pathways winter 2016
a publication of Mosaic in Central Iowa | www.mosaicincentraliowa.org
Meaningful Life DRAKE UNIVERSITY SERVICE LEARNING by Brittney Ledford During the fall 2015 semester, a class of 22 Drake University upper-level psychology students partnered with Mosaic to get hands-on service learning experience working with adults with intellectual disabilities. Individuals in service were encouraged to come up with projects, then the students were matched with the person and project that best fit their own interests or expertise. Morgan, a Drake student, volunteered with a woman who wanted to plant her own garden. They started by researching plants and decided an indoor herb garden would be best in the fall season. Together, they took trips to the Des Moines Botanical Garden for inspiration and to local stores to buy the plants and supplies.
“It was really great to work with someone who sees life a little differently than you,” said Morgan. The woman she volunteered with doesn’t use words to communicate which presented a challenged Morgan hadn’t
projects include helping a person in service start a Couch-to-5K program to train for his goal of running a race, creating a scrapbook for a man we serve who has dementia, helping a person in service organize his collection of over 2,000 baseball cards, and “It was really great to work with someone helping a house of who sees life a little differently than you.” ladies in service create welcome bags before encountered. “She taught me for people in service who are new to new communication skills, and I got the Des Moines area. the chance to advocate for someone Mosaic’s quality assurance coordinator with disabilities.” Brandi Bretthauer helped oversee the Everyone in the class agreed that they projects for the semester. “The learned much more from the people students did a great job, and we’re so in service than they, themselves, were thankful for this partnership with able to teach during the projects. Other Drake,” she said.
Drake students get hands-on experience at Mosaic.
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From the Executive Director STEWARDSHIP by Carol Mau Happy 2016, Mosaic partners! It is with a heart full of gratitude that I share my thoughts with you this new year. In late fall, we held our fourth annual Mosaic Partners in Possibilities fundraising luncheon. I am grateful and thrilled Carol Mau Executive Director to share Mosaic in Central Iowa that we raised more than $97,200, and 200 people attended—200 people who desire to be partners in our mission! The success at our luncheon and, more importantly, what it means for the people we serve and their families, ties to the focus area in our Mosaic 2.0 Strategic Plan: stewardship. This particular strategic focus area compels us to provide financial resources and build collaborative partnerships to achieve Mosaic’s vision. Our efforts to achieve this focus area drive our performance in several ways: Inviting the Community In to Learn About Our Mosaic Mission: In order for people to want to engage with our mission, with us, and with the people we support, they have to know that we exist. For the past four years, we shared our stories with hundreds of people through Discover the Possibilities—a tour of our mission events where we share stories told by the people who know Mosaic best— the people we serve, their families and volunteers.
Mosaic Partners in Possibilities Fundraising Luncheon: Every year in the fall we put on a fundraising luncheon and ask people to pledge to financially support Mosaic. Attendees have been so generous because they know who we are, they understand why our work is important, and they desire to be a part of that work. Building Collaborative Relationships and Partnerships: Our Mosaic vision compels us to be passionate about services and partnerships that create meaningful lives in caring communities. We work every day to build relationships and partnerships with churches, volunteer organizations, and other community entities to positively impact the lives of all involved. We know that we cannot carry out our Mosaic mission alone. We know that there is a huge gap between what we receive Medicaid funding for, and what people we support – people with intellectual disabilities – really need and desire for a great life. The cash gifts and pledges at this fall’s Mosaic Partners in Possibilities fundraising luncheon will certainly help fill that gap. Our strategic focus area on stewardship helps us seek out the financial resources to meet those needs, and it also directs us to build long lasting partnerships that will make a positive difference in the lives of ALL people! You have my sincere thanks for partnering with us to continue to carry our Mosaic mission forward! Carol Mau Executive Director – Mosaic in Central Iowa
The 2016 Central Iowa Family and Friends Survey is now available! Please visit www.surveymonkey. com/r/DESIAFSS to share your thoughts about our services and supports.
Upcoming Events Mosaic in Central Iowa 11141 Aurora Ave. Urbandale, IA 50322 January 28 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. February 11 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. February 25 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. March 15 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. March 24 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Join us for a free lunch, and learn how Mosaic helps create a life of possibility for adults with intellectual disabilities in our community. You will hear stories told by the people who know Mosaic best—the people we serve, their families and volunteers. These one-hour presentations open our doors in an attempt to share our mission, vision, and passion for those being served, and lunch is on us! To reserve your spot, contact Brittney Ledford at brittney.ledford@mosaicinfo.org or 515.868.0623.
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Giving a Voice MOSAIC IN THE COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT by Katie Flippen Brandon Chanas likes to bang on the drums, break a sweat & get healthy! Thankfully he discovered Courage League Sports where he can do all of these things, as well as be a volunteer and mentor to others.
Brandon tries the climbing wall at Courage League Sports.
Finding the “just right” volunteer opportunity for adults with intellectual disabilities is a blessing for both the volunteer and those they serve. Brandon, a person served by Mosaic for 10 years, takes on the role of organizer, protector, and playmate at Courage League Sports (CLS) in Urbandale, IA. CLS provides adaptive sports, recreation, and leisure programming for people with special needs of all ages from toddlers to adults. There are many roles Brandon takes on when he walks through the doors to volunteer at CLS each Monday and
Wednesday evening. There are cones to organize, games and toys to put away, basketball hoops that need to be reset to their proper height, and kids that are looking for a friend to play with. The gym is full of engaging activities, sensory equipment and areas to explore. Brandon has great patience when it comes to showing “the little ones” how much fun they can have and how many things they can do that they might not have done before.
Holiday Gift Thank-You by Brittney Ledford This holiday season, I was privileged to turn my office into the North Pole thanks to the overwhelming support of our church partners. The people we serve decorated holiday wish list ornaments that were distributed to eight area congregations in November. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the churches responded with amazing generosity! Gifts started pouring in to ensure every person we serve had a gift (or two…or seven) under the tree. My desk was buried, the floor was covered—it was literally an avalanche of blessings!
“I like to show [the kids] just how capable they are. We swing bats, play hockey or try out one of the new exercise machines,” said Brandon. “I have to make sure they are safe and being careful when we are having all that fun. There is tons of cool stuff to do. We even play music and dance!” Brandon initially came to CLS with his Mosaic staff to stay active and work on his goal of being healthier. In addition to his twice-weekly volunteer activities, he goes to CLS once a month with the “big guys” at his Friendship Connection program. When asked what his favorite part is about volunteering at CLS, he looked around the gym at everything he had just shown off and said, “You know what—I just really like!”
We could not be more grateful for the outpouring of support from the community for the people we serve. To see a person’s eyes light up when they realize they were not forgotten during the rush of the holiday season is a very powerful thing. I would like to thank my fellow Mosaic employees who adopted some of the wish lists on their own. Mosaic also especially thanks the following church congregations for the Christmas gifts they donated this year: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Ankeny Faith Lutheran Church in Clive Grace Lutheran Church in Des Moines Memorial Lutheran Church in Nevada New Life Lutheran Church in Norwalk Zion Lutheran Church in Des Moines Lutheran Church of the Cross in Altoona Windsor Heights Lutheran Church These churches were true examples of “The Reason for the Season” this Christmas!
Brandon Chanas at Courage League Sports. Central Iowa 3 Mosaic Pathways
Caring Community PARTNERS IN POSSIBILITIES 2015 by Katie Flippen Mosaic in Central Iowa hosted our fourth annual Partners in Possibilities luncheon on Thursday, October 20, 2015. This one-hour lunch is the only fundraiser we put on all year, and 200 people packed the Ramada Tropics Conference Center to pledge their financial support for our mission. We are so excited to share that we raised over $97,200 at the event! All of those funds stay right here in Central Iowa to support the 240 people we serve.
we serve want to live. Finally, a woman we served named Mara and her sister Missy took the stage to share their Mosaic story. After nearly dying while in the care of another provider, Mara found Mosaic and has truly blossomed into a new person after moving into a host home. Mara had people both laughing and crying—she brought down the house! We are so thankful to everyone who played a role in our luncheon’s success. To those who attended, volunteered as table captains, helped set up, made a pledge, or just helped spread the word:
The lunch opened with emcee Tiffany Turner sharing why she and her two sons volunteer with Mosaic. She
we are truly grateful. It is through people in the community who are willing to tell others about Mosaic that we can get the word out and generate more support for the extraordinary people we serve. If you’d like to be invited to next year’s Partners in Possibilities luncheon or would like to add your support to those who gave this year, please contact Brittney ledford at brittney.ledford@mosaicinfo .org or 515.868.0623.
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
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 Jamie Corsar at 877.366.7242 or jamie.corsar@mosaicinfo.org to discuss how planned giving can help you.
Connect with Mosaic in Central Iowa!
Mara speaks at the Partners in Possibilities event.
introduced Danielle Butterfield, a woman we serve who read the poem “Each Person is Different,” and then shared a few photos from her recent trip to Washington, D.C. with some other people Mosaic serves across the country. While attendees enjoyed lunch, executive director Carol Mau spoke about the importance of having community partners to help us fill the gap between what Medicaid pays for and the lives of possibilities the people
Have you included Mosaic in your estate planning?
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
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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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