Imagine! In The News

There was a great story from this weekend’s Daily Camera about Imagine! SmartHome resident Gerald and his job at Twisted Pine Brewery.

Check it out here.

The story also featured a cool video:

 

Thank You Thursday: The Denver Foundation

Today we’d like to say “thanks” to The Denver Foundation for its recent grant of $5,000 to support the Imagine!'s Dayspring Community Calendar Activities program.

The Denver Foundation is a community foundation dedicated to improving life in Metro Denver through inspiring people and mobilizing resources to strengthen the community. Community foundations are endowments - permanent pools of money contributed by donors to benefit a specific geographic area. ln 2010, The Foundation awarded $69 million to nonprofit organizations.

Dayspring’s Community Calendar activities introduce families with children who have developmental disabilities or delays 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.

We are sincerely grateful for The Denver Foundation’s support of children and families served by Imagine!.

Imagine! Gets REAL (Award)

Last week, Imagine! Foundation Executive Director Susan LaHoda had the pleasure of attending Boulder Magazine’s REAL Awards ceremony. Especially exciting for Susan was the fact that Imagine! won a REAL Award in the Non-Profit, Community at Large category.

The award is a real honor, especially considering the other finalists in our category. The Colorado Chautauqua Association, Community Cycles, and KGNU Community Radio are all excellent examples of organizations making a difference in our community, and any one of them could have won.

REAL stands for “Recognizing Everything About Local,” and that is a big part of what makes the award so special for Imagine!. What we do at Imagine! is essentially a community building endeavor, and we wouldn’t be successful without the support of our community.

That community support of Imagine! was on display at the ceremony. Many of the other finalists and winners of the evening were organizations and individuals that have supported Imagine! in many different ways. So we can truly say that although the award plaque says “Imagine!,” everybody in attendance last night had a hand in our success, and the award is as much theirs as it is ours.

Thank you Boulder Magazine, the esteemed panel of REAL Award judges, and everyone who has supported, and continues to support, Imagine! and the people we serve. We are truly grateful.

Imagine! Foundation Donor Recognition Reception

Donors to the Imagine! Foundation during the past 11 years will be honored and thanked at a reception on Wednesday, April 25 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Imagine!’s John M. Taylor Conference Center, 1665 Coal Creek Drive, Lafayette. A brief program will bring guests up to date on Imagine!’s involvement at the state and national level, including an update on activities at the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder and the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served. Since the Foundation’s inception in 2001,community donors have provided nearly $4,850,000 to benefit those Imagine! serves.

Thank You Thursday!

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

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Combined Federal Campaign (Individual donations will be listed at the end of the fiscal year.)

Associate ($500-$999)
Howard and Mary Allen Fund/The Longmont Community Foundation
McCarty Charitable Fund/The Longmont Community Foundation Friend

($1-$249)
In Memory of Patricia Coyne
   From Mary Chokran
Walt & Linda Pounds

As always, thanks to all of our generous donors.

Congratulations Charles “Chuck” Sisk

Today we’d like to say “congratulations” to Charles "Chuck" Sisk for his induction into the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame, Class of 2012.

Mr. Sisk is a partner in the firm of Hurth, Sisk & Blakemore.

Mr. Sisk moved to Colorado at the age of one. His great grandparents homesteaded in Colorado in 1871. Mr. Sisk received his B.A. from the University of Colorado in 1967 and his J.D. from the University of Colorado in 1969. He joined Hurth, Sisk & Blakemore in 1973 after serving three years as Deputy District Attorney for Boulder County.

Mr. Sisk has served as Boulder County’s Public Administrator since 1977. As such, he is regularly appointed by the Court to represent minors, the elderly and the mentally or physically challenged who need legal representation.

A former (20-year) college football referee in the Mountain West Athletic Conference, Mr. Sisk is active in numerous civic organizations and recently ended an eight year run as Mayor of Louisville, Colorado due to term limits.

Mr. Sisk is licensed to practice law in the Colorado State Courts and the United States District Court for the District of Colorado.

Mr. Sisk has recently agreed to become a member of the Imagine! Foundation Board of Directors, and will be beginning his service in June. His experience and knowledge will be a great asset to the board, and we look forward to working with him.

If you are interested in attending the April 25 Boulder County Business Hall of Fame luncheon, click here.

Vote Imagine!

Imagine!’s Community Calendar Activities (CCA) program, run by our Dayspring department, is up for a Community Foundation Serving Boulder County NOVA Award – and you can help by voting for Imagine! (and other great organizations) this week.

Click here to learn more about CCA and to vote!

Go Dayspring!

Thank You Thursday!

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

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Art & Marion Seder

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

In Memory of Viola Dingman

  From Gary Stewart

Associate ($500-$999)

Rotary eClub One

Supporter ($250-$499)

Apple Matching Gifts Program

Michelle Parsons

Friend ($1-$249)
Emily Gadacz
Patricia Gray
Timothy Shanahan – IBM Payroll Deduction
In Memory of Valerie Straight

  From Anonymous

  From Stuart & Barbara Boyd

  From James Carter & Ruth Fletcher-Carter

  From David Carton

  From Glen & Ina Gwin

  From Carolyn Kiehn

  From Eugene & Marilyn Schneider

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Friend

Denver Boulder Couriers – one courier trip

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

Celebrate National Siblings Day

Today is National Siblings Day, so we’d like to take this opportunity to give a great big shout out to all the siblings of the individuals served by Imagine!. Siblings play a vital role in the lives of their brothers and sisters with disabilities, and many of the folks we serve are blessed with incredibly supportive siblings. In fact, several members of the Imagine! Foundation Board of Directors serve on the board because of their experiences growing up with a sibling with an intellectual disability.

If you are interested in learning more, check out The Sibling Leadership Network (SLN), a national nonprofit dedicated to providing siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote issues important to them and their entire families.

Thank You Thursday!

Here’s a roundup of generous donations to the Imagine! Foundation from the last week.

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
Mutual of America – Table Sponsor at Imagine! Celebration
Imagine! Employee “Transcend $10,000” Campaign – 3rd Quarter

Friend ($1-$249)
In Memory of William Beam
  From Lo Anne Zentner
In Memory of Guy Smith
  From Anonymous
  From Randi Madsen
In Honor of Jane Sprague and Maureen Kelly
  From Joshua Putterman and Family
In Memory of Valerie Straight
  From Carrie Davis

As always, thanks to all of our generous donors.

Thank You, Walmart

Today we’d like to say “thank you” to two local Walmart stores that have contributed recently to help support Imagine!’s Family Support Grants Program.

Family Support Grants help pay for the extraordinary costs of caring for a family member who has a developmental disability. Funds may be used to help pay for respite care, professional services, medical and dental senses, transportation, assistive technology, home modifications, and parent and sibling support.

Anyone who has a family member with a developmental disability knows how difficult it can be to pay for some of these expenses, and these grants can make a huge difference.

As one family told us: “This grant will help ease the financial stress and burden that comes with having a special needs child. It helps offset costs that insurance does not cover. Each year it seems that insurance covers less to help our child function in the world. We have dealt with that by cutting down on therapies, respite and recreation activities. This grant helps us keep some of those things in place.”

The Walmart located at 500 Summit Boulevard in Broomfield recently gave $1,000 to underwrite a Family Support Grant for a Broomfield family, and the Walmart located at 745 US Highway 287 in Lafayette  recently gave $1,000 to underwrite a Family Support Grant for a Boulder County family.

Other local Walmart stores have supported our Family Support Grants in the past, including two Walmart stores in Longmont that contributed $2,500 each in 2009.

Thank you, Walmart, for your continued support of Imagine! and the families we serve!

Light It Up Blue For Autism

Today is World Autism Awareness Day, and Imagine! and the Imagine! Foundation are “Lighting It Up Blue” to help shine a light on autism.

Learn more here.

Congratulations, Eric!

Congratulations are in order for Eric Wallace, President and Co-Founder of Left Hand Brewing Company, for his selection as a member of the Boulder County Business Hall of Fame, Class of 2012! 

Eric is a former member of the Imagine! Foundation Board of Directors. In addition to serving on the Foundation board, Eric has supported Imagine! by hosting a variety of fundraising events, and Left Hand has employed individuals served by Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department since 2006.

Way to go Eric! A well deserved honor, indeed!

Thank You Thursday!

Here’s a roundup of generous donations to the Imagine! Foundation from February 23 through March 23.

Silver ($2,500-$4,999)
Virginia W. Hill Foundation – Grant for Community Calendar Activities Program
Palmos Development Corporation – Imagine! Celebration Silver Sponsor
WD Foundation – Grant for Family Support Grants

Bronze ($1,000-$2,499)
David Edwards – Celebration Table Sponsor and Other Donation
Elevations Credit Union  – Celebration Table Sponsor
Dennis & Becky Fase – ½ Merrill Lynch Celebration Silver Sponsorship
Harry Goresline – for Imagine! Host Home Program
Littler Mendelson – Celebration Table Sponsor
Sadie Gift Fund/Community Foundation Serving Boulder County – Grant for General Operating
Rich Tocher & Julie Vlier
Tracy Family Foundation – Grant for General Operating

Associate ($500-$999)

Frank & Gina Day
Stephen Tebo

Supporter ($250-$499)
CBIZ Meyers Dining – Celebration Tickets
In Memory of Johnny Chetham
  From Joseph & Betty Brooks
  From Donald & Avis Davis
  From Gastroenterology of the Rockies
Lindsey Lehr
Joy Pak
In Memory of Guy Smith
  From Paul & Janet Hoskins
  From Thomas and Andrea Mann
 From Michael and Carlene Matthews
  From Kathleen O’Connor
Daniel & Sandra Stevens
Shari Tebo

Friend ($1-$249)
Albemarle Foundation – Matching Gift for Richard Sabalot
Albertsons LLC
In Honor of Polly Atkinson
  From Geri Combs
Nancy Antos, Boulder Women’s Guild
Connie Banta, Boulder Women’s Guild
Whitney Blair/Beth Leibo
Susanna Block, Boulder Women’s Guild
Kathy Coyne
Bert & Mardelle Crist
Linda Davidson, Boulder Women’s Guild
Linda Faul, Boulder Women’s Guild
Angela Forest, Boulder Women’s Guild
Bill Goodacre
Cameron & Erika Grant
Teresa Gray
Chuck & Sarah Miller
Andrea Mindell, Boulder Women’s Guild
Dennis & Debra Paul
Margot Planchard, Boulder Women’s Guild
Jim & Diane Reitz
Jeanne Ryan, Boulder Women’s Guild
Deborah Silberstein, Boulder Women’s Guild
Susan Soklin, Boulder Women’s Guild
In Memory of Roland Stendler
  From Lo Anne Zentner
Gail Sutton, Boulder Women’s Guild
United Way of Tri-County, Inc. 
Michele Williams, Boulder Women’s Guild
Romney Williams

In-Kind Donations

In-Kind Associate ($500-$999)
Tetra Tech – 2 HP Laser Jet 5000 N printers

In-Kind Friend ($1-$249)
Boulder Reservoir – Discount for boar rentals for Imagine!’s Out & About Summer Camp
Denver Boulder Couriers – Two courier trips
Kerry & Erin Foutz – Children’s clothing
Front Range Hippotherapy – Discount for regular sessions during Imagine!’s Out & About Summer Camp
Erika Leon – Children’s toys and high chair

As always, we thank all of our generous donors. 

Thank You, US Bancorp

Today, we’d like to thank US Bancorp for providing a $1,500 grant in early February to be directed to providing supported employment services to an individual served by Imagine!’s Labor Source department. According to the grant, the funds will “underwrite the identification of one low-income adult with developmental disabilities to whom services are otherwise not available, initiation of Division of Vocational Rehabilitation-funded job placement, and the provision of job coaching and support for one year.”

Supported employment services are vital to our community. They are also a great example of Imagine!’s mission in action. Supported employment offers people who have a disability the opportunity to develop vital job skills and become active participants in their communities. They pay taxes and spend their hard earned money in the community.

In short, they contribute.

US Bancorp has supported labor Source with a grant in each of the last four years, providing a total of $6,500 in grants. Their contributions have made a huge difference in the lives of those we serve, as well as our community.

Thank you, US Bancorp!

Time To Get REAL

Imagine! has been nominated for a Boulder Magazine REAL Award in the non-profit category. Check out our nomination here.

CORE/Labor Source Consumers Volunteer at Community Food Share

Thanks to Carrie Keyes, who works for Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department, for sharing this information about some individuals served by Imagine! who contribute to their community through volunteering.

We have a great group on Friday mornings at Community Food Share, where our task is to fill one pound bags of beans, and package 25 bags into each crate. Despite performing the same tasks for over a year together, we continue to grow as a group. We enjoy having time to collaborate as an assembly line team, while socializing with each other and other community members. The whole group verbalizes excitement when we walk in the door and they see their favorite greeter, whom they all recognize by name. Each member of the volunteer crew is flexible in their tasks and tries different things each week. They are independent in setting up supplies and no one complains about working. It has been such a great experience for us all to increase job and social skills.

Pictured above are Scott, Kyle, Peter, and Corrina.

Keep Up With Imagine! Using Social Media

Are you interested in learning more about Imagine! and the work we do to provide individuals with developmental disabilities the tools and supports they need to become contributing members of their communities?

To help keep you informed with current information about what is going on at Imagine! and in the field of developmental disabilities, we encourage you to use the following simple online tools to keep you up-to-date, while also allowing you to become part of the conversation. The best way we have to keep you current on events or noteworthy happenings, especially between newsletters, is through Imagine!’s social media sites.

Whether you are new to social media or a longtime user, there is a platform out there for you. Below are some options for you to “get in the know” using social media.

Facebook pages:

Become a fan of the Imagine! Facebook page

Become a fan of the SmartHomes Facebook page

Become a fan of the Dayspring Facebook page

Become a fan of the Imagine! Behavioral Health Services Facebook page

Become a fan of the Labor Source Facebook page

Blogs:

Follow Imagine! CEO Mark Emery’s blog

Follow the SmartHomes blog

Twitter Pages:

Follow Imagine! on Twitter

Follow the SmartHomes on Twitter

And check out Imagine!'s YouTube Channel

Thank You Herbert Parker Foundation

A big shout-out today to the Herbert Parker Foundation for providing a $2,000 grant to Imagine!’s Dayspring Community Calendar Activities program.

Dayspring’s Community Calendar Activities program introduces parents of young children with developmental delays and 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.

The Herbert Parker Foundation has provided generous support to this programs for the past three years with grants totaling $5,000.

Thanks, Herbert Parker Foundation! Your support is much appreciated!

Thank You Rotary Club of Longmont St. Vrain

Today we’d like to say “thank you” to the Rotary Club of Longmont St. Vrain for their generous donation of $500 for the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont.