In Memoriam

Katrina Stirn • February 23, 2022

Dan Stroup August 4, 1958 – January 15, 2022

Dan came to Disability Empowerment Center (DEC) on a whim. He stopped in one day to drop off some of his business cards for his Tutor Doctor business and was invited to join us for lunch by Barb, who, during that conversation recruited him as a board member. Shortly thereafter, he was initially chosen as interim Director, and ultimately Executive Director when DEC’s previous director moved on. He quickly became the ‘captain of our ship’ and taught us all so much during his time here.

Dan grew up in Perry County. Even early in his career, he was dedicated to serving people with disabilities. He worked as a Direct Care Professional for CSG, Shadowfax Corporation, and Bell Socialization. In 1999, he founded Typical Life Corporation in York, PA and was there for over 15 years as the Executive Director. He also started a business providing in-home tutoring services through his company, The Tutor Doctor, Lower Susquehanna Valley.

Dan loved spending time creating short films with his family, going to Penn State football games, and fishing. He was a kind, sincere leader who always had a joke to lighten the mood if it needed to be. He wanted to do good with not only our consumers, but to anyone who needed him. Rest in Peace, Dan.

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The Beauty of Support

By Jaclyn Nagle • November 2, 2022

The Beauty Of Support Everyone needs support and people with disabilities are no exception. We either had our disabilities for a long time or just acquired them. No matter what the situation may be, everyone, families, individuals without disabilities, need support. However, people with disabilities are either embarrassed to seek support or do not know where to go. First of all, don’t be embarrassed! We all may have different circumstances; things happen to us that we have NO CONTROL over. We all have had a bathroom issue in public even if you have a disability or not. It happens and if someone says they have not had that issue they are either not telling the truth or it has not happened to them – yet. The bottom line is that we all need support. There are ways to reach out to get this. It starts with you. Take a small step, Be honest. Reach out to a trusted friend. However, there are other resources you can reach out to and here are some suggestions: Find your local CIL. Many have peer support staff, or peer support groups. DEC has a monthly support group. Check out the calendar under "Events' or call our office for more information. Look for Online support groups – Online support groups are out there. Just a word of caution – make sure that they are run by reputable groups. Seek a group that has a shared interest in something you do. It does not have to be disability related to be supportive. When you do something you like or have an interest in you are meeting people who share an interest with and have that to discuss. Over time, you can make new friends. Some people need more professional support and there is nothing wrong with that. One good thing that came out of the pandemic was that telehealth is popular. You can now see a therapist on your computer, iPad, or cell phone. Most of them will take your insurance. Just ask. Telehealth eliminates the need to scheduling transportation or having someone go with you if you need personal care. These are just a few suggestions. You can also reach out to DEC anytime!