Jewelyn Cosgrove

Lobbying like a rockstar for @MelwoodHTC (follow Melwood on Facebook and LinkedIn!) Married to @gbcosgrove. Co-founder of 2 Cosgrovelettes.

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

Read our full statement: https://t.co/mO9mOXrFyV

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

@RepSuhas We need to confront the reality of data centers. Loudoun is where the country is going to learn the lesson, unfortunately. Power, water, even real estate and home values are seeing the impact of these centers. Thank you for educating the Secretary and raising awareness.

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

@LoudounJames1 @SuhasforVA @AtoosaReaser @DavidReidVA @MartyForUs @BrianaSewellVA @DelegateTorian @VA_JET @MichelleforVA @McAuliff4VA @SinghforVA @KarrieKDelaney Rep. Subramanyam landed 10 projects for our district, and this was just yesterday. ✨ https://t.co/nT1ROmjm8c

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

@RepSuhas Maya and Nina have good taste! I’ll come by myself soon!

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

Congratulations to my friend Suhas! I’m so proud of you and I am so excited to be able to support you as you run to be the next Congressman for Virginia district 10! #RollWave #Tulane #Congress

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

@Redistrict I’m watching you for news on VA10!

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

I keep seeing news orgs like @CNN covering the govt shutdown, but I’ve yet to see a mention of the federal contract workforce, including nonprofit contractors, and the effect this will have on them. Many will work without pay or be furloughed if our contracts aren’t funded.

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

@MelwoodHTC was pleased to host Senator @MarkWarner and Congressman @RepDonBeyer this morning! We had a wonderful round table with some of our abilIT graduates and community partners to discuss workforce inclusion and how the government shutdown will affect us all.

[Mark Warner @MarkWarner]

Spent the morning with @RepDonBeyer dropping off $307,000 for the neurodivergent workforce initiative at Melwood. Great to meet with folks that have benefited from the program, but I was disturbed to hear how that much of their work will be interrupted by a government shutdown.

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

Good morning from Arlington, where @MelwoodHTC is proud to be a Patron Sponsor of the @ArlVAChamber State of the County and Public Safety Awards!

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

Proud to support @SuhasforVA today in the Democratic Primary!

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

Proud to be hitting doors today for @SuhasforVA! Don’t forget to vote on June 20!

[Nii-Quartelai Quartey @drniiquartelai]

You ever see CHURCH on the South Lawn at the @WhiteHouse on a TUESDAY night?? WATCH THIS👇🏾 and learn why the ancestors rejoice at the #blackexcellence on and off stage. #Juneteenth2023

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

Dear @Expedia - Had the privilege of seeing your new ad featuring a wheelchair user and her dog needing a getaway. It was lovely! I love inclusion made effortless and seamless. It was an unmentioned feature of the ad, which made it more endearing. Thank you! #disabilityinclusion

[CALL TO ACTIVISM @CalltoActivism]

"I wanted to take a few minutes to share something incredible that happened today. This afternoon I picked up Andrew from school and we got on the metro headed home. We ride the metro everyday to and from school, so Andrew is used to it. It is usually about 45min to an hour depending on delays and what not, but as long I keep him occupied with his iPad or my phone he will sit patiently in our seat.

For those of you that don’t know, when you have a child with autism, your child will have some good days and then they will have some bad ones. Today was one of those bad days. Andrews biggest behavior problem (that he has been working on by learning calming strategies) is that sometimes when he gets upset, it will go two steps too far, and escalate into a full on meltdown/breakdown.

Today, Andrew was persistent on wanting to get out of the seat to stand in the middle of train while moving and running back and forth through it (which of course if he did he would fall). I kept trying everything to get him to sit, but he just wouldn’t (this fight went on for 20 min), that is when he his regular toddler tantrum turned into a meltdown, or what I call, the point of no return for him.

He started rolling on the floor, screaming, his shoe fell off and he flung it across the train, all while I’m on the floor trying to calm him down. Then he starts the kicking, hitting, pulling my hair while everyone in rush hour stares on the train, most thinking I was a bad parent who had an out of control child, even though really he can’t help it.

We got off at Gallery Place, one stop up from Metro Center where we change lines, still he doesn’t let up and it gets worse. Now we’re rolling around on the dirty station floor. He is covered in black dirt. I try picking him up but he continues to kick which now gets dirt on me. This goes on for about 15 minutes. Trust me this isn’t my first rodeo as a single parent, but sometimes it just gets the best of me. At this point I am crying out of pure frustration and feeling so sad that Andrew is being judged right now.

I panic as I see someone walking towards us, but it turns out to be a Metro Police Officer. As soon as he comes over Andrew freezes and stares while holding my hands, body mid air, feet stretched out on me, while I was standing. The officer asks me if I needed any help or if he could help by walking us out of station (since he saw how Andrew stopped when he came over) I explained the situation to him and how this wasn’t even our stop. He asked where I was going and I told him Ballston station (a solid 30 minutes from where we were). Without hesitation he said, “Okay I’ll come on the train”.

At this point I’m thinking he means like down the escalator to the train. He starts talking with Andrew and showing him all his gadgets. He then takes off his Velcro police badge from his vest and asks Andrew, “Can you be a police man with me and help me do police work on the train?” Of course Andrew says yes.
The officer ends up riding the metro THE ENTIRE train home with us!!! Whenever he got off he would hold Andrews hand and walk with him. He sat next to Andrew as he requested on the train, acted interested as he showed him silly videos, and he even made funny faces in the Instagram face filters when Andrew asked.
This officer COMPLETELY went out of his way to help Andrew. He honestly restored my faith that there are good people still left in the world.

To that officer, I truly can not say thank you enough for your inmesurable amount of kindness and for making Andrews day (probably his whole year). Throughout the whole ordeal I didn’t get his name, I think his vest said Officer D. Case. Washington Metropolitan Police Dept. please find him and give him a raise! He deserves to be recognized for his incredible kind gesture, and especially for letting Andrew keep the police badge. Thank you thank you!!👮🏼‍♂️💙🧩

Credit: Taylor Pomilla

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

@GHMansfield Had someone try to do this to a friend this week. About pushed her into a wall! I said, “back off, she didn’t ask for you to do anything.”

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

Someone had an amazing time at the @LCPSLegacy Color Run to support our amazing PTO! Can’t believe we are almost done with @lovefirsties’s class and on to second grade! Where did the time go?? 😭💓

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

I am grateful to be represented by someone who shares her experience so openly and with such grace. Thank you for setting an example for all and for addressing the perceptions and misconceptions people may have about how a diagnosis like this - or any disability - affects work.

[Rep. Jennifer Wexton @RepWexton]

On #WorldParkinsonsDay, I'm here to share that I've been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

I'm doing well, and I want to bring about as much good from this diagnosis as I can—including here in Congress.

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

@HopeforVirginia @MelwoodHTC @TheArcofVA @NDSS @disAbilityLawVA @MercuryVirginia We appreciate your leadership and dedication on this incredibly important bill, Delegate Hope. Thank you!

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

@SunnySunburst88 @MoletteGreen @MelwoodHTC You know we adore you, Melissa! Thank you for all YOU do and for making my job such a joy :)

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

What a pleasure to spend some time with @MoletteGreen talking about our upcoming Easter Eggstravaganza at @MelwoodHTC and Camp Accomplish! Everyone can join in this inclusive, accessible and adaptable spring fun!

[NBC4 Washington @nbcwashington]

Hop to this egg hunt in Nanjemoy on Saturday — it aims to be inclusive for all kids. WATCH: https://t.co/GEExTEaZIK

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

We are especially grateful to @SenBobCasey, @SteveDaines, @cathymcmorris and @BobbyScott for their bipartisan leadership and incredible work.

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

Melwood is proud to support the reintroduction of the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act. This critical legislation would end the egregious and persistent practice of paying people with disabilities BELOW the minimum wage based on arbitrary time trials.

[Jewelyn Cosgrove @JCLobby]

Read our full statement: https://t.co/mO9mOXrFyV