People at The Arc of Delaware County are having fun watching little fry grow into trout that they plan to release into nearby streams in the spring. The Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program fish tank and fry have been set up at Resources for Industry in Walton, NY. This program teaches students about water quality, stream habitat, ecosystems and develops and appreciation of our water resources and fosters a conservation ethic. This year 6 students, Rachel, Jamie, Mike, Melissa, Marisa, and Rita are caring for the developing trout.
Jeff Foster, Director of Employment and Transition at The Arc of Delaware County shared his video of the developing trout. Jeff is an avid fisherman, and active in conservation efforts including being a former editor of a Trout Unlimited chapter newsletter and who also stared a River Keeper program in that chapter. He shared, “I like to combine my fishing and photography hobbies as often as possible.” View photos of the initial set up of tanks and the fry: https://www.flickr.com/photos/delarc/sets/72157649289158016/
And to see how the fish have grown watch Jeff’s video: http://youtu.be/Y5WgDk18fKU
Wishes and dreams came true for several people supported by
The Arc of Delaware County as a result of a generous recreational grant of
$10,000 from the Trustees of the NYSARC Trusts. When staff learned of this
wonderful opportunity, ideas flowed forth as to how best to use this funding
for those they support who might not otherwise be able to afford an experience
that would greatly enrich their lives.
Annette Plath, Administrative Assistant at the Residential
Office shared that when she heard about the NYSARC Recreation Grant
opportunity, the idea of Shannon Robinson going to opera came immediately to
mind.
Shannon has long harbored a love of the sweeping music of
opera which was kindled by a chance connection in the Residential Office of The
Arc of Delaware County. Several years
ago, Annette was playing a favorite opera in her office when Shannon came in to
deliver some mail to her. She immediately recognized a kindred “opera” spirit
when she saw him become transfixed upon hearing the music and invited him to
sit down and listen. Since then, Annette
shared that Shannon has come in to her office many times, requesting to hear
more opera music. “He is transported by
it” shared Annette. She described how
Shannon would relax into an office chair, put his head back and shut his eyes
letting the music wash over him, occasionally uttering, “beautiful”. She noted “He particularly likes duets and
arias, from Puccini including “Madam Butterfly, La Boh`eme, and Tosca.”
In August, Riann
Warren, a staff member and Shannon attended “Madame Butterfly” at the
Glimmerglass Opera. “I don’t think it hit him, what we were about to see until
we arrived at our balcony seats”said Riann.
“Then his face just lit up!”
During the performance he became very calm and quiet as he took in every
aspect of the performance. And during
intermission Shannon talked about how the man and women were in love. “Can we
come again next year?” he asked on the way home.
When asked about why he likes opera music in particular,
Shannon shared that the music made him feel “peaceful”. When he feels upset or anxious he asks for
opera music to be played. “It makes me
feel calm.” “I thoroughly enjoy listening to music with him, it touches me,”
said Annette.
In addition, remainder fund grants totally $1,660,500 were
awarded to support NYSARC guardianship programs statewide. A total of $2,207,880 in remainder grants
were awarded in 2014 to support recreation and guardianship statewide. NYSARC Trust Services administers
supplemental needs trusts that enable people with disabilities to remain in
their home and community while retaining Medicaid services and other government
benefits. Information is available on
how NYSARC Trust Services may benefit you:
our website www.nysarctrustservices.org
, phone 1-518-439-8323, toll free phone 1-800-735-8924 or e-mail info@nysarctrustservices.org
The Arc of Delaware County was delighted to receive word
that it will be receiving a grant from NYSARC’s Community Trust Remainder Funds
in support of its guardianship services.
The Arc of Delaware County’s Guardianship Committee,
comprised of dedicated members from the
community, currently provides guardianship services to four people for whom
NYSARC, Inc. serves as Legal Guardian.
The committee ensures all decisions made are in the best interest of the
individual and are in harmony with the individual’s personal values and
preferences, just as a concerned family member would do.
The funds received from this grant will assist with ongoing expenses
of operating the program and for life enhancing activities for people receiving
guardianship services.
To
learn more about Guardianship Services available through The Arc of Delaware
County, click on the link below or contact Kim Shaw at
(607) 865-7126.
http://delarc.org/index.php/services/adult-services/guardianship-services/
On the very last day, people
came up to the “Before I Die” boards in Delhi’s Courthouse Square to post up
their personal dreams and aspirations…..like about 1,000 people before them
ever since the program was launched on 9/11…the National Day of Service and Remembrance. Started in New Orleans in 2011 by a young artist
named Candy Chang, who was troubled by a personal crisis and was seeking a way
to express her thoughts, Before I Die has spread to over 70 countries in 34
languages on over 500 boards throughout the world.
7 community organizations, representing a diverse group of
Delaware County people, joined together to support this program: The Delaware County Office of the Aging,
Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care, the Delaware County Veterans Service
Agency, Delaware Academy Central School District at Delhi, SUNY Delhi, The Arc
of Delaware County, the First Presbyterian Church of Delhi---plus the valuable
support of the Delaware County Maintenance Department.
The program allowed anyone to step up, pick up a piece of
chalk and share their goals, dreams and personal thoughts in a very public,
dramatic way. An earlier program last
year was successfully held on the campus of SUNY Delhi. “We decided that it would be much more of a
community program to move this meaningful idea into the community where everyone could participate,” said
Elizabeth Sova, SUNY’s Director of their O’Connor Center for Community
Engagement.
As the boards were being taken down last Friday, Amanda
Green, a resident of Delhi and part of the team that launched the program in
September at an assembly for Delaware Academy high school students, said “While
it was sad to see the boards come down, so many people had an opportunity to share
their dreams and thoughts. Today I
posted that my goal was to become a Teacher’s Aid in a local school---- it felt
great to share my dream”.
Each day members of the community support team stopped by
the boards to make sure there was plenty of chalk and room for people to post
up their dreams. Special kudos are due
to Justin Foster, the SUNY Delhi faculty member who led a team of his students
to construct the boards, install them in the Square on 9/11 and then remove
them last week. “It was a special
commitment to our community,” said Justin.
Members of the sponsoring team included Rev. Sarah Hooker
& Renee Maxwell of the First Presbyterian Church, John Boecke of the
Veterans Service Agency, Tammy Christman of the Catskill Area Hospice, Delaware
Academy Superintendent Jason Thomson and faculty member Abigal Oliver, Sally
Kauffman/Becky Townsend/Steve Finkel from The Arc of Delaware County, Wayne
Shepard of the Office of the Aging, Elizabeth Sova from SUNY Delhi, valuable support from the County’s Board of
Supervisors Chairman, James Eisel, Christa Schafer and the County’s Maintenance
Dept.’s Pete Montgomery, plus important technical help from SUNY’s Nicholas
Wagner. Everyone felt that “these are
the types of programs that bring our county together in a positive, caring and
productive way, and are very important
for the overall welfare of the county. During often challenging times, we all need to
work together for the best outcomes and results for everyone.”
For the 5th year, Beta Omicron, the local chapter of a
world-wide educators’ organization, is working with The Arc of Delaware County
to sponsor a contest open to all Delaware County school districts. The purpose of the county-wide grades K-8
contest is to help students understand the strengths and embrace abilities of
people with developmental disabilities.
Beta Omicron is part
of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, a professional organization of
women educators. This local chapter has
40 members representing several of the Delaware County schools. Their mission is excellence in education, so
they have partnered with The Arc to bring awareness of the abilities of people
with developmental disabilities to school kids and their communities.
The theme of this year’s contest is “Everybody Can---Be
Included.” Students can describe in essay or PowerPoint format (grades 5-8) or
poster (K-4) how they would include in their lives people with intellectual or
developmental disabilities (I/DD). Kids likely have in their families, classes,
or communities people with I/DD, such as autism, Down’s syndrome, learning
disabilities, cerebral palsy, etc. The aim of the contest is to encourage kids
to explore how they can help others feel included and valued.
Prizes will be awarded in 3 categories:
Grades K-4 class poster Grades 5-8 individual essay or Grades 5-8 PowerPoint
projects. First, second, and third place winners of each category will be
awarded $100, $75, or $50 respectively. Each entry will
be recognized with a certificate.
The first year winner
of the contest was Erika Liddle’s South Kortright 6th grade class
which read the book 10 Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew, by Ellen
Notbohm. Liddle recommends that other teachers enter the contest. “You need to do it: you have a chance to make
a difference in how children see things, and this is a great opportunity to
build compassion.” She said her students
made a connection to a former classmate by realizing why he had behaved certain
ways. They developed a new understanding
of his behavior and formulated ways they could have better included him.
For more
information about this contest or for entry forms contact The Arc of
Delaware County, Community Relations Department, Barbara Thompson (607)
865-7126 or email B.thompson@delarc.org
Information and details can also be found on The Arc’s
website: www.delarc.org
Russ Neale, a
community partner of The Arc of Delaware County, has shared his love of
woodworking by providing many classes over the past several years. Over a period of 8 weeks students learned about
the types and properties of wood and how they can be used as well as how to
operate and work safely with the tools and equipment in his workshop. Russ’s class is very popular and and when
students show their finished projects to friends,
co-workers, and family
members, the more people want to participate.
This summer Joe
Pantale, Tina Cawley, Robert Dircks, and Tracey Rossi enjoyed creating a variety of personal projects including small
wooden chests, bird houses, and a team project that Robert and Tracey worked
on, a fabulous park bench that was
donated to Resources for Industry in Walton, NY. The pride and enjoyment over their finished
projects can be seen on our Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/delarc/14935643034/
|
|
