Spring greetings,

It has certainly been a difficult and trying time in our community the last couple weeks as we face the reality of COVID-19 and work together to limit its spread and impact.

I can assure you that here at ACHIEVE, we have been working tirelessly and proactively to ensure that the safety of the individuals we serve and our staff is our top priority, implementing precautionary steps, communicating internally and externally, and following guidance of the Office of People with Developmental Disabilities and Department of Health. While this has caused some disruption to our services, we can confidently say that we’re doing all we can to prevent the spread of this virus throughout our community.

We are #ACHIEVEProud, and I’m incredibly proud of our agency’s ability to come together to provide creative solutions for our individuals while protecting their safety. And I’m so grateful and proud of our dedicated and willing Direct Support staff, who continue to step up and serve our individuals selflessly in the face of a difficult and, at times, overwhelming situation. Their care is the backbone of our agency, and I am so thankful for the work they continue to do every day.

As our community continues to tackle this crisis, ACHIEVE remains committed to doing our part to be stewards of safety, and I appreciate the understanding, commitment and continued support.

Best Regards,

Amy Howard

Chief Executive Officer

Human service providers of supports and services, advocates, individuals, and families across New York State urge their lawmakers to support and fund a 3% increase annually for 5 years. The time is now to commit to “3for5” so our communities thrive!

ACHIEVE would like to thank our State Legislators for taking the time to meet with our staff, individuals, and members of our Board and supporting this vital initiative.

What does it take to be a CEO of an organization? This is what Lynneé, from Chenango Forks Middle School, set out to discover when her Family and Consumer Science class had to research and present on a career they would like when they grow up.

Lynneé reached out to ACHIEVE's CEO, Amy Howard, and interviewed her to learn what it took to become CEO of ACHIEVE, and what her day-to-day could look like in her own careeer as CEO.



It's fantastic that Chenango Forks Central School District is helping their students connect with their community through projects such as this, and we're thankful for Lynneé not only desiring to learn more about what it's like to be a CEO, but more about ACHIEVE! Good luck, Lynneé!

Chenango Day Habilitation has a Gardening Club that meets on a weekly basis. They are in the process of planning what vegetables they want to plant and talking about growing flowers to make hanging baskets. In the meantime, they made bird feeders out of pine cones to hang near their garden. They covered them with peanut butter and rolled them in bird seed. The guys had a great time making them and hanging them in the trees outside for the birds!

What better way to celebrate National Oreo Day than by spending time with your friends in Recreation Respite and making Oreo truffles and Oreo-stuffed chocolate chip cookies?

Our Chenango Day Habilitation Culture Club chooses different places around the world to learn about, including their culture and holidays celebrated, and then take part in them! For the month of February, the Mardi Gras festival in New Orleans was their focus. Everyone made masquerade masks, then on Fat Tuesday, spent the afternoon making 'mocktails' out of seltzer water and juice with a slice of lime. Everyone enjoyed their drinks and danced while listening to Mardi Gras music. What fun!

Staff Appreciation Day was in March, and some of our individuals assisted in handing out appreciation gifts to our amazing staff!

We've certainly been taking advantage of the beautiful weather! One of the housemates, Bobby, had secluded himself for many years. The past few months, however, he has been branching out, attending programs, hanging with his housemates, and loving life! Bobby's housemates are embracing Bobby doing things with them, and they are currently planning a WHOLE HOUSE vacation for this summer, with Bobby stating that he WILL go.

Let's all take a moment to remember that you can't change your situation - but you can change how you choose to deal with it. The ladies at our Sunset House are doing just this by spending time inside with one another, playing a good game of BINGO! Thanks to our staff Veronica for capturing the perfect victory moment

What better way to SPRING into Spring than by creating a fun Easter egg paper craft with your housemates? Our folks at Main Street have been working diligently with staff on these Spring papier-mâché eggs, and boy, are they looking great!

In the wake of COVID-19, the Pin Crushing Committee had to make the difficult and unprecedented decision of cancelling the 25 ^th Annual Bob Warner Pin Crushing Classic this year. 

This tournament was started for our individuals, and their safety is our biggest priority and the driving reason behind all agency decisions at this time.

While this was incredibly unfortunate, we are already in t alks for the 26 ^th annual tournament in 2021, and will return with new ideas and excitement!

Thank you to all our sponsors for your outpouring of support. We’ll see you at one of our other events!

This signature event is an evening full of celebration and dancing, combined with a brief membership meeting and highly anticipated awards ceremony. The evening provides an opportunity for ACHIEVE to recognize the many accomplishments of our program participants and staff as well as express our sincere appreciation for the friendship of our community partners.

Presented by M&T Bank, this elegant tasting event features offerings from over 40 of the region’s finest restaurants, wineries, and breweries. The expected 500 guests also enjoy live entertainment and an impressive silent auction overlooking the beautiful vistas of Cutler Pond. The evening culminates with a breathtaking fireworks display.

This unique event includes a Half-k fun run ending at the Northeast Classic Car Museum in Norwich, New York. Bring the entire family to walk, run, or ride your way to the museum! Enjoy free admission to the Northeast Classic Car Museum, an opportunity to ride in a classic car, lunch reception, finish line photo, commemorative t-shirt, prizes, and more!