Gerald Meets The Gov!

In June, the Boulder Chamber of Commerce hosted a “Hoppy” Hour with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper at Twisted Pine Brewery. This exclusive Boulder Chamber event featured an opportunity for top-tier business leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and local elected leaders to interact with the Governor, who is also a brewing entrepreneur. Imagine! SmartHome resident Gerald, who has worked at Twisted Pine for several years, spent a little quality time with the Governor during the event. Way to go, G.!

Thanks to Ryan Trupp Photography for sharing the photo.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Platinum ($10,000+)
Boulder County – $49,000 Worthy Cause Grant for Flood Relief

Supporter ($250-$499)
Michael Zimmerman

Friend ($1-$249)
Anonymous
Kent Arnold
Betty Barratt
Kathy Coyne
Patricia Dance
Dolores Esposito
Jason & Katie Goldsberry
Ken Hackbarth
Thomas & Janice Hartleb
Edward & Elena Merchant
In Honor of Emily Micklin
  From David & Patti Micklin
Athena Mills
Jacob & Sharon Pomerantz

In-Kind Donations

Friend ($1-$249)
Jon Hopper – Two printers
Jeff Kupfer – Various electronics

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:

• New dining room set that will serve eight for the Foothills Group Home in Boulder 
• Essential Tremor adaptive utensils, clothing, computer aids, writing devices, etc. for individuals with hand tremors at the Foothills Group Home in Boulder (http://essentialtremor.org/treatments/assistive-devices/) 
• New carpet for two bedrooms at Garden Place in Longmont 
• New barrier free lifts for moving individuals from wheelchair to bed or bath (being safer for clients and for staff) at the 19th Street Group Home in Boulder (we received a $200 donation towards these $3,000 units!) 
• American Furniture Warehouse gift certificates for upgrades in furniture at Garden Place in Longmont and at Foothills Group Home in Boulder

Join Imagine! At Millennium Harvest House Reggae Fest July 5

Imagine! will be the featured non-profit at the Millennium Harvest House’s Boulder Summer Reggae Festival July 5. We will be auctioning off items to help support Imagine!’s programs designed to provide community opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Details are below (you can click on the image to make it larger). Hope to see you there!

Imagine! Volunteer Is 7Everday Hero

Ingrid Winter, who has been bringing her therapy dog Raven to Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder every week for the past two years, was selected as a 7Everyday Hero by Denver’s 7 News because of her work at the home.

If you missed her segment, you can watch it here. 

It’s pretty awesome!

Pictured below, from left to right, are Rebecca, who lives at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, Raven, and Ingrid.

Next Step Group Home Construction Is Complete!

Construction on Imagine!’s Next Step Group Home in Broomfield is complete! Check out the photos below – what a beautiful home!

Residents are scheduled to begin moving in early to mid-July.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

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

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Lynn and Helen Clark Fund/Guaranty Bank and Trust Company -- $2000 grant for Case Management’s Emergency Fund (will be used for Longmont families)

In-Kind Donations

Friend ($1-$249)
Donna George – Stuffed animals, books with tapes, art supplies, growth chart, miscellaneous toys. Comment from Donna: “My daughter did speech therapy through Imagine! when she was younger. She is happy to donate items to your organization, as Imagine! was very helpful to her.” 

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:

• 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 19th Street Group Home in Boulder 
• Tickets to fun events so groups and staff can attend

Shop For Dad, Support Imagine! At The Same Time

 

You can support Imagine! when 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 Developmental Disabilities Center).

To honor Father’s Day, shop at AmazonSmile through Sunday, June 15 and Amazon will donate an extra $5 to Imagine!.

Click here to get started. 

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
John & Susie Hayes
Stan Black Fund of the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County in Honor of Leona Stoecker 

Friend ($1-$249)
In Memory of Michael Raines 
  From Marian Weitzel
The West End Tavern

In-Kind Donations

Associate ($500-$999)
Denver Boulder Couriers – Four courier trips
Jeff Kupfer – Couch, coffee table, two end tables, computer desk, book shelf, and office chair for Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department 

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:

• 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 19th Street Group Home in Boulder 
• Tickets to fun events so groups and staff can attend

Congratulations, Nikola!

Today we’d like to offer our congratulations to Nikola Yager, an Imagine! volunteer who was honored with the Boulder Chamber of Commerce’s “Emerging Young Leader” Award during the “Women Who Light The Community” Ceremony last Thursday. In addition to her work with Imagine!, Nikola has volunteered with Youth Global Leadership, the Conference on World Affairs, PeaceJam, Boulder-Nablus Sister City Project, the Boulder International Film Festival, Amigos de los Americas, Barrio E’, and Boulder High Body Positive.

Wow!!! No wonder she was selected for this prestigious award.

Well done, Nikola! Thanks for all you do for your community.

Congratulations Leona!

Congratulations are in order for Leona Stoecker, a great friend of Imagine!, for being awarded the Stan Black Award by the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County. The Stan Black Award is named for one of the founders of The Community Foundation. Stan is retired now, but continues to be an active participant in a number of causes, both in the Boulder area and overseas. The Community Foundation presents this award annually with the sponsorship of the law firm of Hutchinson, Black & Cook and the additional support individual donors. The award is intended to honor an individual who, like Stan Black, has given a lifetime of "time, treasure and talent" to the community.

That is certainly true of Leona, who is one of Imagine!’s greatest ambassadors. The award included a check for $1,000 for the organization of Leona’s choice, and we’re honored she chose Imagine! as the recipient. Leona, you are indeed a treasure for Imagine! and our community!

Here are some pictures from the awards ceremony.

Jim Carpenter, from the law firm Hutchinson, Black, and Cook, reads some highlights from Leona's nomination

Jim shakes hands with Leona

Leona thanks the crowd (and promotes Imagine!, of course!)

Leona and Jim pose with the award

Leona and Imagine! Foundation Executive Director Susan LaHoda

Young AmeriTowne Supports Imagine!

In the photo above, Imagine!’s PR Director Fred Hobbs receives a check for $747.56 for Imagine! from the “Mayor” of Young AmeriTowne. Young AmeriTowne is an award-winning educational program offered to 4th and 5th grade teachers in Colorado to help teach students about business, economics and free enterprise in a fun and hands-on way. The students donated some of their hard earned AmeriTowne dollars to a variety of local organizations, including Imagine!. The Community First Foundation then matched those donations at ten cents per every AmeriTowne dollar! So cool, so much fun, and so appreciated!

Thank You Thursday!

Recent generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation include:

Cash Donations

Gold ($5,000-$9,999) 
J. M. McDonald Foundation Inc. – $5,000 grant for the Next Step Group Home

Friend ($1-$249)
Elise Cranny
In Memory of Michael Raines 
  From Sandi Collie
Thelma Whitaker

In-Kind Donations

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Teresa Ritter – Stove, dishwasher, and microwave for residential settings

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:

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

Thank You, J.M. McDonald Foundation, Inc.

Today we’d like to thank the J. M. McDonald Foundation, Inc. for providing a $5,000 grant for Imagine!’s Next Step Group Home in Broomfield.

The J.M. McDonald Foundation, Inc. was created in 1952 by Mr. J. M. McDonald. Over the past 60 years, Trustees of the Foundation have sought to uphold J. M.'s desire to improve education and social programs.

This is the fourth grant the J. M. McDonald Foundation, Inc. has provided to Imagine!. Previously, they have provided grants for both of Imagine!’s SmartHomes as well as our Assistive Technology Lab. The total of the J. M. McDonald Foundation Inc.’s grants to Imagine! is $20,000!

We are so appreciative of their support of Imagine! and of individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Next Step Group Home Construction Update

Here are the latest construction photos from Imagine!’s Next Step Group Home in Broomfield. Construction is scheduled to be complete on Monday, June 16!

Finishing touches being completed to the exterior – wood is stained, pop-outs have their final coat of paint… next comes landscaping!

Interior shots of bathrooms and hallways… tile work is nearly completed, sconces are installed.

Storage closets are looking good.

Living room & kitchen are looking good with accent colors, casework and granite counter tops.

Exterior doors are in and the work counter in the staff office is installed.

Med station is in, as are the high efficiency gas furnaces.