The Arc of Delaware County was delighted to receive two
grants from NYSARC’s Trust Remainder Funds for the purpose of supporting
guardianship services and to provide recreation opportunities for people they
support.
With the receipt of $12,500 in recreation grant funds, individuals
from The Arc of Delaware County have been able to enjoy an array of person
centered recreational activities they may not otherwise have had an opportunity
to enjoy this year. For instance, Gary
Grossman recently traveled to Florida to visit his parents, Henry and Kay, whom
he hadn’t seen in a year. Gary talks
with his family regularly on the phone and keeps in contact through social
media, but this personal visit was a rare treat. This trip was made even more special with a
day spent at Universal Studios with friend and traveling companion, Sean Henry. Gary has vacationed in the past with a well
known travel company that provides guided tours and personal assistance, however,
with the availability of the recreation grant funds Gary was able to plan his own
personalized trip and bring a travel companion whom he has known for years and
enjoys spending time with. In addition
to spending time with his family, some of Gary’s favorite memories from his
Florida vacation were having lunch at the Hard Rock Café, talking with the
Disney characters, and meeting people from all over the world, such as
California and Mexico.
The funds received for guardianship services will assist
with ongoing expenses of operating the Guardianship program and for life
enhancing activities for people receiving guardianship services. As the Guardianship Committee often fills the
void of family, guardianship funds are often used to provide for birthdays,
holidays, vacations and special events. The
Arc of Delaware County’s Guardianship Committee, comprised of dedicated members from the community, currently
provides guardianship services to two 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.
A total of $2,795,500 in remainder grants was awarded in 2016
to support recreation and guardianship to NYSARC Chapters 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 at www.nysarctrustservices.org. To learn more about Services available
through The Arc of Delaware County, click on the services link at www.delarc.org or call (607)865-7126.
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| Jennifer Gugliotti with NYSARC Board President Laura J. Kennedy |
Jennifer Gugliotti, was honored as NYSARC, Inc’s. 2016 Self
Advocate of the Year at their Fall meeting October 21st in Albany NY. Jennifer
was selected from the many nominations of outstanding individuals submitted
from Arc Chapters across the state. To
be considered for this award, an individual must demonstrate leadership and
also by their actions, help to shape services in a way that benefits others.
Jennifer is a strong leader and has always had a natural inclination
toward helping others. Her personal goal
of becoming a teacher’s aide has led her down many paths to hone the skills needed
to achieve this. She felt it was
important to gain public speaking experience and enhance her writing skills so she
campaigned and was elected to several positions of the THRIVE Self Advocacy
group including that of President and Secretary. Wanting to help others,
Jennifer viewed her officer roles as an opportunity to share information that
she felt would help others including healthy eating habits, maintaining a
healthy weight, and making people aware of ways to protect against sun damage.
Jennifer’s encouraging
nature and desire to see others succeed has earned her the respect and
admiration of her peers. She openly discusses her past challenges and how
overcoming they helped her to achieve her dreams and goals. In 2015 they selected Jennifer to receive the
THRIVE program’s Outstanding Achievement Award. She was also previously selected
to represent the THRIVE Self Advocate group at The Arc’s National Convention in
2010 and 2012.
And her advocacy doesn’t stop at the program level. Jennifer
is a member of the Special Review Committee at The Arc of Delaware County and she
provides presentations to local schools, Rotary clubs, Senior Citizen and
church groups educating the community about the potential and capabilities of
individuals with disabilities. As part of a state wide campaign she
participated in a videotaped message to legislators advocating for employment
services.
Jennifer is always looking for ways to expand her knowledge
and has enrolled in several inclusive SUNY Delhi classes including Psychology
and Early Childhood and Development. She volunteers at Sidney Central School
where she reads stories to the children and assists the teacher with crafts. “I
have learned that it is so important to always believe in yourself and to be
strong”, shared Jennifer Gugliotti during her acceptance speech at the NYSARC
meeting. “I would also like to thank everyone at The Arc of Delaware County for
helping me become the confident person I am today, and for supporting me as I
follow my dreams.”
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| L to R: Sheri Hull (THRIVE Program Director), Molly Little (CEO), Jennifer, Nate Thomas (Board Member - The Arc of Delaware County) and Jessica Baldi (Life Coach). |
The Blesher recognition program was put into place to help
recognize individuals who go “Above and beyond”. Because any employee can
complete a Blesher Nomination form and identify the exceptional deeds they see
their peers accomplishing, it is a wonderful way for employees to look for the positives
and show what they respect and admire in their co workers. We thought you
would like to read a few recent examples which may also spark ideas of other
deeds and events that reflect the core values on which our agency is based, our
Unifying Principles.
During the month of October Joan Dewing, Darius Newbold and
Denise Jackson received Blesher awards.
Joan Dewing, a Residential
Housing Profession in our Residential program was instrumental in the creation
of the agency quilt that was a retirement gift to CEO George Suess. Through Joan’s coordination,
instruction, sewing and communication, staff and people supported by The Arc of
Delaware County had the opportunity to express their sentiments to George in a
beautiful way.
Joan volunteered many, many hours of her personal
time building the quilt, making it easy for people unfamiliar with the quilting
process to participate. She was creative in problem solving as the quilt
progressed resulting in a truly beautiful and meaningful gift. Joan was
presented with her Blesher award on October 7th.
Darius Newbold, Assistant Director of Finance was
nominated for a Blesher award for providing assistance to the Residential team on
topics that extended well beyond his financial responsibilities such as
Medisked and E-MARS programs. He attended many house and leader meetings to
explain and expand their knowledge. In the nomination Darius was described as “professionalism
personified” They said that If Darius doesn’t know an answer he finds out! Darius
received his Blesher award on October 19th.
Denise
Jackson, Administrative Assistant at THRIVE learned of an individual’s desire
to volunteer in her local community. Denise was instrumental in helping Lanora Nash-Steinbacher achieve a dream by making her aware of an opportunity. She then made the
necessary connections with family and staff to allow the individual to fulfill
her desire. She went above and beyond in supporting the individual to prepare
for and participate at the event. Denise received her Blesher award on October
19th.
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| Denise Jackson (Left) with Lanora Nash-Steinbacher (Right) |
There are so many outstanding acts of kindness, professionalism,
creativity, ingenuity that make our agency great. Congratulations to these
three recent Blesher Award recipients!
Blesher recognized Becky Townsend for taking great care of
RFI’s car fleet on September 19th.
Becky was nominated by Mary Cullen who wrote, “Becky has
gone to many lengths to make sure cars are in good working order… She makes
sure cars carry an up to date emergency first aid kit, have current
registrations and inspections, and checks to make sure oil changes are
completed timely.”
Because of Becky’s commitment to excellence, dedication,
communication, and caring for those who use the vehicles; employees can use the
cars with confidence knowing that they are well equipped, maintained, and safe.
Thank you for your hard work and dedication which helps to
keep both staff and those we support safe Becky!
On
August 10th, The Arc of Delaware County's Board of Directors received a Blesher
Award. Molly Little, CEO nominated the entire board for "Selfless dedication
of time and talents while serving on the board." Through their hard work,
support, and dedication they help to assure people with disabilities live
personally fulfilling lives.
Congratulations and thank you to each board member for helping The
Arc of Delaware County fulfill its Unifying Principals: Those we serve come
first, commit to excellence, be dedicated, employee satisfaction, communicate
effectively, and be innovative.
Pictured
Front Row L to R: Gerda van Leeuwen, Bonnie Martin, James Warren, Blesher Lil
Heart, Johna Peachin, Kathleen Green, Ira McIntosh, Vice President.
Back
Row L to R: Amy Beveridge, Lori Cetta, Nat Thomas, Treasurer, Robert
Rothenberg, Robin Evanitsky, President, and Thomas Banks
Not
present were Directors: Mary Jane Giarrusso- Wilkin and Sandra Bullis,
Secretary.
Joining the picture with the Board of Directors are: Molly Little, CEO (back row, second from right), Barbara Rothenberg, COO (first row, second from right) and Teresa Skinner, CFO (back row, second from left).
"Voice!" is a juried art exhibition celebrating the creative voices of artists from New York State. Hosted by The Arc Otsego for the 12th year, this exhibition reminds us of the power of art to transcend disability and stereotypes and reveals our common ground, celebrating everyone's unique abilities.
Two Delaware County residents, Thomas Ferrante and Lewis Pepper were invited artists who displayed their textile and acrylic painting works in this year's exhibit held at the Martin Mullen Art Gallery, SUNY Oneonta.
Thomas Ferrante lives in Margaretville, NY and began taking weaving classes at The Artisan's Guild four years ago. He discovered that he enjoyed working on a loom and has woven several rugs using a variety of yarns and patterns. He has exhibited his works at Delaware County Fair, winning several ribbons. His submission to the "Voice!" exhibition was a southwestern themed woven rug wall hanging.
Lewis Pepper, a resident of Sidney, NY has been interested in drawing from an early age. His work has been displayed at SUNY Delhi, the Delaware County Fair, and various other venues including The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. He has attended art classes at SUNY Delhi and Harpursville Senior Center where he has mastered several paint mediums including watercolors, acrylic, and oil paints. His favorite art subjects are wildlife and country landscapes.
His submission to "Voice12" was an original acrylic painting of a chipmunk that he was able to study up close as he fed him out of his hand.
Bill Field, Director of Facilities and Corporate Compliance Officer at The Arc of Delaware County
was recognized for “going above and beyond” his duties by THRIVE staff and
participants on July 27th when they presented him with a Blesher
Award.
During a recent air conditioning system malfunction that
lasted several days Bill once again showed his genuine caring for people. As described
in the Blesher nomination, Bill immediately jumped into action checking with
program staff to assure there were no heat safety concerns for individuals, he used
his ingenuity to secure and strategically place large barn fans throughout the
building to keep air as cool as possible, and arrived at the building early
each morning to open windows and cool down the building. Bill constantly checked
on the status and comfort of everyone in the building throughout the day. by
THRIVE staff and participants.
Bill’s actions and caring were greatly appreciated by
everyone!
On August 14th Blesher Lil' Heart paid a visit to Carousel Children’s Services (CCS) to bestow a Blesher Award on the staff who were responsible for the continuation of excellent services to children in the program during a staff shortage.
Beverly “Honeybee” Tuthill, Program Manager shared that staff accomplished this by working together, supporting each other, and by being innovative in coming up with new ways to work with the children. “They used communication effectively to keep each other informed, and took on extra duties with a smile” she said.
Congratulations Carousel Children’s Services!
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Pictured in photo L to R: Front row: Andrea Misa, Kristin MacRabie, Blesher, Sibel Finn.
Back row left to right - Lillian Moore, Kristina Anderson and Emily Tackabury |
When Travis Rausch arrived at CLS- Arkville on Thursday,
July 14th, he was surprised to be greeted by Blesher. But he was
even more surprised when it was announced that he was the one to receive a Blesher
Award that day! The CLS- Arkville staff had nominated Travis because of his willingness
to step in and help, always with a smile on his face. He is currently covering
CLS-Arkville’s transport needs and he quickly built a strong rapport with staff
and those we support. Staff noted, “Travis has a very fun attitude and is a pleasure
to be around! He has a “can do” attitude!” It was noted that he consistently displays “SEAN”
(Smart, Eager to Learn, Ambitious and Nice) qualities.
Congratulations Travis!
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| Myles Magnan recipient of Carousel Children's Services Outstanding Achievement Award |
An evening filled with stars occurred on July 8th when The Arc of Delaware County held its Annual Membership meeting and Awards Ceremony at SUNY Delhi’s campus. This event which was sponsored by Relph Benefit Advisors serves as a keystone celebration recognizing the outstanding achievements of individuals in each of The Arc’s programs, as well as honoring community members and volunteers who have enhanced opportunities for people with disabilities, provided dedicated service, and embodied the spirit of being kind and neighborly.
This year’s award winners received "Shining Star" trophies from The Arc of Delaware County and Certificates of Recognition from Senator John Bonacic, Senator James Seward, Assemblyman Clifford Crouch, and Congressman Chris Gibson. Dignitaries attending the event included Joe Angelino who presented Certificates of Merit from Assemblyman Clifford Crouch, and Wayne Marshfield, Town of Hamden Supervisor.
George Suess Outstanding Achievement Awards were presented to individuals who have been an inspiration to others through their personal perseverance, and individual growth. Award winners included Myles Magnan (Carousel Children’s Services), Dolores Hirschel (Community Living Skills-Arkville, Fred Hammond (Residential Services), David Barnhart (Resources for Industry), Edson Jones (THRIVE) and Donald Sedor (Community Living Skills-Walton).
Community recognition awards were presented to three individuals: Kalii Tas, Fred Doyle, and Dave DeForest.
Receiving the Father Eugene Willis Good Neighbor Award was Fred Doyle. This award is given to those who actively support involvement of individuals with disabilities in their community. The tremendous personal growth of an individual was directly attributed to the kind and caring relationship that Fred nurtured as they worked together volunteering at The First Presbyterian Church of Stamford.
The Partner of the Year Award was presented to Dave DeForest, Assistant Professor of Applied Sciences at SUNY Delhi. Steve Finkel from The Arc shared, "Dave has championed a diverse list of learning opportunities for people with disabilities including, kayaking, gardening, survival training, snowshoeing, skiing and many more activities. Both SUNY students and Arc participants have learned a lot about each other in the process".
The Luella Rogers Exemplary Volunteer Award was presented to Kalii Tass of Fishes Eddy, NY. Kalii has been volunteering for over 10 years at Community Living Skills-Walton (CLS-W). Hilary Miller, Program Director at CLS-W shared that Kalii "is an essential piece to the success of people at program. It is clear that she has long standing relationships with people shown through her interactions of compassion and friendship…She unhesitatingly steps in wherever and whenever needed."
During the Membership meeting Officers and Directors were sworn into office by Wayne Marshfield, Hamden Town Supervisor, and Jennifer Guigliotti. Serving for the 2016-2017 term are President, Robin Evanitsky, Vice President, Ira McIntosh, Secretary, Sandra Bullis, and Treasurer, Nat Thomas. The Directors for the 2016 – 2018 term include: Sandra Bullis, Lori Cetta, Robin Evanitsky, Kathleen Green, Ira McIntosh, Johna Peachin, and Greda van Leeuwen. Serving on the Nominating Committee for the 2016-2017 term are: Lori Cetta, Robert Rothenberg, Nat Thomas, and Gerda van Leeuwen.
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| Kalii Tass recipient of the Luella Rogers Exemplary Volunteer Award |
It was fitting and that the community fireworks which had been delayed due to weather the previous week lit up the sky as The Annual Dinner was ending. What a night to remember!
To view photos of this event visit our Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/delarc/albums/72157671105937435
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| L to R: Denise Darling, Andrea Day (Instructor), Amanda Green, and Lanora Nash-Steinbacher. |
The Delaware County Cornell Cooperative Extension service provides Eat Smart Programs at several convenient locations throughout Delaware County. When the “Discover My Plate” Eat Smart program was recently offered at Cornell’s Hamden location, people jumped at the opportunity to learn more about healthy eating.
These ladies (pictured) along with Alethea Stanton, Perry Ragusa and James Spath (not pictured) enjoyed learning about adding more color to meals by increasing fruit and vegetables, the importance of whole grains and fiber in the diet, rethinking what they drink and reducing sugary beverages, and eating healthy portions. They enjoyed an in-class “pop up” store learning about selecting and purchasing produce. Then the “piece de resistance” was the preparation and enjoyment of a lunch prepared during each class. The final day of class was celebrated with a healthy taco lunch. Ole’!
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| Shown L to R: Val Stafford, Terri Beers, Blesher, and Justine Kelly |
Val Stafford received a
Blesher Award For
exemplifying the Unifying Principles for leading by example by being willing to
“step up and step in”, providing assistance whenever and wherever needed, being
a positive, supportive mentor to both staff and those we support.
The CLS- Walton team nominated her and wrote: “Val
always has not only an open door but an open heart and mind. She’s always
willing to step up and step in.” Some examples were given such as when they
were short staffed she jumped right into a classroom to teach for the day, she
is always quick to find the right answers to their questions, she makes staff
and those we support feel valuable, she always has an upbeat and positive
attitude, she knows her audience and gives praise and constructive criticism in
a way that is well received, and last but not least, she is really great at
coming up with new ways to help individuals work on coping skills and ways to
communicate their wants and needs.
Justine Kelly and Terri
Beers received a Blesher Award for exemplifying the Unifying Principles through
exceptional teamwork that resulted in an individual achieving personal
fulfillment with a highly successful college presentation. They helped Bruce
Besdansky as he prepared a model of a brain, helping him study it and prepare
for a presentation in front of a class. “Bruce was smiling ear to ear
with his final project. He was very proud”
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| Justine Kelly and Bruce Besdansky with Bruce's Brain Project. |
Congratulations to Val, Terri and Justine!
Molly Little has been enjoying her position as CEO of The
Arc of Delaware County since the retirement of former CEO George Suess in January 2016. She shared that inclusive
experiences and positive supports for people with disabilities was instilled in
her from early childhood. Molly’s
journey of growing up with children with disabilities began at age 4 when she
was enrolled in an integrated preschool program and continued throughout her
school years. “My framework for life has been we all have abilities and disabilities.
Some of my friends from preschool had speech therapy, leg braces and I just
thought, this is life.”
Throughout high school and college Molly worked in
residential departments, day camps, and day programs for people with disabilities.
Once she completed her undergraduate degree a family member encouraged her to
apply for a position at The Arc of Delaware County because they thought that its
positive, no restraint policy would be a great philosophical fit.
In February 1995 Molly accepted a position as Social Worker
Assistant at The Arc of Delaware County. She thought that this position would be
rewarding but temporary. However, she never left because “I fell in
love with the agency”. She accepted
increasingly responsible positions including Program Coordinator, Assistant
Director, and Director of Day Services. Her experiences provided a broad
perspective and knowledge of the functioning of the agency from many levels.
And she shared that she always loved every position that she was in.
She made the decision to throw her hat in the ring for the
CEO position mainly because of the timing. She wanted to have the opportunity
to learn from key long term employees whose retirement is on the horizon.
She is fully aware that she became CEO at a very challenging
time in the field. Allowable services, funding, and regulations are all
changing. “There are a lot of unknowns but we will figure it all out together.”
She feels she can be a good influence at a crucial time. “This is an awesome
team, this has been a smooth transition and the former CEO George Suess and the
board have been very supportive. And because people are so talented at this
agency I don’t lie awake worrying about things.” She shared that believing in
what she does, making a difference in people’s lives and working in a positive,
proactive atmosphere with talented and dedicated people makes it all easy.
If she had a dream “bucket list” Molly would love to see
smaller group homes and people being able to have their own bedrooms. And as workshops change she would like to
make sure that the people we support continue to have the highest quality of
supports and services that are very person centered. “We can help the others in
this field understand that people with disabilities can and do learn and
grow.” She also would like to explore a
variety of mental health services for people with disabilities.
During the first months of her tenure she spent time in all
of the departments, gaining a different level of understanding of the agency
and more importantly getting to know all of the people in the departments.” I
knew I was going to see a lot of talent. It is really fun to see everything
going on.”
Molly has come to love and appreciate all of the benefits of
living in Delaware County. “I am
grateful that this agency is located in Delaware County, small town America at
its best. One of the things that I love about Delaware County is that people
embrace everyone; we don’t have to fight a lot of discrimination or segregation.
People with disabilities are not tucked away somewhere. I know that can be a
big issue elsewhere.”
Despite the chill and drizzle in the air, a reunion of sorts transpired at Launt Pond on Friday. For a number of years members of The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and The Arc of Delaware County have enjoyed meeting together in the Spring and releasing fish into local rivers and waterways. Pictured here on May 13th are folks from both DEC and The Arc preparing to receive and release the trout into Launt Pond near Walton, NY.
And
turning up some dirt to prepare the way for butterflies… Community
Partner, Dave DeForest , Assistant Professor at SUNY Delhi and Harry Dorsey , a
2nd year Adventure Recreation student, partnered with The Arc of Delaware
County to “spring clean” EDU’s Butterfly Garden. It wasn’t all work and no
play. Everyone enjoyed a cookout and picnic after the work was done.
Afterwards, Heidi Friedman sent Dave a message: “I would just like to say THANK
YOU for the great day yesterday. Both Garett and I appreciated all the time and
effort you put into the planning-- Garett smiled all the way back.” See more photos on our Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/phot…/delarc/albums/72157665894796034
View a video of the (EDU) Outdoor Education Center here: https://youtu.be/JVGqHfjid54
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