On-the-Move Community Integration

On The Move is a wonderful Organization. My daughter looks forward to her Thursdays at On The Move. Their partnership with CrossFit has been such a positive experience for her. She really enjoys the excersize and the staff is great

I've worked in the field of I/DD for nearly 15 years now and have yet to come across an organization like On-the-Move. As someone who works for this organization, I can say that the values drive the mission and the mission drives the work.

What a happy and well-run place for our adult son who has a cognitive disability. With all the barriers in our society for people with disabilities, On-the-Move is an organization that gives a parent some relief, feeling confident that our family member is in good hands while he is there. And, he always comes home happy. He loves his time there. That makes a parent happy.

OTM staff are the best in the business. Our daughter has attended OTM for many years. Our family and especially our daughter are always treated with respect. The staff is well trained, positive sincere and energetic. Our daughter has gained confidence we never thought possible due to the hard work and person centered focus o the staff at OTM. we are forever grateful!

My son and I love On the Move! My son has been a participant for seven years now. It's a great organization! They have a very sweet group of participants and a very friendly and caring staff! They have a lot of fun together! I have gotten to know several of the parents too. We have parent meetings a few times a year. We have a potluck dinner in the fall and a big picnic in the summer. We're like one big happy family. My son has visited so many places in Portland through his outings with On the Move: OHSU Tram, Willamette River Esplanade, various art galleries, bridges, and city parks, Portland Streetcar, Hoyt Arboretum, and various festivals in downtown , just to name a few! I'm glad he has had the chance to experience the sights and sounds of our beautiful city! It has opened up his world and for that, I am grateful.

This is a terrific program! As a professor in Special Education, who has seen excellent and challenged programs, I would like to highly recommend On-The-Move Community Integration. The participants in the program are at the heart of their work and the staff and leadership that support the program have formed a beautiful community. If I ever have an adult child who needed this type of support, I would choose OTM, because not only do they have a wonderful community, but the model of doing meaningful community outings in small self-organizing groups is so cool. The other day, I was able to attend a part of an outing and we sat in a cool coffee shop and had a very nice time. These simple moments of meaningful community integration are what OTM is all about. I now know many of the staff and am so impressed. The leader Jackie is incredible and one of the nicest people I've ever met in the field. The direct service team members I've interacted with have been excellent with their groups both when I've seen them more formally and when I've bumped into them in the community. I hope this organizations model and community can continue to grow to serve more people through community integration. -Dr. Samuel Sennott, Portland State University

Leah Gagliano and the employees at on the move are truly devoted to their clients and show genuine passion for community inclusion.

It seems that the staff is diverse and well trained, and really enjoys working with adults with disabilities. The organization tries to find and participate in activities that are healthful for them and the community.

I've always been impressed with OnTheMove's family and welcoming environment and experience. Their staff cares deeply about their participants and it shows with every interaction.

A progressive vision that truly respects all; a caring, committed staff; an ED who is smart, kind, enthusiastic and fiscally responsible; and participants who are valued and engaged. These elements make On-the-Move a model non-profit.

OTM is meeting a need that so many communities have. OTM serves adults with intellectual disabilities. Working with small groups OTM assists adults with accessing the community through intentional and meaningful ways. I have an adult child with an intellectual disability who joins OTM every week and has been there for 9 years. She still looks forward to everyday. I think OTM is the best thing that has ever happened to her. My daughter has a very strong connection and so much knowledge about our community because of OTM. I say THANK YOU On The Move for being the best!!!!!!

This group does exactly what they say they are going to do - integrating in the community. I am very proud to be associated with them. I would like them to be able to spread the word better about their mission throughout the community.

On the Move models community integration for all Portlanders and reaches beyond Portland into a wide network of friends, family and supporters. All who come in contact, stay with this beautiful organization as part of the On the Move community because its environment and attitude is irresistible.
As the sister of a man who was diagnosed with borderline mental retardation in our youth, I am keenly aware of how our society lacks modeling of true integration with people with developmental disabilities and opportunities to form genuine respectful relationships with them.
The beauty and work of On the Move and its active small groups' community activities' model is that staff and participants are out and about participating daily via public transportation in absolutely everything wonderful that Portland has to offer and in the best spirit of Portland - free & cheap public events, museums, parks, cultural activities, volunteer activities, tours; they are all over the place! Everywhere they go they interact fully with those lucky enough to cross their path. OTM staff and participants model how joyful & mutually respectful community integration and relationships work and I truly believe that all who come in contact learn by example and follow suit.
As a Portlander, I am so grateful to have On the Move here and, as a family member of an adult with developmental disabilities, I wish the On the Move model was everywhere helping people learn how to not just passively include but fully and joyfully integrate the ADD individuals living among us into our communities in an environment of safety and respect. We'd all be better for it if we could clone On the Move and its model was as common as the Starbucks in every neighborhood.

I refer families to OTMCI as a resource for post high school independent living. They do so much in the community students and their families have options to fit any need. The staff works well with young people emerging into adults. The fact that they travel the whole county is a major plus. Thank you

I've had the opportunity to work for this organization for over three years and long after leaving, I still maintain contact with them because I've never met a more positive group of people.

On-the-Move fosters an atmosphere where everyone is celebrated, appreciated and valued. I am fortunate to call myself a member of this wonderful community and grateful for the support they offer and receive.

I visited On the Move for its Halloween party yesterday, and I was so happy to have the opportunity to meet such wonderful people. As a wheelchair user, I appreciate its emphasis on social justice and modeling healthy, caring relationships for people who may have limited experience with disability. On the Move has a personal approach to breaking down barriers to social inclusion that I really value.

I grew up with a brother who has Down Syndrome, and our relationship has influenced so many parts of my life. I am so proud of his amazing talents, his spark, and the love that he shares with so many people. We always challenge each other to pursue our passions and to be the best people we can be- but as many others who have special needs, he is constantly facing obstacles, and a new page of them going into adulthood. What first struck me when I learned about On-the-Move was the emphasis on how fundamental it is for our community to more greatly appreciate those who have differences, and I knew I wanted to be part of this. On-the-Move works to empower participants and to genuine relationships- and from the small group model to the morning group planning sessions, you can see this played out from day to day. And, On-the-Move is fun- it's definitely an inspiration to see everyone have genuine support for each other. I'm excited for OTM's future :)

I have volunteered several times in the last year to help individual adults to learn to read. The staff is positive and welcoming to both the learners and tutors. I like that this is a local community based group and that they are flexible and encouraging, no matter what the experience level of the volunteer.
I also appreciate the time frames for classes, they are usually 6 weeks per class. This allows for me as a volunteer to make a commitment without having to tie down a long stretch of time. The leaders of this group are warm and accepting and work hard to make sure everyone is included and heard.
I would encourage anyone who is looking for a volunteer opportunity to give them a try, it is easy and rewarding.

The On-The-Move organization gives my daughter an opportunity to socialize, make close friends, and get out into the community. Getting out and about with people other than family is such a great chance for her. She loves the staff and even gets some one-on-one time to assist her growth. With On-The-Move she gets many experiences she would never get such as events at Pioneer Square, open air markets at the park blocks, activities with friends at parks, hands on activities provided by businesses. I am extremely grateful for the
On-The-Move organization.

I like On-the-Move! It's a joyful place. I really like all of the staff that are here. They spend a lot of time really getting to know people and understand everyone. I also enjoy all the activities- especially when we do arts and crafts and when we explore art galleries.

I like On-the-Move every day. because I hang out with my friends. I go to the potluck for volunteering at the food bank.

I love On-the-Move. The staff worry about my safety. We just have fun."

Shout out to On-the-Move staff who are understanding, helpful and friendly. My loved one participates in the program and continues to thrive. On-the-Move gives us purpose and much needed balance in our lives.

What a special place On the Move Community Integration is. As a reading volunteer, I got to witness a passionate, joyful, wildly capable and patient team give their best week in and week out to their participants. They are constantly working to figure out new ways their group can get involved in meaningful activities and experiences all over the Portland. The heart of the staff - from the Executive Director, Leah, to the other volunteers and ultimately seeping into the hearts of the participants - is SERVICE. I would love to see this place grow into a new space, new programs, and more involvement in Portland and beyond because I have experienced first hand the true value this organization offers - to it's participants AND to the community. SO GREAT.

A friend of mine asked me to volunteer to paint faces during a Family and Friends gathering last weekend. I love my friend and I love to paint faces so off we went. We were also joined by another friend. After the event the three of us had several conversations about how wonderful this group is. The energy and atmosphere was positive from start to finish. We all had a wonderful time and felt blessed having spent time with this group.

However, what really impressed us was the interaction between the staff and participants. There were no visible lines drawn. Everyone was treated as an equal with respect and dignity. All three of us came away feeling the same way about this group.

This organization is a model for how all human beings need to behave with one another.

I would love to work with On-The-Move Community Integration again.

My daughter was very hesitant and nervous her first day at On the Move. She came home that afternoon with the biggest smile and could not wait to go back. It has been about a year and she will soon be adding another day with the program. She has blossomed. She has more confidence with in the community, she has developed new interests and has a real bond with the staff and participants of On the Move. This is an amazing program with excellent, caring staff. We are so very grateful to be part of this organization. They change challenges into success stories.

Our daughter moved to Portland last year to work for On the Move. We visited her at the On the Move facilities and had a chance to meet with the participants and the staff . Our son who has Down syndrome was with us and we were all very impressed by the enthusiasm, compassion and enjoyment that everyone was experiencing. We love all the photos and updates from On The Move's Facebook page. This is a group that is doing excellent work for the participants and the Portland community at large. We hope this organization continues to receive the so much needed financial support and community appreciation that is so richly deserves. We know from our own experience that On the Move is truly a wonderful , special organization that is not easily replicated.

I like to do outings. I like which group and staff I am in. Walking! We go to new places. My favorite things are when we go see stages, like performances on stages, music concerts and acting and plays and stuff. I like doing journals. That is where each staff has cameras and they take pictures of people and things on the outing, and we make a journal page at the end of the day.

It is fun. We do lots of free stuff. We go to different places like art museums, galleries, concerts, and volunteer projects. We take the bus and the max to all kinds of places. We enjoy the nice sun outside! We can eat lunch outside on a nice sunny day. We do so many different activities.

I volunteer at the Oregon Zoo with On-the-Move. I volunteer at Happy Trails horses with On-the-Move. I get exercise and stay healthy. I make friends and spend time with friends.

On-the-Move is a great place to meet people. You can make friends. It's a good place to get help with your independent living skills. I would recommend On-the-Move to people I know like my friend and my family.

I had the opportunity of meeting Molly and Leah through the Small Provider Ogr. Coalition and at a Town Hal meeting. These two ladies present exemplary status in the field of serving person's with disabilities. On-The-Move is full of exciting experiences opportunities that enrich the lives of the customers who attend their group events. Thank you Molly for your strong advocacy and efforts that you provided to the small provider org. community these past couple of months. You and your team are amazing!

I serve with the Executive Director, Molly Mayo on the Oregon Small Provider Org Coalition. She and Leah, the Program Manager work tirelessly to advocate for systems change to improve the independence, integration and accessibility for people with disabilities.

My daughter Nicole was one of the first On the move clients. She had so much fun hiking and doing all kinds of educational activities.

I also volunteered several times as a tutor for the reading program. The students are so delightful and eager to learn.
It is one of the few programs where the disabled are out in the community everyday.

As a professional in this field I see lots of non profits who provide support to my customers but not all of them do what On-The-Move does. From hiking in different places in the Portland Metro area to volunteering at the food bank, OTM really enriches the lives of the people they touch. I have one customer in particular who goes to OTM and this customer absolutely loves the organization, she has grown so much with OTM, she takes the bus across town on her own to get there, her socialization skills and confidence have improved as well as the fact that she remains healthy with the activities OTM provides – thank you for founding such a great organization!

I had the pleasure of working for On-the-Move before I had to say goodbye to return to school. My time spent working for this wonderful organization was, to say the least, inspiring, and will not soon be forgotten. The staff, participants, and families involved are all unforgettable people who share a common goal of a world where diversity is celebrated and embraced by all.

On the Move is simply an incredible organization. The staff and volunteers strive to enrich the lives of participants through community immersion activities; while also increasing community awareness around issues that impact people diagnosed with developmental disabilities. As a volunteer I am inspired consistently by On the Move. In a society that often responds with judgement and cruelty to those that are impacted by a developmental disability diagnosis, On the Move serves as a safe haven that not only acknowledges the value of each participant, but also fights for their right to be respected and treated with dignity in all areas of their lives.

It has been an absolute pleasure working with On-The-Move and seeing the program grow and thrive. They have gone out of their way to provide us with updates on their programs and acknowledge our contribution to the project.

My experience with On-the-Move has been the most rewarding experience of my life. It is like a family to me. I consider On-the-Move a "home" for participants and myself, it is an environment that welcomes and embraces different cultures, humor, talents, interests, and abilities. I cannot speak more highly about the staff and volunteers at On-the-Move; they are compassionate, competent, supportive and extremely fun.

On-the-Move is an incredible program where adults with developmental disabilities have the space and support to participate in activities that enhance their lives and the community. The Director of On-the-Move, Molly Mayo, envisioned a program that went beyond typical services offered to adults with developmental disabilities. On-the-Move was an innovative idea and social movement agency that has set the standard for many other day programs that have followed suit. On-the-Move is a place where adults can go and spend time socializing, navigate the community and enjoy community activities while educating all parties involved.

Molly hired me as one of her first employees over six years ago, I then served on the board of directors, and now am an advisor to the organization. I feel privileged to continue working with On-the-Move.

I have lived in Portland over 10 years and I've never found an organization quite like On-the-Move Community Integration. It is a relief to finally find a place that has an outlook about integration of people with disabilities of any kind as a important part of our community with gifts to give and receive by taking part of everyday activities everywhere - no limitations. I grew up in Maine in a family with a brother with developmental disabilities who gave equally to my world as much or more than he received from it. I worked for years in agencies that provided housing and activity programs for folks like my brother. I was fortunate to work under directors with very progressive and inclusive visions. Then I moved to Portland, Oregon and I worked in the bike industry and I found myself surrounded by a strange cross-section of community that didn't feel complete for me though I loved the bike world. It didn't feel real to me. It didn't feel complete.

My world is not complete when I don't see people with disabilities daily - it starts to feel segregated and odd. When I finally connected with On-the-Move Community Integration to volunteer as a reading tutor, I was so relieved to finally get a sense of the community around me being a real and complete community. I notice this acutely because this is something I was aware of from my birth; however, I think about people who don't realize what is missing in their world. When we don't see people with Down's Syndrome, with mental retardation, with whatever disability, we don't realize that it makes our own world smaller and along with that, the possibilities less. I love to know that I might come across someone I know from On-the-Move volunteering anywhere - planting trees, making waffles, packing food boxes at the Food Bank. Or I might come across a group of folks on a hike, at the zoo, at a concert, or at a sporting event.
On-the-Move is aptly named as the idea is that integration is fluid and entails integrating - being a part of what is going on all around us. I know that I get ideas for activities that would be fun to do by seeing what On-the-Move is up to in Facebook photos, I think I may very well not be unique in that. On-the-Move is a trendsetting, forward-thinking organization and it's fortunate for Portland that we have this organization in our midst. I am grateful and appreciate being involved in this organization.

On the Move is the best program my daughter has been involved in as an adult. No sitting around with On The Move.Participants are always going and doing out in the community. She loves it and so do I. I volunteered in the reading class and will again.It was great fun. The staff has also allowed me to use my limited sewing skills to assist the participants with projects a few times .Every person there is terrific. I don't know what we would do without On The Move.

I started with On-the-Move a long time ago. I think that On-the-Move helped me a lot for the reading class. It taught us how to make friends. I have a lot of memories with On-the-Move. The staff are great. We come together as a family. I feel safe in the community because of On-the-Move. We had a great year!

This is my first experience with On The Move. I love how they are working on integrating adults with disabilities into the community. They are doing a wonderful job with limited resources. The clients and volunteers I have met have all been wonderful. The leadership of the organization seems to have a great rapport with the clients and has their best interests at heart. I look forward to working with this growing organization in the future.

I have volunteered as a reading tutor at On-The-Move's free reading class for adults with developmental disabilities for two sessions, and I have a lot of respect and appreciation for the work that this non-profit does. Literacy is extremely valuable, and my experience as a tutor has given me a first hand example of how improved literacy can give individuals more confidence and independence, as well as improve self esteem. I hope that On-The-Move can continue the work they do for Portland's diverse community.

This was my first time volunteering as a reading tutor at On the Move, and I must say the experience was an unforegettable one. It was not only a learning experience for the students in the class, but me as well. I got to know many of the students and volunteers even outside the one on one reading group I was in and the enviornment of this community is so warm and welcoming! I would reccomend this experience to students and volunteers alike!

I have had the privilege to be a volunteer for a grant-funded reading program which On-the-Move started this past year. My hours spent with adults wanting to improve their reading skills have been fulfilling, enjoyable and worthwhile. The atmosphere at these sessions is caring, fun, relaxed and yet structured-a perfect blend for positive results. Thank you On-the-Move for providing this engaging opportunity for diverse members of the community.

I go to outings. I like cats. I come to On-the-Move 4 days a week. I am also a student in the reading class. Reading class is good. I go camping every summer with On-the-Move. I like to help my friends at On-the-Move. Today we rode the Tram and it was exciting.

My daughter has been with OTM since the beginning. as a mother my daughter is in a place that is safe and she is very happy. its like a big happy family.

My daughter has been coming to On The Move for 5 years. She loves it. Its her /life line/connection to the community, freinds, creative activities. She has a family here. Don't know what she/ we would do without On The Move.

On-The-Move provides absolutely unique, ground-breaking opportunities for adults disabilities. Their recipe is actually quite simple: get folks out in the community where they can volunteer and have fun! By volunteering in environmentally conscious and socially just activities, On-The-Move participants gain social skills and a source of real pride at making a worthwhile contribution to their community. But just as important, if not more so, the community comes to know and really appreciate a group of joyful souls that they may have overlooked. Diversity increases with every smile. Every time I visit On-The-Move, I think to myself, "Shouldn' t I be having this much fun?" Wow.

It's fun, you meet new friends, you meet new staff. When you know everyone better you can socialize with them. Some of my favorite things are walking on the water front, Tanner Springs park, the park blocks. We care for the chickens, count their eggs and give them fresh hay when we volunteer at the Oregon Food Bank Learning gardens. Sometimes we pet the chickens. I volunteer in the solar waffle cart and help run the business and serve customers. The snowshoe trip was fun. I went on the men's camping trip, it was nice for everyone to come along, we made a nice fire. I've been coming here for almost 4 years.

I like coming here. I like my friends here. My favorite thing is hearing music at the free concerts. I have been coming here for 3 years!

I started volunteering at On-The-Move last November as a reading tutor. I had an amazing experience working with the participants as they built and sharpened their reading skills. Molly has created a great environment for participants to come and engage in various enrichment programs ranging from community involvement at a animal shelter to wonderful trips to the museum. Truly living up to it's namesake, On-The-Move is very much on it's way to becoming a cornerstone in the Portland non-profit community.

I've been a Board Member of On-the-Move for a couple of years after learning about this program in 2010. I was blown away by the unique mission of On-the-Move to integrate those with special needs within the community of Portland with a focus on ecology or environmental awareness. I appreciate that the staff here at On-the-Move is dedicated to the mission and to the participants in every way, helping with communication, creating a great close knit community and fostering talent and creativity with all the participants. 2012 has certainly been a successful year for On-the-Move gaining great visibility in Portland with the state. Kudos to Executive Director Molly Mayo and her team at On-the-Move Community Integration!

I've volunteered with On-the-Move for almost two years on a variety of projects and events and have always been impressed and overwhelmed by the mission, dedication and innovation with the programs and core vision of On-the-Move Community Integration. This place does great work and is completely different from any other program in Portland and possibly the country.