Find Community, Connection & Celebration at The CP Social
Community, Connection, and Celebration — this is what the CP Social is all about and this year's event in Portland, Oregon was no exception!
We kicked off a busy weekend on Friday night at everywhere brewing in SE Portland for a ‘mini meetup’ — a casual gathering to break the ice a bit before the main event the following afternoon. Many folks from our community came out from all over North America and the local community so we wanted to offer some more time for togetherness for those who wanted it — and we’re so glad we did! On Saturday morning, some of us met up on the SW Waterfront to take in the view and enjoy a slow stroll, or sit back and have a coffee with new friends. When it came time for the CP Social at Rae Loft, many attendees were ready to continue the fun and build upon conversations that were already underway about life with cerebral palsy.
We know that the CP Social offers a brand new experience for many people in the room who haven’t been in a space surrounded by others with CP and while that can feel overwhelming at times, it is also what makes it so special. We’re grateful to everyone who came out and engaged with our community! Your participation is foundational for our organization and we hope to continue to build upon what we can do for and with our community each year.
“It was amazing to meet and interact with several others who have the same condition I do. For the first time, I was able to share my own experiences with others who could relate, and hear and relate to theirs as well.” -Liz
We celebrated coming together through storytelling, discussion, and more — yes, there was a photobooth and pizza! :)
At each CP Social, we host a live storytelling session where we hear from volunteers about brief life lessons, reflections, or glimpses into another’s point of view about life with CP. This is perhaps the most meaningful part of each event because one can see, in real-time, how universal our experiences are. Questions about coming into adulthood, musings on self-acceptance (and self-doubt), and the acknowledgement that we contain multitudes; that some days we feel more disabled than others and most days, we’re just figuring it out as we go. Then, we held moderated discussion with various panelists to talk about mobility aids and it evolved into a larger group conversation on everything from assistive technology to navigating conversations with family members, awkward social interactions, and perceptions about how we show up in the world. Finally, we made sure everyone had time to connect and converse freely and enter our raffle to have the chance to win some fun prizes!
We’ll leave you with this: Even though cerebral palsy impacts us all differently, our experiences are uniquely ours. There's something so powerful and profound about being vulnerable and open about what it's like to navigate life with CP. It is our vulnerability that will help make us feel less alone but also, make others aware that our differences are not our shortcomings but rather our greatest strengths.
At Cerebral Palsy Strong, we're building a sense of belonging in the spaces we create for ourselves by helping one another feel connected through our shared experience with disability. Want to show your support for our community or stay more engaged with us throughout the year? Learn more a the button below.
And YES! Our next CP Social is happening in 2026! We’ll be updating our community with more information early next year. Register your interest to stay in the know!
