Thank You Efree Church Volunteers!

Last week, a youth group from the Evangelical Free Church of Canon City volunteered their time at the Boulder location of Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source (CLS) department, helping us to clean vehicles, pull weeds, as well as interacting with participants in an art class.

Jeff Rodarti, CORE/Labor Source Program Coordinator, told us, “This group of kids was one of the most enthusiastic groups to visit CLS. They were incredibly pumped to help with site and vehicle cleaning, and finished their time here by joining a giant dance party. The participants were stoked to have them.”

Enjoy some pictures of the volunteers below.

Thank You Thursday

Recent generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation include:

Friend ($1-$249) 
Deb and Doug Sandersen
In Memory of Lisa Micklin 
  Rachel Schulman
Lu Walters and Kent Arnold

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 Patti Micklin at pmicklin@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.

This week's Wish List:

• Recreation Center passes or punch cards 
• Games for the Santa Fe Group Home in Broomfield: Trouble, Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Connect 4, Hi Ho Cherry O, Go Fish, Operation, Guess Who, Quirkie, Matching Games, Puzzles of all levels of difficulty 
• A new set of silverware and a new dish set for Garden Place in Longmont 
• Non-fabric couch (6’), loveseat (5’), and chairs for Manhattan Apartments 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 
• Garden supplies and plants for the 19th Street Group Home in Boulder 

Check out the entire Wish List here.

Thanks For The Facebook Votes!

Last week, we asked you to help support Imagine! via Facebook. And wow, did you come through!

Thanks to you, Imagine! has been selected as one of three local organizations that will be receiving Lucky’s Market Boulder’s reusable bag credits from June through September. Thanks to all who voted, and special thanks to Lucky’s for its support of some really impressive organizations doing great things in the community.

We are also excited to announce that CaraSolva is still in the running for a $100,000 small business grant through Chase Small Business’s Mission Main Street Grants program. They needed 250 votes via Facebook to move on to the next round, and thanks to your support, they crushed that number. Since it was first created, Imagine! has been a partner in the development of CaraSolva’s CareSupport software, which automates and simplifies the daily tasks performed by nurses and professional caregivers. If they get this grant it will have a significant impact on the lives of many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

We know we live in a community that supports our work, and our success with these two votes offers two more exciting examples of how that support benefits the people we serve. Thank you!

Thank You Thursday

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

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Associate ($500-$999)
Fred Katter – washer and dryer for Jackson companion model home

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Pedestrian Shops – Chaco shoes
Colorado Rockies – 45 Rockpile tickets to Sept. 21 game for Imagine!’s Out & About 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 Patti Micklin at pmicklin@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.

This week's Wish List:

• Gas Grill for the Santa Fe Group Home in Broomfield 
• 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 
• Picnic table for Manhattan Group Home in Boulder 
• Arts and crafts baskets or gift certificates to Hobby Lobby/Michael’s for the Foothills Group Home in Boulder 
• Winter holiday decorations for the new Next Step Group Home in Broomfield: a very large tree, a star or angel to put on top, many lights, boughs of holly, ornaments, statue types of decorations that can be placed on tables or mantles (no candles or candle holders), a wreath 

Check out the entire Wish List here.

Support Imagine! - Vote On Facebook

This week, there are two ways you can support Imagine! via Facebook, and all you need to do is vote!

Lucky’s Market in Boulder is hosting a Facebook contest for non-profits that make a great impact in our community. From now through June 22nd, people can select their choice by “liking” the non-profits mentioned in the comments in the Facebook post linked below. The top three will receive Lucky Market’s reusable bag credits from June through September, and Imagine! is one of the contenders!

Click here and help us get there by liking Imagine!’s comment! 

And . . .

Since it was first created, Imagine! has been a partner in the development of CaraSolva’s CareSupport software, which automates and simplifies the daily tasks performed by nurses and professional caregivers. CaraSolova is now in the running for a $100,000 small business grant through Chase Small Business’s Mission Main Street Grants program. Please consider supporting CaraSolva’s efforts by voting for them – they only need 250 votes to move to the next round! Simply click below and vote to help CaraSolva and Imagine! continue to move forward with designing software that improves the lives of individuals with disabilities. Voting ends Friday, June 19.

Click here to vote for CaraSolva.

Feel free to share these easy opportunities to support Imagine! with your friends! 

Thank You, UPS

Today, we’d like to send a bunch of thanks to UPS. On Tuesday, UPS sent a team of five volunteers to help with Imagine!’s Dayspring Department’s Messy Play Day. The team arrived early to help set up all of the stations and help Dayspring prepare for the arrival of families later in the morning. Many of the Dayspring staff commented on how helpful and efficient the team of volunteers was. The volunteers helped with the activity from start to finish, and Imagine! is so thankful for their support!

Not sure what Messy Play Day is? Messy Play Day provides a fun and safe sensory experience for children receiving services from Imagine!’s Dayspring department. Messy Play Day is one of Dayspring’s many Community Calendar Activities, designed to introduce families with young children who have developmental delays or disabilities to places in our community that offer great activities and opportunities for children to meet their goals through fun and play.

All activities encourage motor, sensory, social-emotional, cognitive, and speech-language development. Each location has activities that are age and developmentally appropriate. Activities are centered around play, because play is the primary vehicle for a child’s mental and physical growth. Play has a vital role in cognitive, speech-language, physical, emotional and social development.

Much of young children’s learning takes place when they direct their own play. Learning occurs as children touch, manipulate, experiment and talk about things, while interacting with people who facilitate without directing. During play, children are provided with sensory experiences and opportunities to move. Young children need to climb, run, jump and challenge themselves motorically. Children are natural explorers and instinctively touch, taste, hear and observe the world around them.

But enough of the why. Take a look at some of the pictures below to see what an amazing event it truly was!

Thank You Thursday

Recent generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation include:

Associate ($500-$999)
City of Lafayette – grant for Out & About Arts in Community

Friend ($1-$249)
In Honor of Marie Gambon
  BC Interiors
Rick Brown
Carol Chesser
Mark Emery
Susan Gabriel
Jessica Gaylord
Ken Hackbarth
Martha Heimbaugh
Fred Hobbs
IBM
Victoria Johnson
Eva Klemens
Patrick Krause
Stephanie MacAlpine
Colette Marie
Megan Mehm
Rebecca Novinger
Heather Sabo
Mia Sanchez-O’Dell
Gail Scott
Caroline Siegfried
Chantelle Tweten-Crumbliss
Jodi Walters
Greg Wellems
Sterling Wind

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 Patti Micklin at pmicklin@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.

This week's Wish List:

• Recliners (electric or manual) for 19th Street Group Home 
• Basketball goal for Manhattan 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, at and the Foothills Group Home and the Manhattan Group Home in Boulder 
• Two camping lanterns for Out & About Catalog evening activities 

Check out the entire Wish List here.

New Vans For Imagine!

Imagine! has taken delivery of the first of seven new 2015 Ford Transit Mobility Vans this month. One van was funded 80% with a grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation, and will be primarily located at Imagine!’s Santa Fe Group Home. The others will be used by Imagine!’s Out & About and CORE/Labor Source departments.

Imagine! is the first company in Colorado to take possession of these new accessible vans that ride on the Ford Transit platform. This new design includes a larger interior for up to 15 passengers, a fully configurable interior smart floor that allows for unlimited seat and wheelchair positioning, and 40% better fuel economy than a conventional van. All vans include rear-mounted power wheelchair lifts, multiple wheelchairs positioning, and a rear back-up camera to improve safety.

Thank You Thursday

Recent generous donors to the Imagine! Foundation include:

Associate ($500-$999)
FirstGiving – Indiegogo Crowdfunding for Out & About
Hunter Douglas

Friend ($1-$249) 
Lu Walters and Kent Arnold
Amy Callahan
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 Patti Micklin at pmicklin@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.

This week's Wish List:

• For Garden Place in Longmont: new computer game; make up/cosmetics (perfume, foundation -light beige), eye shadow (taupe, browns), mascara, lipstick (any color); special soaps; books (any type, but books about animals appreciated); country music CDs; latch hook kits; romance novels; Jigsaw puzzles; sports gear (especially NY Yankees); sport posters; small book shelves; used/new area rug – around 4’ X 3’.; several cushioned chairs for the “Book Nook” area 
• Backpacks, toys, and birthday/holiday presents for children with developmental disabilities in foster care 
• iPads (many departments use these for clients ); heavy duty iPad covers 
•  Gift Cards to educational stores: www.beyondtheblackboard.com; www.lakeshorelearning.com; www.reallygoodstuff.com; www.educatorsoutlet.com; www.banksschoolsupply.com 
•  DVD Player for Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome 
•  Futon frame and mattress for 19th Street Group Home 

Check out the entire Wish List here.

Welcome New Board Members

Today we’d like to introduce the newest members of the Board of Directors for the Imagine! Foundation. They will officially join the Board next Tuesday at the Foundation’s Annual Meeting. We couldn’t be more excited to have these talented and passionate folks join us in supporting Imagine!'s mission through fundraising and education efforts.

Gale Boonstra 

Gale is a retired financial professional and volunteer advocate for people with disabilities. She lives in Erie. 

Sandy Brown  

Sandy owns Whimsy Farm, a small, organic pick-your-own-fruit farm in Boulder. He has an extensive background in the field of human services and as a community organizer. 

Patrick Daly 

Patrick Daly is a Vice-President with ANB Bank in Boulder. He and his family live in Erie. 

Chris Mabbit 

Chris is a Boulder native and has owned BC Interiors, Boulder’s largest office furniture dealer, for 20 years. He lives in Louisville. 

Justin McClure 

 Justin is co-founder and partner with RMCS, LLC, a real estate development company focused on legacy projects throughout the Front Range. He lives in Louisville. 

Jana Peterson 

Jana resides in Lafayette and is Boulder County’s Administrative Services Director. 

We are also excited to announce the new slate of officers for the Fiscal Year 2015-2016:

President – Charles Holmes 

Vice-President – Don Brown 

Secretary – Beverly Shaw 

Strategic Planning and Nominating Committee Chair – Charles Holmes 

Finance Chair – Sandy Brown 

Marketing Chair – Priscilla Lacy 

Imagine! Celebration Chair – Katie Hawkins