Aspirations Spring 2013

Aspirationsa n e w s l e t t e r f o r a s p i r e ’ s f a m i ly a n d f r i e n d saspireofillinois.org

spring 2013

Jacob’s journey: A ‘night and day’ transformation

i n s i d e t h i s i s s u e :

A day for the record books

Bridget: From setbacks to success

Magnificant Moulin Rouge!

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Letter from our President :

2012 events >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

2012 marked 10 years of fashion, fun, and celebrating dreams achieved at the annual aBC fashion show! the fashion show benefits aspire Children’s services.

sunday funday! aspire’s dedicated Junior Board raised nearly $13,000 for aspire!

happy holidays! thanks to Kellogg’s and some social media ‘secret santas’, nearly100 gifts were given to aspire participants this holiday season.

the spirit of aspire never ceases to amaze me! it is infectious and powerful! as we go about our work reshaping society’s expectations for people with developmental disabilities, i continue to be inspired by the optimism i see taking hold all around me. and as you read the stories in the spring edition of aspirations, i hope you get the same feeling.

for the longest time, people with developmental disabilities have been told that there was no meaningful way for them to participate in mainstream classrooms, find a job, or fully participate in their communities. thanks to the work aspire does every day, those societal messages are changing. take, for example, the story of Bridget Gholston contained within the pages of this edition of aspirations. Bridget’s path to full-time employment started with aspire’s Community employment services where she received coaching for the job market. after aspire Coffeeworks was launched, she was an ideal candidate for aspire’s new venture and today is a full-time employee of metropolis Coffee Company of Chicago! see page 6. Bridget remains a living example of how aspire is changing the way society thinks about people with disabilities.

fifty years ago when the founding families of aspire came together to support their children, this is exactly what they had envisioned: a community where people of all abilities could live, learn and grow together. the only way to achieve this vision is for us to start early in a person’s life to build the skills and experiences that will allow full participation in our communities. that is what separates aspire—our unique model of inclusion. with the help from many of our community partners—st. mathias school, Brookfield Zoo, officemax or walgreens—we are creating new opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to live complete, meaningful lives within their communities.

as we seek to reshape society’s expectations, we give thanks to all of our community partners who help people with developmental disabilities aspire to new possibilities. in particular, we are thankful to all of our supporters, volunteers, and donors who make this work possible.

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JIM KALES president & Ceo, aspire

@aspireprez

September

November

December

Hav i n g a H a n d f u l of volunteers is great. Having nearly 100 volunteers is a game-changer!

That’s the fortunate situation Aspire found itself in this January when nearly 100 volunteers from OfficeMax and its Canadian business to business supplier, Grand & Toy, lent a hand. Employees from all over the country, as well as Canada, got in on the fun-filled day.

Aside from meeting Aspire staff and hanging out with adults who participate in Aspire programming, the dozens of volunteers got down and dirty.

Well, clean, actually.

That’s because many of the volunteers spent the day cleaning thousands of toys and therapy equipment used at Aspire Children’s Services.

But at Aspire, toys are more than just toys. These donated toys serve specific purposes when it comes to therapy. Whether it’s hand-eye coordination or motor skills, Aspire has a tool—or, toy—for the job!

That’s why it was beyond helpful for the Grand & Toy and OfficeMax staffs to help us clean and sanitize all the toys.

A day for the record books

The volunteer event was not only greatly appre-ciated, but it was also a record-breaking effort. The group was the largest single volunteer turnout in Aspire history!

Samantha Fenlon, Aspire’s Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, stressed the importance of the event. She said the group knocked out an important task in one day that would have otherwise taken weeks to complete.

“It was beyond amazing to have that kind of turnout from Grand & Toy and OfficeMax,” Fenlon said. “I hope this becomes a new trend at Aspire. I think it’s really rewarding for office morale to volunteer as a group and see what a difference they can make when working together for a common cause.”

2012 events >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 2013 events >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Bands, beer, and Ben! Join us June 22nd for Ben-a-fit 4 at the Grove in forest park. we’ll be celebrating Ben’s achievements! Visit aspireofillinois.org/benafit to learn more!

Can you do the Can Can? Big City night moulin rouge brought paris to Chicago for an evening, all benefiting the inspiring children served by aspire.

save the date fore this year’s aspire Classic Golf tournament. it’s monday, June 24th! for more info visit: aspireofillinois.org/golf

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I think it’s really rewarding for office morale to volunteer as a group and see what a difference they can make when working together for a common cause.

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February

Com

inG

soon

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June 22nd

June 24th

Wi t H o u t H e s i tat i o n, Jacob leads his new friend Miss Anna down the long hallway at Aspire Children’s Services in Hillside.

Jacob met his new therapist but a minute ago. So naturally, he’s timid. Yet he flashes a sheepish smile and confidently continues through the doors.

“Six months ago, this would have never happened,” said Jacob’s mom, Hilda Arana, with a pause in her voice. “For him to just walk in there with no screaming or crying or kicking. It’s amazing.”

Before starting therapy at Aspire last fall, Jacob was angry and acted aggressively toward anyone but his mom. Six months of occupational and speech therapy at Aspire Children’s Services have changed that, as the preschooler is now eager to learn and take on new challenges.

Jacob’s made a world of progress

“In two words—the difference has been night and day. He was completely the opposite,” Arana said. “Today, he’s happier. He wants to go to school. It’s an incredible difference.”

Jacob’s progress hasn’t been limited to speech therapy at Aspire’s Hillside location. He also receives occupational therapy from Aspire’s Chicago location, which was created through Aspire’s recent merger with the Belle Center of Chicago.

A therapist from Aspire’s Chicago location visits Jacob every

week at his school. The at-school therapy is beneficial to Jacob’s progress because he is getting services in his natural environment. The in-school visits have been a godsend for Arana. And it’s not just because Jacob’s able to receive two different kinds of therapy from the same service provider. While that’s beneficial, Arana said the especially helpful aspect of Aspire’s Chicago location is that it brings the therapy to Jacob.

“It means the world to me. I’m a single mom so I don’t have that option of having someone pick him up and drop him off somewhere for occupational therapy,” Arana said. “Aspire’s Belle Center makes my life a lot better.”

Taking the proper path, even if it’s harder

Before Aspire, even school was a struggle for Jacob. While most kids are excited to partake in pint-size shenanigans, Jacob had little interest in running with the crowd. He would just seclude himself in a corner or bolt out of the classroom, his mom said.

“I would drop him off at school, and the principal would have to hold Jacob because he was out of control,” Arana said. “He would run out of the school, hitting, biting, and screaming. Crying for no reason.”

Arana noticed her son was struggling with his speech at an early age. Jacob has a cousin who is about the same age as him. When they were both 2, Jacob’s cousin was putting together sentence after sentence while Jacob was still struggling with words.

C o V e r s t o r y :

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The speech difficulties led Arana to take Jacob to the doctor, where he was diagnosed with ADHD. Later, a psychiatrist prescribed Adderall to Jacob.

Society expected Jacob to take Adderall, mellow out, and hopefully fall in line with his peers. But that’s not what Arana wanted.

She didn’t want her 5-year-old on medication. She wanted a natural and therapeutic way for her son to make progress in his speech and movements.

When Arana heard about Aspire Children’s Services, she was sure she found what she needed. But, like most good things, it didn’t come easily.

Patience and persistence pays off

As amazing as Jacob’s transformation has been, it wasn’t progress at first visit. The first two or three sessions at Aspire, Arana said her son still wasn’t doing well. He didn’t want to go with his therapist, Miss Megan. He struggled and put up a fight, throwing himself on the floor.

But Miss Megan stuck with it. That’s how Arana knew Aspire would succeed where medication, counselors and psychiatrists failed.

“I noticed Miss Megan’s patience,” Arana said. “She was very good. She said, ‘Jacob, it’s OK for you to cry. I know you’re upset.’ It was just the way she was talking to him—I knew it was going to work.”

“After the first couple of times, he was looking forward to coming here.”

Now, Jacob is excited for therapy, even on his first day with a new therapist.

As Jacob wraps up his first session with Miss Anna, the bond they’ve built in a short hour is almost palpable. Jacob lets out another smile—a little less sheepish this time—after beating Miss Anna in a game of Guess Who?

“I won the game!” Jacob says, chuckling.

The anger that once existed is now happiness. The signs of struggle are now signs of progress. The words are now sentences.

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Six months ago, this would have never happened. For him to just walk in there with no screaming or crying

or kicking. It’s amazing.

“”

In two words the difference has been

night and day. He was completely the

opposite. Today he’s happier. He wants to go to school. It’s an

incredible difference.

“

”

tH e r e’s a b u z z o f l au g H t e r and motion permeating around Bridget Gholston’s workstation at Metropolis Coffee Company. She’s the center of it—jawing jokingly with her coworkers who she now calls her family.

But a few years ago, this wasn’t the case. Social setbacks kept her from keeping a job as she struggled to find full-time employment.

That was until Gholston found out about Aspire’s Community Employment Services.

Support goes a long wayIn a three-year span, Gholston has become a living example of inclusion. Gholston started her Aspire journey while participating in the Supported Living Program, which helps adults with disabilities live independently. Before long, Gholston progressed to a job at one of the premiere coffee roasters in the country.

But it didn’t come easy for her.

Because of communication and social obstacles, Gholston couldn’t find consistent employment for years.

She simply needed support.

“In past jobs I had, I never had support. I couldn’t go talk to someone if there was a problem at work,” Gholston said. “I couldn’t call a job coach and say, ‘Hey, I don’t know how to handle that.’”

Jessica Foos helped change that.

Foos was Gholston’s job coach at Aspire, and someone Gholston called a great friend. After showing promise in the job-training program, Gholston was offered a position at Aspire CoffeeWorks.

“I learned a lot at Aspire CoffeeWorks,” Gholston said. “I learned to keep a job and to get along with people.”

It’s family, not a job

Aspire CoffeeWorks provides jobs for some of Aspire’s adult participants who have disabilities. CoffeeWorks employees work at the Metropolis roasting garage in Chicago and help prepare, package and ship gourmet coffee whose sales benefit Aspire.

While working with Aspire CoffeeWorks, Gholston made the trip from her Forest Park home to the downtown roasting garage once a week. She immediately fell in love with the position.

Thanks to her job training, Gholston started picking up on social cues. She was able to communicate with her supervisor. She was well-equipped to succeed.

So well-equipped, in fact, that Gholston wasn’t at Aspire CoffeeWorks long. In less than a year, Gholston went from working one day a week with Aspire CoffeeWorks to a full-time position with Metropolis.

“That’s what Aspire CoffeeWorks is all about—creating opportunities for adults with disabilities,” said Machaela Casey, the Manager at Aspire CoffeeWorks. “Bridget is a perfect example of that. She had all the skills. She just needed a little coaching and encouragement. Now, she’s moved onto a full-time position that she absolutely loves.”

Love may be an understatement. Gholston said Metropolis feels like home and her coworkers feel like family.

She was once in the opposite scenario—living in a world where she felt distant and misunderstood. Now, Gholston is part of a cohesive group that understands her.

“Everyone at Metropolis knows when I’m having a bad day,” she said. “They come to me and say, ‘What’s wrong? Why aren’t you smiling? We’re used to seeing your smiling face.’ They’re always there. They look out for me.”

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She had all the skills. She just needed a little coaching and

encouragement. Now, she’s moved onto a full-time position that she

absolutely loves.

“”

Meet Bridget

From setbacks to success

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Big City Night was a huge success! Nearly 400 Chicagoans-turned-Parisians dined on decadent French dishes, shared inspiring stories, and danced the night away!

The event, hosted by NBC5 Chicago’s Lisa Parker, raised nearly $200,000 for Aspire Children’s Services.

Cynthia Stark received the Geraldine Post Breaker “Building Their Future” Award for her visionary leadership on Aspire’s Board of Directors and dedication to Aspire’s mission.

A very special thanks to our sponsors for making this night possible.

Our premiere sponsors:

• P. Jay & Jenny Fortner, Goldman Sachs

• Good Heart Work Smart Foundation

• OfficeMax

• William D. Walsh Family

For a complete list of our sponsors visit: aspireofillinois.org/bigcitynight

Big City Night benefits Aspire Children’s Services, one of Chicagoland’s most comprehensive programs for infants and children with developmental delays and disabilities.

Thank you! presenting

sponsor

aBoVe: From left to right, Cynthia Stark, Lisa Parker, and Candi Carter smile for the camera. Below: Jim Gainer (far right) with wife Sue Gainer, and daughter Macayla, share their family’s story. top riGht: Can Can dancers entertain the crowd.

From setbacks to success

:

WhatdoesYOUR do?office

coffee

Funds services for kids & adults with disabilities

Provides certified organic and fair trade coffee

Employs adults with disabilities

Partners with an award-winning roaster

CHOOSE ASPIRE COFFEEWORKS AND DO MORETo brew Aspire CoffeeWorks in your office, contact: Machaela at 630.204.8928 or [email protected]

9901 derby lanewestchester, il 60154-3709

tel 708.547.3550 fax 708.547.4067

www.aspireofillinois.org

children • adults • families serViCes for people with deVelopmental disaBilities sinCe 1960

Aspirations Spring 2013

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Transcript of Aspirations Spring 2013