Thank You Thursday!

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

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
Micro Motion – Gold Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration – to the Charles Family SmartHome

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Greg Wellems

Associate ($500-$999)
Susan LaHoda
Primrose School of Lafayette – Proceeds from Spring Fling Charity Event -- to Dayspring
Jodi Walters

Supporter ($250-$499)
Mark Emery
Erin Fleming
Martha Heimbaugh
Eva Klemens
Elizabeth Reed
Mia Sanchez O'Dell
Caroline Siegfried
Sterling Wind

Friend ($1-$249)
Rick Brown
Helen Calvo
Carol Chesser
Joan Clexton
Sandra Crowell
Susan Gabriel
Fred Hobbs
Kimberly Kane
Maureen Kelly
Patrick Krause
Colette Marie
Rebecca Novinger
Heather Sabo
Gail Scott
Chantelle Tweten

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Platinum ($10,000+)
Bob & Judy Charles & Family -- for the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome and the Charles Family SmartHome

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Lynn and Helen Clark Fund – Grant of $1000 for the Charles Family SmartHome

Associate ($500-$999)
Bank of America Charitable Gift Foundation -- Match to Dennis Fase’s gift as part of Merrill Lynch’s Silver Sponsorship of the Imagine! Celebration

Friend ($1-$249)
Dan and Sandra Stevens

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Donna Donates Her Ponytail To Locks Of Love

This photo and story came to us through an email from Whitney Vaught, one of the staff members at Imagine!'s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder.

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Donna has been thinking of getting her hair cut, and just Monday, she not only got a haircut but had 13 inches of her hair taken off. Pictured is Donna with Whitney, who is holding the ponytail that Whitney cut off.

When asked if she had kept the ponytail as a souvenir, Donna, in a matter of fact tone, told us that she had donated her hair to Locks of Love, a public, non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 21 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. Way to go, Donna!

Just last night Donna told us that she is very happy to have her hair shorter, and that life is just easier with her hair shorter. Donna's husband Gerald assured us he likes her new hair style too.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Friend ($1-$249)
Apple Matching Gift
In Memory of Maureen Kelly (for Dayspring)
  From Lynn Henry

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Dayspring Family Sends Thanks to Therapists

Below you will find some comments made by a parent in a survey for parents who have children served by Imagine!’s Dayspring department. The parent, DeeDee Correll, was so generous with her praise of Imagine! and her Dayspring therapists we asked her if we could share her comments with others, and she agreed. Thanks for the kind words, DeeDee!

One of the things our family likes best about Dayspring is the fact that they do home visits – this cut down on so much driving for us. Phyllis Villar, our Case Manager for Imagine!, was very attentive about matching us with therapists she thought would be a good fit for us. Her choices of Jenny Koslowski for speech (pictured below on the right) and Sara Ostrom (pictured below on the left) for feeding were excellent. I found them both to be professional, knowledgeable, empathetic, and very supportive

So I guess I’d say they were what we liked best, but I also appreciate how responsive Dayspring/Imagine! were in increasing my daughter’s services. I also thought Dayspring did a marvelous job in providing all the extracurricular activities.

My only suggestion as to what Dayspring could do better is to cover my daughter for another few years! Seriously, we have no complaints. It has been an entirely rewarding experience for us.

We are especially satisfied with working with Sara and Jenny – they are top notch. I already miss them. I think they both deserve raises – or at least hazard pay for dealing with me and my kin!

My satisfaction with Dayspring services and providers exceeded my expectations.

Employer Of Imagine! Clients Hosting Open House June 13

In Clover is hosting an Open House on Thursday, June 13, from 11am – 3 pm at 3133 Indian Road in Boulder, and you are invited. Come ready to have fun, learn, and possibly win prizes!

In Clover, a Boulder company that makes pet supplements, has employed members of Imagine!'s CORE/Labor Source work crews for more than six years. In Clover employs crew members to weigh and package the pet supplements, and more recently has hired another crew to do janitorial work. In Clover employs up to 15 individuals who receive services from CORE/Labor Source and has been very supportive of the people we serve and great to work with. Pictured is Donna, a member of one of the In Clover CORE/Labor Source work crews, carefully sealing one of the packages of a pet supplement.

In Clover is dedicated to holding their products to the highest standards and is one of the few companies to receive the bench mark of quality from the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC). All products are made in the USA, and all ingredients are purchased from tested suppliers, and then undergo independent lab tasting to further check the quality.

Innovations Food Drive Collects 282 Pounds of Nonperishable Items

The Imagine! Innovations department's Food Drive is over and it was an outstanding success. The goal that had been set for this food drive was 170 pounds in food and household items, and between the Dixon and Coal Creek Buildings, 282 pounds of nonperishable items were donated. The items were given to Community Food Share, which has been an amazing resource for Innovations for years. Innovations would like to thank everyone who donated items for the food drive and would like to thank everyone for their continued support. The next food drive will be in October and Innovations looks forward to setting the goal even higher. Thank you!

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Bronze ($1,000-$2,500)
John & Susie Hayes

Supporter ($250-$499)
In Memory of Gary Daum
  From Elevations Credit Union

Friend ($1-$249)
David & Susan Boennighausen

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Associate ($500-$999)
Seth & Jennifer McGuire

Supporter ($250-$499)
Amgen Foundation Matching Gift to Bob Edson
Rick & Jackie Nelson through the Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign
Daniel & Sandra Stevens

Friend ($1-$249)
Lisa Curtis
United Way of Tri-County, Inc. on behalf of Robert Kretsch

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Save The Date: CORE/Labor Source Art Show June 21

Please save the date, Friday, June 21, for an Imagine! CORE/Labor Source art show and performance at the Dairy Center for the Arts, located at 2590 Walnut Street in Boulder.

The art opening and reception will begin at 5:00 pm, with refreshments provided by the Dairy Center for the Arts. The performance will begin at 7:00 pm. Admission is free, and donations are accepted.

The art work will be available for purchase, with money from art sales to be distributed between the artist who created the piece and CORE/Labor Source to help pay for more materials and opportunities for learning, growth, expression, and integration. Proceeds from the performance will go to CORE/Labor Source.

Pictured below are: Gerald learning to mix colors with Art Instructor Bridget in preparation to paint a canvas for the art show, Stephanie creating her splatter paint masterpiece, Joey carefully creating his canvas masterpiece for the art show at the Dairy Center, who began laughing and smiling from ear to ear as Erika took his photo, and Lindsey delicately mixing colors with the assistance of Art Instructor Bridget.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Faith Community Lutheran Church – Grant for $2,775 to provide financial assistance in crisis situations affecting Longmont residents with developmental disabilities

Friend ($1-$249)
Apple Matching Gift Program
Bob & Amanda Brown
Vincent Cervantes
David & Darlene Foy
Iva Richter
John & Jodi VanMatre

In-Kind Donations

Friend ($1-$249)
Panera Bread – Discount on box lunches for Imagine! Provider Fair and waived delivery charge

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

CU President’s Leadership Class Students Organize Imagine! Service Dog Visit

On April 16, a service dog in training through Freedom Service Dogs visited Imagine! CORE/Labor Source classes so the Imagine! consumers in the classes could meet the dog, Koopa, and ask questions to the dog’s trainer, Jane, about what a service dog does.

The visit was organized by eleven students in the University of Colorado President’s Leadership Class. As a class project, the students chose to hook up two nonprofits in a way that might be mutually beneficial to both organizations. Only four of the students attended the visit, as they didn’t want to overwhelm the CORE/Labor Source classes, and other students had class conflicts. The four students who attended are: Andrea Arreguin, Alexandria Harding, Jimmy Owsley, and Hannah Steketee.

Thanks to all the students who helped to organize this visit, and thank you to Jane and Freedom Service Dogs for bringing Koopa to visit the CORE/Labor Source classes.

Pictured in the photos below, (top) from the left are Cari (in yellow sweater) with Art Instructor Bridget, Koopa, and his trainer Jane; (bottom) Frank pets Koopa with Jane to the left.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Bronze ($1,000-$2,500)
Maureen Kelly -- for Dayspring

Supporter ($250-$499)
Sandy Gryzmala

Friend ($1-$249)
Brighton Smiles, P.C.
Jeff & Shalee Euston – for Dayspring
In Honor of Sheila Goetz, “who has been such a tremendous help to our son and family” – for Dayspring
  From Scot Davidson
Yu-Chen Lin
Robert & Barbara Mohr
John & Sandy Ross

In-Kind Donations

Associate ($500-$999)
Eugenie Morton – dishwasher, microwave, and stove for Imagine! residential sites

Friend ($1-$249)
Denver Boulder Couriers – Two courier trips
King Soopers-Lafayette -- $25 gift Card for the Imagine! Provider Fair
Target -- $25 Gift Card for the Imagine! Provider Fair
Vitamin Cottage – 50 reusable grocery bags for the Imagine! Provider Fair

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Girl Scouts Make Gift Baskets For Imagine!’s Children’s Foster Care Program

All the children in Imagine!'s Innovations for Children's foster care program had a wonderful surprise this spring thanks to a local Girl Scout troop! The troop completed a community service project that involved all of the girls designing and then making spring time gift baskets for the foster children. The gifts baskets were composed of small gifts and boxes of Girl Scout cookies. The foster children who received the baskets were extremely thankful and excited, and the girl scouts reported that creating the baskets and being able to give to the kids was a great experience!

Pictured below with baskets to take to their foster children are Pema (left, in black) and Tenzing (in white); and Dhargay (left, in gray), and Yangchen (in blue).

Thank You Thursday!

This week’s roundup of recent donors to Imagine! includes:

Cash Donations

Associate ($500-$999)
Michael Zimmerman

Supporter ($250-$499)
Anonymous


Friend ($1-$249)
Ball Corporation – Matching Gift to contribution by David Wilson
Barbara Farmer
Ina Gwin
Ron & Carolyn Hughes
Nancy Jelen – for the SmartHomes Project
In Memory of Maureen Kelly, “my son’s beloved speech language therapist, who was a gentle, supportive, brilliant therapist and a kind person . . .”
  From Elizabeth Lichtenstein
Melanee Krueger
Pat & Kurt Lindeman
Kathryn Lynott
Charles & Romy Purshouse
Dan & Sandra Stevens
James & DeDe Williams

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thanks, Whitney!

Today we’d like to say “thank you” and “good luck” to Whitney Blair, who resigned her position as President of Imagine!’s Board of Directors at last night’s monthly board meeting.

Whitney is leaving to pursue a fantastic job opportunity out of state, and we wish her all the best. But we will miss her greatly. Her passion for Imagine! and the people we serve is inspiring, and her enthusiasm is infectious. Her solid board leadership has kept Imagine! focused on our mission through challenging times, and we are deeply thankful for her commitment and hard work.

Thanks, Whitney, for all you have done for this organization!

Imagine! CEO Mark Emery and Whitney Blair

Thank You, Provider Fair Volunteers

Last week we made a post about Imagine!’s Provider Fair, held April 18. Today, we’d like to offer a special “thank you” to some of the volunteers who helped make the event such a success.

Pictured below from left to right are Lucy Williams from Imagine!, volunteers Alex Glade, Rhonda Hoffman, Vinnie Cervantes, Jennifer Kellond, Emily Crawford, Mike Gaisbauer, and Carla Rapp from Imagine!.

Susan Sahm and Marc Killinger also generously volunteered their time to help out at the Provider Fair, but are not pictured here.

Vinnie, Jennifer, Emily, and Mike are all from The GAP. Vinnie made a very generous donation of $200 to Imagine!, and The GAP matched that donation.

Thanks so much for your support!

Congratulations, David!

David Braddock speaks after being awarded the first ever
ANCOR Foundation President's Award

Congratulations are in order for David L. Braddock, a longtime supporter of Imagine!, for being honored as the recipient of the first ever ANCOR Foundation President's Award. The award recognizes a person whose contributions to the field of disabilities have uniquely led to leading practice and profound innovation. Presentation of the award was made at the 2013 ANCOR Conference: Because We All Matter on April 28, 2013 in Washington, DC.

David Braddock, Ph.D. is the Coleman-Turner Chair and Professor at Colorado University and the Executive Director of the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities, with which ANCOR has been a partner for the past four years. He is the author of the important State of the States in Developmental Disabilities monograph series.

"Without David Braddock, our industry would not be where it is today," said Bill Tapp, president of the ANCOR Foundation. "It is very fitting that he receive this honor for his visionary leadership and tireless work toward ensuring the best policies and supports for people with disabilities."

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Associate ($500-$999)
Blake & Joanna Buhlig

Friend ($1-$249)
Kathy Coyne
Invest in Others On Behalf of Alexis Kahn -- for Out & About
Jeffrey Lynch
John Satkowski
Michael Schwartz & Angela Marlino
Scott & Jeannette Sutton
B.Wray and Kathy Vaughn

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Imagine! Provider Fair A Big Success

More than 111 individuals and 58 providers attended the
2013 Imagine Provider Fair

Last Thursday, April 18, Imagine! hosted a Provider Fair, which proved to be an exciting opportunity to for families and individuals served by Imagine! to connect with providers and to learn about services available to them.

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

• The 111 individuals who attended, comprising 76 families.
• The 58 providers that participated, including six Imagine! internal providers (see lists below).
• The generous providers, individuals, and companies that offered a total of 29 raffle prizes and gifts, which included: 1. An Imagine! client’s artwork, which was the special raffle prize for those who completed exit evaluations. 2. Another special raffle prize for those who signed up early was a $100 Target gift card, partially donated by Target. 3. Both the Colorado Aging and Disability Resource Center, Adult Resources for Care and Help (ARCH) and Vitamin Cottage donated reusable grocery bags. 4. King Soopers donated some of the refreshments. 5. Panera Bakery delivered meals for providers, staff, and volunteers at a discount.
• The five resource groups which participated: Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), Family Link, the Association for Community Living (ACL), the Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services, and the Colorado Community Health Alliance (CCHA) – the Region Six Regional Care Collaborative Organization (RCCO).
• Eight superb volunteers, including four from The GAP, who helped enormously before and during the Provider Fair. We especially want to express our appreciation for the $200.00 check donated to Imagine! at the end of the event by The GAP employee Vinnie Cervantes, and also to The GAP, who have matched his donation.

The Providers present were:

*Abundant Health Chiropractic & Acupuncture LLC
Alliance of Therapy Specialists, Inc.
Amanda Bryant, MT-BC, NMT
Applied Behavior Consultants
*Armstrong Physical Therapy, LLC
Aspire Autism
*At Home Fitness
*Austin Chiropractic Center
Behavior Services of the Rockies
*Boulder Learning Co-op, LLC
*Calming Kids Yoga
Carmel Community Living Corporation
Center for People with Disabilities (CPWD)
City of Boulder Parks & Recreation Department/EXPAND Program
College Living Experience
*Community Advantage
Community Link
Crutcher Physical Therapy, LLC
Cynthia Shiko, OTR, CMT, LLC
David Kalis
Debra B. Fitzgibbons, LSCW
Deep River Healing Arts
Dreamcatcher Direct Instruction Centers
Elizabeth Matthews
*Equinox Counseling and Wellness Center
Flatirons Naturopathic Clinic
*FLO Kneads Inc.
FRIENDS of Broomfield, Inc.
*Front Range Hippotherapy
Goldstar Learning Options
Help-Autism.com
Ignite Adaptive Sports at Eldora Mountain Resort
Jon Garson, LCSW
Kim McMillin, RN, MT-BC, LMFT
LAARC, LLC 
*Laradon
*Laura Antelmi Iyengar Yoga Center of Boulder
Lotus Brain Integration LLC
Melissa Jones, LCSW 
*Miracles Therapeutic Riding Center
*Northern Colorado Speech & Language Therapy, Inc.
Overture (Chestor House)
Pam Vagnieres/Nutriphysique: Nutrition and Exercise Therapy
*Positive Beginnings, LLC
Sample Supports 
*Sensory Learning Institute
*Sheryl Joel, RCMT
Spectra Autism Center 
Spectrum Community Services
Support, Inc.
The Infinite U, LLC
To The Rescue

*Those donating raffle prizes are starred above. Additional prizes provided by Mica Graves Therapeutic Riding (who could not attend) and by Matthew Denman.

Imagine! Internal Providers present were:
Dayspring
Imagine! CORE/Labor Source
Imagine! Behavioral Health Services (IBHS)
Imagine! Family Recruited Employee Services
Out & About
SmartSupports

Additionally, we appreciate all the Imagine! employees (it seemed like a cast of thousands) who so ably assisted us before, durin,g and after the Fair, especially staff from Family Support and Case Management, without whom this event would not have been possible, let alone such a huge success!