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| The People First group from The Arc of Harrison County tell a crowd about their great fundraising projects. |
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People First groups come in all shapes and sizes. There
is no one
size fits all for organizing a local chapter. Every chapter is unique
and how the group is organized depends on its members. Here are some
basic points to keep in mind. Be sure to visit the links to the left to
download resources for your chapter.
A
People First chapter begins when a group of people with
developmental disabilities decide to get together to learn to speak for
themselves and share ideas, friendship and information. Starting a
chapter helps members learn and use a process for working together and
getting things done.
Requirements for Approval to be an Affiliated Chapter of People First
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The title of
People First must be in the name of your chapter.
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You must run your
chapter using the five guiding principles:
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Run BY and FOR
people with Developmental Disabilities
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Know your rights
and responsibilities
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Speak up for
yourself
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Solve problems
and make decisions for yourself
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Contribute to
your community
Principles To Remember
1. The chapter
belongs to the members
The most
important thing to remember when starting a People
First chapter is to be sure that the members have control and power
right from the beginning so that the chapter belongs to the members.
This means that
members must be able to decide and determine
when and where the group meets, who the helper is, and what goes on in
the meetings.
2. Starting a
chapter takes time
Starting a People
First chapter takes time. It takes careful
planning and thinking and a lot of discussion. It is important that
everyone understands what People First and self advocacy are and why
they want to form a chapter.
It is important
to take enough time so that everyone
understands what is going on and is able to participate in getting the
chapter started. Start small and set realistic goals.
It is important
to have success right at the very beginning so everyone will feel good
about the group and themselves.
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