THE
RiteCare Reporter
COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER - SPRING 2015
The Brooks Family Story Preston Brooks was the youngest of seven children and at nearly 2, he wasn’t yet talking. This wasn’t a great shock to his mother, Nancy, who says that two of Preston’s siblings were also speech delayed. But the Brooks family had recently moved from Los Angeles to Washington State, and Nancy didn’t know what services were offered in the area. She enrolled Preston in a special development preschool, but it soon became obvious that he needed a lot more speech support than what was provided in the classroom. Preston was not making much progress and it was affecting him academically and socially. That summer, the Brooks’ enrolled Preston in a home-based speech program; however, the high cost of services made that option financially unsustainable. Kindergarten was coming up fast and Nancy didn’t know how Preston would be able to participate if he couldn’t even talk. She contacted a representative within the local school district who gave her a list of speech services in the area. The representative starred several options, including Ritecare (then called the Center for Childhood Language Disorders), though she advised Nancy to not even bother applying. The waiting list was just too long. But, while other speech pathology services cost money the Brooks family didn’t have, RiteCare’s services were delivered at no cost. Nancy decided to take a chance and called RiteCare; hoping to at least get Preston on the waiting list. Amazingly, there was an opening, and Preston was invited to start speech therapy on one condition: Nancy had to commit to getting Preston to the RiteCare facility twice a week. The year was 1997, and at that time the Brooks were a one-car family, and Nancy had no idea how she was In 2012 I was restless. I wanted one more going to get Preston to his speech services. She took a leap of faith and great mission in my career before making committed to the program anyway and after that everything just fell into the leap into retirement. RiteCare of place. Schedules worked out so that she was able to use the car to get Washington became that mission. I learned Preston the help he needed. that speech and language delays affect Preston was paired with speech pathologist Barbara McKague, who tens-of-thousands of children in the state Nancy describes as “the perfect speech teacher for him.” She says, “He of Washington alone and is the 2nd most really bonded with her. She became like family.” Preston was diagnosed common reason for special education in the USA. I also learned as a significantly involved apraxic child. He had trouble coming up with that RiteCare of Washington’s method of treatment was so good the proper tongue, jaw, and lip movement required to produce sound. we could take children from not even being able to utter a sound Preston stayed in speech therapy at RiteCare until age 8, when he to becoming functional communicators almost 100% of the time! graduated. Preston had gone from a child who could barely talk to a child I had found a “calling” – to grow this quality service that was who talked and could be understood by anyone. From then on, it was incredibly effective and so desperately needed. recommended that any speech services he received would take place in John Lennon told us that life is what happens while we are making an academic setting. plans. Indeed, the interests of my family changed my plans. On Nancy considers Preston’s verbal transformation nothing short of miraculous. August 1st, I will retire from the work I have done for decades “It was amazing how everything fell into place. I’m glad I decided to follow to embark on a new adventure. Although this comes years ahead my instincts, even though they logically didn’t make any sense, and that it of what I had planned, I am nonetheless excited to be retiring to worked out that I was able to access the car to get Preston to his therapy. live high in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. I am a published My one and only regret is that I didn’t act sooner and call RiteCare much writer and photographer. I will be more fully exploring these earlier. I had this little five-year old who went into the program at zero, and interests and the stimulation and challenges of living in another came out a boy who could speak sentences, and you could understand what fascinating culture. he was saying!” Today, Preston is pursuing an Associate’s Degree at Lake Working for RiteCare has been a very rewarding experience. Thank Washington Technical Institute, where he is studying graphics and animation. you so much for the opportunity to be of service and to work with Nancy says Preston has always loved media design and remembers that he some really great people. drew pictures long before he could talk. Continued on Page 2 David Fagerlie, Executive Director
David’s Farewell
Word from the top One of my annual projects after I file my taxes and send the check to the IRS is to investigate potential for reducing future tax costs. A part of that process is to anticipate the sale of some portfolio assets to finance this year’s expenses. To minimize taxes, it’s useful to be able to offset capital gains against losses. Fortunately, I don’t currently have any losses to balance gains but I do have investments that I should shed. They’re no longer performing as well as when I initially made them. I don’t need all the proceeds now but I don’t want to increase my tax bill by generating a capital gains problem. It would be nice to turn some of those dollars into a lifetime income as some advise but to investing in an immediate annuity leaves the capital gains problem. Let me tell you about another option I tried years ago called a Charitable Gift Annuity. I was on the board of a hospital foundation, so the charity I chose was that hospital. I simply gave them the investment with the imbedded capital gains – no capital gains to be paid and Uncle Sam gave me an income tax credit for the charitable gift. The resulting annuity pays a reasonable return which will continue as long as either my wife or I live. I have always been glad I did it because: 1) to help the charity made me feel good; 2) I didn’t have to pay capital gains on the asset; 3) the IRS credit on the charitable gift helped pay my next year’s taxes; and only a portion of the income is taxable.
Beyond Words Breakfast On May 28th, the 8th annual RiteCare Spokane Beyond Words Breakfast was held at the Spokane Convention Center. Between the amazing sponsors and guests in attendance, the breakfast raised over $74,000, the most ever raised at this annual event! Many thanks to Kim Heinrich, the Chair of the Breakfast Committee, and all of the wonderful volunteers who helped to make this the most successful breakfast to date. Guests were greeted at the newly renovated Spokane Convention Center by RiteCare’s own kids, who showed off their speech skills by asking each guest to guess their favorite food. Mark Peterson, Anchor at KXLY TV, was the guest speaker. The parents of Sydney Lewis, a RiteCare graduate and Fulbright scholar unable to attend as she was in Texas defending her senior thesis, spoke about the difference RiteCare made in the life of their daughter. Guests also heard from Dr. Shelley Redinger, Superintendent of Spokane Schools, who iterated the importance of collaboration between educators and speech clinics within the community. All in attendance were sent off by the children with full bellies and hearts, holding ceramic tiles the kids had gifted them as tokens of appreciation. Congratulations, RiteCare Spokane, on this memorable event that will help so many kids in need of speech services!
But a better investment has been one that I made with RiteCare. I purchased a house early in my military career when inflation was rampant because I was sure that if I didn’t buy a house then, I would have no place to live when I retired. Over the years, the Air Force moved us almost every year so we contracted a property management company that kept the house repaired and rented; retaining enough to make mortgage payments. The value of the investment appreciated but was totally depreciated for tax purposes. But when military retirement came, we knew we didn’t want to live in the state where the house was located. To sell a rental there to buy a residence elsewhere meant having to pay capital gains at a 25% rate on the value of the house. It seemed we’d almost be better off giving it away. So we did. The device used was a Charitable Remainder Trust. This meant giving the house to The Charity which reinvested funds from the sale. The personal benefit was accepting an agreed upon payment that could increase with the investment value, avoiding the capital gains, accepting the tax credit and reducing annual tax costs. Over the years, I’ve recommended these instruments to my friends and used them myself. It’s rewarding to do well while doing good for others. If you’re thinking of a planned gift, why not benefit by talking to RiteCare’s Development Officer, Chris Baker, or your advisor to get you started? John Lunt, President, Board of Directors
The Brooks Family Story cont. Fast forward to 2015: one of Nancy’s grandson’s was showing signs of a speech disorder. Anthony Brooks, called AJ, is the child of one of Nancy’s other sons who had a speech delay. When her daughter-in-law told Nancy she was looking into getting AJ services, Nancy immediately recommended RiteCare. She told of the fabulous facility where speech therapy takes place and all about the first-rate speech therapists who had made such a difference in Preston’s life. Paperwork was quickly filled out and AJ was soon admitted into RiteCare. All that was required was transportation to Seattle; AJ’s speech services were covered thanks to generous donations. AJ has been paired with speech pathologist Jackie Brown and Nancy says that within just a few months’ time, AJ has made significant progress. Occasionally, Nancy is the one to bring AJ to RiteCare for his speech therapy. “The first time I walked into the building, it was like I was coming home,” she says. In 1997, there were only two clinics. Now there are dedicated programs in different cities. Nancy is thrilled that RiteCare has been able to expand. “There is such a need for speech therapy. If a child can’t read or write, their behavior is impacted. It mushrooms into a giant problem! When they get help at an early age, they gain the ability to talk and become equipped with skills so that they can succeed in multiple environments. Before, Preston and AJ were only functioning well at home. I was always worried about public tantrums when I went anywhere with Preston. When kids learn to express themselves, everything else falls into place. Our family has been very blessed to be able to get into RiteCare and to get the services Preston and AJ needed.”
Jackie - 30 Years of Therapy Jacqueline Brown remembers the exact day she came to work for RiteCare of Washington: March 18, 1985. She began her RiteCare career as a part-time speech pathologist. Today she acts as Clinic Director for the Seattle branch and Program Director for Washington’s two clinics and eight sponsorship programs.
He suffered from a condition called “selective mutism.” Mikey came to Jackie with a number of different speech problems and was incredibly aware that when he did speak, very few people could understand him. His anxiety about his speech caused him to withdraw from verbal communication almost entirely. It took weeks to get Mikey comfortable enough to begin practicing his speech; and extended speech services are often an impossible feat for parents who simply cannot afford to pay hours upon hours of fees. In this case, the waiting paid off. Mikey went from playing silently to slowly practicing his articulation. A few months later? No one can get him to stop talking. Jackie describes him as “irrepressible!” While Mikey still needs to work on some speech sounds and grammar, his family is no longer worried about his future. Mikey’s speech breakthrough changed the lives of his entire family, who are thrilled that he is now actively participating in school.
You would think that those two jobs alone Jackie circa 1995 would be full-time work, but Jackie also sees 12-15 kids every week, giving each one individual, personalized speech services. Jackie has worked as a speech pathologist ever since she earned her Master’s Degree in speech language pathology from George Washington University. She has spent her entire career focusing on the speech and language needs of children.
When Jackie is not out there changing lives, she is busy enjoying all that the beautiful city of Seattle has to offer. After she moved out west from the Philadelphia area, she fell in love with the beauty of the mountains and the waters of Washington. One of her favorite pastimes is white-water rafting, an accessible activity thanks to the Seattle area’s numerous rivers. Jackie also loves to travel. She came back from Vietnam this past January; and before that, she visited Iceland and Cuba. She hopes that India will be next on her travel itinerary, though she admits she’d go just about anywhere. Jackie also loves spending time with her two grown daughters, who don’t seem to mind at all that their toys have been reappropriated as important speech-therapy tools.
Before moving across the country to Washington, Jackie served as a speech pathologist at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia. Before that? She worked at a school for the deaf in New Jersey; where she provided services to the school’s pre-kindergarten children, worked with the deaf and blind and where she processed intake evaluations for incoming students. Jackie has also taught communications at a community college. As a speech pathologist, Jackie uses evidence-based practices and childcentered play therapy to get kids talking. Her clinic has a large room filled to the brim with an assortment of toys and games. She laughs and admits she has used “every gimmick in the book” to encourage children to speak. She has learned to be creative with her resources while operating on a tight budget: many of the toys in the speech therapy room were once her daughters’. Jackie confides that it is not always easy to get a child to talk. Sometimes, it will take a child weeks before they will settle in to speech therapy. Jackie says the greatest challenge as a speech pathologist is dealing with a child who refuses to acclimate; because without a child’s cooperation, progress cannot be made. Her second greatest challenge is (after 30 years) keeping up with the younger kids. Thanks to RiteCare, however, Jackie is able to take her time with each child, at no cost to the parents. Jackie loves her job. You can tell by the way she talks about her kids. Her favorite part of working at RiteCare is working with the kids, getting to know them, and feeling that, in a way, she becomes a part of their family. She enjoys the unique personalities of each and every one of her small clients; and those small clients and their families remember her as they grow up. She recently attended the wedding of one of her very first graduates. As Program Director, Jackie oversees RiteCare’s two clinics and eight sponsorship programs. These programs utilize local speech therapists to deliver care that meets a child’s needs and is close to home. Jackie says she “threads the needle,” offering to fully fund one or two kids so that they can receive services from each reputable organization. The most challenging aspect of that job is, not surprisingly, fundraising. “We always have our hands out,” she admits. She works hard at it because she knows how much it helps the kids. Jackie can attest that speech therapy changes lives for the better. Recently she had a particularly tough case- a four year old boy named “Mikey” who would only talk to his immediate family members.
Jackie embodies all of the qualities that make a truly effective speech pathologist: she is dedicated, determined, resourceful and has a great sense of humor- which is pretty much a must-have when working with children. She also has years of experience under her belt, each of which have made her an invaluable part of RiteCare. Thank you, Jackie, for 30 years of incredible service. Here’s to many more!
Welcome John Rivera! RiteCare of Washington is excited to introduce our new Development Director, John Rivera. John has been acting as Development Director since February of this year, when he jumped right in and began cultivating relationships with donors and started planning our Beyond Words breakfast fundraising event. Before arriving at RiteCare, John worked as the Program Executive for the Spokane area Boy Scouts. A veteran, John came to us with exceptional and unique life experience: he has been deployed to Iraq three times, and in 2012, he hiked the entire Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Mexico to Washington. When he arrived in Washington after his long journey, he fell in love with the area and decided that he had found the place where he wanted to live and work. John is especially proud to be a part of an organization that has a mission anyone can get behind: helping kids. Welcome, John!
RiteCare of Washington 1207 North 152nd., Ste A Shoreline, WA 98133
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Golf, give & have a good time
RiteCare’s Planned Giving Tools
15th Annual Order of the Eastern Star Golf Tournament
Now it’s even easier to give your support to kids who desperately need it.
When: August 14, 2015 Check-in begins at 10:00am, Shotgun start is 1:00pm Where: McCord Whispering Firs Golf Course Details: Foursome entry only is $320. Individual entry is $80. Mail checks and registration to: Grand Chapter OES Washington 7911 N Levee Rd East, Fife, WA 98424 Tournament proceeds benefit RiteCare and Cancer Research
Kids need more talk and less tech The average child uses 3 tech devices at home* Over half of parent say: • they are concerned that technology negatively impacts the quality of their conversations with their children. • they are concerned that they have fewer conversations with their children than they would like because of technology. Summer presents unique communication opportunities The beach, the zoo, an ammusement park... these are perfect ocassions to share experiences, build family connections and talk-- without tech interference.
*ASHA Better Hearing & Speech Month Parent Poll 2015
Make sure to visit our new online giving tools. From one-time donations to beneficiary designations, it’s never been easier to help RiteCare give children access to professional speech services as no cost to their families. Now you can access information that will tell you how to best accomplish your financial goals while leaving behind a legacy that matters. You’d be surprised at the variety of ways you can give! Form a trust, donate real estate or turn over stocks and bonds. We desire to make the giving process uncomplicated and we want to make sure you know how you can benefit through your philanthropic efforts. Visit our website to find out more.