Next Step Group Home Construction Update

Here’s some construction photos (more foundation work) from last week at the future site of Imagine!’s Next Step Group Home in Broomfield.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations 

Platinum ($10,000+)
Bob & Judy Charles – For Bob & Judy Charles SmartHome
McElwain Family Foundation – Platinum Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
Centennial Bank – Gold Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration
Colorado Business Bank -- Gold Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration
Louise Dudley (Will be used for Flood Relief)
Robert Dudley (Will be used for Flood Relief)
Betty Eldridge – Gold Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration
Land Title Guarantee Company -- Gold Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Robert W. Baird and Co., Inc. – Table at the Imagine! Celebration
Crestone Capital Advisors LLC – Table at the Imagine! Celebration
Pete & Gayla Lindquist
Northrop Grumman – Grant of $1,000 for Family Support Grants
Michaela Phillips
Chuck Sisk & Terre Rushton – Table at the Imagine! Celebration
Danny Souders – Flood Relief
Western Disposal – Table at the Imagine! Celebration

Supporter ($250-$499)
Kent Arnold
David Millhiser
Zolo Grill Thanksgiving Day Donations ($428)

Friend ($1-$249)
Angelo & Ann Bindi
Hal, Sherry, & Annie Bruff
Joel & Linda Champion
George Cope
Ken Hackbarth
Dan & Judy Hersh
Joy Linfield
Tom & Debbie Lockwood
Gerry & Pat McNutt
Tom & Pat Metz
Shirley Morck
Robin Nissen
Steve Turley
Bill & Rosalie Vorlage

In-Kind Donations 

In-Kind Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
George & Kristin Karakehian – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One week at Cape Cod five- bedroom home

 In-Kind Bronze ($1,000-$2,500)
Sandy & Sally Bracken – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Farm Table Dinner for 12
John Kirk – Refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, and microwave for Imagine! residences

In-Kind Associate ($500-$999)
Jessica Johnson – Microwave, dishwasher, and stove for Imagine! residences

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Catie Bodin -- Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Silver, onyx, and crystal necklace & earrings
Boulder Country Club – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One round of golf for 4 players w/carts
Omni Interlocken Resort – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One night stay with breakfast and 18 holes of golf for two people

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Ron & Janan Alford – Holiday Gifts for Imagine! families
The Animal Hospital – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Annual canine exam, heartworm testing, & vaccinations
Mary Balzer – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Award winning handwoven vessel with glass swirl
Whitney Blair – Holiday Gifts for Imagine! families
Buffalo Lock & Key – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: American Security Pistol Box Safe
Court Street Antiques & Gifts, Ltd. – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Turquoise beaded bracelet and arm candy purse
eTown – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two Tickets to an eTown Hall event
The Little Jewel – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Sterling silver necklace
Lodge Casino – Black Hawk – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One night stay plus $50 towards dinner
Longmont Kiwanis Club – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Wooden toy train, helicopter, jeep, & biplane
Pedestrian Corporation – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Pair of Dansko professional clogs
Snooze – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $25 Gift Card
Leona Stoecker – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: A year of homemade baked bread
Rick Uhlir – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Series of four golf lessons at Indian Peaks Golf Course
Wonderbound – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two tickets to “Love”

As always, we thank all of our generous donors. 

Colorado Gives Day Brings In More Than $17K For Imagine!

Yesterday’s Colorado Gives Day proved to be another successful one for the Imagine! Foundation. We raised $17,425 from 91 donors! Now, admittedly, the amount is less than we brought in last year, but last year’s total included an anonymous donation of $25,000 for our Next Step Group Home in Broomfield, and we weren’t expecting a repeat of that.

So we were pleased not only with the total amount, but also in the number of donors! The total of 91 donors was a substantial increase over last year’s number of 74 donors, proving that this annual event continues to attract more and more generous citizens in Colorado and elsewhere.

Thank you to all who participated, not only those who donated to Imagine!, but to the many other great and vital organizations who also took part in this day of giving. In all, Colorado Gives Day brought in nearly 88,000 donations to 1,442 nonprofit organizations totaling a record-setting amount of more than $20 million, surpassing the $15.4 million raised in 2012.

Today Is Colorado Gives Day!

Colorado Gives Day is today, and we encourage you to participate! Donations made online at www.coloradogives.org/Imagine today will be eligible for partial matching funds. Donating through Colorado Gives eliminates all processing fees for Imagine! for donations totaling up to $50,000 per year.

Colorado Gives Day was a great success last year. Our total was $44,125 from 74 donors, and included $867.28 in partial matching funds from the FirstBank Incentive Fund. This total was nearly four times the amount raised in 2011, thanks in great part to the donation of $25,000 from an anonymous donor for the new Next Step Group Home in Broomfield.

If you are thinking about making a gift to Imagine! before the end of the calendar year, please consider doing it online today. Whether you go through our website (www.imaginecolorado.org) or directly to Colorado Gives, you will end up at the same place. You may also designate a particular Imagine! program in the “Any comments or special instructions” box if you would like. The only gifts that are ineligible are donations for which you receive something in return, such as tickets or sponsorships of our Imagine! Celebration. 

Thank you!

There's Still Time To Help Brighten The Holidays For Imagine! Families In Need

Imagine!’s 2013 Gift Giving Drive is in full swing. Last holiday season, more than 500 Imagine! clients were served through the Gift Giving Drive with the generosity of community support. We had a significant increase of families seeking support this year and all donations will help us reach our clients who are most in need this season. There will be donation drop off boxes at Imagine!’s Coal Creek and Dixon office buildings, or a pick up can be arranged for group donations!

Due to an incredible need within the Imagine! community this year, we will be extending the dates for collecting gift donations through next Monday, December 16th. As many of you know, we have experienced a (major) increase in the number of families seeking support this year and many of our community donors have been able to donate fewer resources this year as well.

Our goal is to support the 500+ individuals on the list and we need your help more than ever!

For questions please contact - Elizabeth Hill- ehill@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6460.

Gift ideas include:

For Children ages 0-18

Educational Toys (Spanish or English)

Dolls and Accessories

Board Games Books (Spanish or English)

Craft Sets

Ball Set or Nerf Set

Car or Truck Sets

Remote Control Car

CD Player w/ Headphones

Legos

Art Supplies

Clothing Items: Hats, Scarves, Mittens, Gloves Gift Cards

 

For Adults

DVDs

CDs

Art and Craft Supplies

Body Lotion/Bath Sets

Hats, Scarves, Mittens, Gloves

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
David & Roberta Levin
Mark Zentner – ½ Gold Sponsorship of Imagine! Celebration to be matched by Motorola Solutions Foundation

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Robert Bauers
In Honor of Luke Goresline
  From Paul Diede
Qualcomm Foundation – Matching Gifts
Bernie & Leona Stoecker – Table at the Imagine! Celebration

Friend ($1-$249)
Judi Halbert
Jill Hobson
Art & Maria Richmond

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Isle Casino Hotel Black Hawk – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: One Night Stay in a Mini-Suite with $100 Certificate for Dinner at Farraddays Steakhouse

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Bolder Boulder – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two Race Certificates for the 2014 Bolder Boulder
The Boulder Cork – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Gift Certificate for $75
Boulder Cycle Sport – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: A Bicycle Tune-Up
Carlson & Carlson Sprinklers, LLC – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Sprinkler Spring Start Up & Fall Blow Out
Children’s Museum of Denver – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Four $1 Gets You In Passes
Colorado Music Festival – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two Level One Tickets
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Family Dinner Certificate
History Colorado – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two Family 4-Packs of Free Admission, plus Commemorative Book and Issue of Newsmagazine
Iris Nails, LLC – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Regular Manicure and Regular Pedicure
Jesters Theatre – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Dinner & Show for 2
Opera Colorado – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two Tickets to Verdi’s Rigoletto
The Puddle Car Wash – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Punch Card for 10 Water Works Car Washes
Pump House Brewery – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $25 Gift Certificate
The Rib House – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: Two 3-Piece Gift Boxes
Tortugas – A Fish House – Imagine! Celebration Auction Item: $25 Gift Certificate

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Next Step Group Home Construction Update

Here’s an update on the construction of Imagine!’s Next Step Group Home.

Yesterday and early today, forms were set to pour the foundation walls. Late-morning today the concrete was poured, and the concrete work for walls was wrapped up mid-afternoon. Once the foundation walls were poured, the site was covered with thermal blankets due to the extreme cold forecasted to arrive. The thermal blankets will be in place for two to three days to allow the concrete walls to set and dry in the forms. Once the forms are dry, they will be removed, and the next steps will be for rough-in plumbing in the basement, setting the rebar for the basement slab, and, following a bunch on inspection, framing will begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Very Zolo Thanksgiving

The 10th Annual Zolo Southwestern Grill free Thanksgiving for Imagine! families served approximately 350 meals in three seatings. All food was donated, and the servers, chefs, and kitchen staff from the various Big Red F Restaurants all volunteered their time. Big Red F owner Dave Query was there with his whole family working in the kitchen (pictured below). SmartHomes architect Peter Heinz and his wife Arlene also took orders, bussed tables, and scraped plates as they do most every year. While servers did not accept tips, guests were offered the opportunity to donate to an Imagine’s fishbowl, and $428 was collected to benefit those we serve. Many thanks to Dave Query and Big Red F for making this wonderful occasion possible for Imagine! families.

The Query family.

 

The McNutt family.

 

The Luxner family

Zolo Grill, Dave Query Making Thanksgiving Special For Imagine! Clients

Dave Query is once again treating Imagine! clients and their families to a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day. This year’s event will again be at Zolo Southwestern Grill.

Dave is the owner of Big Red F Restaurant Group, including restaurants Centro Latin Kitchen, Bitter Bar, Jax Fish House – Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, and Glendale, LoLa Coastal Mexican, Post Brewing Company, West End Tavern, and Zolo Grill.

Query is donating the makings for a delicious Zolo-style repast with all the trimmings, and the wait staff is volunteering its time. There is no charge for the meal, and no tips are necessary.

This is the 10th year Dave and the good folks at Zolo have hosted this dinner, and it is immensely popular. There will be three seatings this year, and in all, 360 people will enjoy a fantastic meal thanks to Dave.

Thank you, Dave and Zolo Grill, for giving so many a happy Thanksgiving!

Next Step Group Home Construction Update

Construction on Imagine!’s Next Step Group Home is moving forward quickly! Here’s a few photos of structural concrete being poured late yesterday.

The Next Step Group Home will serve as a home base for meeting the multiple and varied needs of six low-income seniors with developmental disabilities. This specialized care will allow the clients to live in a neighborhood setting while avoiding the more costly nursing home alternative. Construction is scheduled to be completed in late Spring 2014.

The Bob Charles Story

Editor’s note – the story posted below originally appeared on Imagine! CEO Mark Emery’s blog as part of Imagine!’s ongoing “50 Years, 50 Stories” series. Since Bob Charles founded the Imagine! Foundation and continues to play a key role in its efforts, we thought we’d share his story with you today.

We’ve had many great stories in this series so far, but we’ve also realized that there are some people who have stories that should be told, but probably won’t share them on their own because they are too humble.

So Susan LaHoda, Executive Director of the Imagine! Foundation, has taken it upon herself to write up a couple of stories of folks who have stories that simply cannot be ignored. In that spirit, please enjoy the story below about Bob Charles, the Founder of the Imagine! Foundation and truly one of Imagine!’s most generous supporters.

"We" Was "Me"

By Susan LaHoda

 

This newspaper article from the 1960s demonstrates that Bob Charles has been dedicated to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities for quite some time.

 

In his typical dry-humored way, Bob Charles likes to tell the story of how the Imagine! Foundation got started in 2000. He says that John Taylor “cornered” him and told him that we were going to create a foundation to raise funds to offset governmental cutbacks and help address some very pressing needs of people with developmental disabilities in our community. Bob says, “I looked around the room and realized that the ‘we” was ‘me’!”

When asked to take the leadership role in establishing the Foundation, Bob was technically “retired” from owning and operating 13 McDonald’s Restaurants in the area, although he was still very active as a volunteer on several non-profit and educational boards and committees. But Bob says, “My heart had already been softened to the idea of helping individuals with developmental disabilities because I had hired several for my restaurants, and I was intrigued with how well they worked.” So he agreed to launch the Imagine! Foundation and, because of the enormous respect he commands in the community, was able to put together a highly qualified and influential board of directors who joined primarily because they had tremendous admiration for Bob and his reputation for generosity, honesty, and commitment. Bob served for three years as the Foundation’s president, guiding and encouraging the fledgling organization all along the way. During that time, the Foundation was able to raise funds for the purchasing and paying down a significant part of the mortgages on five staffed homes for Imagine! clients.

It wasn’t long before Imagine! asked the Foundation if it would help raise funds for two SmartHomes that would serve as laboratories for testing technology to promote client self-sufficiency and improve staff efficiency. At this point, Bob was far past the two three-year terms of service offered in the Imagine! Foundation’s by-laws and was given Emeritus status, but remained as active as ever. He spearheaded the capital campaigns for the two SmartHomes, but, more than that, he and his wife Judy provided the naming gift for the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder, and he and his family, including sons Bob, Jr. and Dale and daughter Janice, provided the naming gift for the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont. Bob is very involved in the SmartHomes and keeps up with the technologies that are being tested there and the progress of individual residents (even offering challenges to some to learn new skills!).

Though Bob has now served 13 years as a volunteer on the Foundation board, he doesn’t talk about leaving. He says, “Why would I walk away? I’m still very interested in the program and am as excited as I was at the beginning. You almost feel that you would be walking away from the people you are helping.” Bob is quick to give praise to the Imagine! staff, too. He says, “The successes of our clients are a credit to the Imagine! folks who work with them. The staff at Imagine! is incredibly capable. I see the impact Imagine! is having on people’s lives, and I get great satisfaction in seeing how effective it has been.”

Always humble, Bob says, “I think the biggest surprise to me over the past 13 years is how big the Foundation has gotten. I had no expectations. I was actually a little intimidated! I thought maybe we could find four to five people to help us try to raise some money. Who would have dreamt that ‘some money’ would be several million dollars?” (The Foundation has raised more than $5.5 million to date.). But it isn’t the dollars that matter most to Bob. He says, “My hope is that we continue to do well, impact more people, and keep improving people’s lives.”

There is no real way to adequately express our appreciation, Bob, for the difference you have made in the lives of those we serve. On behalf of all of the Imagine! community, we extend our deepest thanks.

“50 Stories, 50 Years” bonus video – Bob Charles speaks at the grand opening of the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont, discussing the origins of the Imagine! Foundation and why the work Imagine! does is so important.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

“50 Stories, 50 Years” bonus video #2 – a video honoring Bob and Judy Charles as Imagine!’s 2008 Donors of the Year.

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Help Brighten The Holidays For Adults And Children With Disabilities

Imagine!’s 2013 Gift Giving Drive begins Monday, November 18. Last holiday season, more than 500 Imagine! clients were served through the Gift Giving Drive with the generosity of community support. We had a significant increase of families seeking support this year and all donations will help us reach our clients who are most in need this season. There will be donation drop off boxes at Imagine!’s Coal Creek and Dixon office buildings, or a pick up can be arranged for group donations!

Please help us continue to assist our families and children in need during this holiday season! For questions please contact - Elizabeth Hill- ehill@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6460.

Gift ideas include:

For Children ages 0-18

Educational Toys (Spanish or English)

Dolls and Accessories

Board Games Books (Spanish or English)

Craft Sets

Ball Set or Nerf Set

Car or Truck Sets

Remote Control Car

CD Player w/ Headphones

Legos

Art Supplies

Clothing Items: Hats, Scarves, Mittens, Gloves Gift Cards

 

For Adults

DVDs

CDs

Art and Craft Supplies

Body Lotion/Bath Sets

Hats, Scarves, Mittens, Gloves

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Platinum ($10,000+)
Broomfield City/County – Grant for $25,000 for the Next Step Group Home 

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
Alexander & Sally Bracken – Gold Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration
Flood & Peterson Insurance, Inc. – Gold Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
The Steven Holmes Fund/Longmont Community Foundation – Grant of $1,500 for the Family Recruited Employees program
Dick & Linda Livingston – Flood Relief
Longmont United Hospital – Table Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration
Sargent Bickham Lagudis LLC – Table Sponsor of the Imagine! Celebration

Supporter ($250-$499)
Fall River Elementary School Student Council – Flood Relief
Ed McDowell

Friend ($1-$249)
Margaret Berglund
Scott & Susanne Davis
Ken Hackbarth
Tom Kahn
Doc Nelson & Jeanie Valentine
Jim & Sue Rector
Jim & Mary Rianoshek
Art & Barbara Sward
Jim & Candace Williams

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Boulder Community Hospital - For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: Performance Bike Fit
Comedy Works – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: Ten “Admit Two Free” Passes
High Country Motorcycle Rentals – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: Three-day motorcycle rental and t-shirt
Qualcomm, Incorporated – 25 keyboards and 15 mice

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Blue Mountain Arts – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: Six vouchers for tickets to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Boulder Community Hospital – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: Cardiac Scoring CT Scan
Eldorado Artesian Springs, Inc. – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: Six passes to the Eldorado Springs Pool
Eldora Mountain Resort – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: two adult full day life tickets
Erie Community Center – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: 10-Visit Punch Pass
The Golden Hotel – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: Overnight in a deluxe room with breakfast for two in the Bridgewater Grill
Jungle Quest – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: One and one-half hours of play time
The Little Jewel – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: Sterling silver snake chain with five colored beads
Longmont Theatre Company – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: Two show vouchers to an LTC production
Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: $50 in Gift Certificates
University of Colorado – For the Imagine! Celebration Auction: Four tickets to Women’s Basketball on 2/28/14

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thank You, Kiwanis Club Of Longmont

Elizabeth Hill, Imagine!'s Volunteer Coordinator and Chris Skultety from the The Kiwanis Club Of Longmont show off some of the 58 wooden toys handcrafted by the Club and donated to Imagine! as part of the Club's Craft Toys for Kids Project. Most of the toys will become a part of Imagine!'s Gift Giving Drive, while four of the toys will be featured in the Imagine! Celebration's silent auction on January 24, 2014.

Thank You Fall River Elementary!

In the last week of October, members of the student council at Fall River Elementary School in Longmont held a fundraiser to help Imagine! recover from the recent flooding that damaged many of our homes. The fundraiser brought in $494.11! Wow! Thanks to all the students and teachers who participated! Pictured below, Imagine! PR Director Fred Hobbs accepts the check from student council treasurer Mason while Principal Dr. Jennifer Guthals looks on.

Fall River Elementary rocks!

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
Foothills Flood Relief Fund - $10,000 Grant for Flood Relief

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Longmont Legacy Fund/Longmont Community Foundation – Grant of $1,750 for Family Support Grants for Longmont Families
George & Petrea Mah – Flood Relief/Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome
St. John’s Episcopal Church – Flood Relief

Associate ($500-$999)
Richard Ackerman – Flood Relief

Supporter ($250-$499)
Rick & Jackie Nelson

Friend ($1-$249)
Fletcher & Janie Brown

In-Kind Donations

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
The Palmos Family – One week at a gorgeous Greek Island Villa – for the Imagine! Celebration Auction

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
The Palmos Family -- $50 gift certificates to Agave, Arugula, Buddha Café, Murphy’s North, and Tangerine for the Imagine! Celebration Auction
Walt & Linda Pounds - Spanish Wine Basket and Italian Wine Basket for the Imagine! Celebration Auction

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Clutter Consignment – $25 Gift Certificate for the Imagine! Celebration Auction
GolfTEC – 90 minute full golf swing evaluation for the Imagine! Celebration Auction
Melody McCoy – Brand new special needs step stool

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Colorado Gives Day Is December 10

Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, December 10, and we encourage you to participate! Donations made online at www.coloradogives.org/Imagine on December 10 will be eligible for partial matching funds. You may also pre-schedule your gift to have it recorded on December 10. Donating through Colorado Gives eliminates all processing fees for Imagine! for donations totaling up to $50,000 per year.

Colorado Gives Day was a great success last year. Our total was $44,125 from 74 donors, and included $867.28 in partial matching funds from the FirstBank Incentive Fund. This total was nearly four times the amount raised in 2011, thanks in great part to the donation of $25,000 from an anonymous donor for the new Next Step Group Home in Broomfield.

If you are thinking about making a gift to Imagine! before the end of the calendar year, please consider doing it online on Colorado Gives Day. Whether you go through our website (www.imaginecolorado.org) or directly to Colorado Gives, you will end up at the same place. You may also designate a particular Imagine! program in the “Any comments or special instructions” box if you would like. The only gifts that are ineligible are donations for which you receive something in return, such as tickets or sponsorships of our Imagine! Celebration. Mark your calendar for December 10—or pre-schedule your donation any time after November 1. Thank you!

Imagine! Is Building The "Next Step Group Home"

Imagine! is building a new group home in Broomfield specifically for aging individuals with developmental disabilities. The Next Step Group Home—modeled after Imagine!’s highly successful Foothills Group Home in Boulder—will serve as a home base for meeting the multiple and varied needs of six low-income seniors with developmental disabilities. This specialized care will allow the clients to live in a neighborhood setting while avoiding the more costly nursing home alternative.

Currently, 327 residents of Boulder and Broomfield Counties who qualify for comprehensive residential services are waitlisted due to limits in State funding for room, board, and supportive services for people with developmental disabilities. As the “safety net” for individuals with developmental disabilities in the two counties, Imagine! strives to address these critical needs and to anticipate future challenges. The Next Step Group Home is an example of both.

Construction on the home has already begun and is scheduled to be completed in late Spring 2014.

Save The Date - Imagine! Celebration January 24, 2014

How would you like to spend a week on a Greek island in a gorgeous villa that sleeps eight with tennis courts and a pool . . . or perhaps you would like to sit down for a one-to-one chat over lunch with the new CU Buffs football coach, Mike MacIntyre, or with CU’s legendary basketball coach, Tad Boyle.

To have the opportunity to bid on these live auction items plus much more, mark your calendar for Friday, January 24, 2014, 5:30-9:30 p.m. for the 13th annual Imagine! Celebration Dinner and Auction at the Plaza Conference Center in Longmont.

Buy your tickets ($95/each) or tables of ten ($1,250) online at https://secure.imaginecolorado.org/ssl/CelebrationRSVP.htm. Platinum ($10,000), Gold ($5,000), and Silver ($2,500) Sponsorships are also available—contact Susan LaHoda at 303-926-6443 or slahoda@imaginecolorado.org.

The first part of the Celebration evening allows guests to enjoy hors d’oeuvres and dinner food from buffets set in the ballroom and hallways with plenty of time to socialize and browse the 200+ auction items that will be available. (If you come early, you’ll be treated to a complimentary glass of champagne.) Guests will then settle into their tables for dessert, coffee, the program, and the live auction. All wine and beer for the evening is at no charge, compliments of Liquor Mart and Left Hand Brewing Companies.

Be sure to check the Imagine! website (www.imaginecolorado.org/imagine-celebration) as we add our sponsors, our live auction items, and more about the festivities. See you on January 24th!

New to this year’s Imagine! Celebration Live Auction—an opportunity to sit down for a one-to-one chat over lunch with the new University of Colorado football coach Mike MacIntyre (top), or with CU’s legendary basketball coach, Tad Boyle.

Imagine! Recovers From The Flood

Six of Imagine’s residential facilities received significant water damage during the severe floods that devastated Colorado in September. Fortunately, the 26 adults with developmental disabilities served in these homes did not need to be evacuated. However, in four of the residences, the live-in staff person whose home was in the basement no longer had a home. Hardest hit was the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder where the basement flooded with four feet of water.

Imagine!'s Innovations Director Jodi Walters worked around the clock to coordinate all of the immediate responses needed to ensure that all clients in Imagine!’s residential sites were safe and being cared for. Other Imagine! staff members pitched in throughout the flooding to keep the needs of the people we serve as the priority. While the rain came down, Imagine!’s Volunteer Coordinator, Elizabeth Hill, was already on the phone with AmeriCorps, requesting volunteer help. Because of her early action, a team of ten AmeriCorps volunteers was dispatched for six weeks specifically to help Imagine! recover. Many acts of true heroism by staff and board members surfaced, making us all proud to be a part of the Imagine! family.

Costs for the gutting and rebuilding effort are currently estimated at more than $140,000, not to mention additional expenses for data recovery, temporary living accommodations, and lost revenue. The total loss is nearly $230,000. The Imagine! Foundation has been at work submitting grants for flood relief. As of this writing, $10,000 has been received from the St. Vrain Flooding Relief Fund of the Longmont Community Foundation, $10,000 from the Foothills Flood Relief Fund, and $6,000 from the ANCOR Foundation. In addition, the Foundation ran a month-long online crowdfunding campaign, which brought in a total of $21,193. But additional funds are still needed to cover these unexpected and unbudgeted expenses.

If you are able, please consider increasing your support at this time of great need—Imagine! Foundation, 1400 Dixon Ave, Lafayette, CO 80026 or online at www.ColoradoGives.org/Imagine. We extend our deepest thanks.

The basement of Imagine!’s Bob and Judy SmartHome was deluged with four feet of water during the recent floods.

 

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Gold ($5,000-$9,999)
ANCOR Foundation – Grant for $6,000 for Flood Relief
David & Laura Braddock – Gold Sponsorship of the Imagine! Celebration
William & Lynda Johnson

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
The Ward Family Fund – Flood Relief

Associate ($500-$999)
Michael & Nancy Berman

Supporter ($250-$499)
Warren & Caroline Baker
Property Resources, Inc.
Sharon Svendsen

Friend ($1-$249)
Anonymous – Flood Relief
Robert & Cindy Baxt
Kathy Coyne
FirstGiving 
In Honor of Carrie Keyes
  From Janice Purdy – Flood Relief
Robert & Kaye Lewis – Flood Relief
Microsoft Matching Gifts Program 
Bette Royce
Bill & Helen Schmalhorst
Dan & Kristen Daugherty Smith – Flood Relief

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Lake Valley Golf Club – Two “Golf for Two with Cart” Certificates for the Imagine! Celebration Auction
Smoker Friendly – Premium Cigar Basket for the Imagine! Celebration Auction

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Heidi Osborne – Two Push Walkers and Other Toys

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thank You Foothills Flood Relief Fund

Today we’d like to thank Foothills Flood Relief Fund for a generous grant of $10,000 to help Imagine! recover from last month’s devastating floods.

The Foothills Flood Relief Fund was established for the purpose of assisting with the short and long-term recovery of local communities following the floods across Boulder and Broomfield Counties. The fund is a coordinated effort of a number of organizations and municipalities, including The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County, The Cities of Boulder, Erie, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Lyons and Superior, Boulder County, the City and County of Broomfield, Foothills United Way, and the InterMountain Alliance.

We are very appreciative of this support.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Doug Fuhr
Tom Tancredo/The Rocky Mountain Fund – Flood Relief

Associate ($500-$999)
Richard & Diana Lirtzman

Supporter ($250-$499)
Judith Bea – Flood Relief
Denver Metro Young Republicans and Colorado Hispanic Republicans Fundraiser – Flood Relief
In Memory of Billy Montgomery
  From Charlene Laughlin
Ronald Sandgrund & Cheryl Barr

Friend ($1-$249)
Vincent & Sheryl Alvarez – Flood Relief
Mary Anderies – Flood Relief
Anonymous (2) – Flood Relief
John & Ann Boettcher
Shannon Fender – Flood Relief
Arthur & Susan Horecki – Flood Relief
Tom & Carol Kent
Kirkland & Company, CPAs, P.C.
Richard & Linda Pankratz – Flood Relief
Carolos Rodriguez – Flood Relief
Dr. Peter M. Schmid
Jeff & Shelley Stiffler
Kurt Thoens – Flood Relief
Joe & Mary Ann Tribbia
Michele Van Pelt

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Eight Days a Week - $50 Gift Certificate for the Imagine! Celebration

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thank You, ANCOR Foundation

The ANCOR Foundation has provided Imagine! with a grant of $6,000 for flood relief! The ANCOR Foundation is dedicated to expanding the commitment and capacity of providers and communities dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. Imagine! is a longtime and proud member of ANCOR (The American Network of Community Options and Resources) and we are so pleased that they are helping to support us in our time of need.

Below, Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Gerald offers his personal thanks. His home was severly damaged during the floods.

Bingo Fundraiser Helps Imagine! Flood Recovery

This past Wednesday evening, total of $2,262 was raised at a bingo night hosted by the Denver Metro Young Republicans, the Colorado Hispanic Republicans, and the Rocky Mountain Energy Forum. This fundraiser for Imagine! flood relief was held at Jackson’s Restaurant in Denver. The first $387 was contributed by participants through rounds of bingo, and then a surprise guest, former U. S. Congressman Tom Tancredo (pictured below with Imagine! Foundation Executive Director Susan LaHoda), presented a check for $1,875. A big thank you to all who participated and donated!

Last Day For Our Flood Support Campaign!

Today is the last day our flood relief crowdfunding campaign, which ends at midnight. We are currently at $17,777 or 89% of our goal of $20,000. Thanks to those of you who have contributed personally and those who have passed along the link to the site. We’d love to reach our goal, so we’d very much appreciate it if you would continue to spread the word!! Every little bit helps! Thank you!

Watch the short video below, and then please click here to donate.

Please share with anyone you think would be interested.



Can’t see the video? Click here.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Platinum ($10,000+)
St. Vrain Flooding Relief Fund/Longmont Community Foundation – Grant for $10,000 for Flood Relief at Garden Place Home in Longmont

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Boulder Community Hospital – Silver Sponsorship of the Imagine! Celebration 

($1,000-$2,499)
Colorado Association of Realtors Housing Opportunity Foundation (CARHOF) – Grant for $2,000 for upgrades to the 19th Street Group Home through the Boulder Area Realtors Association

Associate ($500-$999)
Sandy & Sally Bracken – Flood Relief
David & Darlene Foy – Flood Relief

Supporter ($250-$499)
Jack & Cirrelda Mills
The Schild Family Charitable Gift Fund on behalf of The Boulder Group at Robert W. Baird & Co. – for Holiday Gifts

Friend ($1-$249)
Ken & Jan Alford Benson, Kerrane, Storz & Nelson, P.C. – Flood Relief
Jane Brennan
In Honor of All the staff at Imagine! who do so much!
  From Rachel Gehr – Flood Relief
Tom & Becky Herman
John & Dot Hudson
Mark & Jannelle Johndon
Jeff & Julie Kerrane – Flood Relief
In Honor of Kent Krudwig
  From Benjamin & Ariana Krudwig – Flood Relief
Jerry Lewis – Flood Relief
Eldon & Pat Lindeman – Flood Relief
John & Glennys McPhilimy
Dick & Donna Meckley
Michael Riedeman
Mark & Marcia Sadler – Flood Relief
AnnMarie Spain – Flood Relief
Lee & Bev Springer
Jane Stockebrand
In Honor of Leona Stoecker, Emeritus, for all her hard work and dedication to Imagine!
  From Joan Campbell
Jim & Terry Vratny
Donna Wolford

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Liz Relin – Two Therapy Swings

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Liquor Mart – Beverages for the Summer Board Get Together
Wallaroo Hat Company – Five hats for the Imagine! Celebration Auction

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thank You, Olive Garden

Big thanks to the Olive Garden restaurant in Boulder. They contacted us last week to provide a lunch or dinner to some Imagine! folks who have suffered during the flood. Last Thursday they treated Cari Pounds (on the left in photo), who is served by Imagine!, and Direct Care Professional Kristin Conboy (on the right) to a lovely dinner. Kristin and Cari live in Imagine!’s Tenino home, which was damaged by the floods. In addition to the flood damage, Tenino is having its kitchen remodeled (bad timing for sure) so the Olive Garden also donated 12 complete microwavable meals for the next six days! Thanks so much!

Thank You, CARHOF

Today we’d like to thank the Colorado Association of Realtors Housing Opportunity Foundation (CARHOF) for their grant of $2,000 to Imagine!. The funds will be used for upgrades to our 19th Street Group Home.

Pictured below are Imagine! Foundation Executive Director Susan LaHoda (l) and Leanne Goff of Staufer Team Real Estate, who presented the check on behalf of CARHOF.

We are so appreciative of CARHOF’s support of some of our community’s most vulnerable citizens.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Plexus  – Silver Sponsorship of the Imagine! Celebration

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Buffalo Supply Helping Hands – Flood Relief 
Pete & Gayla Lindquist
Living Resources Staff

Associate ($500-$999)
Ed & Connie Lehman
One Lafayette (City of Lafayette) – Grant for $500 for emergency services for a Lafayette Family

Supporter ($250-$499)
Dale Charles – From donation of vehicle through Vehicles for Charity

Friend ($1-$249)
Albertsons Community Partners Program
Anonymous (1) – Flood Relief
Helen Bosley
Jennie Feiger – Flood Relief
Vic & Gretchen Fruehauf
Ron & Carolyn Hughes – Flood Relief
iGive.com 
Kathy Kaler – Flood Relief
Walt Logue & Anahid Katchian
Dagobert & Ingrid Masur – Flood Relief
Frances McCarty
MGM & United Artists Services Company – Residuals from Billy Montgomery’s performance in “Rain Man”
David & Patti Micklin – Flood Relief
Ed & Beth Reichstein
Michael & Jeanne Schmid
Marie Sonnen – Flood Relief
Heidi Storz – Flood Relief
Andrea Taichnar – Flood Relief
Bonnie Terry – Flood Relief
Wallaroo Hat Company, LLC 
Thelma Whitaker
Daniel Yechout & the Namaste Solar Team – Flood Relief

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Associate ($500-$999)
Inspiration Field – New and gently used clothing, shoes, winter items, toiletries, towels, bedding, comforters, goodie bags with first aid items, and $300 in Visa gift cards – Flood Relief

In-Kind Supporter ($250-$499)
Janine Randol – Donation of condo for three nights’ use by Dayspring staff

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Sweet Cow Ice Cream – Ice cream for Imagine! employees in celebration of Imagine!’s 50th anniversary

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thank You, Living Resources

Last week, Fred Erlich, CEO of Albany, New York-based Living Resources presented Imagine! CEO Mark Emery with checks totaling $1,200 to help Imagine! rebuild homes damaged by the recent flooding. The checks were collected from Living Resources staff members, and Fred was out in Colorado to attend a Technology Best Practices Provider meeting hosted by Imagine!, as well as the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities’ Annual National Conference. We offer our sincere gratitude to our New York friends and partners in using technology to improve the lives of individuals with a variety of disabilities.

Thank You St. Vrain Flooding Relief Fund

Today we’d like to offer a hearty “thank you” to the St. Vrain Flooding Relief Fund for providing Imagine! with a $10,000 grant to help Imagine! cover some of the extraordinary costs incurred during the flooding in our area last month.

The St. Vrain Flooding Relief Fund was established by the Longmont Community Foundation to provide financial resources to charitable organizations that are involved in the relief and rebuilding efforts in the St. Vrain Valley related to the September 2013 flood.

Imagine! will use the grant to help pay for flooring, drywall, and paint for our Garden Place home. Thank you for helping us to recover!

We still have a lot of costs as we rebuild! Are you interested in helping support Imagine! as we recover from the floods? Click here to learn how!

Declaration of the Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology and Information Access

On Wednesday, several members of Imagine!'s Executive team participated in the Thirteenth Annual Coleman Institute National Conference on Cognitive Disability and Technology. The highlight of this event was the official unveiling of a Declaration on the Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology and Information Access. The declaration is a statement of principles: the rights of ALL people to inclusion and choice in relation to technology and information access. You can see the declaration below (click on the image to enlarge it), or you can view the declaration and read more about its formation by clicking here.

David Braddock, professor of psychiatry and executive director of the Coleman Institute on Cognitive Disabilities at the University of Colorado, said, “The formal declaration is being presented at a time when the pace of the digital age is accelerating rapidly. Access to technology and information access is essential for community and social participation, employment, education, health, and general communication. Advocates for people with cognitive disabilities may use this declaration to stimulate greater attention nationally and worldwide to the possibilities now at hand for people with cognitive disabilities through technology while promoting their rights as citizens to access to it.”

This is a momentous time in the history of serving individuals with one or more cognitive disabilities. Technology is creating opportunities for community participation and enhanced quality of life in ways unthinkable just a few short years ago. But if the folks we serve can’t access this technology, those opportunities won’t add up to much. That is why this declaration is so important.

So today, we ask all of our Foundation friends to endorse this declaration. Let the world know that the community of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the organizations and caregivers who serve them are united in the belief that all individuals have a right to access comprehensible information and usable communication technologies to promote self-determination and engage meaningfully in major aspects of life.

Go here to endorse The Declaration.

Go here to read a Linguistically Accessible Version of The Declaration, as provided by The Arc.

Go here to read Frequently Asked Questions about The Declaration.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Cash Donations

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Imagine! Employees – For the 1st Quarter of FY2014, a total of $1,494 was donated to Imagine! from employee payroll deductions 

Associate ($500-$999)
In Honor of Joan Clexton
  From Miller & Steiert, PC – Flood Relief 
David Edwards – Flood Relief

Supporter ($250-$499)
Trent & Jennifer Gustafson – Flood Relief

Friend ($1-$249)
Anonymous (7) – Flood Relief
The Callahans – Flood Relief
Jerry & Carol Chesser – Flood Relief
Gary & Teresa Creech – Flood Relief
Mark & Judy Emery – Flood Relief
The Graylin Family – Flood Relief
Mary Hofheimer – Flood Relief
Anh-Hong Huynh – Flood Relief
Elizabeth Ostendorp – Flood Relief
Kathy Near – Flood Relief
Kurk Near – Flood Relief
Mark Perun – Flood Relief
Peter & Jamie Solveson – Flood Relief
Gary Stebick – Flood Relief
Laura Thompson – Flood Relief
Gordon & Kathleen Walters – Flood Relief
Ryan & Jodi Walters – Flood Relief
Dawn Wehking – Flood Relief
Mark, Katie, & Natalie Wilcox – Flood Relief
Wendy Willis – Flood Relief

As always, we thank all of our generous donors.

Thank You, Denver Metro Young Republicans!

Today, we’d like to offer our sincere thanks to Denver Metro Young Republicans, who are hosting a benefit for Imagine! flood relief October 16th at 6:00 PM, at Jackson’s in Denver.

Check out the flyer below for more details (click on the image to make it bigger).

Thank you Denver Metro Young Republicans – this is a fantastic idea and we are thrilled to have your support for our flood relief efforts!