Next Step Group Home Construction Update

Here are the latest construction photos from Imagine!’s Next Step Group Home in Broomfield.

Septic System installation

Walls are textured and ready for paint… and the hardwood for flooring is on site and the installers are on-site to start working.

Next up, after the hardwood floors are installed (scheduled to be completed late this week), will be ceramic tile install in bathrooms, interior trim work, interior painting and casework.

Stay tuned!

Thank You Thursday!

Recent generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation include:

Friend ($1-$249)
In Honor of Annabelle McIntosh-Schwartz
  From Marilyn McIntosh – For Dayspring
Thelma Whitaker

As always, we thank all of our generous donors. 

Wish List Wednesday

Welcome to the latest edition of The Wish List. Included below are items that would augment and enhance Imagine! programs and services for the individuals we serve and would be much appreciated. If you are able to provide an item, please contact Susan LaHoda at slahoda@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6443. Pick-up for large items can be provided, and your contribution is tax deductible. If you prefer to provide a cash gift to be used for the purchase of one of the items below, that would also be most welcome. Please check out this blog every Wednesday to see new Wish List Items.

Today’s Wish List items:

• Tickets to fun events so groups and staff can attend 
• Backpacks, toys, and birthday presents for children with developmental disabilities in foster care 
• iPads (Many departments use these for clients ); heavy duty iPad covers 
• A small garden shed for the 19th Street Group Home in Boulder

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations 

Gold ($5,000-$9,999) 
Hannelore Jend

Silver ($2500-$4,999)
Mutual of America – Silver Sponsorship of Imagine! Celebration 2014

Supporter ($250-$499) 
Longmont Community Foundation – $350 Grant Award for Imagine!’s “Charitable Story”

In-Kind Donations

Associate ($500-$999)
Mark Zentner – Treadmill for Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome (Item from Wish List!)

Friend ($1-$249)
Abby Anderson – Rental for baseball field for Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome vs Charles Family SmartHome softball game
Joanne Graham – Toys for Dayspring

As always, we thank all of our generous donors. 

Wish List Wednesday

Welcome to the latest edition of The Wish List. Included below are items that would augment and enhance Imagine! programs and services for the individuals we serve and would be much appreciated. If you are able to provide an item, please contact Susan LaHoda at slahoda@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6443. Pick-up for large items can be provided, and your contribution is tax deductible. If you prefer to provide a cash gift to be used for the purchase of one of the items below, that would also be most welcome. Please check out this blog every Wednesday to see new Wish List Items.

Today’s Wish List items:

• Recreation Center passes or punch cards for clients 
• A new oven for Garden Place Home in Longmont 
• A new kitchen table and non-fabric chairs for the kitchen and living room of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome 
• Games/activities made especially for those with Alzheimer’s/dementia for the Foothills Group Home 
•  Gift Cards to educational stores so that staff may buy materials for all residential sites: www.beyondtheblackboard.com; www.lakeshorelearning.com; www.reallygoodstuff.com; www.educatorsoutlet.com; www.banksschoolsupply.com  

Next Step Group Home Construction Update

Here are the latest construction photos from Imagine!’s Next Step Group Home in Broomfield.

Here is a view of the Next Step Group Home and its new paint job from 156th Street, just North of the home.

 

Here is the view from our pasture to the South of the home. You can also see the prep work that is being done for walkways and walkway lighting. 

This view is from the Southeast. 

Inside, work is being done to complete drywall work before applying interior wall texture and painting, which should be completed mid/late next week.

Following the work to texture and paint interior walls, Interlock Construction will begin working to install wood flooring throughout the home, ceramic tile in bathrooms, install interior door and hardware and begin installing the casework.

Stay tuned!

Wish Granted!

Recently, we mentioned that the Imagine! Foundation was starting a new effort to increase opportunities for donations that will help Imagine! meet its mission – The Wish List. The Wish List includes items that would augment and enhance Imagine! programs for the individuals we serve.

Well, we’ve already had our first wish granted! Many thanks are in order for former member of Imagine!’s Board of Directors Mark Zentner for donating a gently used treadmill for the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. The treadmill is scheduled to be deliver May 1.

Thank you Mark, for your generous donation!

The Wish List will be updated as items are acquired and new needs are identified, so please check back frequently on Imagine!’s website, or every Wednesday on this blog.

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499) 
Palmos Development Corporation – Table at the Imagine! Celebration

Associate ($500-$999)
Front Range Community College – Second Half of a Table at the Imagine! Celebration

Friend ($1-$249)
Kent Arnold
Kathy Coyne
East Boulder Optimist Club

As always, we thank all of our generous donors. 

Wish List Wednesday

The Imagine! Foundation is starting a new feature on this blog – the Wish List. Included below are items that would augment and enhance Imagine! programs and services for the individuals we serve and would be much appreciated. If you are able to provide an item, please contact Susan LaHoda at slahoda@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6443. Pick-up for large items can be provided, and your contribution is tax deductible. If you prefer to provide a cash gift to be used for the purchase of one of the items below, that would also be most welcome. Please check out this blog every Wednesday to see new Wish List Items.

Today’s Wish List items:

• Luggage for children with developmental disabilities entering a new foster care placement 
• A new set of silverware and a new dish set for Garden Place Home in Longmont 
• Garden supplies and plants for the 19th Street Group Home in Boulder 
• Arts and crafts baskets or gift certificates to Hobby Lobby/Michael’s for the Foothills Group Home in Boulder 
• Non-fabric couch and chairs for Manhattan Apartments 
• Twenty tickets to a Rockies game on May 17th for Out & About’s Catalog Program for adolescents and adults. Tickets are $15; total cost $300.

SmartHome Vs. SmartHome Softball Challenge!

It is a SmartHome vs. SmartHome softball challenge! Residents and staff members from the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder will be competing against the residents and staff members from the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont in a friendly softball game this coming Saturday. If you would like to attend and cheer on both teams, then join them Saturday, April 26th from 1:30-3:00 pm, at Martin Field located on 36th and Eastman St. in Boulder. Questions? Call Shannon at (775)-230-1375.

Imagine! 2014 Provider Fair A Big Success

On Saturday, April 12, Imagine! hosted a Provider Fair, which proved to be an exciting opportunity for families of those served by Imagine! Family Support Services and Case Management’s Children’s Medicaid Waivers to connect with providers and to learn about services available to them.

We wish to express our gratitude to all of the following:

• Over 100 individuals who attended, comprising 51 families.
• The 26 providers that participated, including four Imagine! internal providers (see lists below).
• The following generous organizations: 

1. Both the Colorado Aging and Disability Resource Center, Adult Resources for Care and Help (ARCH) and Vitamin Cottage donated reusable grocery bags. 
2. A special raffle prize for those who signed up early was a $50 Target gift card, partially donated by Target, plus an Imagine! Klean Kanteen water bottle; a Wrightslaw book on Special Education Law. 
3. King Soopers donated some of the refreshments. 
4. Panera Bakery delivered meals for providers, staff, and volunteers at a discount. 

• The four community resource groups which participated: 

1. Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Association 
2. Healthy Communities/Boulder County Housing and Human Services Department 
3. PEAK Parent Center 
4. Parent2Parent 

• Our four superb volunteers from The GAP (including Vinnie, Emily, and Zaia, pictured below surrounded by the Family Support team), who helped enormously before, during and after the Provider Fair, and Christine Kellerman, our FSSP Volunteer. 

Providers participating in the Fair included:

Behavior Services of the Rockies
Boulder Community Hospital/Mapleton Center
Boulder Parks & Recreation Department/EXPAND
Carmel Community Living Corporation
Community Advantage
Continuum Autism Spectrum Alliance
Debby Hamilton, MD Holistic Pediatric Consulting, LLC
Foundation Behavioral Services, LLC
Fox Psychotherapy Services, Inc.
Front Range Hippotherapy
Goldstar Learning Options
Ignite Adaptive Sports
Jon Garson, LCSW
KidSPOT Pediatric Therapies
Lisa Hassin, LPC
Pam Vagnieres/Nutriphysique: Nutrition and Exercise Therapy
Sample Supports
Spectra Autism Center
Stacy Goresko, PH.D.
Studio Blue: Art + Psychotherapy, LLC
Support, Inc.
Twice Exceptional Speech, Language & Educational Therapy

Participating Imagine! service providers included:

Dayspring
Imagine! Behavioral Health Services (IBHS)
Imagine! Family Recruited Employee Services
Out & About

Additionally, we appreciate all the Imagine! employees who so ably assisted us in planning and carrying out the Fair, especially staff from Family Support, Early Intervention and Case Management, without whom this event would not have been possible, let alone such a huge success!

Staffers include:

Willow Witte
Kelsey Westerveld
Meagan Rountree
Sarah Fry
Victoria Kennedy
Doris Franco (Bilingue)
Maria Klickna
Carla Rapp
Lucy Williams
Claire Findlay (Bilingue)
Judy Mier (Bilingue)
Marco Longo (Bilingue)
Virginia Martinez de Escobar (Bilingue)
Sarah Baglee
Finally, Anthony Aponte, who so ably managed setting up the conference center for this event.

Here are a few more photos from the event:

Next Step Group Home Construction Update

Here are the latest construction photos from Imagine!’s Next Step Group Home in Broomfield.

Grading work preparing for concrete paths/walkways

 

Utility trench to bring phone, electricity & gas into the home… and yes we already have water. 

Stone work is near completion, and on the inside … the bat and spray-foam insulation is in and drywall is going up! 

Next up, after drywall is completed, our team will be prep walls for texture & painting, hard wood flooring, and case work. Stay tuned!

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations

Silver ($2,500-$9,999) 
The Longmont Community Foundation – Grant for $2,250 for General Operating Support and an Award of $250 for winning the Charitable Story competition.

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499) 
Imagine! Employees – Third Quarter Payroll Deduction

Associate ($500-$999) 
 Dennis & Becky Fase – Partial payment for Merrill Lynch’s Silver Sponsorship at the Imagine! Celebration

Friend ($1-$249)
Bob & Judy Charles – Donation for Heads or Tails game at the Imagine! Celebration
The Chinese Medicine Clinic LLC
Pepsico Foundation – Match to gift from Joseph Stanek
Jack & Sophie Walker
Thelma Whitaker

As always, we thank all of our generous donors. 

Wish List Wednesday

The Imagine! Foundation is starting a new feature on this blog – the Wish List. Included below are items that would augment and enhance Imagine! programs and services for the individuals we serve and would be much appreciated. If you are able to provide an item, please contact Susan LaHoda at slahoda@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6443. Pick-up for large items can be provided, and your contribution is tax deductible. If you prefer to provide a cash gift to be used for the purchase of one of the items below, that would also be most welcome.

Please check out this blog every Wednesday to see new Wish List Items.

Today’s Wish List items: 

• Supplies for Dayspring’s “Messy Play Day” for toddlers 0-3 years old: finger paint, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, inflatable pool toys, small plastic kiddie pools, Jell-o, shaving cream, and cornstarch - all good materials for a sensory experience that allows young children with developmental delays or disabilities to explore and learn in a fun and safe environment
• Welcome bags for children with developmental disabilities entering a new foster care placement (blankets, PJs, stuffed animals, etc.) 
• iPads (Many departments use these for clients); heavy duty iPad covers 
• A set of four kitchen chairs for the Garden Place Home in Longmont 
• A treadmill for the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder 
• Twenty tickets to a Rockies game on May 17th for Out & About’s Catalog Program for adolescents and adults. Tickets are $15; total cost $300.

Thank You, Longmont Community Foundation

 

We were excited to learn last week that Imagine! has been selected as a winner of the Longmont Community Foundation’s (LCF) “Your Charitable Story” contest. As a winner, our story (about Bell, who receives services through Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source and recently began working at Celestial Seasonings in Boulder) will be featured on LCF’s website and in other LCF promotional materials. We also will receive a grant of $250 as a result of being selected as a winner!

Additionally, LCF awarded us a separate grant of $2,250 for services for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

 Thanks, LCF. We’re honored by your continual support of Imagine! and the Longmont community!

Comfy Couch Donated To SmartHome

The residents at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder recently received a donation of a new couch (pictured with resident Chris).

The donors are the parents of Shannon Bundy, who currently works at the home and will be the new Site Supervisor there when the current Site Supervisor, Chantelle Tweten, takes over as the Site Supervisor at Imagine!’s brand new Next Step Group Home in Broomfield. 

SmartHome resident Mandy wrote a lovely thank you note to Shannon’s parents:

Dear Judy @ Brian, 

Thank you very much for donating the really nice furniture to us. That was exstremely generous and thoughtful of the two of you. We always sit on it when we are watching television because it is very comfortable and we can put our feet up, lean back and relax. it goes well with the rest of the furniture. 

we are all very excited to have Shannon as our new supvisor. We know how important it is to Shannon to be able to take over her new position. We know Shannon has our best interest in mind. Shannon is a great person. Thank you for everything you do and thank you for the Tshirts also. 

Mandy

Thank You Thursday!

Here’s a roundup of recent generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation:

Cash Donations

Associate ($500-$750)
Knights of Columbus – Longmont Council #1313 – For Dayspring
City of Louisville – Grant for Family Support Grant for Louisville Family

Supporter ($250-$499)
Anonymous (7) – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
C.J. Gauss – Partial Payment for Merrill Lynch’s Silver Sponsorship of the Imagine! Celebration
Sarah Giammaria

Friend ($1-$249)
Ball Corporation – Match to Gifts from Harry & Ellie Poehlmann and David Wilson
Sherry, Hal, and Annie Bruff – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Madelaine Bulkley – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Iliana Chase – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Elena Ciaravino – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Marguerite Ciaravino – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Michelle Conkey – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Charlie & Jean Dinwiddie
Katrina Doumbia – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Trent & Jennifer Gustafson – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Bruce Hansen – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Fred Hobbs – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Pat Hofmann – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Melissa Kilberg – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Christina Kohlruss – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Mariah Kohlruss-Ecker – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Susan Leary – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Colette Marie – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Adrianna Markley – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Andy & Connie Minden – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Leonard & Doris Muniz – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Nativity of Our Lord Broomfield – For Out & About’s Center Stage Activity
Don & Grace Pierce
Harry Poehlmann
Lou & Mary Smario
Gary Stebick – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Alexa Trujillo – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Michael Watry – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
Gregory Wellems – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity
David Wilson
Sterling Wind – For Out & About’s Centre Stage Activity

In-Kind Donations

In Kind Supporter ($250-$499) 
Jeff Kupfer – Table and four chairs for the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome and a long country style dining table for Imagine!’s Garden Place residence

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249) 
Snow Goose Companies – Coffee Maker, Coffee Grinder, and Service Cart

Next Step Group Home Construction Update

Here are the latest construction photos from Imagine!’s Next Step Group Home in Broomfield. We’re getting close to completion!

Exterior stone work photos. 

Spray foam insultaion being applied to condition attic space.

 

Next week, we have interior door frames being installed, inspections scheduled with the City/County of Broomfield, and dry wall will start going up. Stay tuned for more!

Thank You, Imagine! Volunteers

April 6-12 is National Volunteer Week, which celebrates ordinary people doing extraordinary things to improve communities across the nation. Today we’d like to thank all of our volunteers - we couldn’t do what we do without you!

241 Imagine! volunteers contributed a total of 7,638 hours to the organization last year. Here's a breakdown of the volunteer hours:
 
111 volunteers served directly with Imagine! consumers (3718.5 hours) 
15 served on the Imagine! Board of Directors (468 hours) 
21 served on the Imagine! Foundation Board (1,518) 
15 served on the Imagine! Celebration Committee (182 hours) 
10 served on the Human Rights Committee (480 hours) 
12 served on the Family Support Council (288 hours) 
57 served in other roles including; events, clerical, building/vehicle maintenance - (983.5 hours) 

 If you are interested in volunteering for Imagine!, click here.

Thank You, University Baptist Church Volunteers

Last Thursday, a group of seven volunteers from University Baptist Church in Arkansas did some work at the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont as part of their short-term missions trip. The volunteers completely organized, inventoried, and cleaned the basement and storage areas and helped move large adaptive equipment for the residents. It was a hard day’s work, but amazing results were accomplished due to their service. Thank you to the group and all those at Imagine! who made this possible.

Thank You, Longmont Knights!

Last Saturday, the Knights of Columbus Longmont Councils 1313 and 14898 presented a check for $925 to Imagine!'s Dayspring department. The Knights raised the funds through their annual Tootsie Roll Drive. Pictured from the left are: Matt Eldred, Executive Director of TLC Learning Center (which also received $925), James W. Rawlings, Jr., Grand Knight of Council 1313, and Julie Hartman, Director of Dayspring.

Congratulations, Out & About

Congratulations to Imagine!’s Out & About department for meeting the goal of their crowdfunding campaign supporting their Centre Stage program. The goal of the campaign was $1,500, and they brought in $1,625 through the online part of the campaign, not to mention more than $500 more through cash donations the night of the program's big performance!

Thank you to everyone who donated to support this vital program!

 

Raise Funds for Imagine! When You Shop on Amazon!

Here’s a super easy way to bring in money to Imagine! every time you shop online at Amazon through the AmazonSmile program. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Imagine! (listed under our legal name as the Developmental Disabilities Center). AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service. The Imagine! Foundation has already set up its account and received our first check for $10!

Just sign in to this link when you want to shop at Amazon and start earning money for Imagine!: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/84-0526620 

Once you have signed in, a percentage of all of your future purchases will automatically go to Imagine! unless you change your designation.

And from now through 3/31/2014, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate an extra $5 for each customer who makes an eligible purchase at smile.amazon.com in support of Imagine! (request Developmental Disabilities Center at this website or just sign in to the link above). This is in addition to the regular donation of 0.5% of the purchase price. Up to $1,000,000 extra will be donated to eligible charities as a result of this promotion. 

The Foundation thanks employee and Leadership Development Group member Anna Knott for discovering and alerting us to this easy fundraising opportunity!

Table Donation Makes Socializing Easier at Imagine!’s SmartHome

Check out this cool new table in Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. This was donated by Dr. Jeff Kupfer, who works for Imagine! Behavioral Health Services. The table has been placed in the game playing area of the house. Previously, there was a coffee table there, which was less convenient due to its lack of height. Now all residents, including those who use wheelchairs, have a comfortable table on which to play games and for arts and crafts projects. Lana likes the beauty of the table and is excited to use it with game volunteers on Sundays and craft times on Mondays.

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation includes:

Cash Donations

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Dick & Linda Livingston

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Ball Corporation – Partial match to gift from Sandy and Sally Bracken
Merrill Lynch – Partial payment for Silver Sponsorship of the Imagine! Celebration

Associate ($500-$750)
Ball Corporation – Match to gift from Gene Shaw

Supporter ($250-$499) 
LPL Financial – Matching Gift

Friend ($1-$249)
Anonymous – Support for Out & About’s Center Stage Program 
Helen Bosley
Karin Johnson – Support for Out & About’s Center Stage Program
MGM & United Artists Services Company – Residuals for Billy Montgomery’s role in Rain Man
Daniel & Sandra Stevens

In-Kind Donations

 In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Snow Goose Companies – Coffee maker, coffee grinder, and service cart
Sterling-Rice Group – Two desks

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.