Week of June 1st, 2021
Jeremy's guest this week is Mark. Let us know if you'd like to be featured!

Also, Jeremy is looking for someone else to help him with these interviews. Would you like to try this job?

Let us know!
The Live Out Loud STEP group worked on a fine motor sewing task, time management, and a life-safety skill of assembling a flashlight.

The It Makes Sense STEP group took a road trip to Ability Works' Sensory Room
John's usual excuses & apologies--

Thanks (as always) to Jeremy & Rocio for being the face of CLI to present the City of Norwalk with our check for $2500. Just this week CLI received another $1000 donation to go toward McGuan Park, so we're up to $3,500! How cool is that?

Jeremy & Rocio are building a list of people for future interviews. If you would like to be interviewed-- or if you think it would be helpful (or funny-- funny is always allowed in the CLI playbook. I learned that from my friend Lisa Cossin) for CLI to interview a particular person who can answer questions that you might not want to ask yourself-- let us know! Jeremy is also looking for a partner to share the spotlight with if you've always wanted to be the guy or gal with the mic & the power.

The big push for CLI this week is we have 2 clients that are at risk of having to move out of their independent living situation into an institutional setting an hour away from their friends and family in Norwalk because their current residential provider can't find staff to support everyone they serve and had to give notice. It's a real problem. CLI didn't get any takers for the fun Summer Youth Job Coach positions that were going to pay $18/hour.

CLI is willing to put our money where our mouth is on this one, but only if we can hire good people to do it. We've posted 2-3 full-time positions with benefits with a base salary of $40,000. We're willing to be creative. For instance, if someone were going to college, we could pay for your tuition, provide you with a car, your cell-phone, and still pay you $10/hour. It's a good opportunity.

Full-disclosure, we can only pay this much because we're assuming that these positions won't need a manager, that these employees would be reliable and trustworthy. The hours of coverage will be 2nd & 3rd shift, but that 3rd shift would be able to sleep. We just need someone onsite for in case of emergencies. CLI has not traditionally been a residential provider, so this is a scary proposition for us-- but it's not enough to talk about progress. Nothing happens unless somebody does something. Progress sometimes means scrambling to hold ground when everything is pushing you backward.

I still believe that it is a good time to be in our field. Crises can be opportunities for those that survive them. If you'd like to talk to me about this residential opportunity, email is my preferred method to start the conversation. My address is john@CLIsupports.com.

Speaking of survival, now would probably be an excellent time to wash your hands. We often get so captivated by medical miracles that we forget that the real game changers in terms of human longevity are sanitation and simple (ish) antibiotics.

Have a good & safe Memorial Day weekend.
John
Would you like to join CLI for some fun virtual activities?
It's a bunch of loud fun!
Firelands Local LLC Update:
James Johnson
419-921-6400
Happy Memorial Day.
I encourage everyone to remember the meaning of memorial day. It is a day to honor and mourn those who have died while serving in the U.S military. No matter the branch, these men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice. A fun fact about memorial day! It was originally called Decoration day.
 
I would like to remind everyone that our monthly drop off day is this Wed 6/2 from 9-2. You do not need to make an appointment for that day. I get lots of folks asking questions about this day. Here are some of the answers.
  • Preparation: You do not need to do any preparation. No need to remove staple, paper clips, binder clips etc. You can leave your paper in binders, folders, etc. as well. There is no need to come up with a fancy way of getting your paper to us. As long as it is not loose in your trunk we will take it. You can bring it in Wal-Mart bags, garbage bags, totes, boxes or anything else you have handy. If you want your container back, no problem. Many people think it creates problems if they leave the paper clips on their documents. You can rest easy know that we remove them as part of our process. We collect all these clips and then turn around and donate them to local schools to be reused. We have donated 104 pounds of these clips already this year.
 
Production
  • We shredded 14,000 pounds of paper and collected 6,000 pounds of cardboard as well.
  • We were able to complete 87,000 units of assembly as well.

Editorial apology-- Mr. Johnson DID submit the following article well before the deadline last week. We think it was worth pushing out anyway. Good stuff.

Well, it is good to be back from vacation. I would like to say a big THANK YOU to my entire crew for the hard work they put in while I was away. Both Margaret and Roxanne were able to keep everything from burning to the ground, so a special THANKS to both of them.
 
You will see 2 pictures from my trip. Yes, that is me with the first saugeye I have ever caught. The second, well it speaks for itself.
There is a saying among fisher people: “a bad day of fishing beats a good day at work”. When you are ending your day on the lake driving into that type of sunset, it is hard to argue with that statement.
 
We have had some good weeks of production.
We shipped another truckload of material out last week. That was the second one this month already.
We shredded 13,000 pounds of paper and dealt with another 9,000 pounds of cardboard and an additional 2,000 pounds of shrink wrap.
 
Many of you are aware of the “kick James to the curb” grant that CLI and FL have been working on. There are many new and exciting things that will come as a result. The first one will be a completely new website for Firelands Local. We do not have a release date yet, but I will be sure to update you when the time comes. Teaser alert……I can tell you that it will be bright, fun and exciting.
 
I would like to remind everyone that schools will be letting our soon and even more kids will be playing outside. As drivers, it is our responsibility to watch for them. Slow down and avoid a potential tragedy.
"The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary"

-- Vince Lombardi
Good Works Cafe Schedule:

Happy Monday everyone! 

Here is the June Menu for Good Works Cafe. I've also included a list of items needed for July.Donations can be brought to the Clubhouse between 9:30-12 or they can call me to arrange a donation pick-up. This helps us keep costs down and be able to provide meals each Friday at a low cost. 

Thanks everyone! Here's to a good week!

This month's menu:
June 4 - Sloppy Joes & Chips
June 11 - Chicken Salad Sandwich & Fruit
June 18 - Hot Dogs & Baked Beans
June 25 - Baked Ziti & Italian Bread

Kerrie Close
Community Settings Coordinator
(419)921-6057

The Great Lakes Community Action Partnership is conducting a survey about rural transportation needs for passengers with disabilities. If you are interested in taking this survey, please click on the following link