pathways spring 2016
a publication of Mosaic in Central Iowa | www.mosaicincentraliowa.org
Meaningful Life A DAY AT THE BALLPARK by Bill Nordstrom, Mosaic Host Home Provider & Jerry Hamer, a person in service One of the true joys of being a host home provider is being allowed opportunities that I ordinarily would never have. Such was the case on May 11, when Jerry and I were invited to sit in a skybox at an Iowa Cubs game. Since Jerry is a rabid Cubs fan, he didn’t get much sleep the night before the game, what with “pregame” excitement and all. The morning clouds and rain concerned me, but, by game time, the weather turned out to be fantastic. The sun broke through as the Iowa Cubs were on their way to a well-deserved win.
It was such a joy to see a baseball game from high above the field. An even bigger joy for me as a host home
4-2, which made my day that much better! The game itself was not a cloud in the sky as early that day with a chance of rain; turned out to be a nice sunny “He relished each minute we were day. The game had one at the ol’ ball game.” home run, which was hit by the visiting team. provider was seeing how much Jerry The food was great, but expensive. I enjoyed seeing a game from this had a great time at Principal Park. I perspective. He relished each minute believe you will too. So, come out to we were at the ol’ ball game. see the Iowa Cubs.” Jerry says, “On the 11 of May of this year, not only did I turn 65 but also got to see an Iowa Cubs game vs. Nashville. Luckily the Iowa Cubs won
Special thanks to JSC for donating the skybox for 14 people served by Mosaic to enjoy. They created lifelong memories thanks to your generosity!
Jerry Hamer enjoys the Iowa Cubs baseball game.
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Mosaic At Home COMING SOON! by Carol Mau Warm spring greetings to you all! With the season bringing the promise of growth, changes and blooming, we are looking forward to the “blooming” and development that will soon begin for our Mosaic in Central Iowa agency. A change will soon be underway Carol Mau in the form Executive Director Mosaic in Central Iowa of Mosaic at Home. In the coming months, we will be planning for growth and conversion from traditional group home settings to Mosaic at Home settings over the next two years.
Why are we doing this? There are two very compelling reasons for Mosaic in Central Iowa to move in this direction:
Mosaic Gardening Club Mosaic in Central Iowa has started a
1: Our quality data shows that people with intellectual disabilities living with a Mosaic at Home provider experience achievement of more personal outcomes at an average of almost 7% higher than those served in traditional group homes.
gardening club thanks to the generous
2: We are facing unprecedented staffing shortages. At Mosaic in Central Iowa, we have 80 open staff positions out of 500 total staff. These shortages are happening across every state and every industry, and they are not predicted to improve.
tomatoes, peppers, cantaloupe, zucchini,
donation of four garden plots at the community garden at the South Suburban YMCA in Des Moines! People in service are responsible for weeding, planting, and tending to a variety of vegetables they’ve planted. Thank you to those who donated starter plants—so far we’ve planted broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage and spinach. If you have any gardening tools you’d like to donate to the club, or if you have a green thumb (or are just a gardening enthusiast!) and want to
By moving forward with Mosaic at Home, we continue to support people while being able to address our significant staffing shortages. More information will be shared in the coming months. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any concerns.
Mosaic at Home is not a new concept to Mosaic in Central Iowa. You may already know about this service type as host homes. Mosaic in Central Iowa has been providing the 24-hour service model of host homes since 2009, resulting in great outcomes and very individualized and personalized services for adults with intellectual disabilities. With the Mosaic at Home (host home) program, an adult with an intellectual disability lives with a Mosaic at Home provider, an independent contractor aligned with Mosaic. The provider supports the individual 24 hours a day, fully integrating them into the life of the household and into their community.
Thank you so very much for allowing us to serve you, your loved ones, and our community.
Connect with Mosaic in Central Iowa! mosaicincentraliowa.org mosaicinfo.org/blog
donate your time to helping at the garden, donate.mosaicinfo.org/central-iowa
please contact Katie Flippen at katie. flippen@mosaicinfo.org or 515.868.0602.
facebook.com/mosaicincentraliowa
To keep updated on our garden’s progress, make sure you like us on
twitter.com/mosaic_dsm
Facebook: facebook.com/ mosaicincentraliowa
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Giving a Voice MISS AMAZING In late January, nine women served by Mosaic in Central Iowa competed in the Iowa Miss Amazing Pageant. This was the fourth consecutive year that Iowa has hosted a pageant, originally started in 2007 by a 13-year-
The ladies show off their trophies.
old Special Olympics volunteer in Nebraska who had the desire to inspire confidence in women and girls with intellectual disabilities. Katie Brown, served by Mosaic, was crowned the 2016 Senior Miss and will be going to Chicago this summer to compete in the Miss Amazing national pageant.
“It was really fun to meet new people and to be on stage with my roomies,” she said, while wearing multiple tiaras she received at the event. “My nails were painted to match my dark purple sequin gown. I was purple from head to toe!” Katie’s talent was singing “Summer Nights” from the musical Grease, a favorite movie of all three ladies in her apartment, as well as a stage production she has seen many times. The pageant included an eveningwear portion in which the ladies were invited to wear anything that made them feel glamorous, as well as a judges’ interview. Katie and her roommates still excitedly speak of getting their hair and make-up done for the event and having handsome escorts on stage. They all agree, though, that the best part was being with all of their friends onstage and making new ones at the event.
“Along with promoting skill growth such as sportsmanship, poise, and public speaking, this organization allows for girls to create friendships and memories that will last a lifetime!” said the pageant organizers. We’re so proud to have seen all of our Mosaic women showcase their talents and build confidence at the pageant. Good luck to Katie this summer in Chicago!
Have you included Mosaic in your estate planning? There are ways to increase your income now or in the future and save money on taxes. With a planned gift, you can also ensure that Mosaic’s mission of providing a life of possibilities for people with intellectual disabilities continues long into the future. Contact Jaime Corsar at 877.366.7242 or jaime.corsar@mosaicinfo.org to discuss how planned giving can help you.
Katie Brown and another finalist for Miss Amazing Central Iowa 3 Mosaic Pathways
Caring Community FINDING HAPPINESS Mosaic in Central Iowa and the Drake University Art Department partnered to create Finding Happiness, an art exhibit showcasing the talents of adults with intellectual disabilities. The exhibit was displayed at the Weeks Art Gallery on the Drake campus during the first week of April.
Ellen
Katie Canepa, a Drake University senior majoring in psychology with a minor in studio drawing, came up with the idea for the project after volunteering with a
person served by Mosaic during a service learning course. “Many of the adults served by Mosaic hold artistic promise, but their skills are marginalized due to a lack of formal art education, transportation and supplies. There is a severe underrepresentation of the artists’ works in the community,” said Canepa.
and students, as well as members of the community came out to support the artists.
People served by Mosaic were invited to a special day at Drake where they learned various art methods from faculty and students in Drake’s fine arts program. They were able to try new art techniques and then start on their piece for the exhibit.
“I’ve enjoyed making the art,” said Nathan Williamson, a person supported by Mosaic who created several works, including a self-portrait. “I actually feel like an artist, and I had fun! I hope to be able to do more.”
Finding Happiness was unveiled to the community at an opening reception for the public on March 31. Several people served by Mosaic, their guardians, Drake University faculty
The artistic partnership has served as a bridge to further opportunities between Mosaic and Drake as well as other members of the Des Moines art community.
Mara
Artists
Mosaic Pathways is published by Mosaic in Central Iowa | 11141 Aurora Ave., Bldg. 3 Urbandale, Iowa 50322-7904 | 515.246.1840 | www.mosaicincentraliowa.org Executive Director Public Relations Specialist & Editor Resource Development Manager
Nathan
carol.mau@mosaicinfo.org katie.flippen@mosaicinfo.org brittney.ledford@mosaicinfo.org
Mission Embracing God’s call to serve in the world, Mosaic advocates for people with intellectual disabilities and provides opportunities for them to enjoy a full life. Integrity at Mosaic If you have a concern, call our national Confidential Reporting Hotline at 800.443.4899, or email integrity@mosaicinfo.org
Relationships Mosaic is an affiliated social ministry organization of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and a member of Lutheran Services in America. Non-discrimination Mosaic will not discriminate in matters of employment or service delivery on the basis of race, creed, age, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, marital status or veteran status. To be added or removed from the mailing list or to receive information via email, please contact Mosaic at the address given. ©2016 Mosaic. All rights reserved. Mosaic is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
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