Holidays Bring Good Cheer!
By Barbara Palmer
I recently completed decorating my home for the Holidays. I love this time of year when we think about the things we value and appreciate in our lives. I hope that many of you feel that the Agency for Persons with Disabilities has a very positive impact on your lives and you are glad that we are here. APD has been working extremely hard to improve all that we do to serve people as best as possible. And even though we are entering the Holiday Season, there will be no slowdown because APD has a sense of urgency in pursuing its goals of improved fiscal responsibility, providing employment opportunities, providing quality services, and increasing services for people on the waiting list.
I am very excited and uplifted about the increased level of collaboration and cooperation among advocacy groups. I value the ideas and suggestions that we receive from our many partners and stakeholders. It is imperative that we continue to pull together for the common good of individuals with developmental disabilities. We must work together to be successful.
I hope that each of you feel that APD exhibits year-'round compassion and caring for those that we serve in all that we do. This agency may not be able to meet every desire, but we are strongly committed to protecting our customer's health and safety and doing so with concern and compassion. As we celebrate with our families and friends during this time of year, we will continue to push forward to achieve our lofty goals for APD and you.
Happy Holidays to all!
Customers Talk about iBudget
Many Agency for Persons with Disabilities customers have been using iBudget for more than a year. The agency is posting some of the experiences on the iBudgetFlorida.org website. The first videotaped interview is now posted Here. Listen and learn more about iBudget is able to meet the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities better than any other system.
Governor Makes Appointments to Area 15 FCC
Governor Rick Scott recently announced three appointments and one reappointment to the Area 15 Family Care Council. The appointees are listed below. Their terms began on November 16.
Krystal Sims, of Stuart, is an employee at Goodwill. She succeeds Sonja Bielecki and is appointed for a term ending June 10, 2014.
Melody Hearn, of Port St. Lucie, is a substitute teacher at Morningside Academy. She is appointed for a term ending November 6, 2015.
Mozelle Green, of Fort Pierce, is a teacher's assistant for St. Lucie County Schools. She succeeds Nancy N. Moody and is appointed for a term ending June 5, 2013.
Ruth Wingate, of Sebastian, is an advocate for persons with disabilities. She is reappointed for a term ending December 28, 2014.
Around the State
Tacachale to Light Christmas Tree
The residents and staff members of APD's Tacachale Center in Gainesville are inviting family and friends to their 28th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Tuesday, December 4. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with David Snyder of WCJB-TV Channel 20 as master of ceremonies.
This year's events will include an invocation by Father Roland Julien of St. Patrick Catholic Church. A selection of holiday songs performed by the Tacachale Carolers will be followed by the Duval Elementary School Choir led by Music Director Rhea Skaggs. Last but not least, Santa and his elves will help trim the beautiful tree.
The ceremonies and festivities will take place on Tacachale's campus at 1621 Northeast Waldo Road in Gainesville. For more information, contact Justina McDonald, vocational rehabilitation administrator, at Justina_Mcdonald@apd.state.fl.us or (352) 955-5829.
Mentoring Event Leads to Employment
Participation in Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) has resulted in a job for a Central Florida APD customer. Delano Mounts had expressed interest in being employed in the hospitality industry. So, in an Orlando DMD event on November 13, Mounts was placed at a Five Guys Burgers and Fries location on North Alafaya Trail. General Manager Dan White was impressed by Mounts and offered him a job at the restaurant, beginning this month.
The restaurant is one of dozens of Five Guys locations directed by Les Hatter. "He has been extremely instrumental in our area with job placements and mentoring opportunities for the individuals we serve," said Employment Liaison Jennifer Monje of APD's Central Region office. "It was a perfect match for Delano and the general manager at Five Guys."
Mounts receives APD's Supported Employment services from Quest, Inc. and his job coach, Martin Solomon.
Southeast Region Readies for iBudget
By Martha Martinez
Moving forward with the iBudget Florida implementation, APD's Southeast Region hosted the iBudget trainers in October and November. The region is composed of Palm Beach and Broward counties. APD staff members and all waiver support coordinators from the region participated in Introduction and Overview training sessions in October and Advanced training in November. The presentations were both informative and interesting and well received by all.
Now, it's full steam ahead as the Southeast Region works tirelessly to perform all the preliminary steps necessary for a smooth transition to the iBudget Florida program. The region is scheduled to fully implement iBudget on April 1, 2013. Through the cooperative efforts of APD staff members and waiver support coordinators in the region, everyone is committed to a successful outcome!
Pursuing Opportunities and Reaping Rewards
By Rosa Llaguno and Michael Cardello
APD waiting list customer Francisco Martino walked into the agency's Miami office in October 2010. He was a humble and shy 22-year-old man who was curious about his surroundings. But shyness slowly gave way to curiosity as he began to learn about office duties and administrative functions when he was selected to become an AmeriCorps member working in the Area 11 office. As his training increased, so did his confidence. The following April at a local conference, full of knowledge on a variety of issues, Martino eloquently remarked on the need for healthcare reform so that he and his family could afford basic health care. He finished the year by completing all the requirements for the APD-AmeriCorps program.
But the story did not end there for Martino. He participated in Disability Mentoring Day at Baptist Health South Florida in October 2012. He was mentored at South Miami Hospital by Tom Ferner, operations manager/nutritional care services, who was impressed with Martino's attention to detail and background in dishwashing services. Ferner gave Martino the opportunity to apply for a position in food services at the hospital. In Martino's usual way, he followed through on everything he needed to do for the interview and application process. Martino will be starting his new position at South Miami Hospital on December 3.
Francisco Martino is a prime example of a resourceful individual who has learned the wisdom of taking full advantage of opportunities presented to him. He has received guidance and support from the APD waiting list staff members who work with him. So, in many ways, everything leading up to his success has been a team effort. Martino's perseverance and dedication have put him on track for a future filled with the hope of ever-expanding personal and employment-related successes.
APD Customer Honored for Employment Success
On October 3, APD's Northwest Region office in Pensacola partnered with the Disability Summit Council for its annual Disability Summit Luncheon. Employers, employees, and community leaders were honored at the luncheon, which was held at Scenic Hills Country Club in Pensacola. APD customer Michael Ard was recognized for being employed by Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) for 12 years. Ard said that he received Supported Employment services from APD years ago, but he no longer needs the services and continues to maintain employment at ECAT. Pensacola Bay Transportation was also honored at the luncheon.
The event was hosted by the council's chair, Warren Jernigan, in conjunction with APD and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Jernigan is also the president of the Pensacola Pen Wheels Employ the Handicapped Council.
DMD Grant Leads to Internships and Jobs
APD's Northwest Region was approved for a $1500 Disability Mentoring Day grant through the Medicaid Infrastructure Grant. This enabled two individuals on APD's waiting list to intern at Polonza Bistro and the Jordan Valley Mediterranean Restaurant, both in Pensacola. The interns were hired by the restaurants after completing 60 intern hours. It should be noted that both employers were willing to hire individuals with arrest records, voicing the philosophy that "people deserve a second chance."
Seven Mock Interviews Become the Real Thing
APD's Northwest Region office in Pensacola organized a series of very successful mock interview workshops at 13 high schools in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. On October 24, representatives from 20 employers came to the high schools to conduct mock interviews with students with developmental disabilities. The representatives gave students feedback to assist them in building interviewing skills for future employment.
But the students didn't just get some valuable training—seven of them got jobs! Because they presented themselves so well during the interviews, five students were hired by UPS, while Walmart and Publix hired one student each. How's that for a quick trip to success!
Tacachale Enjoys Halloween
Tacachale, in Gainesville, held its annual "spooktacular" Haunted House and Halloween Dance where plenty of ghouls and witches managed to haunt campus. From October 24 through 25, the haunted house hosted more than 90 students and teachers from Sidney Lanier School, along with Tacachale residents, family members, and employees. Haunted rooms and scary rooms for thrill seekers. For those who preferred a little less fright for their delight, there were fun and game areas set up for face painting, picture taking, and balloon animal making. About 50 students from the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity at the University of Florida volunteered to help with the activities. The fraternity members shared that they had never seen such a wonderful event!
The month ended with a Halloween Dance, costume contest, and pumpkin decorating competition between residents from various homes. The judging categories for the pumpkins and costumes were the Most Funny, Most Gruesome, Most Pretty, Most Traditional, and Most Creative. All resident homes that participated won prizes for their pumpkins and the residents won prizes for their costumes! The Halloween Dance was attended by 190 residents and staff members, most of whom came in costume and boogied the night away to tunes spun by a D.J. There were pirates, clowns, and witches galore, and even one cowardly lion! The room was reminiscent of a walk through a pumpkin patch with walls decorated with scenes to evoke the mood. Everyone enjoyed dancing, socializing and guessing at "who's under that mask?"
Mentees Enjoy DMD in Tallahassee
Four individuals in the Tallahassee area benefitted from the enriching experience of Disability Mentoring Day (DMD). Two of them happened to be brother and sister. Brittany Norman is an organized 22-year-old who likes to dance at Pyramid Studios. She is practical enough to know that she needs to be employed to achieve her goal of independence. Her interest in working in an office setting led her to be a mentee at the Tallahassee office of APD's Northwest Region. She shadowed intern Emma Slier and employee Katie Bowman to experience what working in a professional office environment was like. Norman assisted with filing and sorting documents as well as answering the phone, copying, and faxing. She said that she enjoyed her mentorship and felt that the APD office was a great place to work.
"Having Brittany mentor within our office was a total pleasure and a great experience for all of us," said APD staff member Octavius Jackson.
Her brother K.C. Norman is 23 years old with experience in volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank and Home Depot when he was a student at Gretchen Everhart School. His screening process revealed his love of cars, so he was given the opportunity to job shadow at Autowise Car Buying Service with owner Dan Dheim. His duties included checking and matching inventory numbers, assisting on runs to various dealerships to check on parts and services, and checking for damages to cars that were new to inventory. He loved working with so many cars and the treat of the day was getting to ride in his favorite car with the pony on the front—the Ford Mustang. They took the Mustang to the Ford dealership for a comprehensive check.
"K.C.'s eyes just lit up and he enjoyed the ride," said Dheim.
In the past, Dontarious Barnes and Annie Calhoun had job shadowed at the APD State Office in Tallahassee and were invited to the Governor's Office to have lunch with the chief of staff. Barnes is a fun-loving guy who wants to work with his hands. Calhoun has high spirits, loves to cook and bake, and is interested in being an entrepreneur in the hospitality industry. For their DMD mentorships, they both worked with Brenda Johnson, the owner of a food truck called the "Cookery." Barnes gathered and prepared wood for the chicken and rib smoker, learning the best types of woods to use for smoking various meats. Calhoun worked with Johnson in preparing the food that the Cookery provided for the DMD mentee luncheon that day, getting insight on what being a business owner entails.
After their DMD experiences, Johnson asked them both to work for her during the Florida A&M University homecoming. Calhoun had said that she enjoyed making sweet goods, so Johnson invited her to sell her desserts at the homecoming. Johnson said it was a joy to work with both of them, and she looks forward to establishing a possible partnership with Calhoun. Barnes said he was glad that his APD counselor encouraged him to participate in DMD activities.
Thanksgiving Dinners Delivered in Gadsden County
The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity partnered with Piggly Wiggly and the Tallahassee office of APD's Northwest Region to deliver Thanksgiving turkey baskets to families of APD customers in need in Gadsden County. The families were very gracious and appreciative of the efforts put forth to ensure they had a happy Thanksgiving.
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Sweet Success
By Melanie Mowry Etters
More than six years ago, Sweet Tomatoes eliminated the position of greeter at its restaurants. However, Matt Hightower is still on the job welcoming customers to the Sweet Tomatoes restaurant in Sarasota on Highway 41 South. He has cerebral palsy and is an APD customer.
"There are not many greeters in our restaurants. Matt was grandfathered in because our area manager felt that he was essential to making our restaurant experience the best," says General Manager Lara Keefe. "He is an icon. Everyone knows who Matt is."
Hightower's responsibilities include answering questions from first-time guests and making sure people are aware of any specials being offered during their visit.
Hightower says his mother instilled in him the need to earn what you get. "My mom said nothing is going to be handed to you. You have to work for it," he says. He has taken his mother's lessons to heart and has worked at Sweet Tomatoes for almost 15 years. Hightower says, "I love the people I work with. I have always wanted to work in a restaurant."
Hightower, who uses a wheelchair for mobility, says he does not look at the wheelchair as a confinement—just how he gets around. He also encourages employers to give people with disabilities an opportunity. "We want to be a part of the workforce," he insists.
Keefe says, "Matt is a great morale booster for his fellow employees with always something positive to say each day. We hope he is able to stay around here as long as possible. We don't want him to go anywhere."
FDDC Accepting Nominations for the Idelio Valdes Award
Idelio Valdes, a self-advocate and member of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) for five years, passed away on November 24, 2009. Valdes had a tremendous impact on the people around him and the community in which he lived and worked. The FDDC created the Idelio Valdes Leadership and Self-Advocacy Award to honor his memory. The first self-advocate to receive the award, Frank Shalett of South Florida, was honored during the FDDC's 2010 Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day. Since then, the award has become a yearly tradition.
The FDDC is accepting nominations for the 2013 Idelio Valdes Leadership and Self-Advocacy Award. The deadline is 5 p.m. EST on December 3, 2012. The award will be presented on March 7 during Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day 2013. To make a nomination, following these links for the Award Description and Nomination Form PDF documents. Return the completed Nomination Form to:
Idelio Award Selection Committee
FDDC
124 Marriott Drive, Suite 203
Tallahassee, FL, 32301
FDOA Becomes Chapter of Disabled Sports USA
The Florida Disabled Outdoors Association (FDOA) recently became a chapter of Disabled Sports USA. Disabled Sports USA contacted FDOA because the organization was impressed by FDOA's programs and outreach promoting wellness through accessible inclusive recreation for all. FDOA reviewed the benefits and decided that applying to become a chapter would provide many opportunities for its members.
"FDOA went through a rigorous screening process to ensure that we would be a good fit and that we utilized the highest safety standards. The process was well worth it for the benefits that FDOA members will receive," stated Executive Director Laurie LoRe-Gussak.
Some of the benefits of membership include the opportunity for FDOA members to be part of national programs such as Warfighter Sports, Adapt2Achieve development conferences, Ski Tour, Summerfest, and Youth Development. Disabled Sports USA and other chapter members offer opportunities for people with disabilities to get out and be active in a wide variety of sports. Now that FDOA is a chapter, more people who can benefit from these opportunities will be invited and empowered to attend. For example, FDOA members can attend events such as the Hartford Ski Spectacular in Breckenridge, Colorado. Members can also get discounted subscriptions to Challenge Magazine. Other benefits include potential grant funding for FDOA programs, marketing opportunities, staff training, and insurance opportunities. FDOA will provide its members with these opportunities on an ongoing basis.
For more information, visit www.fdoa.org or call (850) 201-2944.
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