A Glimpse of What’s Ahead: The Here and Now Project’s Recent Peer Mentorship Training

There’s been a whole lot happening behind the scenes at H&NP, thanks in no small part to a two-year grant from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation that kicked off in October 2024. Now that we’re a quarter of the way in, I’m excited to share some of the progress we’ve been making.

An Eye on the Future

One of the major goals of the Neilsen grant is to develop a more formalized peer support program to help expand our reach throughout Washington state. Last month, we gathered a small crew of H&NP members to participate in Peer Mentorship Training through the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

The session was led by the venerable Marty Wittman, a longtime wheeler, with a special assist from local legend Dick Sage—the recently retired originator and figurehead of MultiCare Good Samaritan’s in-house peer support program.

In the room were the development team behind our Here Now Next (HNN) youth-to-adult peer support program—Todd Stabelfeldt, Matthew Clark, and Jessica Piraino—along with H&NP members Jesse Case, Juanita Schipper, Claire Salvini, and Karen Stabelfeldt.

The three-hour training touched on a slew of key topics, including strategies for effective communication and role-playing exercises that sparked meaningful group discussion about what it means to be a good mentor.

A Full Circle Moment

The whole experience was a bit of a full circle moment for a few of us. Todd, Karen, and I were also present at the last C&DR training held way back in 2013 with the Spinal Cord Injury Association of Washington—back when The Here and Now Project was still just an idea we were tossing around. It’s where we met eventual co-founding members Addie Killam and Koti Hu, and it turned out to be a catalyst moment that nudged us to build something for our peers in the PNW.

Looking Ahead

By the end of the afternoon, it started to feel like another one of those moments. Not only does this training set the stage for the September launch of Here Now Next, it also provides a critical foundation for all of our direct support programs—from hospital outreach to our rotating calendar of monthly get-togethers. 

Freshly Trained Mentors! (From L to R, front row: Jesse Case, Marty Whitman, Matt Clark, Middle Row, Jess Piraino, Kenny Salvini, Dick Sage, Todd Stabelfeldt, Back, Claire Salvini, Karen Stabelfeldt)

And this is just the beginning. Stay tuned to our social feeds and newsletter for more updates on Here Now Next, and how you can get involved—whether as a mentor or a participant!

Going Forward. Together… with United Access

The whole day was made infinitely easier thanks to the folks at United Access in Sumner, who generously offered up their boardroom for the training. Special shoutout to General Manager Michaela Blenkhorn, who surprised the crew with a celebratory cake! (cake shot, text wrapped on one side)

We’re incredibly grateful for Michaela and her team’s outside-the-box thinking when it comes to supporting The Here and Now Project and our members—through both their Sumner and Redmond locations. One under-the-radar offering is their Get Em Home program, which provides a wheelchair-accessible rental van at a 40% discount for those needing a ride home from the hospital. 

If you’d like to learn more about the Get Em Home program or any of the services their team offers across Washington, head to www.unitedaccess.com or swing by their booth at the 5K for Today, proudly presented by United Access this year!