Achieva 2023 Belonging Newsletter

Lisa Molter and GiGi Reichert at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Highlights

4 Dear Friends | CEO letter

5 Our Services

6-7 Achieva Family Trust Celebrates 25 Years

8-9 From park benches to a Lawrenceville apartment, this Achieva supportee puts ‘light’ in many lives

10-11 Achieva In Pictures

12-15 Charitable Residual Program and Rosenthal Fund make wants and needs reality

16-18 ‘No other types of social enterprises I know do this’: Achieva’s Pallet Manufacturing is a master class in affirmative business

19 Blog Post Highlights

20 Save The Date

21 Geographic Reach

22-23 Board of Trustees

Young’s Work Highlighted

The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council has invited Charmette Young of Achieva’s VaultArt Studio to show her artwork at Art on the Walls, a six month residency at the Allegheny Conference on Community Development in downtown Pittsburgh.

The Allegheny Conference on Community Development transformed its work and meeting environment with the works of more than 30 regional artists since 2013. Visit pittsburghartscouncil.org/art-on-the-walls/ allegheny-conference to learn more about the exhibit or access vaultartstudio.org to glimpse work from Charmette and others at VaultArt Studio.

Dear Friends,

I hope this message finds you well and that you continue to share in our passion for empowering people with disabilities. At Achieva, we are driven by our vision to foster a community where all people with disabilities lead lives of personal significance. Central to this vision is our unwavering commitment to providing person-centered support.

As we engage in person-centered planning for the individuals who rely on our services, we firmly advocate for everyone to have the opportunity to have their voices heard. Empowering people with disabilities to actively participate in shaping their destinies is paramount to achieving true inclusion and personal fulfillment.

At Achieva, we embrace the belief that each person is unique, with their own dreams, aspirations, and preferences. We are dedicated to creating an environment where individuals with disabilities are not only respected but actively encouraged to take charge of their lives.

And now, I’m pleased to share with you our latest news. As part of our ongoing efforts to connect with our incredible community, we are happy to announce the new name of our summer newsletter“Belonging.” This newsletter will continue to serve as a platform to highlight the inspiring stories of the people we serve, share updates on our initiatives, and keep you informed about the progress we are making towards our vision of a more inclusive society for people with disabilities.

Our journey towards disability inclusion and empowerment is only possible because of your steadfast support. Together, we can challenge outdated practices, striving for a future where all people with disabilities can fully participate in society, pursuing their passions, and living lives of personal significance.

Thank you for standing with us on this journey. With your continued support, we can build a more compassionate, accepting, and empowering world for everyone.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Stephen H. Suroviec President & CEO

Our Services

Achieva is dedicated to providing lifelong comprehensive services for people with disabilities and their families.

Special Needs Trusts & Future Planning: Achieva Family Trust can help explore trust options to protect assets.

Advocacy & Family Supports: Aiding in the navigation of educational, medical, government and adult service systems.

Benefits Counseling: This service offers resources to maximize employment income, while maintaining access to vital government benefits.

Business Operations: Providing employment opportunities to people with disabilities while producing high quality products and services.

Business Services: Providing onsite, expert consultation to privatesector businesses to assist them with recruiting, hiring, on-boarding, and retaining talent with disabilities.

Competitive-Integrated Employment: Matching a job seekers’ skills and interests to real jobs in the community.

Community Living: Licensed homes providing comfort in a community setting.

Community Participation Supports: Engaging in new and interesting activities in the community to experience all that society has to offer.

Disability Healthcare Initiative: Offering state-wide leadership on improving access to health care.

Early Intervention: Providing a “Strong Start” to children ages birth – three by well-trained therapists.

“A Home of My Own”/Supported Living: Provides the supports for people to live safely in a home they choose while meeting needs and goals.

Home Care: Provides in-home and community support.

Housing Tenancy: Offering resources to locate and maintain cost-effective, accessible housing.

Life Sharing: Family living arrangements in the home of an unrelated, supportive family.

Parenting Support: Parenting education for parents and caregivers who have disabilities.

Representative Payee: Granting peace of mind through a secure approach to money management.

Achieva Family Trust Celebrates 25 Years

Here are some selected highlights:

• First Board Chair of The Family Trust: Richard S. Scott, Esq.

• Achieva Family Trust (AFT) has beneficiaries in 56 of PA’s 67 counties.

• AFT has beneficiaries in 16 of our 50 states.

• Funds distributed through the Charitable Residual Program exceed $10.5 million.

• Assets under management are more than $200 million.

• Achieva Family Trust has approximately 2,600 beneficiaries.

• The average Pooled Account is $28,000.

• The average Payback/Third Party Account is $281,000.

• AFT’s 1st Regional Office was established in Erie in 2017.

• AFT’s 2nd Regional Office was established in Philadelphia in 2018.

• AFT’s 3rd regional Office was established in the Capital Region in 2021.

• The AFT branded vehicle went into service in 2021.

• AFT currently has 26 full-time staff.

• The minimum to establish an account with AFT is $500.

• AFT’s original investment managers were PNC and National City Bank.

• AFT added Capital Group as an investment manager in 2009 following PNC’s acquisition of National City.

• In October of 2018, AFT began serving as corporate trustee for accounts managed by the Duckworth Haggerty Group of Merrill Lynch.

• AFT began working with Baird (formerly Hefren-Tillotson) to manage IRA’s in 2018.

Anniversary Commemorated

Guests gathered to celebrate Achieva Family Trust’s 25th Anniversary at Duquesne University’s Power Center Ballroom on June 21, 2023.

Melvin Hubbard El, Community Advisor to the Mayor; Amy Dolan Strano, President of Achieva Family Trust; and Sharon Watkins, manager of Pittsburgh’s Office of Financial Empowerment.

AFT trustee Greg Fajt converses with Ann Becker and Helen Aldisert.

A traveling, photo-taking robot greeted Katherine Reim, AFT Regional Trust Liaison and Executive Director of The Arc Erie County, along with Ryan Wirth and Kathy Harrington.

Maria Smith, Achieva Family Trust’s Director of Education & Outreach, chats with a guest.

From park benches to a Lawrenceville apartment, this Achieva supportee puts ‘light’ in many lives

Ron Abersol sometimes gets to work at Light of Life Rescue Mission two hours before his start time, but he doesn’t complain. That’s just the way the buses run.

During his two days off each week, he calls in just to catch up with coworkers and hear how the residents’ days are going.

He’s also the first to volunteer for extra work when someone calls off.

You might call him a dedicated employee — and he is — but his uncommon drive comes from an equally uncommon path.

“I was sleeping in doorways and on porches, cops being called on me,” he said, citing alcoholism as the cause for his situation. “You get tired of being tired, so I surrendered. It takes a lot to surrender.”

“Surrender” included allowing his sister to connect him with the Light of Life shelter — where he “gave [his] life to the Lord.” He then transitioned to the facility’s residential Life Transformation Program, which is where he was connected with an Achieva Direct Support Professional, Antoinette Frazier, who’s capable of the honest answers he sometimes needs.

“There were times he’d call me and say, ‘I’m ready to leave,’” she said. Antoinette would encourage Ron to remember how far he has come and to continue on that positive path.

Because she stood firm — and because he knew she was right — Ron earned his way to a waiting list and then a brand new apartment at Sixth Ward Flats, an affordable housing project in

Ron Abersol

Lawrenceville containing eight apartments set aside for people with intellectual and physical disabilities with supportive services provided in partnership with Achieva.

Ron’s list of accomplishments since his October 2021 move-in date grows by the day, but his work — which isn’t “work” at all — ranks right near the top, as he says with pride, “I went from being a client to working at Light of Life.”

More alike than different Ron is a stepfather of two and the biological father of twins, but an unidentified and untreated learning disability festered until alcoholism was the result.

“I got paid on Friday. You wouldn’t see me until Monday,” he said. “I didn’t care about the light bill, the gas bill. I was just looking for the next drink,” a lifestyle that inspired crushing anxiety and depression.

But in January, Ron celebrated seven years sober — a streak he keeps, in part, thanks to twice-a-week AA meetings and Antoinette’s support.

“I enjoy being around her because she gives me motivation, and she keeps me moving,” Ron said. “She’s a caring person and a lovable person.”

With their three days per week together, the list of to-dos is lengthy, including appointments, Sam’s Club runs, paying bills, and much more. But the key to the duo’s success isn’t just checking those boxes; it’s recognizing how similar they really are.

“Before I started working with him, I was learning how to manage my own budget better,” she said. “I have ADHD [attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder], depression, and anxiety. I talk to a therapist. I think I can understand him and the things he goes through. Those things brought us close together.”

‘I just enjoy life’...

“If I’m able to do this, they can do it, too,” he said. “One thing I say to them is just when you think everything is crumbling, it’s really just coming together.”

Achieva Direct Support Professional, Antoinette Frazier and Ron Abersol

Achieva in Pictures

David

hosted guests at a celebratory housewarming party.

Christy & Sierra Wechtenhiser mimic an iconic image at the Heinz History Center

Schiro

Kelly Gunther visiting Lake Erie

Michael Kuklewski and his first catch of the season

Harold Brothers

Ty Williams at Historic Hanna’s Town

Judy Vojtaskovic was eager to assemble and no doubt, to sample some food cooked on her new grill

Photos on pages 16-17 were submitted by Achieva employees. Those employees and the person(s) featured in the photo will be included in a random gift card drawing. Photos can be submitted to lrazza@achieva.info with the subject line, “Photo Submission.”

Charitable Residual Program and Cecil and David Rosenthal Memorial Fund make wants and needs reality

Charlie Hildbold was living his dream in early 2020.

After years working his way up through the front offices of several professional sports teams — including ticket sales for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Director of Ticketing/Box Office Manager for minor league baseball team the Columbus Catfish and President of the Texas Revolution indoor football team — in 2020 he was Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service for an Atlantic League baseball team, the Lancaster Barnstormers, at least until the Covid-19 pandemic reached the United States.

In an instant, his carefully curated, 15-year career in professional sports disintegrated as Charlie lost his job. And just a month later, that life-altering shift was trumped by another: His 2-year-old son, Connor, was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

“When your kid gets diagnosed, it’s so overwhelming,” Charlie said. “They give you a folder with like 70 pages of information.”

But all of those pages weren’t enough for Charlie and his wife, Carolann, as they pored over online resources, learning everything they could about how to support their son.

“I saw there’s a whole world of autism items that are extremely expensive,” she said. “I started thinking, ‘Do we need these items? How are we ever going to afford these?’”

In addition to his parents, Connor’s support team included therapists and an aunt who, knowing the family’s financial situation, put together a GoFundMe page. She then shouted its existence from the rooftops on social media.

A family friend, who happened to work for Achieva, saw her overtures, and got in touch with Charlie. They discussed Achieva supports in general, but more specifically, about the Charitable Residual Program and how to apply.

At a time when the Hildbolds needed a win, they got one when they were approved for all three sensory items through Achieva Family Trust’s Charitable Residual Program.

Established in 2005, Achieva Family Trust’s Charitable Residual Program is the landing spot for funds that remain after a beneficiary of a pooled trust has passed away. That money is then available to residents of Pennsylvania with a range of disabilities including developmental, physical, and mental health disorders for home and vehicle modifications, medical equipment and more.

“We just ask that it’s the payer of last resort, so if there are any other funding sources that could be explored before coming to the Residual Program that they have been tried, or that they can work in conjunction with one another,” said Jenn Stoyer, Community and Charitable Trust Coordinator.

The program’s availability varies after age 65 depending on other monetary supports, but for anyone under 65, like Connor, the possibilities are … illuminating.

After consulting with Connor’s therapist, the Hildbolds applied to the Charitable Residual Program to receive three sensory items having to do with light: a light-up, color-changing bubble tube, a large jellyfish whose 200 tentacles are fashioned from LED strips and a light-up table with translucent letters, numbers and shapes.

With a letter of support from the therapist, it was clear these tools would help soothe

and educate Connor. It was also apparent the family was doing their best to support their son with minimal finances due to circumstances out of their control.

At a time when the Hildbolds needed a win, they got one when they were approved for all three sensory items through Achieva Family Trust’s Charitable Residual Program.

Like the brothers

Charlie diligently applied for every potential job opportunity in his field since his position was eliminated, yielding hundreds of applications. On the home front, efforts were no less intense.

Connor’s sensory tools were working. He was considered “nonverbal” as the family bounced through three or four speech therapists, until they finally landed on one whose support helped him speak. But when the therapist was promoted, the only option was to hire her privately and outof-pocket — a non-negotiable step, as the family saw it, that resulted in considerable financial strain.

Another GoFundMe plea from Connor’s “Super Aunt” inspired the same family friend to contact Charlie. He pointed him toward the Cecil and David Rosenthal Memorial Fund for additional financial help.

Continued on next page

Residual Program and Rosenthal Fund | Continued from page 13

Cecil and David Rosenthal were beloved residents of Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. They were both supported by Achieva and resided in one of the organization’s community homes.

On Oct. 27, 2018, they attended services at Tree of Life synagogue — as they did every Saturday — when a mass shooting occurred on the congregation, leaving the brothers and nine others deceased.

Chris Schopf, Achieva’s Vice President of Community Supported Living, referred to the brothers as “larger than life” when she was interviewed for National Public Radio’s program “All Things Considered” just days after the shooting. She called Cecil “the ambassador to Squirrel Hill” because of his outgoing personality and the connections he made throughout the community. David was more reserved, she said, but “opened up” as soon as anyone would say hello.

In the spirit of the brothers’ love of community, their family designated Achieva as a recipient of monetary donations after their passing. To ensure those funds would further honor their loving spirits, the Cecil and David Rosenthal Memorial Fund was established.

Though modeled after the Charitable Residual Program’s application process and general philosophy, this fund serves only those with intellectual disabilities and/ or autism who are residents of Allegheny,

Beaver, Butler, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, Lawrence, Venango, Washington, or Westmoreland, counties in Pennsylvania.

Another difference from the Charitable Residual Program is that the Fund is focused exclusively on requests that promote social engagement and interaction. If that sounds broad, it is, intentionally.

“When you talk about community engagement, that’s a pretty broad base,” said LeeAnn Fulena, Esq., Achieva Family Trust’s Director of Strategic Operations. “If you want an iPad so you can communicate, that’s community engagement. If you want to go to a camp, that’s community engagement.”

For Connor, that meant 10 paid sessions with his Holy Grail of speech therapists.

Each person can only apply to the Charitable Residual Program once every two years – except for recreational requests, which are reviewed yearly – but for the Rosenthal Fund, applications are evaluated on a rolling basis, as many times, and as frequently, as that person needs to apply.

“It’s comforting to know that the memory of my brothers will live on through the Memorial Fund, helping people with intellectual or developmental disabilities find and keep good jobs in

their community and pursue meaningful activities that are important to them,” said Michele Rosenthal, sister of Cecil and David Rosenthal.

About a year after their first Rosenthal Fund application, the Hildbolds prepared another, though this time, they were speaking on behalf of both of their children.

Synergistic services

Connor was “the quietest baby you’ve ever heard,” as his mother describes. His Mama-s and Dada-s regressed to hums. He spun, repeated movements, like opening and closing doors. He never gazed into his parents eyes, as all the baby books say he would.

In his younger sister Carlie’s case, none of those red flags reappeared, though she had a few of her own.

She never really crawled, opting to hop on her knees instead. She progressed to hopping on her feet, then tip-toeing.

During a pediatrician appointment for Connor, the doctor noticed her intelligence level was high for a 1-year-old. That led to Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) testing, which revealed that Carlie, too, is autistic.

Charlie and Carolann’s ongoing research revealed that drowning is the number one

cause of death for autistic children. They Googled appropriate swim lessons, but the prices were nearly $200 per session per child.

“We couldn’t afford it,” Carolann said. “Then, Charlie said, ‘What if we try applying?’ That was such a game-changer for us.”

In two separate applications, both Hildbold children were approved for one year of swim lessons. Connor’s came through the Rosenthal Fund, while Carlie received support through the Charitable Residual Program. The swimming has turned Connor’s water-related anxiety toward being “almost therapeutic,” reaching a comfort level that has him floating facedown in the water for 10 seconds at a time.

“Almost therapeutic,” too, is the presence of these funds for the Hildbolds, who also reapplied to the Charitable Residual Program when they were eligible — two years after their first approval.

With their therapist’s guidance, they requested a medium-sized therapeutic ball pit. They were approved, though somehow “medium” turned into “extralarge” and 6-feet wide – a blessing, as it turns out for more interactive play with adults.

Along with the therapy items gained through the Charitable Residual program

and the Cecil and David Rosenthal Memorial Fund, the Hildbolds have purchased several other items on their own, many of which are large or require open space. Those tools are so necessary for Connor and Carlie, the family recently rented a new home chosen specifically to accommodate their therapy items.

With a similar set of priorities, Charlie has stopped seeking out every sports front office job he comes across, and has opted instead to drive for Uber six or seven days per week – and attend graduate school for business analytics – to support his family while his wife is a stay-at-home-mom and a steady presence for their two children.

“I had a few sports-related offers, but the services our kids could get just weren’t enough, and I’m not willing to take a job that would put them at a disadvantage,” he said. “I know it’s on me to make sure that my kids are taken care of, but I also know they have the items they need to be successful with their disabilities because we’ve gotten so much help from sources such as Achieva. It at least takes that off my shoulders, and I can focus on our bills.”

That peace of mind isn’t exclusive to the Hildbolds, as they are just one example of individuals and families benefiting from the synergistic use of Achieva’s Charitable Residual Program and the Cecil and David Rosenthal Memorial Fund.

“When people ask us for success stories, I feel like every story is a success story,” Jenn Stoyer said. “You’re giving them something they were lacking. It’s a supplemental support or service for someone who didn’t have that opportunity before. Anything we do — whether it’s horseback riding, a Kennywood Park pass, a home modification — it could be $20,000 or $150, it’s still changing that person’s life.”

The Cecil and David Rosenthal Memorial Fund is 100% donation-supported. To contribute, click the yellow “Give” button at the top of every page at www.achieva.info and designate the Rosenthal Fund as the donation’s recipient. Or visit achieva.info/ rosenthal, click “Donate to the Fund,” and designate the Rosenthal Fund.

Both the Charitable Residual Program and the Cecil and David Rosenthal Memorial Fund can be applied for online at achieva.info/charitablefunds

in affirmative business

Eric Welsh likes to prove people wrong.

Sometimes that happens while explaining Achieva’s wooden pallet manufacturing operation, where about half the employees have disabilities.

When he joined Achieva 18 years ago as Product Manager of Wooden Pallets & Shipping Containers, he challenged the notion of “sheltered workshops” (segregated work environments for people with disabilities who are usually paid subminimum wages), wondering why a job training program couldn’t also protect the bottomline.

And then eight years ago, he didn’t just acknowledge the bottomline, he bet on it.

He led the charge toward foregoing Achieva’s 14(c) certificate which, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, allows employers to pay sub-minimum wages to those with disabilities. Instead, he wished to replace it with an Affirmative Business Enterprise (ABE) model, which placed the operation in direct competition with similar businesses, vying for the same customers and revenue.

“My issue was we had these sheltered workshops, but we also had a supported employment department whose job it is to sell people on hiring people with disabilities,” said Eric, who served as Achieva’s Vice President of Employment Supports for the past eight years. “So, we’re out there pushing for businesses to hire people with disabilities at at least minimum wage, and we weren’t doing it ourselves.”

The idea behind Achieva’s Pallet Manufacturing division started in the 1980s with Eric’s predecessor who happened to know someone in the pallet-making industry and “just had the curiosity to make it work,” as Eric describes. As a sheltered workshop – job training for those with disabilities – making money wasn’t the goal, evinced by the $400,000 in losses the year before Eric was hired.

‘No other types of social enterprises I know do this’ : Achieva’s Pallet Manufacturing is a master class

Jeff Zemba and Sean Regis Traynor work on hardware kits at Achieva’s pack house in Bridgeville.

“We’ve heard people say, ‘They’re never going to be able to work in the community,” Eric said. “We get to prove those people wrong every day. Those are the stories I love to hear.”

With his vision for an ABE model, the operation now has a positive bottom line and is able to subsidize other supports and services Achieva offers. But as he’ll tell you, a great idea is only that without passionate people to see it through.

People-first productivity

No matter how gray the Pittsburgh skies are, inside of Achieva’s Bridgeville facility is a well-lit, sunny space, with the sounds of classic rock and Disney tunes pouring from a boombox, just to keep the mood light. Employees with and without disabilities do the work, each one making minimum wage or more.

Sean Regis Traynor and Jeff Zemba

— wearing a Lion King hat and shirt, respectively — worked side by side in “The Pack House,” working on hardware kits for a long-time, local customer.

While the back of the building buzzes with pallet assembly, employees in The Pack House fulfill contracts for local businesses, such as putting together packets of hardware that accompany larger retail items or assembling multi-component packets which customers mail to clients.

Combining exactly four nuts into bags two hundred times a day – as was that day’s Pack House task – seems like a recipe for accidental errors, but plant manager, Joe

Thorne, knows which ingredients help his employees succeed.

In this case, he created a laminated grid with each block numbered one through four. Sean, Jeff and others who carry out the task place one nut in each square before sliding them into the plastic bags.

“It keeps me really busy,” Jeff said, who also mentioned how good it feels each time he fills his container to the brim. Sean calls it “fun,” and says he likes “the order of it.”

“Some of my guys can’t read. Some of them can’t count. Regardless of how well they can do either thing, I don’t expect them to count to four perfectly all day long. You or I would mess that up after doing it 200 times,” Joe said.

“A lot of them have OCD [Obsessive Compulsive Disorder], so just grabbing four doesn’t work for them. It really helps their OCD that they can set down the components on a specific spot on the mat.”

Pallet Manufacturing by Achieva produces top-quality wooden pallets and shipping containers. Call 412.995.5000 x501

In addition to these custom supports, Joe knows which employees feel comfortable handling one or more tasks while working as an assembly line and which feel bored when given too few tasks - thoughtfulness not lost on those he oversees.

“It’s like a home to me,” said Jeff, who’s worked at The Pack House for nearly 15 years. “It’s where I want to be.”

Joe’s expertise sounds like the knowhow of an educator or clinical social worker, but Joe is a trained carpenter who found a new calling at Achieva 21 years ago.

“I’m the brother. I’m a dad. I’m a friend. I’m all kinds of things,” he said. “These guys are awesome. It’s a big family.”

Continued on next page

Pallet Manufacturing

Continued from page 18

Building on level ground

Steve Perry’s falsetto fades as you walk toward the rear of the building. Eye and ear protection are required. And a whole new kind of assembly line is well underway.

Air compressor-powered staple and nail guns are the new drum beat. The tables, chairs, envelopes and tiny packets are replaced by oversized state-of-the-art machinery, a gliding, beeping forklift and stacks of perfectly assembled pallets, each made exactly to customers’ specifications.

“We knew we weren’t going to be able to compete on volume, so our niche is that we do small orders, any size order you want and any configuration and size pallet you want … And we can also make shipping crates and containers,” Eric said. In sets of two, pallet manufacturers load wooden planks onto tables adorned with guides which, much like the laminated, numbered mats, serve as reminders, encouraging productivity and accomplishment.

Each duo is composed of one employee with disabilities and one without, all of whom are paid according to the same pay scale and responsible for the same work.

John Farelli is known as “Junior” since “Senior,” his dad, is the assistant plant manager. This August, he’ll celebrate 21 years assembling pallets for Achieva.

Junior knows he’d never want to work a typical office job with all of the chitchat and paperwork. He likes making things with his hands, but he could do that for lots of companies. What’s special about his job is who stands across the table from him.

“I like working with the people. I like teaching them a job,” he said. “When they first start here, some of them, it’s their first job. Seeing them learn something and teaching them a skill, that feels pretty good.”

Measures of success

Despite embracing an ABE, Achieva’s Pallet Manufacturing operation is still a job training program.

Eric notes that hard skills — using a nail gun, learning to create hardware kits, etc. — are often easier to teach. What employees with disabilities really gain there are soft skills: work ethic, workplace behavior, productivity standards and more.

Casual-but-intentional conversations are used as check-ins with employees to ensure they’re feeling fulfilled by their roles. And if they choose, they’re mentored toward something new, whether that’s switching from pallet-making to The Pack House, vice versa or perhaps to the ultimate goal, employment in the community, as several former employees have already done.

But most have been there for a handful of years or a handful of decades, depending on who you meet — all of which is a testament to the success of the ABE model, the thoughtful people who’ve seen it through and the desire of one man to prove what’s possible.

“We’ve heard people say, ‘They’re never going to be able to work in the community,” Eric said. “We get to prove those people wrong every day. Those are the stories I love to hear.”

With PNC Park’s new adult-sized changing table, everyone can go -- and stay -- at the ballgame

He's any Achieva janitorial supervisor's secret weapon, and now, he's an award-winner

Jordan McCloud’s bedroom is painted black and gold. He’s attended about 40 games at PNC Park.

But he’s never seen more than a few innings of each game.

Jordan is “profoundly affected by autism,” which lends to incontinence and the need for an adult-sized changing table to stay anywhere for more than an hour or two. Because of advocacy by Changing Spaces Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ dedication to accessibility, PNC Park now has the necessary table, and people like Jordan — for the first time — can enjoy full nights at the ballpark.

When Jason DePalma starts work at 9 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Kiski Valley Police barracks, everyone knows it: His positive attitude echoes through the halls as he greets everyone with a cheerful “hello.”

As an exceptional employee of Achieva’s Cleaning and Janitorial crew, Jason DePalma was honored at the UniqueSource Achievement Awards ceremony and banquet in Harrisburg.

Photo: International speaker and author, Tanisha Carter; Jason DePalma, Achieva Cleaning and Janitorial; Lisa Biggica, President/CEO of UniqueSource Products & Services.

Read the full stories by holding your mobile camera over the QR code.

Save The Date

September 4, 2023

Run for Autism

Youngwood

September 10, 2023

The Arc Erie County PA

Buddy Walk

Erie Sports Center

September 18, 2023

Achieva’s 25th Annual

Million Dollar Golf Outing

Valley Brook Country Club

October 17, 2023

Achieva n’at

Nova Place

Saturday,24, 2022

December 4, 2023

Achieva’s Awards of Excellence

Sheraton Station Square Hotel

Visit achieva.info/events for current information and event details.

Board of Trustees* July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2024

Officers

Mary Lou Gegick, Chair

Jeremy Shapira, Chair Elect

Jillian F. Zacks, Esq., Vice Chair

Chaz R. Kellem, Immediate Past Chair

Trustees

Tom Balzer

Dr. Nina Butler

Steve Crane, CFA

Michael L. Dever, Esq.

Gary Grysiak

John Haynes

Holly Hoff

Stephan P. Hubbard, CLU, ChFC

Kimberly Jackson

Thomas M. Lee

Leslie Malloy

Lisa A. Martinelli, Ph.D., JD, MA

Ted Meyer

Jennifer Modell, Esq.

Mary D. Richter, CPA

Josh Scott

David Tilstone

Rob Unkovic

Officers

Mary Lou Gegick, Chair

Jeremy Shapira, Chair Elect

Jillian F. Zacks, Esq., Vice Chair

Chaz R. Kellem, Immediate Past Chair

Officers

Kimberly Jackson, Chair

Jeffrey Hantz, Esq., Chair Elect

Michael Dudkowski, Vice Chair

Holly Hoff, Immediate Past Chair

Trustees

Rebecca Tyers Brown

James Calhoun

Greg Fajt, CPA, Esq.

Beth Fulena

David Graf

Stephan P. Hubbard, CLU, ChFC

Elizabeth Hughes, Esq.

Joseph Lantz, CFA, CAIA

Officers

Josh Scott, Chair

Jerry Goodrick, Chair Elect

Joanne Christopher, Vice Chair

Thomas M. Lee, Immediate Past Chair

Trustees

Meghan Gannon Anderson

Nancy Hill

Antoinette Luchini, Esq.

John S. Lynch

Joseph G. Piccini, CPM

Gary Scalise

David Tilstone

Tess Wilson

Kelly Lovato

Leslie Malloy

Robert McDowell

Lee D. Moffatt

Robert Karl Schweitzer, Esq.

Stephen B. Spolar, Esq.

James C. Woll

®

Erie County Pennsylvania

Officers

Ted Meyer, Chair

Tina Calabro, Chair Elect

Elizabeth Humphrey, Vice Chair

Dr. Nina Butler, Immediate Past Chair

Trustees

Melissa Girty

Melanie Hoover

Carly Koza, Esq.

Michael G. Meyer

Michael Milch, JD

Nancy E. Potter, Esq.

Rhonda Schember

Lisa Silverman, Esq.

Jillian F. Zacks, Esq.

Apply To Join An Achieva Board

*Trustees as of August 1, 2023

Officers

Rhonda Schember, Chair

Melanie Hoover, Chair Elect

Shawn Miller, Vice Chair

N/A, Immediate Past Chair

Trustees

Imarii Anderson

Dr. Sean Carroll

Erin Phelps

Kayla Quick

Kim Serafin

Jerry Wegley, Esq.

Officers

Steve Crane, CFA, Chair

Jennifer Modell, Esq., Chair Elect

Beth Rom, Vice Chair

William F. Ward, Esq., Immediate Past Chair

Trustees

Janice Bollman, MA, CCC/SLP, BCBA, LBS

Karen Markle

Dave McMaster, Esq.

Ian Michael, Esq.

The Honorable Tiffany Sizemore

Joseph Smith

Michelle Walker

Thomas Ward

Volunteering as a Trustee for the Achieva Family of Organizations provides an opportunity to make a difference while helping to fulfill Achieva’s mission and vision. Submit an interest form at achieva.info/trustee-interest-form