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halloween fun
Stone Belt • touchstone • FALL 2005 1
Halloween Extravaganzadraws community interest
SPECIAL THANKSTO OUR SPONSORS
Gold Sponsors$1,000
• World Arts Printing, Inc.• Ikon• The Herald-Times• Extreme
Magic by
Travis Simms
• Williams Brothers Health Care Pharmacy
• AM 1370 WGCL,The Sound of Bloomington
Silver Sponsors$500
• Costume Delights• Hoosier Disposal• Bloomington Hardware
Bronze Sponsors$250
• HPC Internet Services• King Communications, Inc.• Baxter
Pharmaceutical
Solutions
• United Commerce Bank• PROES, Inc., Professional
Enrollment Services
• Verizon Wireless• Tabor & Bruce Architects• Tommy D’s
Windows,
Doors, & More, Inc.
• Safe and Sound Security
Blue Sponsors$100
• WonderLab• Office Depot• Sunrise Greetings• The Chocolate
Moose
BY THE NUMBERSEvent organizers were pleasedwith the turnout at
Stone Belt’sHalloween Extravaganza.Here’s a breakdown ofattendance
by activity:
Dimensions of DarknessHaunted Experience
• 164 Children• 680 Adults= 844 TOTAL
Number of Screams Heardin Dimensions of Darkness
• Countless
Trail of Fantasy Hayride
• 224 Children• 434 Adults= 727 TOTAL
Extreme Magic Show
• 97 Children• 195 Adults= 292 TOTAL
Game Tickets Sold
• 2,532
Community participation was high atStone Belt’s first ever
Halloween Extravaganza.
“Considering this is the first year we heldthe event, we are
really happy with ourturnout,” said Jack Clark, event organizer
andStone Belt MIS Director. “For the scale of theevent we threw,
everything went reallysmoothly. I attribute a lot of the success to
allthe hard working volunteers we had. Thisshows commitment to the
organization.”
Some event activities were more popularthan others. Two of the
biggest draws werethe Dimensions of Darkness hauntedexperience and
the Trail of Fantasy hayride.
Several visitors to Dimensions ofDarkness commented that is was
scarier thanthe haunted house in Harrodsburg, whichwas recently
named best in the state. Clarksaid, “The way you can tell the
success of ahaunted house is by the number of screamsyou hear when
people are going through. Wedefinitely heard a lot of screams.”
With the hayride, organizers weresurprised by how popular the
event was. For
the second weekend, an additional tractorhad to be added to
accommodate the crowds.
Other events like the magic shows andcarnival games weren’t as
popular. One ofthe reasons for this may have been a weakmarketing
budget. A survey of attendeesindicated many would have liked to see
moreadvertising in area newspapers.
It is uncertain whether or not Stone Beltwill continue the
Halloween Extravaganzanext year. If the event continues there
willundoubtedly be changes, mainly focusing onactivities that drew
the biggest crowds.
On October 20 Stone Belt held a specialFall Festival for
clients, staff and theirfamilies. Halloween Extravaganza events
andfood were made available to attendees at nocost. The event was a
great way to bring stafftogether.
Stone Belt would like to offer a veryspecial thank you to all of
the HalloweenExtravaganza corporate sponsors andvolunteers. The
event wouldn’t have been asuccess without your support.
Fund-raiser deemed a success
Stone Belt client Mike Murphy shows offhis Tin Man costume at
Stone Belt’s Fall Festival event for clients and staff.
Shawn Halter, Assistant Director of Stone Belt’s Supervised
Group Livingprogram; Nadine Morgan, Assistant IU Women’s Basketball
Coach; and MikeFreitag, IU Men’s Soccer Coach judged the Costume
Contest.
Stone Belt staff member Kristin Manno paints a child’s
faceduring the Stone Belt Fall Festival. The Fall Festival was a
one-day event held for Stone Belt clients, staff and their
families.
A group smiles as they exit the Dimensions of Darknesshaunted
experience at the Halloween Extravaganza.
Above, Stone Belt clients MarcellaEller and Angie Ehlers get
into thespirit of Halloween at the FallFestival. At right a monster
from theDimensions of Darkness hauntedexperience; 4-year-old
MeredithWalker participates in the HalloweenExtravaganza’s Costume
Contest.
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As the year draws to a close and wecelebrate the season of
light, I am thankfulfor being part of an organization that isall
about “making light in the world.”
We have seen our services grow in thepast year, even while
facing fundingrestraints. Many of the people we supporthave new
opportunities to light up theirown lives.
Several residents in North Vernonwill have their first Christmas
tree in theirown homes. Some families have found anew source of
support for their child withdevelopmental and emotional
needsbecause of their involvement in
Milestones’ Clinical Services and ourInfant and Child programs.
Many willhave personal funds from their jobs topurchase holiday
gifts for loved ones.
We will celebrate this holiday seasonfor all that has been
accomplished, butwill also face harsh realities of the future.As we
experience funding cuts and threatsof even more cuts, we are
committed toprotecting our core values and missiondespite the
challenges. We are emboldenedto look for innovative ways to do
businessand will continue to add value to thecommunities we serve.
Thesecommunities would be a lot darker
without the participation andcontributions of people with
disabilities.
Thank you for all you do to help usenhance the light in the
world. We wish foryou and yours the very best holiday season.
Cheers,
from the CEO
Leslie GreenChief Executive Officer
Bringing light to the communities we serve
upcoming eventsDecember 15Stone Belt 10th Street Holiday Party1
to 3 p.m.Stone Belt 10th Street
Kappa Kappa Sigma will host a holiday party for consumers and
staff. Therewill be food and a variety of holiday-themed
activities.
For more information call 812-332-2168.
December 21Stone Belt of Lawrence County Holiday Party12 to 3:30
p.m.LARC Building, Bedford
This event is courtesy of the Elliott family, members of the
LARC board ofdirectors. They will provide a chicken dinner. There
will also be a gift exchangeand several other fun activities.
For more information call Kim Hodges at 812-829-3978, ext. 222
or [email protected].
December 22Stone Belt of Owen County Holiday Party12 to 3:30
p.m.Sweet Owen Industries (SOI) building, Spencer
This event is sponsored by Tri Kappa from Owen County. There
will beunlimited food including pizza, cookies, candies, a gift
exchange and a choice ofmovie, Christmas Bingo or dance.
For more information call Kim Hodges at 812-829-3978, ext. 222
or [email protected].
December 23 & 26Christmas ObservanceStone Belt’s day program
facilities and offices will be closed.
January 2New Year’s Day ObservanceStone Belt’s day program
facilities and offices will be closed.
January 10Aktion Club Meeting4 to 5 p.m.Mt. Gilead Church, 10th
Street & Russell Road
Aktion Club is a client-based club that offers members an
opportunity to give back tothe community. The group is sponsored by
the Kiwanis Club.
For more information contact Ann Dininger at 812-332-2168, ext.
247 or [email protected].
January 10X-Change Club Meeting7 to 8:30 p.m.Bloomington Adult
Community Center, 349 S. Walnut Street. Second floor library.
X-change is a group for family members and support providers of
individuals with specialneeds of all ages. A safe environment to
x-change experiences, resources and ideas.
For more information contact Denise Brown at
[email protected].
April 29Stone Belt 5K Walk and mile Walk/RunAll dayStone Belt
10th Street, Bloomington
Mark you calendar for Stone Belt’s first ever 5K Run or mile
walk fund-raiser.All proceeds will go towards Stone Belt
programming. Plans are still in the workswith more information to
follow.
For more information contact Kyong Ge Williams at 812-332-2168,
ext. 285 or [email protected].
MANAGEMENT TEAMLeslie Green: Chief Executive OfficerMark Osborn:
Chief Financial OfficerWard Brown: Interim Director of Financial
ServicesJack Clark: Director of Management Information Systems
(MIS)Bitta DeWees: Director of Employment and Personal Resources
(EPR)Maureen Gahan: Director of Milestones, Clinical & Health
ResourcesBrad Galin: Director of Human ResourcesKim Hodges:
Director of Stone Belt of Owen County (SOI) and
Stone Belt of Lawrence County (LARC)Larry Pejeau: Director of
Sales and MarketingDottie Stewart: Director of Supported
LivingShirley Stumpner: Director of Infant & Child
Developmental ServicesTonya Vandivier: Director of Supervised Group
Living
FALL 2005ISSUE 14
Touchstone is published quarterly by:Stone Belt2815 East 10th
StreetBloomington, Indiana 47408812.332.2168www.stonebelt.org
Editor: Cheryl PaulAdvertising: Stacey Ryner
Touchstone is distributed free of charge to families,friends,
businesses and partners of Stone Belt.
BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident: Don Hossler
Vice President: Ed Otting
Secretary: Phil Meyer
Treasurer: Charlotte Zietlow
Past President: Henry Upper
BOARD MEMBERSStuart Mufson, Vicki Baker,
Charlie Bradley, Dave Gregoire,
Tim Hines, Don McGinnis,
Patrick Robbins, Barbara Wilson,
Cathi Canfield, Doug Giles
touchstone
Stone Belt • touchstone • FALL 20052
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Stone Belt • touchstone • FALL 2005 3
of note
2005 STONE BELT HOLIDAY WISH LISTStone Belt is in need of a
variety of items thisholiday season. Donations may be dropped off
atany of Stone Belt’s locations.
Employment and Personal Resources (EPR):contact Bitta DeWees,
812-332-2168, ext. 241— Board games — DVD Player— CD player — CDs—
Coffee maker — TV— Moveable chalkboards— Furniture (preferably
leather or vinyl):
recliners, couches and end tables— Magazine subscriptions
(especially Reminiscing,
National Geographic, The Good Old Days)
Supervised Group Living (SGL) Department:contact Tonya
Vandivier, 812-332-2168, ext. 223— Kitchen countertop — Lawn
furniture— Crafts — Vacation sponsors— Computer games — PG rated
videos— Board games — Photo albums— Cameras — CD player— Wallpaper
border — Interior house paint— Dining room table — Mini
refrigerator— Freezer (chest or upright)— Wall art (to be chosen by
house residents)— Sporting event tickets— Bloomington Speedway
tickets— Cause and effect toys— Newspaper subscriptions— Movie
tickets (Lawrence and Monroe theaters)
Infant and Child Developmental Services (ICDS)contact Shirley
Stumpner, 812-323-4631, ext. 240— Books
• What to Expect When You’re Expecting (Spanish edition)
• What to Expect in the First Year (Spanish edition)
• The Simple People, by Tedd Arnold• 1-2-3 Magic, by Thomas
Phelan
(in Spanish and English)• Games to Play with Babies, by Jackie
Silber• Baby Play (Gymboree), by Dr. Wendy S. Masi• Toddler Play
(Gymboree), by Dr.Wendy S. Masi• Siempre te querre (Love You
Forever),
by Robert Munsch• Diez Deditos: Other Play Rhymes and
Action Songs from Latin America,by Jose-Luis Orozco
• Creative Resources for Infants & Toddlers (Spanish
Edition), by Judy Herr and Terri Swim
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Prenatal Drug andAlcohol Use and its
Effects
• any books on fatherhood• any prenatal resources and
materials
— Videos/DVDs• Signing Times video series• 1-2-3 Magic Series
(in English and Spanish)• 14 Steps to Better Breastfeeding• Car
Seats: How to Protect Your Child from
Birth to Ten• Celebrate Birth• Choices in Childbirth (in English
and Spanish) • Healthy Steps for Teen Parents (3 volume set)•
Infant and Toddler First Aid (2 volume set in English and
Spanish)
• The Dad Difference (2 volume set)• The Stages of Labor: A
Visual Guide (in English and Spanish)
• The Stages of Labor: A Visual Guide for Teens(in English and
Spanish)
• Why Breastfeed?• any childbirth videos• any fatherhood videos•
any prenatal videos
— Baby Items• Diapers, all sizes and brands• Money for car
seats• Car seats in new or good working condition• Bibs• Onesies•
Infant Toys
— Crafts• Old magazines • Craft supplies• Plain gift bags,
non-holiday
STONE BELT OPENS NEW OFFICEStone Belt opened a new office
building in North Vernon on August 1.
A ribbon cutting on September 16 celebrated the opening of the
new space.The building will house several Supported Living Program
(SLP)
Coordinators, a SLP Administrative Assistant, a Milestones Nurse
and aMilestones Behavior Specialist.
“We are providing supports to a number of clients in this area
and hopeto eventually increase services even more,” said Dottie
Stewart, Stone BeltSupported Living Program Director. “The North
Vernon office makes usmore accessible to our clients and staff in
the area.”
Staff at the site will manage the various supported living
locations,supervise direct care staff and oversee other financial,
health and generalprogram needs.
Several Jennings County community members were on hand to
helpStone Belt staff celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new
office. North VernonMayor John Hall ceremoniously cut the ribbon.
The presence of so manycommunity members showcased the great
working relationship between thecommunity and Stone Belt.
North Vernon businessman Wayne Stearns also attended. Stearns
leasesthe building to Stone Belt and is on the Stone Belt East
Advisory Council.
“We are excited about this new building because it will allow
Stone Beltto provide better customer service and community
relations,” said Stewart.
Stone Belt also has an office in Columbus, a day program
location inSeymour and several supported living sites which make up
Stone Belt East.
STONE BELT OF OWEN COUNTY (SOI)HOLDS ANNUAL PICNIC
Stone Belt of Owen County (SOI) held its annualsummer picnic on
September 2 at Flatwoods Park inEllettsville.
There were a number of activities to keep clientsand staff busy
at this all-day event including a barbecuelunch, volleyball and
hiking park trails.
The finale of the event every year is a group waterfight. Teams
fight to the finish to see who can end upthe wettest.
“Clients and staff look forward to the picnic everyyear,” said
SOI Director Kim Hodges. “We all take a dayoff from work and spend
time with each other in a laidback atmosphere.”
MILESTONES DISTANT LEARNINGNETWORK CLASSES
Stone Belt’s Milestones divisionoffers several Distant
LearningNetwork classes throughout the year.
These sessions are geared towardmedical and ancillary
professionals.They fulfill Category 1 CEU creditsand there is no
fee to attend.
All sessions are held inMilestones’ building at 550 S.
AdamsStreet, via satellite, in the main
conferenceroom on thefirst floor.New classesare usuallyannounced
onStone Belt’sWeb site about1 month priorto the class.
There is no fee to attend. Log on towww.stonebelt.org and click
on theNews and Events link and follow thelink to the Calendar of
Events. Classesare listed here by date.
Some class topics in 2005 included:Mood Stabilizers, Multiple
Medicationsand Metabolics; Navigating Patientswith Bipolar Disorder
Across the ThreePhases of Treatment; andPharmacoeconomics in
BipolarDisorder and Schizophrenia: Are theOutcomes Worth the
Cost?
For more information or to beadded to the class mailing list
contactMilestones Behavior Analyst JeremyToschlog at 812-333-6324,
ext. 280 oremail [email protected].
STAFF MEMBER RECEIVES ARC AWARDBeth Richardson, Manager of
Maxwell House
group home was awarded the Cathleen ClarkProfessional Service
Award from the Arc of Indiana.
She accepted this awardon November 18 at the Arc’sannual awards
ceremony inIndianapolis. Beth is a 17-yearveteran of Stone
Belt.
“Beth has made a worldof difference to all thechildren, families
and staff
associated with Maxwell House,” said Stone BeltCEO Leslie Green.
“We congratulate her on thisprestigious recognition.”
STONE BELT HOSTS STUDENT MENTORING DAYOn October 12, the City of
Columbus partnered with
Stone Belt, the Bartholomew County School Corporationand the
Bartholomew County Arc for the first annualStudent Mentoring Day
for individuals with disabilities.
Twelve area high-school age students were paired withCity of
Columbus employees to observe and gain hands-onexperience in a
variety of employment settings with theCity. Some placements
included the Columbus Area ArtsCouncil, Police Department, City
Utilities, Human RightsDepartment, City Garage/Transit, Parks &
Recreation,Planning Department and Personnel Department.
Local student Jessica Reynolds enjoyed her mentorshipat the
city, “The mentoring day was a great experience forme because I
learned about different jobs available inColumbus,” she said.
“The City was very eager to get local students involvedin the
Mentoring Day,” said Susan Russ, Stone Belt AssistantDirector for
Employment and Personal Resources. “Themayor and personnel
department were extremely involvedin making this partnership a
success by setting upnumerous mentoring opportunities in their
organization.
Students worked with their mentor in the morningand then
attended a luncheon provided by theBartholomew County Arc. The
luncheon included amotivational presentation by local artist Paul
Neufelder.
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Stone Belt • touchstone • FALL 20054
award ceremony
Annual Meeting Celebrates
JOHNATHAN HOSSLERSupervised Group Living (SGL)Outstanding
Client
During the last year, JohnathanHossler has graduated from
highschool, started a new schedulewithin Stone Belt’s day
programand has volunteered in thecommunity by delivering food
tothose not able to go out. He showsgreat respect for those he
cares for.
This year Stone Belt’sagency-wide annual meetingwas held August
22 at theBloomington ConventionCenter.
The event was attendedby about 500 peopleincluding clients,
theirfamilies, staff, boardmembers, volunteers andcommunity
partners. It isone of the organization’shighlights of the year and
oneof the largest seated eventsheld at the convention center.
At the meeting clients,staff, volunteers andcommunity partners
wererecognized for theiroutstanding contributions toStone Belt and
its mission.See winners at right.
Attendees enjoyed acatered dinner buffet andkeynote address by
Stone BeltCEO Leslie Green. Thespeech highlighted milestonesin the
organizationthroughout 2005.
Three of Stone Belt’ssatellite locations also heldannual award
ceremonieswhere consumers, staff andcommunity groups werehonored.
To read moreabout the Lawrence County,Owen County and Eastlocations
award ceremoniesand for a list of their winnerssee Page 6.
This year Stone Belt gaveseveral businesses, withwhom it has
strong workingrelationships with, theopportunity to sponsor
itsannual meeting.Sponsors were as follows:
Gold Sponsor / $1,000
• Chase
Silver Sponsors / $500
• Bradley & Associates, Inc.• SIHO Insurance Services• Bill
C. Brown Associates
Bronze Sponsors / $250
• Monroe Bank• Johnson & Associates• Employment Plus
“This year’s meetingcelebrated a year of growthand change. I
look forwardto working together toacheive even more success
in2006,” said Green.
MYRA HAWKINSSupported Living Program (SLP)Outstanding Client
Myra has had quite a year ofchange. She advocated for herselfto
become financially independentfrom her family and moved out ofher
family’s home into her ownplace where she is enjoying makingher own
decisions. Myra is livingproof that self-advocacy works.
JEREMY MARTINEmployment and PersonalResources (EPR)Outstanding
Client
In his third year as a canine playtimeattendant at Wayport
Kennels,Jeremy has truly become anoutstanding community
participant.He has accomplished much this yearincluding a new
roommate, newapartment and continuing his job.
LORI METCALFOperations & ManufacturingServices Outstanding
Client
This past year Lori has become ashining star within the 10th
Streetmanufacturing facility, especiallyon tasks requiring nimble
fingers toassemble complex pieces. Thisclient has gained many
friends,enjoys her quiet time and shows apositive upbeat attitude
at work.
RON SIPESOperations and ManufacturingServices Outstanding
Employee
It is said that attitude determinessuccess. Because of a newly
foundpositive attitude, Ron has becomeone of the most valued people
at10th Street. Courteous and politehe does his job without
complaintand is a key reason that things getclean whenever
needed.
ANGIE WILESInfant and Child DevelopmentalServices (ICDS)
Outstanding Employee
Perfect words to describe Angiewould be loyal, organized,
flexible,caring, compassionate, empathetic,non-judgmental and
dedicated.Her loyalty is evident in the serviceshe has provided to
Stone Belt overthe past nine years.
KATHERINE O’BRIENMilestones Clinical & HealthResources
Outstanding Employee
Katherine is a leader in her owndepartment and throughout
theentire organization. Katherine isalways seeking the best and
leastrestrictive interventions for ourclients. She is focused on
alwaysfinding the best practices andleading transformations.
KRISTIN MANNOAdministration Outstanding Employee
This year Kristin took on new andexpanded responsibilities in
herhuman resources role. She acceptedthe challenges of
supervision,finished her degree at IU and wasinstrumental in the
push to masshire a group of employees in StoneBelt’s east
region.
MARK NORRISEmployee of the Year
Most notably Mark pursues themission of Stone Belt and pusheshis
staff and clients to do the same.Accepting a challenge few
otherswould even consider, he lived awayfrom his family and moved
clientsin the midst of a snowstorm. Henow makes a 2-hour drive
severaltimes a week.
MARTIN BONOWSKI & DALE MOUZINResidential Program of the
Year
Stone Belt expanded this year with the addition of several new
supportedliving sites in our east region. These sites, many with
clients exiting theMuscatatuck State Developmental Center, have
been a tremendous success.One of these sites, occupied by Martin
Bonowski and Dale Mouzin, isrecognized as Residential Program of
the Year. The staff at Dale andMartin’s have aggressively pursued
normal community interactions, haveinvolved the clients’ families
in their lives for the first time in years andhave created a home
that is comfortable and welcoming. True success canbe found simply
by looking at their smiles and obvious contentment.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PAR(IU ACE PROGRAM)Community Partner
Award
IU’s Community Outreach and Partnhas provided Stone Belt with a
voluntfor Community Engagement (ACE).pictured), recruits, organizes
and trainthe organization. COPSL pays Sarah instrumental in
reviving volunteer serIU and the COPSL program for their
Eventrecognizesindividuals’
commitmentto Stone Belt
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Stone Belt • touchstone • FALL 2005 5
s Clients, Staff, Community
DAN HARTNETTClient Selected Staff Day Programs
Keeping work fun is important tothe clients of Stone Belt. No
matterwhat else may be happening, DanHartnett, Work Services
Specialist,always succeeds in keeping StoneBelt’s clients safe,
working hard andhaving fun at 10th Street’smanufacturing
facility.
KAY WESTFALLClient Selected Staff Residential Programs
Kay is a long-time Stone Belt staffand is the manager of
MillerHouse, a group home that has beenrecognized as one of the
best grouphomes in Indiana. Kay bringshappiness, fun and
organization tothe clients at Miller House and atStone Belt.
TIFFANY SPEERBRECKERSupervised Group Living (SGL)Outstanding
Employee
Described as both an idealemployee and supervisor, Tiffany
isalways looking for ways to improveher house, clients and staff.As
the associate manager atBridgwaters House, she has createda
well-organized and smoothly runweekend operation there.
LINDA RUSHTONSupported Living Program (SLP)Outstanding
Employee
A relatively new employee, Lindahas taken to her job and has
notbeen afraid to do whatever isnecessary to get events set,
clientstaken care of and the entiredepartment organized. She
learnedher job quickly and willinglyaccepts new assignments.
URSZULA DAVIDEmployment and PersonalResources (EPR)Outstanding
Employee
Described by her co-workers ashaving the patience of a
saint,Urszula is always working hard toensure that the clients she
isworking with are fully engaged andenjoying activities. She is a
modelfor the direct service professional.
BETSY HIGGINSAward of Distinguished Service
Betsy received this award inrecognition for her long-termservice
on the Stone Belt board ofdirectors. She served for over fiveyears
and contributed greatly to thegroup during her tenure. Stone
Beltrecognizes Betsy’s dedication andthanks her for her commitment
tothe organization over this period.
JODI SHEPHERDVolunteer of the Year
A graduate student in the IUSchool of Library and
InformationSciences, Jodi has devoted manyhours of her time to
develop aresource library for Stone Belt’sICDS program. With her
help, acomputer database was establishedand every file in the
ICDScollection was categorized.
MAVIS ANDERSONEarly Intervention ServicesProvider
Mavis Anderson is a Social Workerat Bloomington Hospital. She is
akind and caring soul that does notlike to see families do without
andhelps connect them with resourcesthey need. Mavis is an “Angel
ofMercy” at the hospital and a greatresource to the ICDS
program.
MAUREEN GAHANVisionary Leadership Award
Professional, yet caring. Demanding,yet understanding. These
phrasesapply to Maureen. Her combinationof directness, compassion
andcommon sense has always made hervaluable to Stone Belt and this
valuewas magnified this year with herleadership of the Milestones
Clinicaland Health Resources program.
STEVE WARRENHero Award
This award is a new one created forSteve. He was responsible for
a veryexpedient decision that ultimatelysaved a client’s life.
Steve is anEmployment Support Consultant.This award is called the
Hero Awardthis year, but from now on, will beknown as the Steve
Warren Heroaward, given for heroic actions.
RTNERSHIP IN LEARNING
nership in Learning (COPSL) programteer coordinator called an
AdvocateStone Belt’s ACE, Sarah Cohen (not
ns IU student volunteers to come toto work for Stone Belt and
has beenrvices at Stone Belt. Stone Belt thankspartnership.
PEOPLE AND ANIMAL LEARNING SERVICE (PALS)Community Partner
Award
Providing one of the most popular programs with Stone Belt
clients,People and Animal Learning Services (PALS), provides
opportunities forclients to ride horses and participate in their
care. The PALS staff is alwayshelpful and supportive to ensure that
people can participate at whateverlevel they are able to. The PALS
group goes above and beyond to includeStone Belt clients in their
social gatherings and celebrations. Stone Beltthanks PALS for their
partnership.
BAKER FAMILY PRACTICEThomas Middleton Award
Over the years the Baker Family Practice has provided dental
care for manydisabled persons whom might otherwise have had
difficulty finding dentalcare. As a group they are unflappable.
Everyone is welcome and nothingseems to throw them. The entire
office works well with individuals withcognitive disabilities. We
know that they have worked out many differentkinds of financial
arrangements for families who might not have otherwisebeen able to
afford dental care for the their dependents. We think theentire
dental staff epitomizes the attributes of Thomas Middleton.
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Stone Belt • touchstone • FALL 20056
award ceremonies
STONE BELT OF LAWRENCE COUNTYAWARD WINNERS
Employees of the YearBilly Brim Janice Earl
Outstanding Employee SLPJamie Templeton
Outstanding Employee SGLMaria Howell
Outstanding Client LSEBryan Allen
Outstanding Client Manufacturing / Career Advancement Services
(CAS)Becky Johnson
Outstanding Client EPRJason Harper
Ms. CongenialitySherry Boyles
Mr. CongenialityJohnny Brooking
JesterCrystal Pitts
Community Employer of the Year Day and Carter Mortuary
Residence of the YearStone Belt Simpson House
STONE BELT OF OWEN COUNTYAWARD WINNERS
JesterDale Mullins
Mr. CongenialityGreg Johnson
Ms. CongenialityJenny Ross
Outstanding Client EPRJeremiah Dougherty
Outstanding Client LSEMike Jones
Outstanding Client ManufacturingMarsha Shrake
Employer of the YearCloverdale McDonald’s
Volunteer of the YearMike Turpin
Client Selected Staff of the YearMary Lopossa
Outstanding Employees of the YearJamie ReeceJulie Webb
Residence of the YearHite House
STONE BELT EASTAWARD WINNERS
Volunteer of the YearBrenda Luken
Community PartnersKid’s CommonsRecycle Center for the City of
Seymour
Employer of the YearKohl’s Department Store
Outstanding AdvocateWendy Heaton, Independent Case Manager
Professional AchievementYvonne Wilhite, Columbus High North
Outstanding Client Employment ServicesJamie Turner, Kohl’sGina
Goodwin, Fantastic Sams
Outstanding Client LSEMissy Bishop and Brad Summerlot
Outstanding Client SLPEniex Brewer
Residential Program of the YearDennis Spencer and Charlie
York
Outstanding EmployeesDan MustardCricket ReaBenet Pearl
Stone Belt satellite locations holdannual award ceremonies
Simpson House clients and staff smile as they receive
the“Residence of the Year” award at the Stone Belt ofLawrence
County annual award ceremony.
Stone Belt Supported Living Program Teams Coordinator Mark
Norris, presents Eniex Brewer with the award for“Outstanding Client
in the Supported Living Program.”
This year Stone Belt’s three satellitelocations held annual
awardceremonies to honor clients, staff andcommunity members at
theirrespective locations.
Read on to find out more abouteach event and see below for a
list of allaward winners.
STONE BELT OF LAWRENCE COUNTYThe Lawrence County Arc (LARC)
held their annual meeting September 22at the Lawrence County
Fair and ExpoBuilding in Bedford. The event featuredStone Belt
services and the excellent
partnership that exists with theLawrence County Arc.
Attendees shared a buffet dinnerwhile Stone Belt CEO Leslie
Green gavea keynote address. Stone Belt ofLawrence County Director
Kim Hodgesled the event. This was Hodges’ firstyear as Director and
her first annualmeeting with the group.
“I was so excited to join Stone Beltof Lawrence County this year
and to be apart of its exciting new ventures,” saidHodges. “The
annual meeting was agreat time to come together to
recognizeeveryone’s hard work.”
STONE BELT OF OWEN COUNTYThe Owen County Arc held their
annual meeting November 5 at theSweet Owen Industries (SOI)
buildingin Spencer. The event featured StoneBelt services and the
excellentpartnership that exists with the OwenCounty Arc.
Attendees shared a buffet dinnerand a keynote address by Stone
Belt ofOwen County Director Kim Hodges.
“Every year I can’t wait for thedinner,” said SOI client Sam
Siscoe. “It’sso fun to see all my friends and watchthem win
awards.”
STONE BELT EASTStone Belt East held its annual
awards ceremony October 25 at theBartholomew County City
Hall.
In the past only BartholomewCounty has held an annual
celebration,but this year the group felt they shouldexpand on this,
largely to celebrate thearea’s growth this past year.
“The growth our area hasexperienced this past year has
beenenormous. We are so proud of ourefforts and wanted to celebrate
oursuccess,” said Dan Mustard, ColumbusEPR Team Leader.
Jeremiah Dougherty shows off his “Outstanding ClientEPR” award
with Team Leader Dawn Mullins at theStone Belt of Owen County
annual award ceremony.
Bird BonanzaWinter is a perfect time to provide shelter and food
to your feathered friends.
Stone Belt Art & Craft makes a variety of bird houses and
feeders to meetyour needs. All pieces are built with durable
weather-hardy white cedar.
To buy, call: 812.332.2168, ext. 270.
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Stone Belt • touchstone • FALL 2005 7
staff spotlight
By Jenny AustinLooking at George Kirles, you might think he
has
everything. He has a job in the community he’s heldfor years. He
is in a relationship with a smart, prettyyoung woman. He works out
at the YMCA. Heattends the local Greek Orthodox Church. He’s been
afixture in the 10th Street manufacturing facility andLife Skills
Enrichment (LSE) classes for years.
But George felt like something was missing.Growing up with a
disability in the 1950s meant thatGeorge’s academic opportunities
were very limited.He wanted to be able to exercise his mind just as
heexercises his body. Although George had attendedAdult Basic
Education classes, those just weren’t quitewhat he was looking
for.
When Stone Belt 10th Street began offering CareerAdvancement
Services (CAS) classes, George becameinterested. CAS provides a
sound grounding in basicacademics, combined with instruction
inemployment-related areas and character education.
In addition, CAS has begun to offer occupationaltraining in
various areas that will eventually lead toCertificates of Technical
Achievement for participants.
Persons in CAS also rotate through paid work inManufacturing
Services that not only serves as ahands-on training in specific
tasks but providesincome as well.
Although George had a schedule he enjoyed in LifeSkills
Enrichment (LSE) classes, his curiosity waspiqued by the new
classes downstairs. Georgearranged to shadow CAS classes for a few
times; andhe liked what he saw. Here were the academics Georgehad
been desiring: reading and practical math such asmoney skills and
time-telling. Classes based on skilllevels meant that George could
learn with his peers.CAS instructors had been selected from
theManufacturing Services supervisors, so George wouldbe working
with familiar staff as well. George wasready to start
immediately.
There was just one small catch. Unfortunately, insocial
services, much of the world is hung on whatfunding is available.
George did not have the correctfunding for Career Advancement
Services (CAS);George had funding for Life Skills Enrichment
(LSE).Now CAS is a less expensive service than LSE, so thestate
would save money by letting George switch, butit’s not an automatic
process. George took the leadadvocating to his Case Manager to
change his plan ofcare to include the new classes. He made it very
clearto her that this was a change he wanted to make.
When George knows what he wants, he is likely toget it. That was
certainly the case with CAS. Beforelong, the changes had gone
through, and George wasable to make the switch. Now you will often
findGeorge seated at the classroom table, hard at work onhis day’s
lessons.
In addition to many of the community activities he isactive in,
George Kirles has recently started participatingin Career
Advancement Services (CAS) classes.
clientspotlight
George Kirles:A man who
has it all
Meet Mark Osborn:new Stone Belt CFO
Mark Osborn’s arrival inBloomington as Stone Belt’s new CFOis a
homecoming of sorts.
Osborn has traveled the countryand world working for a variety
ofcompanies, but even after all this, hiscareer has brought him
full circle,returning him to the state of his youth.
An Indiana native, Osborn grewup outside Ft. Wayne. He moved
toBloomington in 1979, as a freshmanto attend Indiana University.
Aftergraduating with a degree inEconomics, he moved to
Indianapolisto take a job with the City ofIndianapolis. He then
returned toBloomington after a few years wherehe attended IU for
graduate schooland received his MBA.
After this, Osborn worked at avariety of companies making stops
incities including Minneapolis, St.Louis, Cleveland, Chicago,
Austin andlastly Dallas. His positions were all inthe corporate
finance field. Some ofthese jobs even sent him to exoticworld
cities like Hong Kong and Paris.
“My friends were always enviousof all the traveling I did with
work.What they didn’t realize is that Ididn’t even get to see the
cities. Mostof my days were spent in conferencerooms that could
have beenanywhere,” said Osborn.
This frequent travel andexhausting work schedule is just oneof
the reasons Osborn wanted tomake a change in his career.
“There has been this trend in thecorporate world where people
areleaving high-paying jobs to dosomething simpler with their
lives,” hesaid. “Many found it difficult tobalance a personal and
professionallife. They find themselves entirelyconsumed by their
work life andunfulfilled in the process. This waspart of my idea
that I wanted to make
a change and do something different.”Stone Belt seems like a
perfect fit
for Osborn. He sees the company’sdesire to reduce its dependence
ongovernmental funding as one areawhere his for-profit experience
canreally help. Osborn said this issomething that really impressed
himduring the interview process.
Osborn sees Stone Belt’smanufacturing operations as one areathat
can help fill in the gap fordecreased federal aid.
“I like the baseline strategy forLeather Works, but the
executionneeds to be tweaked a little,” he said.“We need to brand
the productconsistent with our mostdistinguishing characteristic,
thatthese products are produced by thedevelopmentally
disabled.”
The need to tell Stone Belt’s storybetter is something Osborn
feelspassionately about. He feels that theorganization needs to tap
into thedesire that many companies have togive back to the
community.
“Many companies find it
objectionable to just give money, butwe’re not asking them to do
that.We’re asking them to buy our high-quality leather product that
happensto be handcrafted by persons withdevelopmental
disabilities,” he said.
An example he cites is law firms.Many law firms give out gifts
to theirclients every year. Sometimes thismight be an item like a
leatherportfolio. Mark said Stone Beltshould tap into companies
like thisand get them to buy Leather Works’portfolios. “They are
spending themoney anyway; why not have themspend it with an
organization that willuse the profits to help others?” hesaid.
During Osborn’s interviewprocess he was most impressed withhow
Stone Belt staff members he mettalked about their work in a
contextof delivering a valuable service.
“Stone Belt talked about beingeffective in what they did. They
werevery cognizant about outcomes withthe decisions they made. This
was theconnection I was looking for,” he said.
Osborn has spent the early daysof his transition meeting with
variousdepartment directors and learningabout the organization.
From hismeetings he’s concluded that StoneBelt is at a good turning
point.
“Changes in State and Federalfunding are going to cause us
toevaluate how we provide services,” hesaid. “This can create a
fertileenvironment for rethinking whatwe’ve done historically to
try to adaptto these changes.”
Mark is excited about being apart of Stone Belt and sharing
itsstory. “We need to tell what we do ina way that reaches people
on anemotional level. That’s what greatbrands do.”
“Changes in State andFederal funding are going
to cause us to evaluatehow we provide services.This can create a
fertile
environment forrethinking what we’ve
done historically to try toadapt to these changes.”
— Mark Osborn,Stone Belt CFO
Self-Advocacy at workclient spotlight
Angie Ehlers doesn’t leave her fate in thehands of others, she
takes on challengesherself and fights for what she believes in.She
is a true self-advocate for herself andothers with
disabilities.
Ehlers, a resident of Stone Belt’sSouthern House group home, has
been activein self-advocacy causes for over 10 years. Sheis
President of the Monroe County Self-Advocacy Group and recently
took on a newchallenge; she was chosen to attend thePartners in
Policymaking Academy.
The Partners in Policymaking Academyis a leadership-training
program for adultswith disabilities and parents of children
withdisabilities. It is funded by the Governor’sCouncil for People
with Disabilities. Theprogram teaches leadership skills
andtechniques to develop positive partnershipswith elected
officials, school personnel andother individuals who make policy
decisionsabout services for persons with disabilities.
Ehlers became involved in theorganization after receiving
informationabout it at the Governor’s Council for Peoplewith
Disabilities last year. She applied andwas accepted. The program is
open to alimited number of people, this year about 40 were chosen.
It covers hotel, travel andother expenses for its attendees.
For Ehlers, being chosen for theacademy meant making a few
commitments.She travels to Indianapolis monthly toparticipate in
two all-day sessions. She isalso responsible for completing
homeworkassignments and a final community project.
Some session topics include: historybehind the self-advocacy
movement,education about legislative policies and ideasfor
organizing self-advocacy in thecommunity. In sessions, participants
have theopportunity to practice new skills, build anetwork of
people from diverse culturalbackgrounds and learn from national
experts.
“ I’m much moreconfident. I believeI’m working for achange for
myselfand others like me.”
— Angie Ehlers,Self-Advocate
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