Dear Supporter,
The summer heat has officially arrived, and with it, we’re finally beginning to feel the long overdue sense of normalcy creeping in at ACHIEVE.
I’m thrilled to announce that next week we will kick off our oldest program, our six-week Children’s Summer Program for students ages 4-21. Due to COVID-19 restrictions last year, we were forced to suspend this program, much to the disappointment of many. This program provides vital educational opportunities aimed at helping students retain knowledge during the summer months, and will be an especially valuable resource following a challenging school year when many students struggled with remote learning. Like so many things across ACHIEVE, it will look a little different this year, but we’re excited to welcome students back!
June also saw the return of our 2nd annual ACHIEVE Awards and Virtual Dance Party, co-presented by Mirabito Cares and the ACHIEVE Foundation Board of Directors. Special thanks to Dan Polhamus and Food & Fire Taphouse for helping to host again this year, recognizing our 2021 award winners for their much-deserved achievements, while still giving individuals an opportunity to dance. While the event was mostly virtual, it was still a great feeling to celebrate at Food & Fire with a small group of supporters. The event was a success for a second year, and I’d like to once again thank our sponsors, donors and the hundreds who tuned in to watch live, and extend my congratulations to all our award winners.
Alongside our Virtual Dance Party, we held our 66th annual Membership Meeting, inducting a new Slate of Officers, Nominating Committee, and Board Members to their second terms. I’d like to congratulate incoming Board President, Dave Chambers, and sincerely thank outgoing Board Member Maggie Collins and Board President, Dave Sebastianelli, a Member since 2012, for their terms of service. I know you’ll both continue being friends of ACHIEVE, and we appreciate all you’ve done over the years.
Speaking of the return to normal, we were excited to announce that Savor the Summer will be returning this year! More details to come, but I’d invite you to Save the Date for Thursday, September 16th for one of our community’s biggest fundraisers and an elegant evening of local wineries, breweries and restaurants.
Finally, I’d like to remind our supporters that we are in the closing weeks of our 2021 Membership Campaign that will run through August. For $1, you and your family can become a Member of ACHIEVE and demonstrate your support for our organization and the individuals we serve. I personally ask you to consider becoming a Member and recruiting others to join as well.
That sense of normalcy seems to be just around the corner here at ACHIEVE, and I couldn’t be happier.
As always, thank you to everyone across our community for their support, and I wish you and your family a wonderful summer and happy Fourth of July!
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Amy Howard
Chief Executive Officer
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ACHIEVE's Awards & Virtual Dance Party |
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On June 24th, Food & Fire BBQ and Taphouse helped ACHIEVE host the 2nd Annual ACHIEVE Awards and Virtual Dance Party successfully!
Presented by Mirabito Cares and the ACHIEVE Foundation Board of Directors, this special event celebrates the accomplishments of individuals supported by ACHIEVE, our incredible staff, and community supporters. Preordered dinners prepared by Food & Fire were picked up prior to the event so viewers could enjoy during the event.
Dan Polhamus, co-owner of Food and Fire, co-hosted the event alongside ACHIEVE CEO Amy Howard, and was also the recipient of ACHIEVE's Community Service Award. Thanks, Dan, and congratulations on your much deserved Award!
Ad Elements, ACHIEVE's Video Sponsor, once again produced the beautiful Award Videos seen throughout the evening.
Thanks again to Mirabito Cares, the ACHIEVE Foundation Board of Directors, Ad Elements, Dan Polhamus and Food & Fire, and all of our corporate sponsors and community supporters!
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ACHIEVE Board of Directors
Our Awards and Virtual Dance Party kicked off with our 66th annual Membership Meeting, and saw the election of a new slate of officers to our Board of Directors, as well as the end-of-term for our longtime Board Member and President, Dave Sebastianelli, Senior Vice President of Brown & Brown Empire State, having served on the Board of Directors since 2012.
Thank you, Dave, for your years of leadership and guidance serving as President! We know you won’t be far and will continue to be a friend to ACHIEVE!
Congratulations to Dave Chambers, Chief Financial Officer for Delta Engineers, on being elected President to the Board of Directors, as well as Lisa Dolphin, Nicki French, Michelle Karedes, James Savage, Kathy Sheehan, Pamela Stewart-Fahs and William Whitaker on their re-elections to 3-year terms serving the Board!
2020 Slate of Officers
President: Dave Chambers, Chief Financial Officer, Delta Engineers
First Vice President: Lisa Dolphin, Senior Managing Engineer, Shumaker Engineering
Second Vice President: James Savage, Sr. Small Business Lender, Tioga State Bank
Secretary: Nicki French, Retired, United Way
Treasurer: Barbara Schindler, President/COO, Golden Artist Colors
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Dave Sebastianelli Dave Chambers |
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Become a Member of ACHIEVE for just $1! |
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Our members give us a voice.
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The more members we have, the bigger our voice.
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By becoming a member, you show that you support ACHIEVE and our mission.
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There are no emails, no mailings - just proof of your support.
Please help us reach our goal of 2,200 members this year by signing up and please consider sharing your ACHIEVE story and recruiting others to join as members as well.
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If you contributed to our 2021 Annual Appeal, as a thank you,
your membership has already been renewed, but please consider signing up your friends and family; the more members we have,
the stronger our voice!
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CWS Company of the Year - Cresci Products |
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Congratulations to Cresci Products for being awarded CWS Company of the Year!
For nearly Thirteen years Cresci Products has partnered with CWS Packaging, providing work for people of all abilities.
Owner Randy Cresci understands the importance of giving back. "It's a pride thing, they feel great when they can work. You can feel it, I can really feel it. That's what my wife and I love about CWS, really."
Thank you, Cresci Products!
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To learn more about CWS and how our contract packaging services can serve you, click below! |
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Congratulations to our June Employee of the Month, Suzy Brown, Residence Aide for North Broad Street!
Suzy took the daytime medical position at North Broad Street and has proven herself indispensable, focusing on the expectations of the nursing staff, management, and outside agencies. She excels at making sure that all policies are followed down to the most intricate detail.
Suzy always takes great care of all individuals, promoting dignity and respect for them and ACHIEVE as a whole. She can be counted on to complete any task assigned to her, and has been an asset, training new staff competently in the daytime medical position.
Congratulations, Suzy!
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For this edition of #WhyIACHIEVE, we're featuring Loretta Kinner, Program Manager for our Helen Street residence!
Loretta has been with ACHIEVE for over ten years, and it's her pleasure enriching the lives of the individuals she supports in their everyday lives, making her day by bringing a smile to their faces.
Loretta strives to make those in her care as happy as possible by fostering their independence and including them as family in her life. To her, there's nothing more important than making a difference in their lives.
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Robin enjoys working for ACHIEVE because he feels like there is always a desire for staff and individuals to find the best placement possible to ensure their success across all programs. The friendly work environment and staff appreciation makes it easy to come to work each day.
To Robin, his job is important because Quality Assurance is a direct reflection on CWS and the goods they produce, and he's proud to be a crucial piece in the process.
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Congratulation on your promotion!
Nyema Fredericks, HR Generalist 1
Tanyelle Newman, HR Assistant
Genevieve Thacher, Behavior Specialist Tech
Chase Bicksler, Assistant Residence Manager
Jenny Phillips, Assistant Residence Manager
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Weis Rounds Up for ACHIEVE! |
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A huge ACHIEVE thank you to Weis Markets for selecting our agency as their April Round Up at the Register recipient for the eight stores in their Binghamton district!
Through their consideration and the generosity of the community, $14,700 was raised for ACHIEVE that month and will go towards funding our critical programs for individuals across Broome, Chenango and Tioga counties!
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Another huge ACHIEVE thank you to Phillip Harkness, who recently donated over 1,000 face shields to the Community Foundation for South Central New York, who were then able to distribute them to organizations across our community, including several hundred to ACHIEVE!
Community partnership and collaboration has been crucial to getting through the pandemic, and we thank both Mr. Harkness and the Community Foundation for their consideration and support!
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Gearing Up For Summer Program! |
Summer Program is returning to ACHIEVE!
COVID-19 impacted many programs at ACHIEVE in 2020, including the cancellation of our Children's Summer Program for the first time in agency history.
Counselors are at Cutler Pond this week for training and preparation, gearing up to welcome students back next week, and we couldn't be more excited!
Keep an eye out on Facebook for more about Summer Program in the coming weeks!
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Tuning In to the Awards Ceremony |
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What has Nick so excited? He was the recipient of ACHIEVE's Vocational Services Program Participant of the Year Award!
Nick tuned in to the ACHIEVE Awards and Virtual Dance Party with his mom alongside his provider, Debbie, to watch the festivities and celebrate the evening.
Congratulations, Nick!
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Dorothy celebrated her birthday in style!
Staff at Helen Street set up a Zoom party for Dorothy and she was thrilled that so many people across the agency joined her to wish her a happy birthday! She enjoyed her gifts, cake and her favorite, Halupki dinner, and had a truly special day!
Happy birthday, Dorothy!
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Georgetta Paints for The Arc Otsego Virtual Gallery |
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Why's Georgetta smiling? Because her painting, The Tree of Enthusiasm, is going to be featured in The Arc Otsego's 17th annual VOICE! virtual art gallery on July 15th, and on display at Main View Art Gallery in Oneonta all month!
The painting is beautiful, Georgetta, and we wish you the best of luck in the People's Choice Award category!
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Joy for All Companion Pets |
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The Joy for All Companion Pets have been a big hit across our organization!
Not only are they bringing smiles to individuals' faces, they've been successfully deescalating behaviors, providing a sense of calm in the houses, and giving everyone a fun, new friend!
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Once again, thank you to staff members Julye Bush and Lisa Whitney for generously donating these furry companions! |
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Shalease and Mary Ann wanted to add some color to their yard over the weekend, so they took advantage of the beautiful weather and planted some flowers in their garden! |
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Tie-Dye Day
Yep, it’s that time of year again, when the nice weather allows for more outdoor activities. In Core Room 8, they took advantage by getting out and working on tie-dye shirts. Lots of smiles and fun for all!
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HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY 4th OF JULY! |
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We are so excited to announce that Savor the Summer, presented by M&T Bank, will be returning to Cutler Pond, September 16, 2021!
Keep you eye out for more information coming soon!
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Our houses and other programs have begun redeeming their Bob Warner Pin Crushing Bowl-a-Thon tickets and striking it big!
Tickets are still available for purchase for a reduced rate of $30, and can be redeemed through August 31st!
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Your Legacy, Our Future
Planned Gifts to ACHIEVE
The ACHIEVE Foundation seeks to support ACHIEVE’s mission to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The growth of the Foundation is determined by planned gifts from our community and family members. These gifts are the cornerstone of our Foundation and allow us to continue to offer a wide range of programs and services.
Every year, more donors are discovering the benefits of supporting ACHIEVE through their estate plans. These planned gifts are the cornerstones to the ACHIEVE Foundation and support the programs and services of our organization.
Charitable Bequest through Last Will or other Estate Plan
Individual Retirement Account
Stock and Securities
Real Estate
To learn more about Planned Giving, or to make a donation, please contact Preston Evans, Vice President Development and Donor Relations, at (607) 352-3280 or [email protected]
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Thank you 2021 Platinum Partners! |
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