Sh0wtig3r Returns for Second Fundraiser Supporting Accessibility
Sh0wtig3r Returns for Second Fundraiser Supporting Accessibility
We are happy to announce that Sh0wtig3r continues to support Dreamscape Foundation and our cause to make life easier and more accessible for people with disabilities.
Sh0wtig3r is Back with Support!
You might remember Brianna Ritchie, better known to her Twitch community as Sh0wtig3r. She hosted a charity stream for Dreamscape Foundation this past May! Ritchie has been doing great in the past few months since we spoke to her. According to our updates, “Since the last time we spoke I have received a promotion at my office job which is helping my boyfriend and I get closer to our goal of moving back home to Vermont in Summer of 2022.” Brianna explains.
Brianna’s Favorite Holiday Traditions
As she gets ready for her first Giving Season fundraiser with us, we asked about her favorite parts of the holidays: “Since I am the youngest in my family, I was always peeking around during the holidays to find where my parents hid the gifts. It was always a blast brainstorming with my older siblings on where the new hiding place was and if the parents would catch us. In the end we never found where the gifts were hidden, probably because my parents knew we were looking for them, but it was always a good time just laughing.” We here at Dreamscape are guilty of gift hunts as well!
Round Two for Accessibility
Our good friend Brianna excitedly accepted our call for action due to our previous work and our mission statement. She quoted “I love working with Dreamscape not only because of the passion of the staff but also because of the mission statement. Dreamscape goes above and beyond to do everything they can to help get their message across including making great bonds with content creators by working together for a great cause. I enjoyed working with Dreamscape in the beginning of 2021 and I am excited to be working with them again with hopefully more to come in the future!”
Dreamscape is counting down the days for our collaboration! Her cheerfulness and creativity are an inspiration to everyone she interacts with. One of Brianna’s favorite memories from her 1st charity stream with Dreamscape was having to draw a goatee using an eyeliner on her face, and wearing it for the remainder of the stream! She made this one of her higher incentives – and her community made sure that no matter what, she was going to look silly for charity.
This time around, she has a few returning ideas from her last charity stream, “…googly eyes and of course eyeliner facial hair, but I look forward to sharing some of my secrets that I have up my sleeve. We will be streaming for 12 hours on December 4th and it is going to be jam packed with fun!”
A Big Thank You To All
Sh0wtig3r concluded our interview with a heartfelt message: “I just want to thank everybody for taking the time out of their day to help support Dreamscape in any way that they can. With it being the holiday’s even if you cannot physically donate which is more than okay, spreading the word helps just as much!”
Together with Sh0wtig3r, we Invite you to watch our Charity Stream on Saturday December 4,2021 at 3PM to 3AM EST. We hope to see you there as we attempt to reach our $500 donation goal!
« PreviousCombatNursing Targets Accessibility for Dreamscape’s Next Charity Stream
CombatNursing Targets Accessibility for Dreamscape’s Next Charity Stream
One glance at Twitch streamer CombatNursing’s handle, and you can likely guess its origins. The name reflects her past experience as a combat medic for the Army as well as her civilian career as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse. However, this carefully chosen name means more to CombatNursing than just her resume. It also holds a deeply personal meaning to its owner.
“It’s about making sure that I always acknowledge where I came from,” she said. “The people who trained me, the people I worked with, my patients, they really taught me a lot… They can show you how to survive.”
As a NICU nurse, CombatNursing witnessed firsthand just how resilient humans can be, even in their earliest moments of life.
“Things that you wouldn’t expect a little tiny human like that to be able to handle, they handle it. Watching them leave the NICU, and then years down the line come back for a reunion really teaches you resilience; resilience as a person and an inner strength that you might not know you have. So it’s a very personal and very important tag for me.”
CombatNursing Promotes Awareness and Support for Individuals with Disabilities
Dreamscape Foundation’s mission to help improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities is one that hits close to home for CombatNursing. She knows firsthand the impact that physical disabilities and mental health struggles can have on day-to-day life, and she actively advocates for assistance and resources to help improve the lives of those who struggle with them.
“My father’s a Vietnam veteran and is also a disabled veteran,” she said. “He was wounded in combat. My husband was injured while serving in Iraq. He suffers from PTSD, but he also has injuries that made him disabled. So working with organizations that make it a point to highlight disabilities, and that work for accessibility for the disabled – that is a big part of what I feel is necessary. I love to do charities to raise awareness.”
In the past, CombatNursing conducted charity streams to support Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that not only addresses mental health impacts on soldiers, but also provides support for those who become physically disabled due to injuries sustained while on duty. It’s a cause she is passionate about supporting. However, when she heard about Dreamscape Foundation, she found it to be an opportunity to extend that mission beyond just service members.
“Wounded Warrior Project is the military side, but there’s also a need for the civilian side, and so I felt like [Dreamscape] would be a perfect fit.”
CombatNursing’s Week-long Charity Event Begins in November
CombatNursing’s charity event to support Dreamscape Foundation will be held from November 1 to November 5. She will stream each day from 9:00pm to 7:30am EST. During that time, she will be playing Destiny 2 and Call of Duty: Warzone. Her goal is to raise $1,200 for our organization.
“I would love to see if we could pass the $1,200 goal, but if not, it’s a worthy goal to go after,” she said. “Hopefully we have people from all over the world come out and show support.”
Those who tune in can use their donations to win prizes, as well as trigger incentives or on-stream antics. To tune in, simply go to CombatNursing’s Twitch channel during the appointed dates and time.
« PreviousNext »C.A.B.S. Autism: Inspiring Motivation-Led Growth
C.A.B.S. Autism: Inspiring Motivation-Led Growth
The World Health Organization reports an estimated one in every 160 children have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), though that number has the potential to be higher. Currently, the prevalence of ASD in low- and middle-income countries remains unknown.
However, what we do know is that ASD presents itself in a myriad of ways, and that presentation varies tremendously from one individual to another. This diversity – or spectrum – makes every case unique. That’s Why CABS Autism and Behavioral Specialists provide individualized consultations and therapy services, whether it’s from home, at school, in a clinical setting, or even a community environment.
CABS uses Applied Behavioral Analysis, or ABA, in their one-on-one therapy sessions with their clients. In these sessions, they tune into what motivates the individual they’re working with to inspire engagement. By focusing on their client’s interests, they encourage communication and enriching interaction.
“Our approach is very child-led by their motivation,” said CABS’ Outreach and Development Coordinator Wendy Craven. “It’s not what we plan and set to do for the day necessarily. We identify what’s motivating them, and we go with that.”
CABS’ programs serve ASD clients ranging from the age of two to 26. While they create individualized goals catered to each individual, all treatment plans focus on creating a long-term quality of life while fostering a love for learning.
Led by a director who is a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA), CABs prides itself on its strong foundation of qualifications and training. Each of their BCBAs possess an average of six years’ experience, and nearly half (43%) of their Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) are pursuing either their Master’s Degree or BCBA certification. That high level of talent is matched by its empathy and compassion.
“I always hear the staff supporting each other, helping each other or sharing ideas,” Craven said. “I hear the kids laughing and having fun. Nine times out of 10, our therapists typically will say the rewarding part of their jobs is who we work with. Seeing them learn and grow.”
CABs has locations and services available in Itasca, Illinois as well as two Georgia cities: Savannah and Rome.
ReAbility and the Necessity for Autism Resources Like CABS
CABs offers significant resources to those within the radius of their Illinois and Georgia locations. However, a medical study published in 2019 revealed sparse and uneven distribution of diagnostic resources for ASD within the U.S. The consequences of this leave many in need of services like CABS on lengthy waitlists or forces them to travel long distances to access the resources they need.
This challenge was brought to Dreamscape Foundation’s attention by Chris Myers, who is a parent of an autistic child. Together with him, we helped to create ReAbility, a search engine for individuals with disabilities that helps identify nearby resources, programs, and events based on their specific needs. While its reach is currently restricted to Tennessee, Dreamscape and Myers both aim to grow the website through partnerships with organizations like CABS in order to expand its usability across the U.S.
« PreviousNext »Friends Life Community: Promoting Self-Advocacy and Independence Within the Disabled Community
Friends Life Community: Promoting Self-Advocacy and Independence Within the Disabled Community
The word friend is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a favored companion” or “one attached to another by affection or esteem”. True to its meaning, Friends Life Community (FLC) aims to create a place of belonging for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its broad services provide teens (16+) and adults a safe haven to grow personally, develop socially, and establish a sense of community.
FLC’s Taylor Wigginton (Client and Family Experience Coordinator) and Olivia Moore (Program Director) are passionate about their cause and the programs they offer to help the disabled community, including those that promote life skills, advocacy through the arts, and service learning and employment.
“We provide opportunities for the friends to really shine and be in the spotlight, and to be seen for who they really are,” Moore said. “Diversity has become a really big topic of discussion, which is amazing. Still, those with disabilities are often left out of that conversation.”
FLC originated in 2007 with four families and friends, all of which are still heavily involved in its programs to this day. The organization began in a church basement before expanding to a larger location based in Granny White Pike, Nashville, Tennessee. There, they refer to their program participants as “friends”. The term makes it easier for both clients and staff to get along with as it retains the dignity of each member.
“It keeps everyone kind of on the same level,” Wigginton explained. “Often people want to refer to our friends as students or kids or anything less than an adult. [The term “friend” allows us to] make sure that we’re talking about them as an adult, and not anything less than that.”
During the pandemic, FLC managed to transition their programs to an online setting. These online programs enabled them to expand their reach beyond their local environment and across the country. As a result, they doubled their friends served from 40 to 96 since March 2020.
FLC provides both day and evening programs. The day program is the largest of the two. Although they are held Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, the schedule is very flexible. Friends are welcome to join the program at whatever time works best for them. One of their biggest day programs is called Advocacy Through the Arts.
“Our Advocacy Through the Arts program involves the performing arts and the tandem troupe theater, which is our theater group that travels and performs original plays that they write,” Moore said.
In addition to performing, friends also have the opportunity to sell their visual art at the program’s events.
“We try to put self-advocacy at the forefront of everything that we do. Our arts program highlights that in a way that that I’ve not seen done before,” Moore explained.
In addition to Advocacy Through the Arts, FLC has a variety of coaching sessions for life skills, health and nutrition, drama therapy, and free employment training. These coaching sessions are designed to help equip friends with skills that will improve their ability to find employment.
The smaller, evening programs belong to the Social Club, which meets three times a month. During these evening events, five friends are accompanied by FLC staff as they engage in social activities. This may include visiting restaurants or other places of interest for the friends.
“I feel like we have a little more flexibility in the things that we can do because we’re setting the standards and the parameters in which we’re wanting to function,” Wigginton said.
ReAbility Makes Programs Like FLC’s Easier to Find
ReAbility is a search engine for individuals with disabilities that helps identify nearby resources, programs, and events based on their specific disability and needs. Dreamscape Foundation collaborated with Chris Myers to create this resource, which is currently within its early stages, but evolving with each new partnership.
FLC sees ReAbility as an opportunity to reach more people in the future and connect them with the curriculum best suited to their unique skills and needs. “The biggest thing that’s going be so wonderful with [ReAbility] is that people can set their preferences on what they wanted to be alerted about and they automatically get those notifications,” Moore said. “I know families and individuals that are constantly on the search for what they need and what they’re looking for.”
« PreviousNext »Autism Tennessee: Offering Support Across the Spectrum of Age and Autism
Autism Tennessee: Offering Support Across the Spectrum of Age and Autism
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 1 in 54 children within the U.S. have Autism Spectrum Disorder, or ASD. This disorder benefits greatly from early intervention, which expands the opportunities for healthy development. However, diagnosis is often the first step in a lifelong struggle that parents and individuals with ASD face when managing ASD’s impact on life and daily activities.
Autism is described as a spectrum, and individuals with ASD can fall anywhere across it. Because the disorder can manifest dramatically differently from one individual to the next, there is no “one size fits all” solution to support individuals with ASD and their families. It requires a customized approach, and services and resources aren’t always easy to find.
Enter Autism Tennessee: a Middle Tennessee-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing support, education, and advocacy to help families and individuals struggling with ASD.
“We want to meet you where you are in that moment and provide services and referrals that you’ll need for that,” said Autism Tennessee Executive Director Babs Tierno. “And then we’re always here for the next thing as well.”
Autism Tennessee offers empathy, assistance, and community for those navigating the gifts and challenges that come along with this unique diagnosis. The organization serves as a bridge to a wide array of resources, from psychologists and therapists, to daycares, summer camps, and support groups. What’s more, they are a community who often understands firsthand what those who reach to them are going through.
“The person on the other end of the helpline that is employed by Autism Tennessee is either a parent or professional,” Tierno said. “They’ve been in the shoes that you’re in in that moment when you make that phone call. They’ve been as desperate as you are, and so they have that compassionate shoulder aspect that a clinical or call center might not have.”
Their support line offers several ways to contact them, including phone, email, or text messaging. Like Dreamscape Foundation, Autism Tennessee aspires to make life more accessible. Their goal is to maximize the independence of individuals with ASD by helping them reach their maximum capacity. It’s a lifelong effort; one they’re willing to step in and assist no matter the person’s age or extent of their disability.
“[We’ll help] a child as young as six months old who’s not meeting developmental milestones all the way through assisted living,” Tierno assured. “Every step of the way, we assist families and individuals and caregivers.”
Resources Like Autism Tennessee and ReAbility Help Bridge the Gap
Dreamscape Foundation recently collaborated with a parent of an autistic child named Chris Myers to develop an online tool called ReAbility. Currently, this customizable search engine connects individuals based in Tennessee with resources specific to disabilities, including autism. However, the long-term goal is to expand its pool of resources across the entirety of the U.S.
Because its mission is so closely linked to Autism Tennessee’s, we asked Tierno to provide her input on why resources like ReAbility matter.
“Inclusion and finding what you need when you need it,” was her straightforward and honest reply. “Just the immediacy of being able to access what you need.”
Access is the pivotal hurdle that stands between many individuals with disabilities and the road to achieving a fulfilled life. To learn more about Autism Tennessee’s resources and their mission, visit their website. For more information about ReAbility, take a look at the “Help” tab on the tool’s website.
« PreviousNext »Dreamscape Foundation Engages in Community Outreach
Dreamscape Foundation Engages in Community Outreach
It’s reported that in January 2017, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness estimated that nearly 24% of the 369,081 people experiencing homelessness consisted of individuals with disabilities who, by federal definition, were experiencing chronic homelessness. Sixty-nine percent of those disabled individuals were residing in areas without appropriate shelter (e.g., sidewalks, doorways, parks, encampments, inside cars, buses, abandoned buildings or under bridges) rather than in emergency shelters.
Our community here in Southwest Florida is no exception. Fort Myers, Florida served as an illustration of the statistics stated above. Before Centennial Park was fenced in, it was a haven and a home for many who were homeless who took shelter under the pavilion. Now their options continue to narrow as the city imposes further restrictions that bar the homeless from taking shelter in other areas, such as the local library or Lions Park.
As of June 2021, the city has yet to come up with an appropriate solution to help reduce the homeless population and create appropriate avenues for housing and assistance. However, there are some citizens who are finding ways to help. Among them are PJ Barber and his wife.
It began with an eight-week program called Alpha that offered up a safe space for conversation about life, spirituality and faith over a warm meal. Located at The Warehouse near downtown Fort Myers, word of a free meal entered the community, drawing in the homeless population. As their needs became apparent, Barber and his wife decided to shift gears. After the Alpha program ended, they created a new weekly event called Community Meal, which is held every Tuesday at The Warehouse at 7pm.
“At the Community Meal, we strive to make sure that the most vulnerable in our community have access to basic needs, such as food, clothing, and personal hygiene items, but we make sure to create a lasting relationship with the people we serve,” Barber explained. “We create an open community where all are welcome and we host open discussions where people are encouraged to speak freely and honestly about their lives so we can encourage and support them. This has created some amazing transformations in people’s lives by just creating a feeling of belonging and support from others. The Community Meal isn’t a hand-out. It’s truly a community that lifts people up and encourages change.”
Dreamscape Foundation supports this mission by donating funds to help purchase food and other basic necessities.
How Homelessness Connects to Dreamscape Foundation’s Mission
Dreamscape Foundation often focuses on ways to make the world more accessible for people with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments. However, the core of our mission is rooted in helping to improve the lives of individuals whose disabilities limit their ability to live their lives fully, and that includes access fundamental needs, such as food, shelter, clothing, and hygiene items.
Mental disabilities, emotional disabilities, and physical disabilities are prevalent among the homeless population. By providing financial support to this program, we are able to help supply food and essential items for those in attendance. We are bridging the “accessibility gap” on a most basic, human level, and – in doing so – helping to foster hope, community, and support among those in our community who desperately need it.
« PreviousNext »Dreamscape Foundation Collaborates with SAGE on an Annual Giving Event
Dreamscape Foundation Collaborates with SAGE on an Annual Giving Event
Sonic Amateur Games Expo (SAGE) is both a fan-game showcase and a fundraising event to benefit Child’s Play, an organization that provides toys and games to children in hospitals, clinics, and domestic violence shelters. Your first thought may be, “But this doesn’t directly correlate with Dreamscape Foundation’s mission to bridge the accessibility gap for individuals with disabilities.” And it’s true.
However, there are times like Fund the Computer Room in 2014 when we see an opportunity to lend our expertise toward another cause. While SAGE excels at gaming and game development, they struggled to market the charitable side of their expo event. It’s a skill gap that we knew we could help fill. Over the years, Dreamscape Foundation has found a way to successfully market and fundraise digital charity events within the gaming community. When SAGE’s need came to our attention, we saw an opportunity to help out a new community; one that is connected to our affiliate channel (Hotline Sehwani), and that we would like to be a part of.
By marketing this event on SAGE’s behalf, we’re supporting charitable efforts that improve the lives of struggling children and families, and we would like you to help us do so. We sat down with two of the individuals helping to coordinate SAGE 2021 (Pedro and Rummy) to give our community insight into what this event is and why it’s raising funds for Child’s Play. Read on to learn more about this event, and consider tuning in for a good cause.
What is SAGE, exactly?
To understand SAGE, you must first understand the Sonic Fan Games HQ website. It’s an online community designed by Ryan Langley during a period dubbed “the Sonic drought.” Sonic developers weren’t releasing new installments and the latest upcoming title at the time (Sonic X-treme) had been cancelled. Sonic Fan Games HQ was created by fans who took it upon themselves to develop Sonic games as a hobby. Essentially, they kept the story going while honing and showcasing their developing talents with a community that appreciated them.
The website formed a tightly knit community.
“I came to appreciate the effort and love the people [invest in these projects] to express themselves and their love for video games,” Rummy said.
Next came SAGE, a now-20-year-old annual expo created by Ryan Bloom. In the beginning, it gave fan-game developers on Sonic Fan Games HQ a reason to set a hard deadline for their creations. Participants would showcase their projects on the website, share their progress, and then feature the final results at the EXPO each year.
Through the years, the event grew to take on a life of its own.
“With so many people waiting for it and wanting to be a part of the event, it’s incredibly hard not to be motivated,” Pedro said. “SAGE has grown a lot over the years, but the goal remains the same throughout these two decades: providing a free and welcoming place for developers, big or small, to share their works and get feedback, start careers, or even just have an amazing outlet for their hobby and get involved with the community.”
The event’s immense popularity inspired its hosts to tack on a charitable twist. They began using the event and its visibility to raise funds for Child’s Play, a non-profit that provides toys and games to children in hospitals as a means to help lift their spirits.
“At the time SAGE was starting to get a lot of attention online with tens of thousands of people showing up just to check out the games,” Pedro said. “Supporting a charity just felt like the next logical step. I think the decision of working with Child’s Play came from the video-game theme behind it, which goes well in line with SAGE and game development.”
“I see Child’s Play as a good partner thanks to their focus on giving children both a way to care for them medically and maturing their creative hearts,” Rummy added.
About the SAGE Event
SAGE starts on August 21 and continues until August 27. The event is entirely virtual. To participate, you can tune into the Sage Expo website during the event dates.
Over the course of the week, the event will feature a variety of Sonic-themed indie and fan projects as well as livestreams hosted by some of the most entertaining content creators around. You will also be able to download some of the games from the expo website, interact with the community at large and engage developers via the event’s Discord server.
How You Can Donate to Child’s Play During the Event
Recently, we introduced Dreamscape’s affiliate YouTube channel Hotline Sehwani. The channel has partnered with fellow YouTubers KOMII and JaydenXV for this event. All three channels will serve as virtual billboards for SAGE’s event and use their donation buttons as avenue’s to give to Child’s Play during the event.
To find this donation button, simply click on hyperlinks listed above and select the most recent video uploaded to these channels between August 20 and August 28. The donation button will be easy to spot! As always, we thank our community for its willingness not only to support our cause but to help support others when the need arises.
« PreviousNext »Skootish Takes the Digital Stage in July Charity Stream
Skootish Takes the Digital Stage in July Charity Stream
Jackson Harrington is a young actor and comedian with a larger-than-life personality.
“At a very young age, I always knew acting and performing was the thing that I was put on this earth to do,” he said.
He faithfully chased that dream all the way into higher education where he earned a BFA in Acting from Marymount Manhattan College. It was meant to be the start of his career; a foundation that would serve as a springboard to a future in professional theater.
But, like many, he found his path derailed by the pandemic in 2020. As the world came to a halt, so did the acting opportunities. Yet instead of giving up, Harrington switched gears. Moving from New York back to Boston where his family lived, he focused on building a Twitch channel where he could harness his talents in a new way.
Skootish Takes the Digital Stage on Twitch
Harrington invested serious research into how he could grow his Twitch channel. He created a steady schedule and crafted a unique persona that he believed would capture an audience – and he wasn’t wrong. With his efforts came steady growth as he saw his consecutive viewers rise from an average of nine per stream to as high as 50 to 60 consecutive viewers per stream.
Beyond consistency and character, Harrington attributes his success to his viewers’ experience.
“It’s all about… creating an environment where everyone around you feels as though they were in the same room as you and you could pass the control over them and they can take control of whatever game you’re playing right now,” he said.
When forced to boil down that environment to one word, Harrington describes it as “loud.”
“I have always been loud,” he explained. “I’ve always been high energy. I’ve always been willing to jump in the air and dance and let my freak flag fly.”
As a boisterous entertainer with a knack for improvised comedy, Harrington naturally draws in a crowd. His community totes their “skootie” flag with pride as they actively engage with him – and often play games with him – throughout the stream.
“Everyone in my community and in the neighboring communities know me as someone who is loud, rambunctious and loves a good joke, even if it’s at my expense,” he said. “We like to laugh together. We like to smile.”
Giggle and Give During Skootish’s Charity Stream on July 10
Recently, Harrington received an invitation to do a charity stream in support of Dreamscape Foundation. As he learned about our non-profit’s efforts to make the world more accessible to the disabled community, he felt compelled to support it.
“I was a camp counselor for a very long time,” he said. “I had kids that would have benefited a lot from Dreamscape’s mission and I wish I could have provided that help to them then. [To be able to] provide that help to them now is, I think, very powerful and a very wonderful thing that I can do.”
Starting at 12pm EST on Saturday, July 10, Harrington will hold a marathon playthrough of Kingdom Hearts RE: Chain of Memories from start to finish via his Twitch channel. During that time, he will offer various incentives to give, giggle, and earn cool prizes. You can donate to our fundraiser on Tiltify here. All proceeds will go to Dreamscape Foundation to support its mission.
« PreviousNext »VoidedMods Invite You to Join Family Game Night
VoidedMods Invite You to Join Family Game Night
Freckles and Farce, GranDaddySkulls, Legend of Layne, and ItsAMeWolfie were once moderators (aka “mods”) for the same Twitch streamer. During that time, they found chemistry and friendship beyond taming the Wild West that is a streamer’s live chat. But in 2020, those duties came to an abrupt end.
“Recently, the person we had been modding for decided to step away from Twitch and continue on their own path, and we looked at each other and went, ‘Well, we can’t just stop. We love this.’ So we decided to start our own stream,” Skulls explained.
The departure of the streamer they modded for triggered the birth of their own streaming channel on Twitch called VoidedMods.
The Streaming Quartet and Their Community
The streaming quartet may share a history as moderators, but each of them has their own personality.
Freckles “brings the weird” to their streams and community. She’s known for dropping random facts and bringing humor and levity to the conversation.
Layne delivers “high BS energy” and keeps the conversation flowing.
Skulls feeds off of Freckles’ humor, expanding on the inevitable odd fact and fueling the banter within the conversation. They are also the one that “goes after the money”, meaning they encourage opportunities for monetization within the stream to help fund the VoidedMods channel.
Wolfie, by contrast, is the grounded one. He serves as the anchor that brings this high-energy, fun-loving group back down to Earth.
Together, they create an atmosphere that draws in a diverse and inclusive community that is as much a part of the VoidedMods stream as the streamers themselves.
“I would consider us variety streamers, as we play a different game every time. But as a Twitch stream, I would say we’re very community based,” Layne said. “Everything we do, all the decisions we make, and the games that we play [are] for the people on our Discord server. It’s all based on what we hear from them.”
When VoidedMods aren’t engaging their viewers live on stream, they’re actively communicating and hanging out with them in their Discord server, The Lost Void, where they hold all kinds of activities, including movie nights and open mic nights.
VoidedMods Takes Pride in Creating an Inclusive Environment
One of the biggest things VoidedMods prides themselves on is the inclusiveness of their community. All of them are members of the LGBTQ+ community, and they actively speak out on their desire to create a place where people feel welcome and safe.
Periodically during their stream, viewers will see a message that says, “On this stream we, the VoidedMods, believe that black lives matter, black trans lives matter, women’s rights are human rights, we condemn anti-Asian violence and hate, we support the rights of disabled people, and we embrace the entire rainbow of the LGBTQ+. If you do not align with these beliefs, you are free to leave but please leave in peace.”
It’s this kind of message and motivation to create an inclusive environment that inspired them to support Dreamscape Foundations mission to bridge the accessibility gap.
“[Dreamscape Foundation] really goes along with our usual ‘charity wants,’” Skulls said. “We want equality, we want people to feel welcomed, and we want people to have the world to be accessible to them… We want people to come into our community and feel like they have equal rights and equal love and equal attention. A charity like this meshes so well with what we’re trying to put together for our own community.”
Join in on the Fun and Games in VoidedMods’ Charity Stream
On June 26, 2021, VoidedMods will put on a charity stream that aims to raise $600 for Dreamscape Foundation. The theme is Family Game Night.
“I kind of came up with this concept because we’ve always seen ourselves as a family,” Freckles said. “We’re going to be doing different games that are common for families to play [like] Monopoly and Uno. We might throw in Scribble It! because it’s kind of like Pictionary.”
Want to be a part of this fun-filled Family Game Night? You can tune in from anywhere. The charity stream will begin at 2:30pm EST on their Twitch channel and is scheduled to last for at least six hours.
« PreviousNext »Drop Into MrsGothicc’s Fall Guys Charity Stream on May 16, 2021
Drop Into MrsGothicc’s Fall Guys Charity Stream on May 16, 2021
MrsGothicc’s Twitch handle may sound a little dark, but don’t let the name fool you. This non-profit streamer designed her channel with a bright mission in mind: to raise funds for charities. Dreamscape Foundation will be the beneficiary of her efforts in May as she launches a charity stream with a target goal of raising $500 for our mission.
MrsGothicc’s Humble Beginnings as a Gamer and a Streamer
MrsGothicc’s first console was a Nintendo 64, where she played classic titles like Donkey Kong 64, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Super Mario 64. Back then, gaming was a casual hobby that she engaged in off and on. However, when she bought an Xbox 360 to entertain herself in between her studies in college, it leveled up her love for gaming. She attributes this renewed passion to a game called Bioshock. It quickly became her favorite, sparking a long-term love affair with the franchise.
MrsGothicc entered into the streaming world in early 2020 as a way for her and her husband to have fun together during the global pandemic. With the world on lockdown, it became their shared hobby. The pair began with a simple setup, streaming directly from their Xbox One consoles to Microsoft’s now-retired platform, Mixer.
Through this experience, she quickly discovered that streaming wasn’t just about watching people play video games. It was about community, and the connections people formed over it.
“Meeting people through streaming is one of the biggest saving graces over the last year,” she said.
Using Her Streaming Channel as a Vehicle for Charity
After Mixer closed, MrsGothicc moved her channel over to Twitch where the vision and purpose for her channel began to take form.
“When I started to get into [streaming] more, I saw it as an opportunity to help people,” she said.
Prior to the pandemic, MrsGothicc actively volunteered with her local Ronald McDonald House Charity chapter, which helped to provide medical care and assistance to sick children and their families. However, health-related restrictions due to the pandemic put those effort on pause. Thus, she turned to streaming as a new avenue for giving back.
She set out to gain affiliation with Twitch in order to use her channel as a vehicle to raise funds for charity. Her goal was to upgrade her equipment and become a Twitch affiliate over the span of a year, but it happened much quicker. By December 2020, she achieved her objective.
Now she is a part of Sidequest, a team with more than 60 members ranging from newly affiliated streamers to seasoned streaming veterans. They conduct multiple charity events each month, both as a group and through individual efforts.
“It’s important to be a good ally – having a community that not only cares and supports others but also tries to do what they can to help those in need. Be the love and light we need in the world because that is what will make a difference.”
Join MrsGothicc on May 16 at 1:00PM EST to Raise Funds for Dreamscape Foundation
MrsGothicc will be holding a Fall Guys-themed charity stream benefitting Dreamscape Foundation’s mission on May 16, 2021. This 6-hour stream-a-thon will include multiple ways for you to earn prizes and interact with her via your donations:
- Donate $5: Receive a charity garland ring and Fall Guys sticker
- Donate $10: Choose the spice level for the “Spicy Bean Boozled” dare
- Donate $20: Choose a way to hinder MrsGothicc’s Fall Guys gameplay for 5 minutes by:
- Making her wear starry eye goggles
- Preventing her from swearing
- Make her play the game with her controller held upside-down
- Donate $50: Make her purposely lose the match by:
- Jumping off the map
- Standing still while others try to complete the map around her
The goal is to raise $500 for Dreamscape Foundation’s mission. Rewards for MrsGothicc’s community for achieving – or exceeding – these goals include a Dr. Thiccrespect E-Sport Stream (at $500 raised) or a stream where she cosplays as JarJar Blinks while playing Star Wars games (if $1,000 is raised).
To participate, tune into MrsGothicc’s Twitch channel Sunday, May 16, 2021 at 1:00PM EST.
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