Thank You Thursday

We missed last week’s update (and changed the title [and day] of this weekly post from “Wednesday Thanks” to “Thank You Thursday” – it rolls off the tongue much better, don’t you think?). So without any further delay, here’s the round-up of the donations we’ve received in the past two weeks:

• $10,000 from the Safeway Foundation

• $1,686.36 for a quarterly payment from those who designated Imagine! during the 2010 Combined Federal Campaign

• A check from the Screen Actors Guild representing several payments owed to the late Billy Montgomery (an Imagine! client who passed away in 2009, his brother is Imagine! Foundation board Jay Montgomery) for his role in the movie “Rain Man” (whenever it airs, he receives a check). Jay recently designated that all future checks be sent directly to the Foundation. Thanks so much, Jay.

• A check representing contributions through IBM payroll deduction

• A total of $405 from donations sent in by people who did not attend last Sunday’s Mary Williams Fine Arts Quick Draw event but who sent checks in support of Imagine!

As always, thanks to all of our generous supporters!

Thank You To Our Retiring Board Members, Outgoing President

Last month, we mentioned in this blog that the new fiscal year brought about some changes to the Imagine! Foundation Board of Directors.

Today, we’d like to say thanks once again to two board members who retired from the board after each completing six exemplary years of service.

Dennis Paul



Dennis Paul was a great asset to the board, serving on various committees, generously supporting the Imagine! Celebration Dinner and Auction through personal table purchases, Elevations Credit Union table purchases, getting auction items, and providing for the very popular live auction “Rowdy Round-Up” cattle drive and Steamboat Springs auction item. Dennis also brought in sponsorships from Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center and tables from EKS&H and Roche Colorado Corporation. Many thanks, Dennis, for all you have done, and continue to do, for Imagine!.

 



Eric Wallace

Eric Wallace was another great asset to the board, and his liquid assets were especially popular! Eric’s Left Hand Brewing Company has provided beer for every Imagine! Celebration and every Foundation event since he’s been on the board. He has also been responsible in securing several Longmont auction items every year, hosting a mini-fundraiser at Left Hand Brewing last fall, and, most significantly, employing Imagine! clients as part of his packaging operation at Left Hand Brewing. Thanks Eric, for the profound impact you have had on Imagine! and the individuals we serve.



Leona Stoecker



Finally, we’d also like to thank Leona Stoecker for serving as Imagine! Foundation President for the past two years. Leona wasn’t just a figurehead, she lived and breathed the position! Leona has spoken to numerous service clubs and groups about Imagine! and has taken people on tours of the Charles Family SmartHome. She keeps the trunk of her car loaded with SmartHome packets, tri-fold informational business cards, Celebration invitations, etc. so that she is always ready to share information about Imagine!. Leona has offered her “Year of Home Baked Bread” for the Celebration’s live auction the last two years. Leona has done a myriad of things to put Imagine! on people’s minds in Longmont and has been an outstanding leader for the Foundation. She exemplifies to the highest degree what we mean by “passion” for Imagine!, and we cannot thank her enough.





Imagine! Volunteers Make A Big Difference

Imagine! is a community-based organization. We were founded by members of our community, we often provide services in the community (as opposed to segregated settings), and we are supported by the community.

That community support is clearly illustrated by the many people who volunteer to help Imagine! meet its mission to provide tools and supports for individuals with developmental and related disabilities so they may live fulfilling lives in their homes and communities.

Imagine! volunteers assist our organization in many ways. For example, in the fiscal year 2010-2011, Imagine! used volunteers for:

Enhancing Services

During FY2011, 44 volunteers spent 4,617 hours working directly with individuals Imagine! serves. Overall, 88 individuals served in these and other non-direct service roles for a total of 5,687 volunteer hours. That is a 19.8% increase in volunteer hours from the previous year!

Committees and Councils

Five volunteers serve on Imagine!’s Human Rights Committee, which safeguards the rights of individuals receiving services by reviewing all investigations of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Twelve serve on the Family Support Council, which provides parent perspective to Imagine!’s leadership and outreach to other parents. Ten volunteers help to orchestrate the Imagine! Celebration Dinner and Auction, the Imagine! Foundation’s annual fundraising event.

Governance

Imagine! is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of 13 individuals who serve terms of four years with one option to renew. The Board meets monthly and provides both oversight and direction to the organization, guiding its service delivery, financial management, and long-term planning. Four committees (Services, Finance, Executive, and Board Recruitment) meet on a regular basis to provide leadership in specific areas.

The Imagine! Foundation has its own Board of Directors, composed of 22 individuals who serve a term of three years with the option to renew for one term. Their tasks include leading local fundraising efforts and networking on behalf of the organization.

During FY2011, members of these two Boards contributed a total of 1,507 hours of their time to the organization. In addition, 100% of members of both Boards contribute financially to Imagine!.

Many thanks to all of our volunteers – they make a big difference in our ability to serve some of our community’s most vulnerable citizens.

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

Imagine! and The Hungry Toad – Celebrating 20 Years Together

Since 1984, Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department has assisted people who have cognitive disabilities in finding gainful employment through supported employment services. Supported employment offers people who have a disability the opportunity to develop vital job skills and become active participants in their communities.

The benefits extend far beyond helping our clients, however. Businesses using our services are able to reduce recruitment and training expenses as they benefit from a diversified employee pool. Partnering with CORE/Labor Source is a “win-win” situation that is beneficial all around.

One business that embraced this mutually beneficial relationship early on was The Hungry Toad Pub and Restaurant in Boulder. This year marks the 20th anniversary of a CORE/Labor Source crew working there. Hungry Toad owner Terry Morton (pictured on the right with Imagine! consumer Tim Gray) has been a great advocate of our supported employment program and the people we serve.

When asked why he thinks the long term relationship has been so successful, Terry replied, “The crew is reliable and they do good work. That’s it in a nutshell.”

Thanks Terry and The Hungry Toad. We wish you continued success!

Wednesday Thanks!

Here’s this week’s roundup of donations in support of Imagine!’s mission:

•A donation from TRJ Financial, which was contributed as part of the April World Financial Group event to benefit Imagine!’s SmartHomes.

• A donation from David and Anne Hanson (customers of Mary Williams Fine Arts) who will not attending the July 24 Mary Williams Fine Arts Quick Draw event to support Imagine!, but still wanted to contribute.

• An in-kind gift of flower, vegetable, and fruit plants from The Flower Bin for CORE/Labor Source’s gardening class. Flower Bin also employes Imagine! clients. Thank them when you're there!

• An in-kind gift from John Haertling of HaertlingAwards.com for a more than 50% reduction on 15 board member plaques.

Thank you to all of our generous donors!

Mary Williams Fine Arts “Quick Draw” Event Supports Imagine!

Imagine! is delighted to have been chosen as the non-profit beneficiary of the upcoming Mary Williams Fine Arts “Quick Draw” event on July 24 on the grounds of a beautiful private estate in northwest Longmont.

During the afternoon approximately 40 of the Rocky Mountain Region’s most prominent painters will be challenged to create an original piece of artwork within a 90-minute period. At the end of the 90 minutes, the paintings will be auctioned off in a silent auction in an on-site gallery. Additional paintings from each of the artists will be available for purchase in the silent auction. Twenty percent of the sales of both the “Quick Draws” and the other artwork will go to Imagine!. In addition, Mary Williams Fine Arts will donate two framed reproduction “antique” posters, with all proceeds from the sales going to Imagine!.

Several community members have already stepped up to make donations to the event. Dave Query and the West End Tavern will donate all of the food and catering, Liquor Mart and Vine One will donate the wine, and Left Hand Brewing Company will donate the beer. Save-the-Date cards are being donated by Forrest Fleming at Instant Imprints in Longmont, and Sturtz and Copeland will provide flowers. Kristi Bartleson Stahli, a harpist from the University of Colorado School of Music, will complete the festivities. For more information, contact Mary Williams at 303-938-1588.

Want to get a sense of how cool this event this is? Check out the video below.



Many thanks to Mary Williams Fine Arts for their generous support of Imagine!’s mission.

Wednesday Thanks!

We started the new fiscal year off with a bang! Here’s a roundup of this week’s donations to the Imagine! Foundation:

Donations this week included:

• A grant of $2,000 from the Herbert Parker Trust at Wells Fargo for Dayspring’s Community Calendar Activities program (up from $1,000 last year!)

• $673 from the Tetra Tech Walk/Run to benefit Imagine! (thanks to Foundation Board member Julie Vlier for setting this up – check out this link for photos and more!)

• A payment from Mile High United Way (we received $68.63 total in FY 2011 from those who designated Imagine! through a United Way campaign at work.)

As always, thank you to all of our generous donors.

Thanks To Our Grant Donors

Imagine! is pleased to have received grants in FY 2011 of $10,000 or more from the Amgen Foundation, the Daniels Fund, the Safeway Foundation, the Western Digital Foundation, and several family foundations.

These grants have been used for our two SmartHomes, other 24-hour-care housing, Family Support Grants, general operating, a new Assistive Technology Lab, and Imagine!’s Out & About Summer Camp.

We are very grateful for the support of our generous community!