November 2018 Newsletter

Leadership Message Greetings Everyone! This November we had much to be thankful for. First and foremost, I’d like to thank everyone that attended our On the Pond ~ At Cutler ribbon cutting on November 2 nd ! We had many special guests that attended and joined us in wearing our On the Pond ~ At Cutler jerseys, demonstrating that this entire project was a team effort.   I am excited to announce that ACHIEVE will be pursuing reaccreditation through the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL) from December 4-7, 2018. As you may already be aware, CQL Accreditation provides a framework for quality monitoring and enhancement. It ensures person centered approaches are being used not only in policy, but in practice. CQL Accreditation assures us that our Agency is continually improving the quality of supports and the quality of people’s lives! Finally, ACHIEVE is partaking in a three-year strategic planning process, where we are mapping out goals and strategic initiatives that ensure we keep meeting our agency’s mission and providing for the individuals we serve in a meaningful way.  As you can see from the content below, our staff and individuals had much to be thankful for this month – and we are all getting in the holiday spirit. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I wish you all happy holidays! Warm Regards,

Amy Howard Chief Executive Officer

December 2018  Jeffrey Squires Janitor Level III

On behalf of the Executive Management Team and the Staff Appreciation Committee, we are honored to award Jeffery Squires, Janitor Level III in Chenango, with ACHIEVE's December Employee of the Month! Jeff was nominated by many peers to be the December 2018 Employee of the Month! Jeff has been with the agency for nearly 7 and a half years and he was nominated by many of the staff in Chenango County. To read more about Jeff and why he was selected as employee of the month, visit our website by clicking here!

Thank You! Submitted By: ReBecah Kilbury An appreciation lunch was prepared for our transportation, maintenance and IT departments as a way to thank them for the work they did as prevocational services and office space were moved to our Riverside Drive location recently. The inner workings of our organization are critical to operations running smoothly. A special shout out to our Transportation Coordinator, Lisa Hoag, our Maintenance/Operations Manager, Dennis Lange, and his team, and our IT department, Mike, Kris and Andrew. They seemed to appreciate hot chili and homemade apple pie on a chilly autumn day.

Retirement Party Submitted By: ReBecah Kilbury It was a cold and snowy day but you could feel the warmth as ACHIEVE staff wished Mary Conlon a Happy Retirement. Mary supported ACHIEVE’s Site-Based Prevocational Services program for 24 years and her cheery disposition will be missed. We wish Mary all the best in the next chapter of her life!

Giving Tuesday Submitted By: Preston Evans For the first year, ACHIEVE was a proud participant in #GivingTuesday on November 27 th , joining thousands of nonprofits all over the world in the International Day of Giving. No gift was too small, and we want to thank all our donors who participated that day, as all proceeds will go toward helping us continue providing excellent services to the individuals we serve. In addition to #GivingTuesday, ACHIEVE got in the holiday spirit to take a moment and appreciate all that we have to be thankful for, including all of our staff members for providing the highest quality of love and care to our individuals, our community supporters that allow us to be the premiere service provider in New York, and the individuals we serve who add color to our lives each and every day!

Your Gift Matters Because of ACHIEVE's supporters - we are able to provide quality services to those we serve. $100 helps buy one cart of art supplies for Day Habilitation $250 encourages independence with 125 bus passes $500 covers two weeks of meals for one residential home $1,000 buys an HP computer for Pathway to Employment Keep reading to learn more about how your gift matters! Promotions  Congratulations to the following employees for receiving a promotion in October! Damian Archie - Accounting Supervisor Laura Thompson - VP Programs Serena Camber - Assistance Residence Manager Lauren Holden - Day Habilitation Specialist

November was a busy month for the Recreation Respite Program! The month started out with a Saved By the Bell Marathon night, complete with a 90’s themed dinner. We took a trip to Destiny USA in Syracuse, had a giant Friendsgiving Feast, and ended the month supporting local shops for Small Business Saturday!

Night of Giving Submitted By: Melissa Blakeslee

Each November, Recreation Respite holds a “Night of Giving” which is all about bringing joy to others. This year we baked mini pies and made gratitude cards to deliver to Mercy House for the hard working staff and families with a loved one in hospice care. After, we donated non-perishable food to the local CHOW Food-a-bago in Binghamton. It was a great way to kick off the Holiday season!

On the Pond ~ At Cutler is a unique, integrated setting for both disabled and non-disabled individuals, where retirees and others can socialize and participate in activities of their choosing. The program offers art, music, exercise, computer skills, recreation and daily activities that can be selected by the participants. Attendees spend 4-7 hours per day at the program, with flexibility being offered to meet the scheduling needs of the individuals enrolled and their families, many of whom work during the day and rely on ACHIEVE’s new program for a safe, fun place for their loved ones.

Deputy Visit Submitted By: Shawnta Smith ACHIEVE's On the Pond ~ At Cutler program received a surprise visit from the  Broome County Sheriff's Office on November 9th! Thank you Deputy Dan for visiting with some of our participants and teaching them a little bit about what it is like to be a Deputy.

Nursing Home Visit Submitted By: Shawnta Smith In order to spread the holiday spirit, individuals made cards for the residence at Elizabeth Church Manor! They were thrilled to go visit the residents and see what they were all thankful for this holiday season!

Volunteering Submitted By: Shawnta Smith SPEAK Animal Shelter is always eager to have more volunteers - and individuals from On the Pond are just as eager to accept! On a weekly basis, individuals get to help out at the shelter, and one of their favorite activities to do is spend some quality time with the cats!

On the Pond ~ At Cutler Ribbon Cutting Submitted By: Victoria Studer

On November 2nd, ACHIEVE held a Ribbon Cutting Event to celebrate the opening of their new program: On the Pond ~ At C utler. The event was a huge success and a lot of fun, and ACHIEVE had many special guests such as: Senator  Fred Akshar ,  Assemblyman Cliff Crouch , Assemblywoman  Donna Lupardo , County Executive  Jason Garnar , Mayor  Rich David , Town of Dickinson Supervisor  Michael Marinaccio ,  Binghamton University Men's Basketball , and  Empire State Development ! That day was also National Jersey Friday, so participants received an ACHIEVE On the Pond Jersey - both to celebrate Jersey Day, but to show that all of this was possible because everyone works together as a team.

2018 Midterm Election

Joe Submitted By: John Adams On Election Day, one of ACHIEVE’s individuals, Joe, voted. Joe was transported to the voting poll station by his support staff and used his TobiDynavox Eye Gaze Speech Generated device to indicate his vote. The software program, Communicator 5, enables the programmer to create different category pages such as a page for voting. Joe looks at a button for one second, that button is activated, and then the typed information is spoken. After 30+ years of being non-verbal, he finally has a voice.

Gwyn Submitted By: Laura Thompson Gwyn Zimmerman, another individual from ACHIEVE, wanted to share that she exercised her right to vote on Election Day! Gwyn headed to the polls to cast her vote with assistance from her staff. She is passionate about exercising her right to vote and stated that it's important "so we can get the services that we need". Great job, Gwyn!

Success Story Submitted By: Bernie Yerabek ReBecah Kilbury

Frankie participated in vocational programming at ACHIEVE beginning in 2011. During that time, Frankie performed a variety of work tasks through the former CVI industries and demonstrated an ability to learn tasks quickly and focus on the requirements of a given project. She also participated in Pathway to Employment (PTE) where she explored new opportunities and interests. Frankie showed a strong desire to work in the food service industry as evidenced by her enthusiastic participation in food service related vocational experiences and her personal hobbies of cooking and watching cooking shows. Frankie has a strong support network and together with her mother’s help she found employment one day each week at a local establishment in her hometown of Windsor. In March of 2018 Frankie began working at Annie’s Bar & Grill assisting with their busiest night of the week – Wing Night. Frankie wraps silverware, folds pizza boxes, fills salad dressing and bleu cheese containers, cuts celery, washes dishes and generally assists with keeping things tidy. Annie Mills, restaurant owner, says, “Frankie is a good self-starter. She puts an apron on and gets right to work. She also helps make soups, too!”. Frankie’s time with ACHIEVE, learning work-readiness skills, helped prepare her for this job in an industry of her choice. She continues to grow and build her skill set through this community employment opportunity. Annie says, “Everybody considers Frankie a part of the team.” This is a beautiful success story for Frankie and her community. Congratulations, Frankie!

New Flag Submitted By: Lynelle Davis

On Thursday, November 8th, ACHIEVE's Chenango Day Habitation received a new flag! Army Veteran and staff William Oglesby taught individuals how to raise the new flag properly. They were all excited to see their new flag flying in the front of building! This flag raising was also in perpetration for the Veteran Day Celebration that Chenango Day Habilitation will be doing on Monday, November 12th, as they welcome honored speaker, Department of Defense Warrior Games and Army Reserves member, Chris McGinnis.

Veteran Visit Submitted By: Laura Thompson

Chenango Day Habilitation Veterans Club celebrated Veterans Day with guest speaker, Chris McGinnis. Chris is a Sergeant in the US Army who has been actively involved with Wounded Warriors since his retirement, and plays in the Department of Defense Warrior Games. Chris shared his stories of being wounded in Afghanistan and his time at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He was also joined by his service dog Zeke. Following the presentation, the individuals watched a video about Veterans Day and a slideshow of family members of staff who are currently serving or have served followed by a luncheon. The Veterans Club is headed by Day Habilitation Trainer, William Oglesby, who is a US Army Veteran. The club actively participated this year in Albany for the 911 Memorial and they write letters to Soldiers currently serving overseas through the Army of Moms.

Happy Thanksgiving! Submitted By: Richell Gardiner The staff from one of ACHIEVE's residences, Clarkson, brought some Thanksgiving dinner to the staff and individuals at another residence,Wilson Hill. Staff said that they are thankful to be able to share with others and to be able to be a family to the individuals, not only on the holidays - but every day.

Grateful Tree Submitted By: Caitlin Ropp Tioga held its Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon before our break and all had a great time. Beforehand, we created a Grateful Tree which was used as the centerpiece for our delicious lunch. Our nontraditional menu included Turkey Subs, Homemade Apple Crisp, cranberry sauce and the party favorite, punch.

Parade of Lights Submitted By: Lynelle Davis

ACHIEVE teamed up with Blueox this year for the annual Parade of Lights in Norwich. Individuals we provide services to braved the rain and cold with employees and families from Blueox to dress up and ride on their Island of Misfit Toys themed float. We are always proud to be part of the close community in Chenango County.

Holiday Card Art Contest Submitted By: Victoria Studer ACHIEVE is getting into the holiday spirit - and we want to send out a holiday card to the community! But rather than using some pre-made design, we wanted our individuals to help us personalize it! ACHIEVE held a Holiday Card Art Contest for the month of November - and received MANY submissions! Our talented individuals thought about what Christmas means to them, and created a unique design to show to all! The winner of the Holiday Card Art Contest will be announced in December.

98.1 The Hawk Submitted By: Stephanie Eatton-Johnson Carly and Dick enjoyed touring 98.1 WHWK the Hawk radio station and meeting the staff, Jay Franiak. While there, Carly and Dick asked Jay questions about his job duties. Jay showed them some of the daily operations of the radio show such as arranging commercials, music playlists, and live broadcasting material. Carly and Dick even had the opportunity to create their own voice demos! They each had a wonderful time during this vocational experience!

Holiday Kick-Off Month Submitted By: Caitlin Ropp

November is always a great Holiday Kick-off Month. We here in Tioga County have been very busy with both celebrating and decorating! The Owego Museum holds their Annual O Tannenbaum during the months of November and December. Each year, we decide on a theme and decorate our tree with the hopes of a high bid! This year, we chose a “Christmas Around the World” theme and decorated our tree with cultural recipes and flags in beautiful glass bulbs. Bidding ends Sunday, December 16 th at 4:00pm, so stop by and check it out!

Your Gift Matters

We have so much to be proud of here at ACHIEVE, and our opportunities to touch others' lives daily. 2018 was a great year! We saw continued unification with Chenango County, as well as the successful opening of our new program; On the Pond ~ At Cutler. We have a lot of momentum, and are excited to keep building on it in 2019. But we need your support . In order to keep that momentum going and continue providing exceptional services to those we serve, we rely on generous gifts from supporters, like you , who want to make a difference in thousands of lives. Your gift matters . Please consider donating to us today. Here are some highlights of how donations have helped ACHIEVE in 2018:

Thank you for your generosity and have a fantastic holiday season!

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Facebook Charities

If you’re on Facebook regularly, you’ve probably had friends who’ve posted that they’re collecting donations for a nonprofit through Facebook. These are especially popular around birthdays and other big events. Well, great news – ACHIEVE was approved to be a designated charity for Facebook fundraisers, and it’s really easy to do!  Around your birthday Facebook will usually prompt you, but any other time, click the … in the New Post box, select “Support Nonprofit”, and search for ACHIEVE. All set! As I’m sure you’re aware, we can always use more funding to continue providing excellent services to our individuals, so please consider ACHIEVE for Facebook fundraising efforts around your birthday or other special event, and encourage your friends and family to do so too. While an easy way for our organization to raise money in service of our individuals, it’s an even better way to share our mission and what we do with our friends and family.

Tim Submitted By: John Adams

Tim uses the iPad software, ProloQuo2go. Many different page sets have been programmed over the past year which gives Tim the opportunity to communicate to others in the building. A series of buttons were programmed and set for specific tasks. Tim, for example, likes to collect the special lunch diet sheets from all of the rooms in Cutler Pond's Day Habilitation Program. He touches the button entitled, "Lunch Diet" and a grid appears with pre-programmed buttons. Tim touches these to say things such as; “Hi, may I have your sheet?; Did you see the football game on Sunday?; I’m having a great day, How are you doing?" and closings such as "Bye!; or See ya later.” Prior to using this device, Tim’s verbal communication was limited to; “Hi, yeah, no, and bye.” Now he has a “voice” to use to communicate his wants, needs, and desires. He is mobile in the building all day long and stops to chat with as many people as he can. He is well-liked and his quality of life has greatly improved. Because of Tim's hard work and positive attitude, he was Man of the Year at the Annual Dinner Dance in 2017!

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