a showcase of success stories - easterseals new … showcase of success stories ......
TRANSCRIPT
Spring 2015 ISSUE #1
Lives
Enriched!
A Showcase Of Success Stories
Our Promise
To enrich the lives of people touched
by disabilities and special needs.
facebook.com/eastersealsnj
twitter.com/eastersealsnj
youtube.com/eastersealsnj
linkedin.com/company/
easter-seals-new-jersey
COMMUNITY LIVING - RESIDENTIAL| UPDATE STORY
ANTHONY TRANSITIONS TO INCREASED INDEPDENCE
There’s nothing we love more at Easter Seals NJ than sharing update stories about program
participant who has taken another step toward independence! Last year, we shared how much
Anthony has grown since first arriving at an Easter Seals group home in Essex County for people
living with the challenges of mental illness one year prior.
Initially, Anthony struggled with medication management and hygiene, and preferred to isolate
himself from others. One year later, we shared how much he had grown – he was regularly
attending treatment appointments, participating in
all aspects of recovery programs, pursuing healthy
lifestyle changes, and engaging in social activities
with his fellow residents.
As a result of the tremendous strides he has made,
we are proud to celebrate his graduation to another
Easter Seals residence with less supervision –
another huge step towards independence!
Anthony has grown so much that he has now
learned to navigate the public transportation
system, which has given him the additional
confidence and access to resources he needs to
begin his search for employment.
“I have never seen Anthony smile so much,” says Dawn, who oversees Anthony’s current residence.
“Whenever anyone asks him how his day was, he smiles and says, ‘it was very good’.”
The residents recently shared in celebrating his graduation by throwing him a farewell party, where
they all shared with him how proud they are of him and how much he will be missed.
We are all proud of Anthony and although we will miss him, we look forward to continued
success on his journey toward full independence!
-Dawn Graber, Site Manager
Easter Seals New Jersey | 25 Kennedy Blvd, Suite 600 | East Brunswick, NJ 08816
Main: 732/257-6662 | Information Referral: 855/215-4541 | [email protected] | eastersealsnj.org
Information Referral Line:
855 / 215-4541
CONNECT WITH US!
l-r: resident Mombera, Makeda Moses, Service Coach,
resident Anthony, Kyle O’Dougherty, Service Coach
COMMUNITY LIVING - ADULT DAY PROGRAMS |
PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS IN LAKEWOOD MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF LOCAL NURSING HOME
RESIDENTS
Last fall, the staff
and program
participants at
Easter Seals NJ’s
day program for
people with
developmental
disabilities in
Lakewood began
volunteering
several times a
month to positively impact the lives of senior citizens residing at the Atlantic
Coast Rehabilitation Center and Nursing Home in Toms River. They spend
time singing, socializing, serving refreshments, and engaging in arts and
crafts with the residents.
During the holidays, to make the
season brighter for their friends
at the nursing home, the program
participants lovingly created a
special wreath made up of
cut-outs of each of their hands.
Easter Seals NJ believes that
everyone – regardless of their
ability level – has something
valuable to contribute to their community and we are proud of our many
program participants and staff who continually find ways to positively
impact the lives of others!
-Valerie Claudy, Direct Support Professional
Page 2 Spring 2015 - Issue #1 | Lives Enriched! A Showcase of Success Stories
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT |
TIM’S TRANSITION FROM VOCATIONAL
TRAINING CENTER TO COMMUNITY
EMPLOYMENT
When Tim, a young
man diagnosed
with a form of
Autism known as
Asperger’s
Syndrome, arrived
at Easter Seals NJ’s
vocational training
center in Franklin,
he expressed his
desire to obtain a
job in the
community.
In order to achieve
that goal, he first
needed to improve
workplace skills
that he struggled with, such as being patient and flexible with
his coworkers and accepting direction from supervisors.
After working closely with the Easter Seals staff at the voca-
tional training center for about a year, Tim was finally ready
to begin his search for community employment. He was
assigned an employment specialist to assist in finding an
appropriate job match and, ultimately, they were able to
secure him a position as a production associate at the
M&M Mars factory! The skills he obtained in the employment
program prepared him for passing their entrance exam and
successfully completing the ori-
entation.
When asked how things are
going at his new job, Tim says
“The people are nice…and the
pay is good!”.
Everyone at Easter Seals NJ’s
employment program in Franklin
is thrilled to have been a part of
Tim’s success in achieving his
employment goals and look
forward to his continued growth
on the path to independence!
-Colleen Dionne,
Employment Specialist
DEAR EASTER SEALS…
Dear Easter Seals staff
(Rio Grande Adult Day Program),
Since joining Easter Seals last year, we have seen a
tremendous change in Gerarda.
She looks forward to coming in every day and loves
spending time with the group and staff. We feel the
program is wonderful for Gerarda and we are sure it will continue to help her
grow as a person.
We are very pleased with the communication and we
know that Gerarda is in a fun and safe environment
every day she is there. We feel blessed that a program
like this exists so close to our home.
Please keep up the great work!
-Jack & Mary (caregivers of Gerarda)
When Walter came to Easter Seals NJ’s group home in Hunterdon County for people struggling to overcome
the challenges of mental illness, he set a goal of not only obtaining employment, but to maintain it. He had
been able to get jobs in the past, but always had difficulty maintaining them for more than a few months.
His job coach at Easter Seals worked closely with him and he was able to secure employment as a cashier with
Walmart. That was two years ago – a record achievement for Walter. And even now, he still looks forward to
going to work and says he couldn’t be happier.
This accomplishment has given Walter the confidence he needed to further his artistic talent of photography.
He was invited to display his art at the library and county arts and craft show, and he has even sold several of
his photographs!
The staff at Easter Seals are so proud of Walter on his accomplishments and look forward to his continued
growth and success in both his employment and his photography. -Whitney Stoneking, Site Manager
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT | SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (SCSEP)
UPDATE STORY! LINDA USES NEWLY ACQUIRED
SKILLS AND LICENSE TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT
In the fall of 2014, we shared the story of Linda, who joined Easter
Seals NJ’s Senior Community Support Program (SCSEP) in 2013 after
having been unemployed for over three years and facing homeless-
ness as a result.
The SCSEP program intervened to prevent eviction, assisted with
healthcare needs, helped her renew her driver’s license and obtain
appropriate interview attire.
Lacking a substantial employment history and high school education,
she had several barriers to overcome and was more than willing to
accept training in basically any field. She was open to learning any
skill that would help her achieve her goal of once again being
self-sufficient.
After careful consideration of her options, Linda decided to try
pursuing a career in the security field and was promptly enrolled in
the US Security Training class that was
required to obtain her state security
officer license.
After obtaining all the necessary
certifications, the staff at Easter Seals
NJ’s SCSEP program worked hard to help
her find employment and are very proud
and excited to report that Linda has
since obtained not only one, but two
part-time jobs – one of which
includes health benefits! In addition to being hired as a personal
shopper for an ecommerce grocery delivery company, she also
obtained a job in the security field she had worked hard to obtain a
license for with the potential for full time employment in the future.
Everyone at Easter Seals NJ congratulates Linda for her dedication,
diligence and hard work toward achieving her goals on the path to
regaining her independence. We are also very proud of the SCSEP
staff in Hudson County for working tirelessly to ensure Linda would
be able to overcome her barriers to employment.
- Vera Holmes, SCSEP Resource Specialist
COMMUNITY LIVING - RESIDENTIAL|
HEALTH & WELLNESS IN ESSEX COUNTY
RESIDENTS “GO RED” FOR HEART DISEASE AWARENESS
In February, residents at Easter Seals NJ’s group home for
people working to overcome the challenges of mental illness
in Essex County wore red when they gathered for a group
meeting to educate one another on the illness of heart
disease.
The residents
shared the
importance
of healthy
eating, how
to identify
the signs of a
heart attack
(such as pain in the arm and chest), and encouraging one an-
other to always listen to their doctor. Some shared personal
stories of a family history of heart disease.
“The residents here in Essex County have such respect for one
another,” says Dawn, who oversees the residence. “They always
socialize together and it’s amazing to observe them interacting
with one another and sharing concerns about each other’s
health and
happiness.”
Easter Seals is
very pleased
to see the
program
participants
embracing its initiative to implement health and wellness
education throughout all of its programs.
-Dawn Graber, Site Manager
Page 3 Spring 2015 - Issue #1 | Lives Enriched! A Showcase of Success Stories
COMMUNITY LIVING - RESIDENTIAL | WALTER
ACHIEVES HIS GOALS OF MAINTAINING
EMPLOYMENT & SHOWCASING HIS ARTWORK!
COMMUNITY LIVING - ADULT DAY PROGRAM| BELMAR ADULT DAY PROGRAM’S SHELTER PET
PILLOW PROJECT RECEIVES HELP FROM LOCAL GIRL SCOUTS
Easter Seals NJ’s adult day program for people with developmental disabilities in Belmar has been making a
positive impact on their community for the past several years through its shelter pet pillow project, where
program participants stuff pillowcases with shredded materials that are then donated to provide bedding for
local shelter pets.
Recently, the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore Troop #863 contacted the folks in Belmar wanting to offer their help
with this important volunteer endeavor. Angel, a representative of the Troop, along with her girls not only collected
pillowcases to contribute to the project, but also made a whopping 65 dog and cat toys to be donated along with
them! Way to go, girls!
“We are so excited about our new journey together and the pro-
gram participants could not be happier to continue making more pillow beds,” says Nicole
McManus, coordinator of the Belmar program.
Nicole and Angel brainstormed additional ways the troop can get involved and decided to
begin a pen-pal program in which the girls and the program participants in Belmar will exchange
correspondence. They also plan to get together to make arts and crafts in the future.
“We are looking forward to our new partnership with Troop #863 to enrich the lives of our
program participants in the community,” adds Nicole. “Thank you Angel and Jersey Shore Troop #863! Great Job!”
-Nicole McManus, Service Coordinator
REMEMBER, YOUR STORIES MATTER!
Every day, many of you work hand in hand with individuals
of varying developmental, mental, and physical disabilities
in an effort to help them reach their goals or bring positive
change or impact to their lives. This newsletter demon-
strates that.
YOUR stories of our participants’ inspiring efforts or victories
- whether large or small - and the impact Easter Seals and
our staff has in bringing those achievements to fruition are
not just important - they are critical to our mission.
Why? These stories are used in more ways than just the
success story showcase newsletter. They are featured here,
but are also used for other important purposes, such as
grant applications, annual reports, newsletters and press
releases, requests for donor support, posting on our social
media channels, and more.
Please continue to share these inspiring and important
special #lifesmoments stories with us!
Page 4 Spring 2015 - Issue #1 | Lives Enriched! A Showcase of Success Stories
SUCCESS STORY SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
When compiling your story, please ensure that the following questions
are answered as they are needed to illustrate the value that Easter Seals
NJ and its staff bring to the community and to the lives of people and
families with disabilities. Each story should clearly demonstrate the
“before, during and currently (or after)” the program participant’s arrival
at Easter Seals.
• program participant’s first name (only)
• how long they have been at Easter Seals & which location(s)
• the circumstances that brought them to Easter Seals NJ
• person’s disability and related challenges/obstacles issues to overcome
• how their life has been enriched/positively impacted by Easter Seals NJ
(which goal / special life moment did we help them to achieve?)
• their goals for further growth/achievement
• quote from staff member(s) about program participant’s progress
• quote from the participant about staff & the impact of the program
on their life (if possible)
• Include the article author’s name, title, service location
• Include one or more good quality photos to accompany
Note: please do not use abbreviations, clinical terminology,
or other language that is specific to any one service
Submit story and photo/s together in one email to Aly B. at:
with the subject line to read as follows:
“Success Story | [ESNJ location] | [participant first name or other topic]”