Week of October 19th, 2020
HCBDD needs our help educating the public in 3 ways:

First-- we need to help the public understand that CLI and HCBDD are completely separate. HCBDD has a renewal levy on the ballot this November. HCBDD provides funding to ALL DD provider agencies-- including CLI.

Second-- because of how Ohio is funded, at least .40 cents of every dollar spent in Huron county on adult DD services comes from HCBDD. If the levy fails, this means that HCBDD will not have enough money to pay providers like CLI to provide those direct services to people with DD.

Third-- CLI is an independent agency from HCBDD. HCBDD is no longer the boss of CLI. CLI has made a number of business decisions such as using bank loans to buy the bowling alley, 38 West Seminary, and 16 West Main Street because CLI feels that this was our best strategy to improve services AND survive as an independent agency. HOWEVER, many average citizens don't understand. We heard 2 people last week talk about how they wouldn't vote for the levy because they didn't want the levy money used for the bowling alley. Let's all help HCBDD by constantly working to correct this mistaken impression!
Thanks to Paula Case for sending in these pictures of Monica actually working!

Monica works at The Freighthouse, where we're sure that she qualifies for an employee discount . . .
Those East Siders were up to seasonally appropriate stuff last week. Word on the street is that Angie was so scared by her own pumpkin that she almost didn't make the group photo!

John's Usual Excuses & Apologies--

We had some questions about our isolated adult day service groups bowling. There seems to be some confusion about what goes on during the nighttime bowling leagues vs. what CLI does during the day.

First-- full disclosure, many bowlers in the night adult bowling leagues are not always compliant with the rules. This is the same anywhere you go in public. It is a concern for us too since CLI helps people participate in some of those leagues. At this point, what we've been doing about that is:
  1. make sure that CLI staff & clients mask-up at all times (when not eating/drinking), frequently wash hands, and follow appropriate social distancing rules.
  2. offer to let CLI clients bowl on a different day & time with a 50% discount since they aren't really getting to participate.

I think that this is a good example of how community membership can be a conflicted thing. Peer pressure is real and each of us have to choose their own path. However, choosing CLI as a provider also means following Ohio's laws and best practices.

The second and more important takeaway is that leagues are totally different than what happens during CLI's day programs. We take our responsibility to keep people safe very seriously. Our adult day groups only bowl at times when nobody else is in the entire bowling alley AND ONLY AFTER all tables, counters, and other surfaces have been sanitized. We also use electric fans and the furnace air handler to try to ventilate the entire space as much as possible between uses. We feel that the small risk of using this space once a week is worth it because it breaks up the routine of being stuck in a single box all week.

CLI will accommodate any personal concerns by our clients or on their behalf. Please don't be shy.
On a positive note-- CLI was awarded 2 grants last week by the Ohio Department of DD! Because these are grants not gifts, we have work to do in order to get the money. The upside is that DODD is paying CLI to do 2 things already on our strategic plan.

The first grant is to create 2 new positions specifically to expand/coordinate new STEPS service. The 2 part goal is to facilitate better person-centered services AND enable ambitious staff (Direct Service Professionals or DSPs in bureaucracy-speak) earn more money. Our system must do better to make taking care of people a job that pays enough to feed & house your own family. CLI proposed a new staff pay model that we think creates an opportunity for good staff to earn more and be more in control of those earnings.

The second grant I like to call the "Kick James to the Curb Grant." I can't tell whether he likes that or not. This money is to help CLI & Firelands completely separate our operations over 3 years. We believe this will allow Firelands Local to be a stronger business and will allow CLI to be a more focused provider. The trick is that neither CLI or Firelands Local has that much reserve cash. As long as we are together, we've been able to loan each other money. For instance, sometimes CLI needs cash to get us through winter because we have so many days off (and CLI is only paid when we provide a service). Firelands Local needs money at different times between contracts and/or they need to buy something big. For instance in August, CLI loaned FL money for a new (ish) towmotor.

I'm glad to have forward-facing goals right now. The worst thing about the pandemic is that so often it feels like we're all just waiting around for it to be over. Feel free to hit me up with questions. Stay positive & wash your hands!
John
The 16W crew took an autumn stroll down Main Street Thursday morning. The store fronts are beautifully decorated in their best fall and Halloween decor. Along the way, stopped by Artists Open Studio to check out the new space, where Tracey's art is on dispay.

Jen, Jen, and Jen spent the afternoon at Quarry Hill and Vermillion Resrvation taking in all the fall colors.

Beautiful afternoon!
Deana got a strike at this weeks Thursday morning ladies league. Also, note how well she wears that mask. It always looks like that. And she washes her hands at every opportunity. Not all leagues behave the same. This Thursday morning league is a good one!
Good to see people taking advantage of the good weather. Here's Woody at the Norwalk Veteran's Memorial Park.

and Mark walking on the the inland trail in Norwalk.

Just one final Cedar Point Pic submitted by Ms. Reineck
Firelands Local LLC Update:
James Johnson
419-921-6400
From James Johnson, GM

This has been a very busy week for Firelands Local.

MTD has been going extremely well. This has become a great partnership. Our folks have been welcomed with open arms and feel like they are now part of the MTD family. MTD started this relationship as an experiment. Our partnership has gone well enough that they will implement this in their other factories. Not only is this a benefit to our community, it will benefit other people with disabilities in different locations.
 
We have picked up additional production jobs start this week.
 
As you have probably noticed, I am a big fan of nature and its beauty. I have decide to create a new segment for my section.
Where in Huron County am I? I will include a picture taken from the past week. You get to guess where it was taken. The pictures will always be from Huron County. If you think you know where it is from, please email or text me your answer. You can be as detailed as you want. Please also include your name with your guess. Tiebreakers will be broken based on detail of answer. This week"s is fairly easy to start off with………..
Who says there's NO FREE LUNCH? We know people--
How is CLI able to afford giving away free food when we (and everybody else is hustling to break-even)?

It's a good question. The answer is that CLI invested a (very) small amount of seed money in April to open up a new checking account just for the Good Works Cafe. After that, it's been 100% funded by donations.

Our on-going investment now is just time. CLI is always looking to help people give to their local community. Got an idea of something that a small group can to do to help? Let us know!
The FREE Good Works Cafe will runs every Friday at 11:30 am until they run out of meals.
If you or a friend want a delicious meal but cannot get transportation, we can deliver to you for a $20 donation!

*Donations are accepted & 100% go to future Fridays.*
Zoom Olympics is still going strong. Want to bring your A game and verbally harass others in a physical threat free visual format? Well, we've got your venue!
Ben found a particularly cool painted rock at Sofias Park. Both parts of this activity are fun-- painting the rocks and walking (or biking) around looking for artistic treasures.
CLI OT Room Update:
STEPS services anyone?

Trust us, it is every bit as cool as Jen makes in look
in this picture.

Suck it Daniel-San!
Spread the word!