10/21/2026
🎃👻 A Spooktacular October SOAG Event at Canter's Cave! 🍂🧡
The Jackson County Board of Developmental Disabilities had such a wonderful time hosting the October Southern Ohio Advocacy Group (SOAG) event at Canter's Cave! Our activities lined up perfectly with the spooky season, making for a day filled with learning, self-advocacy, friendship, and fall fun!
We kicked off the day with a meaningful and thought-provoking activity led by Jackson County Board SSA Brandi Yerian. Advocates were encouraged to identify the barriers they face in their everyday lives and symbolically "bury" those barriers. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of self-advocacy, overcoming obstacles, and empowering individuals to have their voices heard!
Following this activity, Tim Jones from McWilliams Funeral Home of Wellston, Ohio, shared an informative presentation highlighting the importance of end-of-life planning and making sure our wishes are known. This valuable discussion encouraged advocates to think about planning for the future and the importance of having a voice in decisions that affect their lives.
After an amazing lunch, the fall festivities were in full swing! 🎃 Attendees enjoyed pumpkin decorating, a delicious s'mores station, creative mask-making stations, and a quiet room featuring the Halloween classic Hocus Pocus! Meanwhile, DJ Funky Flint kept the music going and everyone grooving throughout the afternoon! 🎶🕺
❤️ A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this event such a success!
🍁 Canter's Cave – Thank you for allowing us to use your amazing facilities and providing the perfect setting for our fall celebration!
🧡 McWilliams Funeral Home and Tim Jones – Thank you for sharing your time, knowledge, and valuable information about the importance of end-of-life planning!
🎶 DJ Funky Flint – Thank you for rocking our socks off and keeping the energy high all afternoon!
🌭 Liza Jane's Dairy Bar – Thank you for generously donating the delicious hot dog sauce for our event!
💙 The JVAC Board – Thank you for helping provide funding to make this wonderful event possible!
👏 Jackson County Board of DD SSA Department – A very special thank you to SSAs Miranda Dillon, Brandi Yerian, Jordan Jayjohn, Krystal Adkins, Jon Harris, Keith Burd, and Melinda Brown, along with SSA Director Lana Matthews, for all their hard work planning, organizing, setting up, and helping bring this event together. Your dedication and teamwork helped make the day a memorable experience for everyone!
👕💰 And we have even more exciting news! Thanks to the T-shirt fundraiser organized by the Jackson County Board of DD SSA Department, we are thrilled to announce that $325.50 will be donated to the Southern Ohio Advocacy Group! Thank you to everyone who purchased a shirt and supported this fundraising effort. Your generosity helps support continued self-advocacy opportunities!
Events like these remind us just how powerful it is when people come together to learn, connect, celebrate, and support one another. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make October's SOAG gathering a success!
Here's to breaking down barriers, empowering advocates, and creating memories together! 🎃🍁💜
📣💜 HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT SELF-ADVOCACY! 💜📣
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Together, we can make sure every voice is heard! 💪💜
