A Barrier-Free Northwest Missouri Serving Since 1994
Fall 2015 Volume 7 Issue 3 Chair
Dr. Robert Bush
messenger
Vice-Chair
Jaren Pippitt Secretary
Wayne Crawford Treasurer
Kent Allen
Persevere
Members
There are times when I wake up… to face a brand new dawn When I find it hard to get up… or the strength to carry on When the obstacles that confront me… seem too difficult to bear When the indifference that surrounds me… robs my will to care
Kent Ahrens Dr. Susan Bashinski Dr. Terry Robertson Acting Chief Executive Officer
Steve Bartlett
Then from somewhere unexpected… a word; a phrase; a sight Reminds me that I am not alone… in my struggle to survive A simple gesture, a kind remark… or to see someone in need Someone that has a harder road… a more difficult life to lead Fills me with pride and shame… which forces me to face Like these unsung heroes… I must endeavor to win this race So at each opportunity… when another feels despair
I can share that inspiration… which helped me to “PERSEVERE”
-- Martin Anthony, 2015
A Calendar of Events appears on our website. Please check this calendar frequently for meeting dates and special activities. www.meril.org
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JC Dollar Retires from MERIL After many years at the helm of MERIL, JC Dollar has retired as CEO. Following a long and dedicated history working with and for children, people with disabilities and those who are aging, JC is transitioning into that next phase of life. For those of you who know JC, his visionary approach and entrepreneurial spirit no doubt will be manifested in all of his future endeavors. Please join us in thanking JC for his many contributions to others and in wishing him the best in this next phase of life.
JC and Carol Dollar
Did you know... MERIL is looking for dedicated people who enjoy giving back to the community, high school students looking for volunteer service hours, and anyone with extra time to become MERIL volunteers. MERIL has immediate needs for Front Desk and Fall Festival volunteers, with more volunteer opportunities becoming available in the near future. Whether you are looking for a chance to volunteer an hour or two a day, a half or whole day, or a few days a week, MERIL would enjoy welcoming you to our volunteer team no matter how long you would like to volunteer. To join our wonderful team of volunteers, please go to http://meril.org/help-meril and complete a volunteer application or email volunteer@meril.com and a volunteer application will be emailed to you.
Don’t forget...
MERIL Staff Anniversaries Liz Alder - 17 years Russell Gilfillan - 14 years Paul Bergonzoni - 11 years Pamela Hillyard - 11 years Maria Brandt - 8 years Steve Bartlett - 7 years Sarah Kurtz - 7 years Deann Young - 6 years Larry Stewart - 5 years Tracie Stolte - 3 years
Monica Boeh - 2 years Chris Kaster - 2 years Debra Lakebrink - 2 years Craig Aslin - 1 year Peggy Hardy - 1 year Renita Neville - 1 year Tanya Northcraft - 1 year Emily Pearl - 1 year Lindsey Wheeler - 1 year
MERIL’s Speaker’s Bureau has many professional and experienced staff members available to speak on a variety of topics at your club or organization event including: Accessibility Interpreting Services Independent Living Youth Transition Services Health Topics
: All individuals, with or without a disability, are free to live as independently as they choose.
Leadership Visit www/meril.org/news-events for a complete list and more details!
Fall 2015
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(Be sure to check our website for updates and details at http://meril.org/news-events/calendar-of-events)
September 7 Mon All MERIL Offices Closed for the Labor Day Holiday 8 Tue disABILITY Voters Taskforce 12 Sat Thrivent Giving Back Open House (see page 5) 14 Mon People First Support Group Meeting 15 Tue People First Support Group Meeting Maryville Chapter 17 Thu TBI Support Group Meeting NWMO Brain Injury Association 25 Fri Bluegrass Battles Hunger (http://bluegrassbattleshunger.com) 26 Sat Bluegrass Battles Hunger
October 6 Tue 8 Thu 12 Mon 15 Thu 20 Tue
23 Fri 24 Sat
November 9 Mon People First Support Group Meeting 17 Tue People First Support Group Meeting Maryville Chapter 19 Thu TBI Support Group Meeting NWMO Brain Injury Association 26 Thu All MERIL Offices Closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday 27 Fri All MERIL Offices Closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday
26 Mon
Hands Around The Capitol (see page 7) disABILITY Voters Taskforce Legislative Forum (see page 7) People First Support Group Meeting TBI Support Group Meeting NWMO Brain Injury Association People First Support Group Meeting Maryville Chapter MERIL Fall Festival (see page 8) Interpreter and SSP: Effective Teaming With the Deafblind (see page 11) A Home For Everyone Conference
December 8 Tue disABILITY Voters Taskforce 14 Mon People First Support Group Meeting 15 Tue People First Support Group MeetingMaryville Chapter 17 Thu TBI Support Group Meeting NWMO Brain Injury Association 24 Thu All MERIL Offices Closed for the Christmas Holiday 25 Fri All MERIL Offices Closed for the Christmas Holiday
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Leadership Northwest Missouri: Community Advocacy and Knowledge Through Mileage By Jay Claywell Community Independent Living Specialist
Leadership Northwest Missouri (LNWMO) is more than just a professional development opportunity. It does more than give those that participate in the course a network of resources. Leadership Northwest Missouri is an overtly eye-opening and often awareness-expanding experience. Having lived in the Great Northwest of Missouri for the whole of my life, I became aware of the power and prestige of the area. I became intertwined with a network of fantastic people that ultimately became my friends as well. Collectively, we became each other’s educators and encouragers. We explored areas, businesses, and organizations that our fellow Missourians, often LNWMO alumni themselves, had a hand in either creating, engaging with, or expanding. We learned, over the course of our six monthly sessions, about the vitality of the area and often the subsequent struggles that the region’s leadership faced, and still faces, in maintaining viable growth of the smaller local economies. A couple of excellent examples include the class trip to Hamilton, Missouri and tour of Missouri Star Quilt Company. A family, seeking to escape the urban rigors of life in California, found an oasis in rural northwest Missouri. Subsequently, this family was able to create and grow Missouri Star Quilt Company from an idea for passing the time, into a business with an international following that employs over a third of Hamilton’s population. Also, there was the story of The Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri in Chillicothe. LNWMO alumni Daniel Savage had the opportunity to reinvent the building that had formerly housed his parents’ beloved Savage Grocery and turn it into a place for area youth to be cared for, engaged, educated, and encouraged. Daniel was able to take his skills and abilities, enhanced by experiences garnered by his involvement with LNWMO, and create an organization that serves a need in his home community. At the time of this writing, the LNWMO Class of 2015 is attempting to facilitate a project called BLOOM. BLOOM (Building Local Opportunities/Organizations in Missouri) hopes to facilitate “the push” that local startups might need to turn a dream of community betterment into a reality. I am proud to have been a part of Leadership Northwest Missouri. I am proud to still be a part of Leadership Northwest Missouri in that I am still able to connect regularly with my classmates and am sturdily involved in turning our class project into something tangible that will benefit other Missourians. If you are interested in Leadership Northwest Missouri and have the opportunity to participate in the upcoming class, I would wholeheartedly recommend doing so. More information and applications can be found at http://www.leadershipnorthwestmissouri.org. Professional development, it is. You might even call it a seminar or maybe a leadership training class. But, it is absolutely so much more. It is knowledge through mileage. “The relationships that are forged here are outstanding. The process that is explored here in this class is valuable on a personal and professional level.” - Jay Claywell, pictured here with fellow 2015 LNWMO graduate Kent Wilson
Fall 2015
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“Turn $1 into $3 at our Giving Back Open House� Hosted by:
When: Sat, September 12th from Noon-3pm Where: St. Joseph Thrivent Office 707 N. 36th Street, St. Joseph, MO Why: To Live Generously and Strengthen our Community Thrivent Financial and local Financial Representatives, Cody F. Vaughn and Curtis J. Behrend would like to invite you to an open house to help raise funds for these four local nonprofits!
Come join us for a free lunch provided by Cody Vaughn and Curtis Behrend with Thrivent Financial. Also, during our event, any donations given to one or a combination of these wonderful organizations will be tripled by Cody, Curtis and Thrivent Financial. Therefore, each $1 donated by you will turn into $3 donated to the organization of your choosing. Example: Donate $10 we will turn that $10 donation into $30 for the nonprofit organization of your choice. Thrivent Financial is a Faith-Based, Nonprofit organization who helps families and businesses with their insurance and financial needs. Thrivent strives to strengthen local communities and help others live generously. *100% of the donated funds will go directly to the four nonprofits. Thrivent Financial will NOT keep any of the contributions or matched dollars. Thrivent will ONLY match donations that are donated in person at this event. Matching donations are maxed out at a certain amount per organization. All proceeds received by MERIL will support the MERIL Service Participant Assistance Fund.
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Students With Disabilities: Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Leader In Your Community? By Craig Aslin Community Independent Living Specialist
Do you have what it takes to be a leader? Do you think people with disabilities can be leaders? If you think that this task is impossible to achieve because of your disabilities, the answer is NO! Anything is possible if you set your mind to be a leader! Missouri Youth Leadership Forum (MO YLF) is a leadership program for sixteen to twenty-one year old students with disabilities. It is important for students with disabilities to learn skills by example and interaction with others who share similar experiences. The five-day program is held every summer at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Students were selected to become delegates at the forum through an application process. In addition to leadership skills, the delegates learned to set life goals, advocate for their needs, and give back to the community. Missouri Youth Leadership While I was a high school student, I was selected to Forum staff with Governor Nixon attend the forum as a delegate. I returned to my hometown in St. Louis from Mizzou, feeling confident and understanding my role in my community. This year, I was asked to return to the forum as a co-facilitator for a team of seven delegates with various disabilities. Throughout the week, I took many trips down memory lane as I recalled my experience as a delegate almost a decade ago. The council reached out to several people with various disabilities to speak about their experiences in their lives to the delegates and staff and I believe that everyone was touched by their stories. The highlight for most of the students was meeting the Governor of Missouri, and helping send approximately 7,000 items to fill more than 250 bags for the Ronald McDonald House in Columbia! This year’s delegates went home feeling more confident about their disabilities, as well as their leadership and advocacy skills learned at the forum. Even though I was on staff , I am inspired by the mission of the Governor’s Council on Disability. To those delegates who are reading this article, I am incredibly proud of you! For more information on the Missouri Youth Leadership Forum, please visit the Governor’s Council on Disability website (www.disability.mo.gov/gcd/ylf.htm).
2015 Missouri Youth Leadership Forum delegates with Governor Nixon *Photos used with permission of the Governor’s Council on Disability
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Fall 2015
Treating others with courtesy and honor.
Contact your State Legislators: Senator Dan Hegeman District #12 573.751.1415 dan.hegeman@senate.mo.gov Senator Rob Schaaf, District #34 573.751.2183 rob.schaaf@senate.mo.gov _______________________ Representative Allen Andrews District #1 573.751.9465 allen.andrews@house.mo.gov Representative Pat Conway, District #10 573.751.9755 pat.conway@house.mo.gov Representative J. Eggleston District #2 573.751.4285 J.eggleston@house.mo.gov Representative Galen Higdon, District #11 573.751.3643 galen.higdon@house.mo.gov Representative Delus Johnson, District #9 573.751.3666 delus.johnson@house.mo.gov Representative Jim Neely, District #8 573.751.0246 jim.neely@house.mo.gov Who is your legislator? Not sure? Check at: http://www.mo.gov
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Electronics Free Family Fun By Maria Brandt Community Independent Living Specialist
MERIL employees competed in an “Electronics Free Family Fun Night” contest. We were challenged to turn off electronics and do things with our families. Included in the electronic free event were cell phones, computer and gaming systems, televisions and radios, anything that required batteries or electricity to run. Here are some ideas for you to enjoy an electronics free fun night with your family or friends: Gather your neighbors and have a block party Go outside Gather bugs and watch them (then release!) Have a race Make some sidewalk chalk art Play hide and seek Play board games Take a walk Watch the birds Do some stretching Try some puddle jumping Wash your cars You’re only limited by your imagination! Fly a kite
Fall 2015
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Preventing Falls at Home Takes Planning By Mark Elliott Miller, MPH Administrator of Community Health Most serious falls occur in and around the home, and these falls can be life-changing. According to the Area Agency on Aging, to help maintain your independence, it’s important to understand the ways you can protect yourself from falls. Some simple precautions can ensure safety and reduce your risk of falling at home. Fall prevention planning starts with a simple walk-through of your home. Do you have area rugs in the living room or kitchen? If they do not have non-skid backing, either purchase this backing at an area home improvement store or give away the rugs. If you walk with an assistive device like a walker or cane, they can get entangled in the rug and cause a fall. Use non-skid floor wax when mopping floors. If you have stairways, make sure handrails are on both sides of the steps and are securely fastened. Bathroom safety is of utmost importance. Consider installing grab bars by the toilet and in the tub or shower for added security. Purchase a tub bench with a seat and back to avoid slipping, or install non-slip strips in the bath tub or shower. Install adjustable height shower heads for ease of showering at the lowest possible risk. Keep items in places that are easy to reach. If you must use a step stool, make sure that it has a bar on the top to hold on to. Avoid lifting heavy items as they will affect your balance. Don’t maneuver in the dark. Install light switches at the top and bottom of stairs. Place night lights in hallways, bedrooms, bathrooms and stairways. Place a lamp and telephone near your bed and add lighting to dark spaces. Perhaps most importantly, get rid of household clutter. Move newspapers, boxes, electrical and phone cords, plants and furniture out of high traffic areas. If you have pets, be wary of litter boxes and toys that can be tripped over. The outside of your home can also be hazardous. Repair holes and uneven areas of the sidewalks and driveway. Arrange to have leaves, snow and ice removed from stairs and walkways. Use salt or sand in the winter months. If there are steps up to your door, ensure that sturdy handrails are in place on both sides of the steps. Make sure outside lighting is working. In addition to taking these household precautions, be sure that you understand the medications you are taking. Many prescriptions can cause light-headedness or dizziness that can lead to falls. Taking the time to discuss all your medications and over-the-counter supplements with your doctor or pharmacist can be a real lifesaver. Also, have an annual eye exam. Vision changes can cause problems with depth perception and lead to falls. And finally, talk to your doctor about starting an exercise program. Staying as physically active as you can enhances balance and coordination. For more information about safety and accessibility issues in your home, contact MERIL at 816.279.8558 or Angels Home Health at 816.364.0900. Angels Home Health is a non-profit agency that serves the nursing and rehabilitative needs of home-bound individuals throughout much of northwest Missouri.
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Remember MERIL’s fundraiser with GoodSearch. A donation is provided to MERIL just for searching on the Internet using GoodSearch.com. When you search, choose MERIL as the donation recipient. When you actually shop through GoodShop, MERIL will also get a percentage of the purchase. Thank you for considering this option for “surfing the net.”
Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph Offers Utility Assistance and Weatherization Services
Utility Assistance The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) at Community Action Partnership (CAP St. Joe) offers crisis assistance payments to families whose utilities have been shut off. CAP St. Joe processes more than 1,500 applications each winter. LIHEAP is a federally funded grant that provides money to help low-income households make home heating more affordable and avoid shutoff of utility services during the winter. CAP also works closely with local utility companies to meet more than 3,000 requests for basic utilities assistance each winter – for families who would otherwise have to choose between heat or food, for example.
Weatherization The Weatherization Program assists homeowners and renters by providing energy conservation services customized to meet their specific needs. Eligible applicants receive a comprehensive energy audit performed by CAP St. Joe’s partner organization, Community Services, Inc., to determine where energy escapes and the most cost-effective way to correct energy use problems. Weatherization services include, but are not limited to: Repair or replacement of furnaces and water heaters Ductwork Repair of windows and doors Caulking, weather stripping and installing insulation to sidewalls and attics To date, the Weatherization program has completed 200+ homes in the City of St. Joseph and has an average savings of $430 per household served. If you are looking for help with utility assistance or weatherization, contact Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph at 816.233.8281 or complete a weatherization application on their website at: http://endpov.com.
Fall 2015
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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID St. Joseph, MO Permit No. 983
Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living 4420 South 40th Street St. Joseph, MO 64503 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
If you would like to be removed from our newsletter mailing, please notify us at newsletter@meril.org or call: St. Joseph Office Phone: 816.279.8558 Toll Free: 800.MERIL4U Fax: 816.279.1550 Video Phone: 816.396.0234 Maryville Office Toll Free: 800.MERIL4U Fax: 660.582.2677
Ways to Give There are many ways you can make a difference through a gift to MERIL. Memorial Gifts - Any gift may be given in memory or honor of a friend or loved one. Your gift is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Angels Home Health 816.364.0900 Bridge Interpreting 816.244.0834
www.facebook.com/MERIL4U
The MERIL Messenger is a free monthly publication. While articles and stories submitted for publication are always welcome, MERIL reserves the right to reject or to edit all items for content, clarity and length. Braille, large print, and Spanish copies are available on request. The MERIL Messenger is also available online at www.meril.org. Please send articles, suggestions, comments or subscription requests to: Editor, MERIL Messenger, 4420 South 40th Street, St. Joseph, MO 64503. Or call 816.279.8558 voice or toll-free 800.MERIL4U. Or you may email us at newsletter@meril.org. Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living is a not-for-profit organization.