Passageway Employment Newsletter

July, 2015

Passageway E – 1 Employment Newsletter – July, 2015

Hello Passageway Members!

Jenny is seeking member feedback regarding days and times that would work for the Employment Meeting. We

have been holding it on Monday’s at 1:15 PM, however

we want to make sure that we are meeting everyone’s needs. Is there a time or day that would work better?

Please contact Jenny or let any of the staff know. We had a suggestion for 11-11:30 AM. Please write or call in

with your feedback!

Member News

by Mary Cowles-Bennethum Passageway has a weekly Employment Meeting that is designed to support members’ interest in Independent, Supported, or Transitional Employment. We meet on Mondays at 1:15 p.m. at Passageway Clubhouse. In attendance at the meeting recent meeting I attended were Jenny E., Mary C-B., Bryce H., Maureen M., Julia C., and Lucrisha W. At the meeting we discussed what types of jobs everyone was interested in doing, and the jobs that were of interest were: greeting or host, self-employment training, taking classes through adult education, retail or cashier, transitional housing for inmates, and mental illness or human services. We also discussed the barriers that could get in our way, and supports we might need to make our employment experience positive and successful. We discussed having guest speakers on topics we feel are necessary for us to work again.

We decided to make a face sheet for making a new resume. This would have the information that is required for most

jobs, so we would have facts with us and not only rely on memorization when we need this information. We all have some fear of the employment process and this group will help us talk through what is necessary for our success. We would like to encourage anyone who is interested in volunteering and employment outside of the clubhouse to join us for the meeting to encourage and support each other in the process of re-entering the workforce. We have an employment board that hangs in our TE/Computer Classroom off of the Clerical Unit. We have been working to update this board at least weekly and would love member’s help in this!! If you are out and about and see that a business is hiring please grab and application or let us know! Also if you are at the Clubhouse and are looking for something to do, we would love to have members spend time searching online for available jobs so that we can print those postings for everyone’s information!

A New Beginning…. by Julia Collins

(This article originated as the result of a employment class mock

interview.)

Millie: (the interviewer) How do you do. I’m Millie Jones-Cowles and

I will be interviewing you today. (She holds out her hand which I

shake firmly.) There is a soft swivel (SP) chair beside you if you’d like to sit

down. (I sit). Millie: Tell me, what position are you

applying for?

Julia: I am applying for the receptionist position at One Iowa.

Millie: How did you hear of our organization?

Julia: I was a receptionist at the Women’s Resource and Action Center in

Attention Members: If you have any

employment or education news, please

let us know! Job Postings are available

in the Clubhouse

Passageway Employment Newsletter

Passageway E – 2 Employment Newsletter – July, 2015

Iowa City for five years and on their

Board for a year so when I moved to Des Moines. I did some research to find a

niche for myself here. I found One Iowa. Millie: I notice from your resume that

you haven’t worked in a while. Can you explain a little bit about that?

Julia: Sure, I became very ill so I didn’t leave the house much. I did

things like build furniture, made jewelry, and decorated my

apartment, but I didn’t go out in the community much until I started

going to Passageway where I’ve been for the past two years. And although I’ve

done a number of different tasks there,

for the past six months I’ve worked five days a week at the front desk.

Millie: What skills do you have for the position?

Julia: I can use a business phone, channeling calls to various staff and

consumers. I take notes, meet and greet people, ask them to sign in and out,

answer questions and refer people to other local resources. Is that what you

meant? Millie: Yes. Working on the phones can

be stressful. How do you deal with stress on the job?

Julia: (Pause) Well, I try to stay calm. I

am told that I am a calm person and I try to take each call individually---one at

a time. I keep an eye on phone watching, who is talking on which

line, and I make sure the callers get to the most appropriate staff and

member/consumer. Is that what you meant?

Millie: Yes. Working on the phone can be stressful. What do you do in your

private life to relieve stress? Julia: I love to shop and go out to eat! I

enjoy talking to my housemates. Also, I have a strong relationship with the First

Unitarian Church of Des Moines, which

provides me considerable sustenance

(SP). I saw your director Ms. Redwing do

a wonderful lecture there. Millie: Do you have any questions for

me? Julia: Oh, yes! I would like to know what

kinds of opportunities may be available to volunteers and for further

training. Millie: We have a speakers’

bureau where volunteers lecture to groups and answer questions.

Does that sound like something you might like to do?

Julia: Yes it does. I’ve done work like that before.

Millie: I’ll give Donna Red Wing a call.

(Millie did so and talked to the volunteer coordinator about their booth at the

upcoming Pride festival where I might volunteer. Arrangements were made for

me to work alongside one their volunteers from 3-5 pm on Saturday

June 13. And when I find out more, I’ll let you know!

(See Julia’s article in the main section of

this month’s newsletter for a description of her successful volunteering experience

at the Pride Festival with One Iowa.)

Supported Education

We want to support members in any way that we

can with education. If you are needing tutoring or

would be interested in helping to

tutor…Please let us know!! If you know

about information or resources that would

be helpful to other members please feel free

to bring it in and/or let us know.

Goodwill Career Connection Center

Goodwill Career Connection Center in Des

Moines has a number of classes to assist

members who are interested in finding jobs.

**The Calendar of these events with more

information is posted on the community board in

the Clubhouse.**

Passageway Cover (i) Newsletter – July, 2015

July 2015 Newsletter

Passageway 305 15th Street

Des Moines, IA 50309

Phone: (515) 243-6929 • Fax: (515) 243-1747 E-Mail: info@passagewayiowa.org • Web Site: www.passagewayiowa.org

Hours: Monday and Wednesday 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Table of Contents Section Page

Employment Newsletter ...........................................E – 1, E - 2

Cover Page .................................................................................. i

Contributor’s Page ................................................................... ii

Social Activities Calendar ........................................................ 1

Lunch Menu / Food and Nutrition Page .................................2

“The Bus Stop” Comic by Bill Partridge ............................ 3 - 4

Articles, Poems, Stories, etc. ............................................. 5 - 11

Back Page ................................................................................ 12

Social Activity Highlights This Month Out of Club:

Thur, Jul., 2nd – Annual Passageway Picnic

Tues., Jul., 7th – Movies out

Mon., Jul., 13th – Jazz in July

Fri., Jul., 24th – Passageway Art Gala Fundraiser

Tues., July 28th – Miniature Golf

In Club “Late Night” Highlights

Wed., Jul. 1st - Bingo

Mon., Jul., 6th – Board Games

Wed., Jul., 8th – Friendship Bracelets or Crafts

Mon., Jul., 13th – Wii Bowling

Wed., Jul., 15th – Play Cards

Mon., Jul., 20th – Karaoke

Wed., Jul., 22nd – Make Cookies, Brownies for Gala

Mon., Jul., 27th – Movies In

Wed., Jul., 24th – Make Puppy Chow

Every Fri., 10:00 – 10:30 – Coffee & Conversation

Selected Mondays from 3:00 - 4:00 – July 13th, 27th –

Writers Workshop

Inside the July Newsletter Long-time Passageway supporter Rob Shaffner is the

subject of a celebration by Julia Collins.

Gano Whetstone attends a meeting with Hillary

Clinton, and has a photo to prove it!

Creative writer Tina Ruppel has several new short

pieces she shares this month.

Asking to borrow money for cigarettes, snack, or

soda, is against the Passageway Mutual Support

Policy, as Janet Payton reminds us.

What does your body language say about you? Cille

Grunzweig offers to great tips.

You can help contribute to making a video that

describes the Passageway program and our history.

See the article by Dan Balzer for more info.

Mark Stoeljie, the director of the San Antonio

Clubhouse, who was here for our Accreditation Visit,

interviewed Bryce Hook, and Bryce also as two new

chapters of “The Boy Who Sang.”

Have you ever thought, “That doesn’t add up?” John

Knudsen tells us about two popular movies that he

things have “plot holes.”

After a mock interview (see article in the Employment

Newsletter, Julia Collins secured a volunteer job that

she tells us about.

We remember Steve Richmond, longtime boyfriend of

Passageway member Julie Bird, who passed away

suddenly a few weeks ago.

Our weekly Employment Meetings are the topic of

Mary Cowles-Bennethum’s article in the Employment

Newsletter.

Contributors to the July Newsletter

Passageway Contributors Page (ii) Newsletter – July, 2015

Executive Director

Jenny Erdman

Passageway Staff

Gary Acklin

Ron Gilbert

Millie Jones-Cowles

John Morrow

Editor/Graphics

Gary Acklin

Ron Gilbert

Millie Jones-Cowles

Journalists

Dan Balzer

Julia Collins

Mary Cowles-Bennethum

Cille Grunzweig

Bryce Hook

John Knudsen

Bill Partridge

Janet Payton

Tina Ruppel

Mark Stoeltje

Gano Whetstone

Typists

Mary Cowles-Bennethum

John Knudsen

Susan Miller

David Rothfus

Tina Ruppel

Rhonda Woodley

Proofreaders, Collators,

Copiers

Mark Baxter

Tracy Lampley

Nicholas Ligas

Julie Long Marla Ozinga

Keith Parsons

David Rothfus

Tina Ruppel

Amy Shull-Ice

Sherann Shull-Ice

Jeffrey Taggart

July Anniversaries

(Years as Passageway

member in parentheses.)

Debbie Blackford (26)

John Ogilvie (26)

Dwight Hughes (25)

Elva Perkins (24)

Steve Williams (24)

Carla Morris (22)

Gary Karaidos (22)

Mary Peterson (22)

Steve Troster (22)

Jerry Stanley (21)

Keith Homewood (21)

Mary Jo Beldon (21)

Betty May (20)

Bill Mahler (20)

Claudia Stevenson (20)

Don Marshall (20)

Donna Halfhill (20)

Jayden McCurnin (20)

Mark Pieper (20)

Michael Lewis (20)

Renate Kluesner (20)

Susan Strike (20)

Ellen Suiter (19)

James Lyon (19)

Jane Ryan (19)

David Bindner (18)

Cinthia Strennen (17)

Joseph Fisk (16)

Virginia Conley (16)

David Byrkett (15)

La Veta Aguiniga (14)

Debbie Gladwin (13)

Greg Lone (12)

Ed Hansen (11)

Glenn Hansen-Longnecker

(11)

Mary Boeckemeier (11)

Max Squires (11)

Rhonda Lalonde (11)

Thomas Bruder (11)

Tim Mulvin (11)

Cheryl Cramer (10)

Lucrisha Williams (10)

Patricia Gorman (10)

Selim Ayoub (9)

Connie Schweitzer (7)

Franklin Rankins (7)

James Pruitt (7)

Marilyn Davis (7)

Rainnie Ogg (7)

Richard Hagan (7)

Robert Stevens (7)

Sharon Barnhill (7)

Tammie Hagen (7)

Tim Scott (7)

Janel Kordick (6)

Maria Pollastrini (6)

Melinda Marturello (6)

Michael Foster (6)

Nathan Pinkerton (6)

Patti Ross (6)

Robert Waters (6)

Samantha Wolfe (6)

Robert Bogart (5)

Dickie Lee Jones (4)

Donna Gipple (4)

Jennifer Edwards (4)

Jesse Souder (4) Michelle Williams (4)

Jeffrey Gillom (3)

Rhonda Peddicord (3)

Julie Linnane (1)

Julie Williams (1)

July Birthdays

Tanya Aldrich

Kay Allbee

Steven B. Anderson

David Ballinger

Pam Belew

Robert Bogart

Norma A. Boge-Conyers

Pansy Brave

Virginia Conley

Susan Costa

Ken DeReus

Charles Eklund

Nicole Elliot

Daniel Evans

Robin Felner

Charlene Field

Shawn Gertzwin

Bob Grant

Tammie Hagen

Donna Halfhill

Richard Hall

James Hawk

Linda Hoch

Thomas Homsey

Tammy Hukill

Ann Ivy

Michael Jay

Dickie Lee Jones

Tonia Kalinich

James Kelly

Joe Kline

Prudence Lattman

Julie Linnane

Eric Livingston

Luke Luchsinger

Brian Lydon

Jeff Marvin

Walter Mays

Mark McDonald

Laura McKelvey

Kathy Miller

Richard Miller

Richard Miller, Jr.

Naomi Mumm

Judy Padilla

Keith Parsons

Raymond Perry

James Pruitt

Tina Ruppel

John Rutt

Clarissa Saiz

George Schultz

William Schwartz

Becky Short

Sandra Silva

Patrica Stults

Becky Summers

Corrina Teachout

Bernard Keith Thomas

Tim Underwood

Christina Van Dama

Mary Vanier

Annette Wade

Curtis Walker

Michael Walker

Craig Wallace

Penny Wells

Linda Westlund

Bill Whitman

Sheryl Whitman

Kathy Wignall

Jessica Wilharm

Julie Williams

Lucrisha Williams

Allan Willwerth

Teresa Woods

Virginia Zietlow

Passageway 1 Newsletter – July, 2015

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

Passageway holds in club “late night” social activities Monday and Wednesday evenings, typically from 4 to 5 p.m. Those activities are free. They are listed on the calendar in Bold & Italics. Dinner is served on Monday and Wednesday, typically at 5 p.m. for $1.00. Out of club activities are typically each week on Tuesday afternoon/evening, and are listed in Bold & Italics. (When scheduled on a different day, the calendar will note that on the Tuesday of that week.) Cost, if any, and times, are listed with the event. Each month’s activities and menu are planned on the first Wednesday of the month, based mostly on member suggestions.

1

House Mtg. 1 PM Plan for August

Late Night: Bingo

2 Annual

Passageway Picnic at Lake

Ahquabi Be here by 8:00 am. Leaving by

9:00 a.m.

CLUBHOUSE CLOSED

3

Coffee & Conversation 10-10:30 am

Picnic Clean Up

4

Closed

6

Employment Meeting 1:15 pm

Late Night: Board Game

Night

7

Movies Out

Be here by 2:45. Bring $2.75 plus $2 for

popcorn and $2 drinks (small sizes) or extra $

for regular-sized snacks.

8

House Mtg. 1 PM

Late Night: Make Friendship

Bracelets or Crafts

9 10

Coffee & Conversation 10-10:30 am

11

Closed

13 Employment Meeting

1:15 pm

Writer’s Workshop 3-4 pm

Late Night: Wii Bowling

Jazz in July FREE. Be at club by 5:30. At 7 at Greenwood Park.

14

No Out of Club Activity Today due to

Jazz in July on Monday

<————————-

15

Quarterly Mtg.

10AM-2PM

Late Night: Cards

16 17

Coffee & Conversation 10-10:30 am

(Celebrate July B-Days &

Anniversaries)

18

Closed

20

Employment Meeting 1:15 pm

Late Night: Karaoke

21 22

House Mtg. 1 PM

Late Night: Make Cookies,

brownies for Gala

23 24 Coffee &

Conversation 10-10:30 am

Passageway Art Gala Fundraiser

25

Closed

27

Employment Meeting 1:15 pm

Writer’s Workshop

3-4 pm

Late Night: Movies In

28

Miniature Golf

Be here by 2:45 pm. $2.25. Bring $$$ for

snacks.

29

House Mtg. 1 PM Plan for

September

Late Night: Make Puppy Chow

30

July 2015 Social Activity Calendar

Last minute prep work for Art Gala. No Out of Club Activities this week due to Gala On Friday, July 24th.

Passageway 2 Newsletter—July, 2015

Passageway Recipe of the Month Honey-Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

This recipe yields slow-cooked barbecue flavor in

less than an hour. The sandwiches need to be broiled at the last minute, but the rest of the menu can be made ahead of time. Yield: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast

1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup canned tomato puree

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 (1 1/2-ounce) sandwich rolls

2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, thinly sliced

4 (1/8-inch-thick) slices red onion Preparation

Combine water, 1 teaspoon cumin, 4 sliced garlic cloves, and chicken in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Drain, and place chicken on a cutting board. Cut chicken across grain into thin slices; keep warm.

Remove 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from can; set aside. Remove 2 chipotle chiles from can; finely chop and set aside. Reserve remaining chiles and adobo sauce for another use.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Add 1 teaspoon cumin; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomato puree; cook 4 minutes or until mixture thickens to a pastelike consistency, stirring constantly. Stir in reserved 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, 2 chopped chipotle chiles, vinegar, honey, Worcestershire, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add sliced chicken to sauce; simmer for 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Preheat broiler. Split rolls in half; arrange in a single layer, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until lightly toasted. Remove top halves of rolls from baking sheet. Divide chicken mixture evenly among bottom halves of rolls, and top chicken mixture evenly with cheese. Broil chicken-topped rolls 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; top with onion and top roll halves. Serve immediately.

July 2015 Food and Nutrition Page

July 2015 Lunch Menu

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1 Egg Salad

Sandwiches w/ Chicken Nuggets

2 Eat at

Lake Ahquabi Annual Picnic!

3

Chef’s Choice

6

Pot Roast

7

Salmon Patties

8

BLTs

9

Enchiladas

10

Baked Chicken Breast

13

Tuna/Noodle Casserole

14 Liver & Onions

w/ Mac and Cheese

15

Spaghetti and Meatballs

16

Wraps

17

Chef’s Choice

20

Breakfast Bar: w/ Eggs in a

Nest

21

Ham and Beans

22

Taco Salad

23

Tomato Bisque w/Cucumber Sandwiches

24

Hot Dogs

27

Salad Bar

28

Brats

29

Sub Sandwiches

30

Pasta Salad

31

Chef’s Choice

Passageway Food Facts:

Lunch served Monday — Friday at noon, $1.50

Dinner served during our Monday and Wednesday “Late Night” evenings at about 5:00 p.m., $1.00

Snack Bar is open whenever we are not serving meal, provided that we have a member volunteer to run it.

Members may purchase pre-paid $5.00 / $10.00 meal cards to be used for meals and snacks. The cards can either be kept on file at Passageway or carried by the member.

Passageway Monthly Food and Nutrition Tip

In the words of Ben Franklin, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” To improve your health and meet your nutrition and fitness goals, you must plan out what you will eat. Make a grocery list for the entire week and go shopping weekly. Plan out your meals and snacks the night before to ensure you stay on track. Read your food labels. To be an educated consumer you must read your food labels and ingredient section. Ingredients to shy away from: palm kernel or soybean oil, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated foods, refined white or wheat flour (whole grain flour is OK), high-fructose corn syrup, sugar substitutes in excess, sugar alcohols and in general, items you cannot pronounce. Eat real whole foods when you can and skip the processed ones.

Passageway 3 Newsletter – July, 2015

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Passageway 4 Newsletter – July, 2015

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Passageway 5 Newsletter – July, 2015

Celebrating Mr. Rob Shaffner

by Julia Collins The first time I remember meeting Rob Shaffner, I was recovering from a grand mal seizure at Broadlawns. He was my case manager. The first time he remembers meeting me was at my apartment on East 9th Street filled with antique reproductions and girly girl light pink sheer fabric everywhere. Then we kept running into each other at Broadlawns for member and family night. I had my case manager, and Rob would bring in his adorable dog, “Charly,” who left “present” on the carpet because everyone kept giving him “people food.” Charly’s picture was in the Broadlawns PATH/CAP newsletter and I clipped it out and kept it with my personal mementos. When I started at Passageway, I met Rob again and we had some lively discussions in the lounge and dining room where Rob has conversations with many members, and loves to talk sports, politics, and current events.

Rob helps out many members as a volunteer and has been bringing his clients here as a case manager for Broadlawns PATH and CAP programs for the past 15 years. When he retired from Broadlawns a few

years ago, he continued his association with Passageway as a volunteer. He talks to each member as an equal and his kindness is ubiquitous. He helped me investigate a new apartment, has taken people

to the park, and others recycling. He has given many rides home that are free of charge. Rob found out that I love to go to eat so we’ve gone out to lunch once or twice a month for the past year or so. Some of the restaurant we’ve gone to include Fazoli’s, Shang Yuen, HyVee (Chinese), McDonald’s, Cool Basil, India Star, Blind Munchy’s (which for ribs is every bit as good as the Des Moines Register says it is), and Baskin Robbins.

My roommates ask me if I am dating Rob because we have been out so often. But I say “No.” He has a long-term girlfriend named Dee whom I have met and liked. I have also met his daughter at Christmas, when she was visiting from New York. We are just good friends who share interests in music, politics, world religion, and eating out. Rob has many interests. He is part of the Kiwanis Club and reads to young children at school. The children learned words that were more than four letters long! He plays many sports such as volleyball, pickle ball, swimming, hiking, running, and kayaking. He says he excels at none of them but enjoys sports immensely. He’s also traveled a lot in the

United States; New York, Illinois, Florida, Pennsylvania,

Michigan, Colorado, and

California as well as Iowa.

Back at Passageway, he has organized an architectural photo contest and a baseball bracket for Passageway members to participate in and win prizes. I won first place in

Passageway 6 Newsletter – July, 2015

the first and second in the latter. Rob worked 21 years combined at the PATH and CAP Programs at Broadlawns, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Goodwill Industries. I thought for all the good things he’s done, he deserves some recognition, and I thought I could write this article.

Hillary Clinton

by Gano Whetstone

I attended a campaign rally

for Hillary Clinton. It was

held at the Iowa State

Fairgrounds

on June 14,

2015. I had a

chance to

talk to

Hillary and

also have my

picture taken

with her. I advocate for

people with a mental illness.

A Long, Long Time Ago

by Tina Ruppel I close my eyes and still see you standing there alone. I can also see you in different places even though you’re not here. I tell myself I will get over it, but my heart sings to me

that the love I have for you will never end. I’m always moving on but it seems you are still by my side.

Manage Your Money by Janet Payton

When you sign up for Passageway, there’s a paper you sign (called the Mutual Support Policy). It states you cannot borrow money for cigarettes, pop or chips from other members. Since

a lot of people live month-to-month on their money, it is necessary to find a way to save money for

Passageway. I’ve noticed that a lot of people violate this part of the Mutual Support Policy. If you are one, thank you very much for trying to change your ways.

Body Language by Cille Grunzweig

POSITIVE BODY

LANGUAGE SIGNS

Most of us are aware of tips to keep our language positive. Some of these include the following actions:

Don’t cross your arms in front of yourself because it looks like you are turned off.

Taking with your hands to emphasize certain

words can make you appear more credible or

assured. Just don’t over do it with too many hand signals or you might come off a little wacky.

A handshake tells a lot about yourself and sets the mood for the conversation. A weak handshake makes you appear fragile while a firm handshake gives you some sense of power and credibility.

Eye contact is very important. Keep both eyes open and focused when someone is talking to you and when you are speaking.

Give affirmative movements like nodding your head as a signal of agreement and

Passageway 7 Newsletter – July, 2015

remember a smile goes a long way.

Slow down. Take a deep breath, hold for a second or two, and let it out. Focus on slowing down your speech and body movements. If you are nervous, this will help you calm down and appear more confident.

If you are serious about using positive Body Language signs, take the time to practice while at a meeting or with a friend. You don’t have to conquer all the tips at once; just find one or two to start out with, then add more later. Good luck and remember make it fun.

BODY LANGUAGE NO-NOS

Looking at the ground. This implies you are disinterested or overly shy.

Touching your face too often. Some think that this implies you are lying.

Picking at something. Picking at your clothes, jewelry or a notebook shows boredom or disapproval,

Checking the time frequently. This signals you would rather be

somewhere else. If you do have an appointment just politely let the person know and leave.

Tapping. If you repeatedly tap your fingers or a pen, it looks like you are stressed or

impatient.

Fake smile. Since most people know a fake smile, it’s best not to

even try. A smile includes smiling eyes. If you want to smile but can’t (maybe because of depression or pain) think of something happy or a fond memory and you should get a smiley face.

Over blinking is a sign of anxiety and nervousness. But there is hope; you can practice blinking habits in the front of a mirror to keep them under control.

Sometimes people can’t control their body language so don’t worry if you can’t either. What is most

important is a sincere heart and a good friend who understands you. (Information obtained from Positive Body Language –blogudemy.com)

Crowds by Tina Ruppel

Crowds can be the loneliest places; walking through them I sometimes feel invisible. That no one can see me. Wishing just one person could see me and let me in. The pain of being invisible feels like a sword going through my soul. Just once, I would love not to feel invisible.

Went Want Your Help With

Passageway Video Project!

by Dan Balzer If anyone is interested in

helping out with, or being a part of, a Passageway video project, please talk to me, Passageway member Dan Balzer, of any

Passageway staff member.

Passageway 8 Newsletter – July, 2015

We want to interview people about their experiences as a clubhouse member, and also capture Passageway clubhouse history, all the way back to when the clubhouse was started as The RAINBOW Center. If you have any ideas about this project, how to do it, how to make it better, please don’t be shy! Any good ideas are

appreciated! Also, if you have a good tripod, or any other ideas or equipment to contribute, we would appreciate that too! You can reach me, Dan, at danalanbalz@gmail.com. This video is intended to be used to help “market” Passageway in various ways, including potentially on our website, social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.), etc. Any

help or ideas you have would be great. Let’s have some fun and make something cool.

Interview of Passageway Member Bryce Hook by Mark Stoeltje,

Executive Director, San Antonio Clubhouse

Bryce was born in Pipestone,

Minnesota. He has lived in Des Moines all his life. Bryce is 22 years old, and he just had a birthday on May 15, 2015. Bryce has been a member for one

year. His father “stumbled” into Passageway—that’s how Bryce found out about it. Bryce likes to answer phones, help with the reception area, and help in the kitchen cooking. Bryce likes the clubhouse because he is learning new skills, it’s a nice environment that helps him with his needs and goals. He likes the staff and likes the fun

activities; movies, plays, and having popcorn on movie nights at the clubhouse. Bryce collects postcards from around the world. He has been collecting postcards for about a year. He has postcards from Korea, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, and Africa. Bryce likes going camping; especially Camp Sunnyside. Bryce has one brother and two sisters, and Bryce is the youngest. Bryce is very musical, and he plays drums for his church band. He likes rock and roll, he especially likes Carlos Santana. Bryce also likes to fish and going on picnics. Every Sunday, his family rides bikes together.

The Boy Who Sang by Bryce Hook

Chapter 19

Now we talk about the evil octopus and lobster minions.

The evil octopus lives in an underwater hide out. It’s surrounded by think walls and a mote with alligators

swimming around. Once you get across the drawbridge and through the armed guards, you may have a fighting chance to set up a

Passageway 9 Newsletter – July, 2015

meeting with the great octopus. Now, let me tell you what this evil half-fish half-man can do. He has special powers. He can talk to all the fish and creatures in the sea using his telepathic powers. He always sends his lobster minions out first. Then, when they have been defeated, he makes his attack on the poor people of the town. Then there was a big flash of lighting and here comes the king. We will see what happens in the next chapter of The Boy Who Sang.

“Plot Holes”

by John Christen

Knudsen, Junior

Hi. I’ve found two very

big plot holes in

two very

successful

movies that

I don’t

think

anyone

noticed. First,

the Batman movie The

Dark Knight. In the

middle of the movie,

Batman is tracking the

Joker. He goes to the

scene of the Joker’s latest

crime and studies it.

Then he returns to the

Batcave to conduct an

experiment. He is

attempting to find a

fingerprint at the scene

of the crime by

reenacting the crime.

What? He fires a similar

bullet into a

similar wall

to find the

Joker’s

fingerprint. I

don’t think

he can do

that. The o nly

fingerprint he would

find is his own.

The next movie is Speed.

At the beginning of the

movie, Howard Payne is

single-

handedly

trying to

compel the

city of Los

Angeles to

give him

three million dollars

by being a terrorist. It is

a fact that his identity

was a mystery until

close to the end of the

movie. And, to save

lives, they actually

considered giving him

the three million

dollars he was asking

for. If they didn’t know

who he was, and he was

acting alone, how could

they give him the

money? They could have

sent it to a bank account

he might

have

opened,

but he

must have

known he

would be

arrested

upon attempting to

withdraw the money in

the first place.

The movie Speed also

speaks to a moral

dilemma. It is clear the

city is the victim of

Howard Payne’s crime. If

he was captured, the

city would be his

accuser, and he has a

Constitutional Right to

face his accuser directly.

At his trial, how is he

going to put over a

million people on the

witness stand

simultaneously? The

city of Los Angeles is a

place, not a person. And

yet, it actually is his

Passageway 10 Newsletter – July, 2015

accuser because it is the

victim of his crime.

There is no way he

could face his accuser,

so there is no way he

could get a fair trial.

Another thing that looks

desperate about the

movie Speed is the

subway scene in which

Jack confronts Howard

at gunpoint. We see how

sick a person Howard

Payne really is. He can’t

hold a gun because he

is missing a thumb, but

in the very next scene,

he seems to be carrying

a machine gun, a bomb,

a hostage and a bag of

cash with only one

hand. If he could do

this all along, why

didn’t he simply shoot

Jack instead of going on

about how guilty he is?

The End

Volunteering at the Pride Festival

by Julia Collins

On Saturday, June 13, Millie picked me up at my house and drove us to the East Village where the Pride festival was being held.

We found a parking place right near the gate of the festival. There were protesters near the gate which Millie warned me about. I asked her what I should say to them, expecting some confrontation. She said “nothing.” As it turned out, there was confrontation but not with us. We walked right through them to the information booth. They didn’t know where the “One Iowa” booth was where I was to volunteer but we finally found it. It was a table filled with literature about civil rights and health issues related to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities. There was an awning over the table to protect us from the rain and sun and two chairs behind it. The atmosphere as a whole was fun and festive with dogs, kids, and live music. People wore idiosyncratic (way out or unique) casual clothes with lots of buttons and stickers on their T-shirts. The crowd was very friendly, came right up to ou r table and talked freely, and signed our petition. Behind the table were Donna Red Wing, the director of “One Iowa,” and Keanen, the assistant director who was in charge of volunteers. We worked out a system by which when they said “Hello” to a person or several people across the table, it was my cue to say “Would you like to sign our petition to add “transgender” to Iowa’s Hate

Crimes Law? The law already covers lesbian, gay, and bisexual people and we’d like to add protection for transgender people.” Almost all the people who came up to the table signed the petition. We had 350 signatures that day. I asked Keanen what

“transgender” meant, because I wasn’t sure. He said it meant “people who identified with a gender different than the one they were given at birth.” I said

I understood. It made sense to me, but I have an old friend who is transgender, so it would. Lots of people said hello to me, including several who had seen me perform in a ritual at the First Unitarian Church this spring. We discussed things we had in common, like classes I would like to take at Ancient Ways. Donna sat beside me most of the time. Keanen would join in to answer my questions. All in all, it was a positive and fun afternoon, and I was thoroughly glad I went. Millie said they were smiling when she returned to take me home. On Wednesday I called Keanen at “One Iowa” to ask for feedback about how I’d done Saturday. He said “Great.” I told him about the receptionist work I do for Passageway, and asked if there was the possibility of doing something similar at “One Iowa.” He said that they didn’t need a receptionist, but there were other volunteer opportunities and that

Passageway 11 Newsletter – July, 2015

he would call me June 26th at 10 a.m. to let me know where I might best fit in. And that’s where things stand at the moment.

Let It Snow

by Tina Ruppel

WAIT! It’s summer

time. Let the wind and

the snow fade away

until another day. T he

summer is here, and I

will enjoy it because

the time is now and I

want to show you how. I

can face the summer, and

I will try to embrace this

time of year. So just

sometimes give me an

embrace to help me face

this time of year.

The Boy Who Sang by Bryce Hook

Chapter 20

Now we talk about the king. The king is the one who is in charge. It is his job to take care of the village. If there is a problem in the village, the town’s folk go to the king. The king has magical powers. He is also a shape shifter. This is really cool because he can take the form of any person or animal. So one day our king went for a walk around the

places when he heard a noise from the garden walls and what did he find… a small rabbit. Now this is no ordinary rabbit – this is a magical rabbit.

We will talk about the rabbit in the next chapter of The Boy Who Sang.

In Memory of Steve

Richmond July 2, 1957 - June 4, 2015 (Following is information about Steve

Richmond, boyfriend of longtime Passageway member Julie Bird, who

passed away in June.)

Steven G. Richmond, 57, passed away at his home on Thursday, June 4, 2015.

Steve attended Kirkwood Community College and was a software engineer for Allied Nationwide insurance for 34 years. He was a volunteer at the Camp Dodge Museum and was a longtime member of the Central Iowa Practical Shooters. Steve is survived by his girlfriend, Julie Bird; mother, Mary; brother, David (LuEllen); sisters, Jeanne (Dennis) Stannard and Anne Richmond; numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, George; and brother, Michael. Memorials may be directed to Passageway in Des Moines.

Summer Daze

By Tina Ruppel

Spring came and went

and summer hit us like a

drummer. The sun shines

longer and my lonely

nights are shorter. The

blue sky and the green

grass collides\. Time to hit

the beach and try to

enjoy the HEAT. May this

summer bring warmth

inside of you. And don’t

forget to drink and drink

and drink LOTS of H20.

Passageway Back Page Newsletter – July, 2015

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Passageway members enjoying themselves at Annual Passageway Picnic at Lake Ahquabi in 2013.