CaliforniaSibs-Adult Sisters and Brothers of those with IDD

Organized by Julie Neward and 3 others

What we’re about

CaliforniaSibs is the official California state chapter of the nationwide Sibling Leadership Network (SLN). Our Mission is to partner with Sibs (sisters and brothers of those with special needs) here in California in finding and creating information, and to provide community support and advocacy tools to advance issues important to them and their entire families.

The Northern California branch hosts informational and supportive MeetUps bi-monthly, typically in Oakland, over Sunday brunch with a special guest speaker. In the past, we have welcomed licensed psychologist Dr. Virginia Bassi and Sheraden Nicolau, Bay Area General Manager with the State Council on Development Disabilities (SCDD).

The Southern California branch is centrally located out of Los Angeles, with bi-monthly brunch MeetUps hosted in local restaurants around Downtown Los Angeles, the Westside LA, the San Fernando Valley, and Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley. A little bit more casual, these brunches act as a fun place for people to connect, laugh, support, and bond over what makes us unique.

For more information, please visit our website at www.californiasibs.org.

Featured event

Sat, May 4, 2024, 5:00 PM UTC“Lessons learned in self-love from growing up with a sibling with a disability"

Link visible for attendees

“Lessons learned in self-love from growing up with a sibling with a disability" cover photo

Join us virtually on Saturday, May 4th @ 10:00 am for “Lessons learned in self-love from growing up with a twin brother who has Down syndrome” with Coach Julia Toronczak.

During the session, you will learn the tools that you can utilize to practice more self-compassion, patience, and unconditional love towards yourself.

ABOUT JULIA: Julia's twin brother may not speak to her in words, but he communicates through love better than anyone else she knows. Her twin brother Michael has Down Syndrome, and is her inspiration behind everything that she does. Growing up with Michael taught her so much about:

kindness
empathy
unconditionally loving others (and especially yourself)
having patience
and embracing new perspectives

She uses this background as a confidence coach to empower anxious and ambitious achievers to break through their own barriers so that they can achieve their full potential while feeling fulfilled and confident.

As a complex PTSD survivor with a nasty inner critic, Julia struggled finding the right support during her healing journey while simultaneously working in a highly stressful sales role. Her ambition and drive were constantly being sabotaged by an inner critic telling her she wasn’t good enough, and holding her back from believing in her full potential.