halloween fun halloween extravaganza draws community …program; nadine morgan, assistant iu...

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


Extreme Magic Show


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.

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


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.


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


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.


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.


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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