-in-the-dark bands "reminds us that it's our differences that make us shine," according to the Mikayla's Voice website.

Lady bug logo pins and pendants, in addition to artwork created by Mikayla and her classmates are also available. One of the 8x10 prints is titled, “The Road to Helping Hands."

The mission of Mikayla’s Voice is to inspire children of all abilities to share the message of inclusion, according to Resh. Her second daughter, Lauren Resh, puts it a little differently.

“Mikayla’s Voice is really just trying to get the message out that disabilities aren’t scary,” said Lauren, a 7th grader at Nazareth Area Middle School. “A lot of people don’t know that.”

On May 28, Mikayla’s Voice will attend Community Night at Coca-Cola Park to raise awareness about disabilities and inclusion, Resh said.

If you plan to attend, members of Mikayla's Voice will be sitting at a red table that looks like a lady bug. The lady bug is incorporated into the organization’s logo, which Lauren designed. She and her mother chose a lady bug because they are quiet, peaceful, and don’t hurt anyone, kind of like Mikayla, the girls' mother said.

Mikayla can see bright colors like red and yellow, according to Lauren. Lady bugs are red with, normally, black spots, but Lauren put one bright yellow spot on the lady bug to make it different from all other lady bugs – different, but still part of the group.

“I’ve known her my whole life,” Lauren said. “I think of her as any other sister, because she’s affected my life like any other sister.”

Houptley has been friends with Mikayla since the third grade when he moved into the Nazareth area. She was one of his first friends at his new school, said Wendy Houptley, the teen's mother.

“I don’t remember exactly [how I met Mikayla]; she’s always been my friend,” he said.

To purchase any of the above items, contact Kim Resh at kim@mikaylasvoice.org, or by calling (610) 746-2323.

Donations to Mikayla's Voice can be sent to:
P.O. Box 232
Nazareth, PA 18064

Article taken from "Nazareth Patch"

Nazareth Best Buddies

These shirts were made possible through a grant given by Just Born Candies All proceeds to benefit the Best Buddies Club at the Nazareth Area Middle School, Nazareth, PA.

Meet Another Junior Board Member Whom is Also One of Nazareth's "Whiz Kids"

Logan Houptley's passion to educate others about children with disabilities drives his ambition.

Logan Houptley has done more in the last five years than most people do in a lifetime.

A freshman at Nazareth Area High School, Houptley participates in sports and political clubs, is an active volunteer in his community, attends multiple leadership conferences, and leads a non-profit organization. In November, he was one of the main speakers at a national convention in Florida for ARC of the United States, an organization that protects the rights of people with disabilities.

Whiz Kid facts:

Name: Logan Houptley
School: 9th grader at Nazareth Area High School
Church: Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
Activities: NAHS Student Council and co-homeroom representative
Sports: NAHS junior varsity boys’ soccer and NAHS track and field
Community Service: Mikayla’s Voice: co-founder, public speaker, co-author of the book, “Our Friend Mikayla." He is also involved with Friends of ANDYMIL™, Bethlehem recycling and Angel 34.
Accomplishments:

Conferences: ARC of the United States conference in Florida, National Young Leaders State Conference, Great Wolf Lodge Leadership Conference
Honors: National Society of High School Scholars member, high honor roll student, student of the quarter in 9th grade
Middle School Honors: National Junior Honor Society and Talon Club member
Awards: Fifth grade: Christa McAuliffe Award; Middle School: Blue Eagle’s Principal Award and voted “Most Likely to Change the World.”
Key to Awesomeness (what made him/her successful?):

“I try my best and see where life takes me,” Houptley said.

So far life and hard work has taken him to leadership conferences and public speaking opportunities. Since elementary school, Houptley has been active in educating children about other children with disabilities. It was in the third grade that he became best friends with Mikayla Resh. Mikayla has a severe form of cerebral palsy, Houptley explained. She is not able to speak and has limited movement.

Wendy Houptley, Logan’s mother, said, “When Mikayla hears his voice, she wakes up and her eyes light up.”

After Houptley moved into the district, she was his first close friend at his new school, Wendy said. He never saw her as a child with disabilities. He only sees her as a child like everyone else – a friend.

“I don’t remember exactly; she’s always been my friend,” Houptley said. “I was raised to do the right thing and respect everyone. I don’t like to leave anyone out. I feel that if anyone left me out, I wouldn’t want that.”

After the friendship blossomed, Houptley became active in educating others about including children with disabilities. His first project with his classmates was a book titled “Our Friend Mikayla.” He is now an active junior board member of Mikayla’s Voice, which he co-founded with Kim Resh, and Mikayla’s sister, Lauren Resh.

As part of a confirmation community service project, Houptley organized a piggy bank decorating contest. Children decorated the pigs, which were then auctioned off to raise money for Mikayla’s Voice. He raised more than $1,000 for the cause, he said. All of the funds are being used to produce and promote the book, with the goal of getting it placed in every elementary school library.

“You just have to put yourself out there and don’t hold back,” Houptley said. “Oh, and get to bed on time. It’s exhausting.”

Article written by Kristen Porter for Nazareth Patch

Meet Nazareth's "Whiz Kid" and Junior Board Member, Lauren Resh

"No" isn’t a part of Lauren Resh’s vocabulary, at least not in the sense of something being impossible to do.

Resh, a Nazareth Area Middle School student, is co-founder of Mikayla’s Voice with her mother, Kim Resh and Logan Houptley. Mikayla’s Voice is a non-profit organization named after Lauren’s sister, who has cerebral palsy. Houptley is a ninth grade student at Nazareth Area High School and one of Mikayla’s good friends.

The goal of the organization is to educate youth about fellow children with disabilities, according to Kim Resh. "Inclusion" is the organization's motto. Once kids understand that a child with disabilities isn’t any different than them, friendships can then grow, added Lauren and Mikayla's mother.

“Disabilities aren’t scary,” Lauren Resh said. “Mikayla’s Voice is really just about trying to get that message out.”

Whiz Kid Facts:

Name: Lauren Resh
School: 7th grader at Nazareth Area Middle School
Activities: Honors student, co-founder of Mikayla’s Voice, NAMS Student Council, Eagle Ambassadors and Best Buddies.
Sports: Lauren enjoys lacrosse, gymnastics and pole vaulting.
Accomplishments:

Named co-president of Best Buddies for the 2011-2012 school year.
At the USA-International Gymnastics Clubs Competition in 2009, she won second place on the balance beam and eighth place overall, both in her age group.
Designed the logo for Mikayla’s Voice.
Key to Awesomeness (What made her successful?):

At school, Lauren continues her work in helping children with disabilities through the Best Buddies Club. As a member of the club, she helped organize and raise money for an upcoming trip to Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom.

With help from her mother, Lauren submitted a letter describing the Best Buddies Club and the upcoming amusement park trip to Just Born, Inc., in Bethlehem.

Lauren and her mother put together a grant request to the local company, which awarded the club $2,000 to purchase 400 T-shirts with “Wouldn’t life be boring if all your PEEPS were the same?” printed on them. Of course, PEEPS chicks and one PEEPS bunny are featured on the shirts.

The club kept enough T-shirts for Best Buddies Club members and sold the remainder for $15 each. The club made a $3,750 profit, according to Lauren's mother, which was enough to pay for the Dorney Park trip.

Next school year, when Lauren will be the the co-president of Best Buddies, she's thinking bigger: Disney World. Her mother encourages her, but is realistic about the cost and limitations.

Undeterred, Lauren said, “I’ll write a letter.”

This is one 7th grader who sees possibilities in obstacles.

In school, math is Lauren’s favorite subject. Why? Because “I’m good at it,” she replied. Lauren dreams of being an orthotist -- a person who works in the field of prosthetic limbs -- when she grows up.

“I think it’s really interesting,” Lauren said. “A lot of people would be scared of that, but I’m not because I’ve seen a lot of that.”

Lauren said she likes school, she likes seeing her friends every day, she likes switching classes, and she likes feeling like she fits in.

So what is the reason for her success? Lauren’s response is “definitely having an open mind. If you don’t have an open mind, you can’t accomplish anything."

Article written by Kristen Porter for Nazareth Patch

Sonic Night Fundraiser

Sonic Night was a great success for Mikayla's Voice on Friday, April 1st. These pictures show some of the junior board members preparing samples of Mikayla's favorite drink, Cherry Limeade Slush, which they then shared with customers. If you purchase a medium size Cherry Limeade Slush at Sonic 248 in Nazareth this month 100% of the sale will be donated by Sonic to Mikayla's Voice, so drink up!