Newsletter for the Emmaus Staff
Volume 3, Issue 3 A Newsletter for the Emmaus Staff What is “Quality of Life”? -Karen It’s an important question that we strive to answer every day in living out our mission. I mentioned at our annual ALL STAFF meeting back in January, that Emmaus was working with a consultant to conduct an agency wide survey to assess where we are, how we are doing and where we are going. Fiore Londino of Pareto Consulting is conducting 40 minute “focus groups” to discuss what Emmaus means by “quality of life.” 100% of the office staff, administrative staff and clerical staff either have participated or will participate in one of the focus groups. I am really hoping to get 100% participation from all DSPs as well. The following schedule has been emailed to you and is posted at each house. Please try and contact me with your preference as soon as possible. THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Wednesday March 6th – 9:30am Wednesday March 6th 10:30am Thursday March 7th 3:00pm Thursday March 7th 4:00pm Step Right Up Folks! You know things are really busy when I have two articles in one café! I am asking for nine DSP volunteers to take on a small leadership role as an Agency Wide Committee Chairperson. What does this entail? 1) A commitment to attend the next 4 Community meetings (March 26, May 21, September 26, and November 14th). 2) Lead the brainstorming and group discussion of your committee and report to the large group that night, and 3) take the lead in implementing at least one idea that your committee comes up with during the year. If you are not normally on the schedule for Community nights, you will be compensated for two hours (6:45 to 8:45 – Community nights run from 7 to 8:30). You can call or email me with questions. Thanks for considering this request. We really need you! We have not yet heard when our State Inspection will be rescheduled. It will be in March or April. I will keep you posted as soon as I know. Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh is dedicated to providing residential homes for persons with intellectual disabilities and promoting public awareness of their needs. Inside this Issue Event Calendar Birthdays Residents News Emmaus News Emmaus Cook Spotlight Announcement Experts’ Corner 2 2 3-5 6-8 8 10 12 13-14 Reflections Acts 26:20 But declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. Bible Trivia Questions How many were present at the Last Supper? 1. 13 2. 11 3. 6 4. 12 Hint: Emmaus has many pictures of the Last Supper. Please email your answer to MiRan for a surprise prize. Emmaus Café Editor: MiRan Surh 2821 Sarah Street Pittsburgh, PA 15203 [email protected] 412-381-0277 Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh March 2013 Page 2 March 2013 Sun 3 Mon 4 Tue 5 Wed 6 Thu 7 the "R" word Sat 1 2 8 9 Black& Gold Drawing National pledge day for Fri David Petrucci campaign 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30/31 Daylight Saving Time Begins Sandy Cerminara Gloria Vanda Anna Sulanowski Lunch and Learn! Good Friday **YPAB Meeting /Community **Important location change: Prince of Peace Social Hall (where the Thanksgiving dinner is held) Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh March 2013 Page 3 Celebrating Anniversaries with Emmaus in March Karen Jacobsen Diana Miller Sara Stillwell Lorraine Wagner 3/15/1995 3/15/2007 3/11/2010 3/1/1990 18 Years of service at Emmaus 6 Years of service at Emmaus 3 Years of service at Emmaus 23 Years of service at Emmaus Emmaus welcomed Keiona Allen, Serwad Fordjour, and Leslie Rogowski (from left Questions? Comments? Resources? Memo to right) as our new direct support professional! Welcome aboard ladies! Shiloh and Jericho House News from Angie Shiloh house: The guys at Shiloh house are doing great. They are busy each week with Special O, bowling and theater class. They attended a Sweetheart Dance through PACC in February. Jason had a trip to the science center one weekend and had a blast. Jason’s grandma, (Jason called her as Grandma Ony), passed away in February. Please keep his family in your prayers. Matt goes to visit his parents each Saturday and helps them clean their apartment. His sister and brother in law are coming in to town from Maryland to visit at the beginning of March. David has had a nice month, especially with the start of all of the fish fries! All of the guys are gearing up for the Special O basketball tournament at Pitt at the beginning of March as well. Jericho house: Deanna has been doing well this month. She continues to be busy with Special O, theater, and pottery. Deanna also became a board member for the Allegheny County MH/ID advisory board! She attended her first meeting in February and spoke about how people with disabilities should be treated equally and that she loves where she lives. She’s been hard at work with her scrapbooking and has enjoyed spending time with her Emmaus friends and with her cute niece and nephew. Deanna also attended the PACC sweetheart dance, where she danced all evening. Emmaus and Jordan Both Emmaus and Jericho ladies enjoyed a visit from the Pilot club in February. The laHouse News from dies attended a special Mass service for Ash Wednesday and enjoyed a fish fry afterwards. Paulette Debbie celebrated her birthday with a birthday party at Emmaus House. Michele is receiving an honorary award for her participation in a drawing at Goodwill that is going to be held in Washington DC in May. All continue to be very active in the community and look forward to upcoming events. Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh March 2013 Page 4 Bethany and Tabor House News from Kristy Michele Benasutti’s submission for GII’s Congressional Directory Cover Contest was chosen as one of three honorable mentions! Everyone was very impressed with Michele’s depiction of, “What does Congress mean to you?”. Congratulations, Michele! We are extremely happy with you! Attention! Attention! I am very excited that the Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh is participating in the From MiRan Pittsburgh's Top Workplaces 2013 program again. For the past two years, Emmaus participated in this program to see how well we do as an organization by answering questionnaires from an independent research company, WorkplaceDynamics. You will receive an email invitation to complete a workplace survey on March 4, so please make sure you check your email on that day. The survey has to be done before March 15. Your responses to the survey will remain completely confidential and no one knows who did the survey, but I encourage all of you to do it because this is a great way to evaluate the Emmaus as a whole. Last year, 80% of our staff did the survey and you said that Emmaus was doing great at certain area and some not so good areas. Your honest opinion will be an asset for Emmaus because you will be making a difference by voicing your opinion. Thank you in advance for participating in the Top Workplace Survey and hope you can help us to build a stronger, better Emmaus! -MiRan Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh An Essay from Marnee Miltenberger Apartments News from Joannie March 2013 Page 5 My Brother Bart My brother Bart is one of very few guys who always seems to know how to calm you or anyone else down when they get all gyped up inside or in my own case, “Mrs. Hulk” stage point. Bart really makes me or anyone else laugh when they are in tears point of their lives. My brother Bart is a three times in a row father and very talented musician. I like having Bart for a brother for several reasons: He helps me to understand the importance of family helping out business. He lets me call him whenever I have time. His music always cheers me up whenever I am in a really, really high quality like female monster like mood. Just like my former older after school age kids from Seton Center days, Anason and Leonard, Bart knows how to spoil me around a bit very well thanks to my Mom’s help of course. He helps me understand what it means to be an older sister better than I did in the past. I also like having him for a brother because Bart is an esy guy to forgive if he hurt my feelings or just plain all out offended me. Many men could take a lesson from Bart on how to be patient and polite to women. Bart will always have a big part in my heart but still nothing quite takes the place of my Mom. Thanks to our Mom and Dad’s help, Bart and I will always remain very close buddies with each other and that is something that cannot be denied us. Bart is one heck of a guy and other people as well as me can learn things from him and would definitely take some advice from. If it really weren’t so much for my Mom and Bart, I wouldn’t even be giving cheering up pep talks or making other people laugh like he does and my Mom does sometimes. Even though I am well aware of the distance between us, Bart is still a top notch younger brother of mine. God bless him and peace be with him always, that’s the way it should be. I don’t think that I could really ask for anything else better than he is. Bart already knows how much I love him. Bart, please keep up the good brotherly work. The month of February sent Cece to the State Championship for Ice Skating. Cece enjoyed her trip and won gold and silver medals. Congratulations Cece for lots of hard work and a job well done! Marnee attended The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with her Mom. She is working on Easter projects at her Pottery class and is planning her 40th birthday bash with Tahnee Lewis. Marnee and Cece both attend Theater class and are preparing for their performance in April. Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh Fundraising Corner by Tiffany March 2013 Page 6 Join us for Emmaus Pirates Night on April 19th, hosted by the Emmaus Black & Gold Club and the Young Professional Advisory Board! The event will include a tailgate party at Station Square, a ride on the Gateway Clipper shuttle, and a Pirates vs. Braves game at PNC Park! Tickets are $27.00 each and guests are welcome! To purchase tickets, contact Tiffany or buy them online at http://www.emmauspgh.org/2013/02/ emmaus-pirates-night. Emmaus Pirates Night 2012 It’s also a great time to purchase your “Win! Place! Show!” raffle tickets! Prizes include some fantastic getaways near and far, and participants need not be present to win! To see the full prize list and get your tickets, visit http://www.emmauspgh.org/supportemmaus/special-events/kentucky-derby-gala/ (or use the forms found in the packets everyone recently received!). Thanks for your support! Music Notes By Diana Miller Want to hear top-notch classical, jazz, big-band, patriotic, and contemporary music, all for free? Come hear the West Hills Symphonic Band perform on Sunday, March 24, at 3 pm. This concert will be held at West Allegheny High School in Imperial, PA, at no cost to the public. Unfamiliar with concert band repertoire and afraid you’ll be bored? As part of our mission to educate the public, our announcer introduces each piece of music, giving a brief background and often some fun tidbits. Previous concert-goers have described the experience as “exciting” and “uplifting,” and an audience member was recently overheard saying he wished he would have heard of the WHSB sooner! The school is located at 207 W. Allegheny Road, Imperial, PA 15126. For more information, please visit www.whsb.org or contact Diana at [email protected]. Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh Websites of Interest March 2013 Page 7 PA Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/dpworganization/officeofdevelopmentalprograms/index.htm Bureau of Autism Services Training Systems Entry Point http://bastrainings.org/ APS Healthcare Quality Unit http://www.hcqu.apshealthcare.com/Home.aspx The Pennsylvania Training Partnership for People with Disabilities and Families www.temple.edu/thetrainingpartnership Institute on Disabilities http://disabilities.temple.edu/ ODP Consulting Systems (OCS) http://www.odpconsulting.net/ A Note from Sherri Lynn National Intellectual Disabilities Awareness Month from Tiffany March is National Nutrition Month, a time to return to the basics of healthy eating. This year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics encourages everyone to Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day. On Community Night this month each committee will discuss how their committee can encourage good nutrition within the Emmaus Community. Did you know that March is National Intellectual Disabilities Awareness Month? As a Community, we help raise awareness about people with intellectual disabilities every day! Every time our residents go grocery shopping or have dinner at a restaurant, they are raising awareness by demonstrating to others just how much we all have in common. This month, let’s try to raise awareness about the unmet needs as well. Did you know there are more than 1,400 individuals on a waiting list for services in Allegheny County? Please talk to your family, friends, and acquaintances about the work you do at Emmaus, and about how crucial it is that we all work together to welcome and support people with intellectual disabilities in our communities. You can also spread the word about “Ending the R-Word”—“retarded”—and take the pledge to not use the “R-word” at www.r-word.org. This year, “Spread the Word to End the Word” day will be March 6th. Hear someone using the R-word? Speak up! All of the small things we can do to raise awareness about people with intellectual disabilities really add up! Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh Important Trainings by Kelly March 2013 Page 8 IMPORTANT Trainings: 1. Bi-Polar Training on 3/5/13, 10 AM to 12 Noon 2. Crisis Intervention- Mandatory for New Staff- 3/12/13, 9:30- 12:30 PM 3. IDD Training- 4/16/13, 12:00 to 2:00 4. Fire Training- Mandatory For ALL Staff!- 5/7/13, 9:30- 12:30 PM Please contact KS if you have any questions or concerns. Please RSVP!!! A CPR and 1st Aid Training will be scheduled, at Emmaus, in June 2013! More Information coming soon... A Special Note of thanks to Rayvone Hewston- Delia Glaser (Charlie's Mother), complimented Rayvone for his work and the care that he provides to Charlie! So, thank you Rayvone, keep up the good work! KS Our Inspection for 2/21 & 2/22 was cancelled by the State! We will inform you of the new dates, as soon as they notify us! Either in March or April! Please continue good documentation, house cleanliness and providing the Excellent care that you give to the residents EVERYDAY!!! Remember our Goal!? Please be mindful of Medication Administration! We would like ZERO Med Errors!!! :) Kelly From Cece’s Kitchen Rice Chicken Casserole What you need to make it: 1 cup Rice 1cup Water 4 Chicken thighs Mushroom soup-Gluten free This is how you make it: Bake it at 350 degrees for one hour. Then uncover it for 10 minutes. Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh March 2013 Page 9 Compliance Corner by Jen Quality Management Plan Update: I am happy to report that there were no reportable incidents in the month of February! Great job everyone! Keep up the good work! DID YOU KNOW? All staff members have a login/password for the Emmaus Community Website (www.emmauspgh.org). This gives you access to pertinent forms and helpful information including HR & Programmatic forms, Maintenance request forms (which can be submitted online) and the monthly Cafe. Contact Jenn or Tiffany if you have any questions. An Emmaus Feast How do you make a feast out of a few pounds of ground meat, a couple pounds of potatoes, vegetables and hot rolls? You have to ask “Chef Rayvone Hewston”, Bethany House staff. He prepared a feast at the drop of a hat on Thursday, February 21. BethRayvone Hewston any House and Shiloh Houses have been hosting volunteers, Tom Gramec and Jeff Craig, each Thursday since September. This week, in addition to the usual suspects for dinner at Bethany House (staff and residents) were Jericho Staff, Sara Stillwell, Deanna, Jeff Craig and his supervisor Sr. Cindy. The volunteers were there (earlier than expected!!) to enjoy a fun filled night of Scrapbooking with Deanna and Camille. The meatloaf smelled as delicious as it looked, and multiplied like the loaves and the fishes!! He made mashed potatoes without a potato masher so he used a wooden spoon to mash them! Jovan Harris Everyone enjoyed dinner and a fun night of pictures, glue, and stickers galore…all on a full stomach! Thank you Rayvone for welcoming the volunteers on such short notice and preparing a truly “Emmaus” feast!! -Ruth Jovan Harris gets the Above and Beyond Award for being willing and flexible and a happy warrior for the Emmaus Community. Thanks Jojo!!!! -Joannie Please Save the Date: The Emmaus Community Annual Vacation (for the residents) will be held, at Seven Springs: Monday, June 17th to Friday, June 21st, 2013 Please ask KS if you have any questions, more details will be sent out in April regarding staff availability. Thank you. Kelly Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh March 2013 Page 10 Where were you born? I was born in Decatur, GA. I spent my childhood in Georgia and, briefly, in Illinois, then moved to New Orleans for college. I came to Pittsburgh in 2003. Tiffany Your Family? I am one of three—the middle child—with an older brother and a younger sister. All of my extended family lives in Georgia. I am married to Matt and have two children of my own. Aria is 3 ½ and August is 7 months. Merriman-Preston Best Memory of Childhood? I was blessed to know five of my great-grandparents when I was a kid. I have a lot of great memories of visiting with them and listening to their stories, which were always so interesting, because they grew up in such a different world. What is your favorite color and why? I love green! It’s bright and natural. What brought you here to Emmaus? I came to Pittsburgh for love and school. I started an MFA program in creative writing/poetry at Pitt in 2003 and began working at Emmaus as a part-time DSP. While I didn’t realize I would still be here in 2013, my little sister has an intellectual disability, so I was very drawn to the mission of Emmaus. Three years later, I had finished school and continued as a full-time DSP, then worked as an R.A. for a year, and I eventually moved on to work in the Development office. Emmaus is truly a special place, and once you get to know the residents and staff, you feel like you’re part of something that’s hard to find elsewhere. What is your hobby and why? I enjoy reading, writing, and riding my bicycle. I like to learn new things, be creative, and explore. Any volunteer work or other community involvement? I participate in various social justice projects and activities with Allegheny UU Church, often through Northside Common Ministries. I am involved with the community groups in Lawrenceville and volunteer with local political campaigns. In the late, I’ve also been trying to help with some of the Pittsburgh Public Schools advocacy efforts. What flowers do you like and why? I love orchids. They’re so simple and beautiful. Your most memorable vacation place and why? When I was in college, Matt and I took a trip to Moscow to visit a friend who had moved there. It was an amazing experience and so much fun to experience the city with people who actually lived there! Something about you that most of us don’t know at Emmaus. I’m part Cherokee. I love learning about people– coming from Korea, all I knew was Koreans except few American Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill as I was growing up. Now in Pittsburgh, I meet, live (a Korean husband who thinks like an American), and work with people who have diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. From this month, I would like you to meet one of us little deeper. You will be delighted to know the person I will be interviewing for the next Emmaus Café! -MiRan- Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh March 2013 Kids Who Are Different by Digby Wolfe Here's to the kids who are different, The kids who don't always get A's The kids who have ears twice the size of their peers, And noses that go on for days ... Here's to the kids who are different, The kids they call crazy or dumb, The kids who don't fit, with the guts and the grit, Who dance to a different drum ... Here's to the kids who are different, The kids with the mischievous streak, For when they have grown, as history's shown, It's their difference that makes them unique. *Thanks to Joannie Brown for sharing the poem! Page 11 Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh March 2013 Page 12 The Ken Wagner Award for Outstanding Service Nomination Accepted! The Ken Wagner Award for Outstanding Service will be given annually to someone who has shown by their actions that they serve as Ken served, without judging others or thinking of his own needs and wants. Someone who never stops giving of themselves, as Ken never stopped giving of himself. The award, established in 2011, will honor Ken’s name perpetually, and be an annual reminder to the Emmaus of the future of the Emmaus of the past. A past that exemplifies total giving of self for the service of others from a man that showed through his actions that we all are one, with different gifts and abilities, to be given one to another. The award itself is beautifully symbolic of a life of service. Consider the position of your hand as you reach it out to bring someone else up. This is that picture, and it shows in a way as though joined with Ken’s so that the as the winner sees the award, they are reminded they are not alone. Others, like this great man, join with them along the journey of a life of service. Nomination criteria: Nominees should exemplify the life of service Ken lived as described above. A life of service to people with intellectual disabilities and autism is recommended but not necessary for the awardee. Anyone that has shown self-giving the way Ken did is eligible. Any individual may nominate a potential awardee. The attached form should be submitted no later than March 1st to Tim Noca at [email protected]. A selection committee, headed by Tim, will decide on the recipient by March 15th. The awardee and the Wagner family will be notified. The winner will be invited to the Gala (and given 6 complimentary tickets). The award will be presented at the Gala on the first Saturday in May. Nomination forms are available online at www.emmauspgh.org/ken-wagner-award Six Tips for Achieving Financial Fitness You may be focused on getting in shape for swimsuit season, but take a break from the gym this spring and spend some time on your financial fitness. Here are six tips to help get your investment portfolio into prime condition. 1. Shed the weight of extra accounts. It’s not unusual to acquire multiple retirement accounts over the years, especially if you’ve changed jobs several times. Consider consolidating them to simplify the management of your investments. If you have retirement assets with a former employer, it could be to your advantage to roll them over to your own IRA and achieve more control over how your money is invested. Consolidating accounts may also make it easier to monitor the performance of your investments and gives you the opportunity to ensure they’re properly allocated. 2. Bulk up your retirement savings. Have you given enough weight to what you’ll need in savings to retire comfortably? Are you taking full advantage of employer matching contributions and maxing out your IRA each year? In 2013, you have until April 15 to contribute $5,000 (or $6,000 if you’re over 50) to a traditional IRA. Sock away as much as you can to build your retirement nest egg. 3. Grow stronger. The fluctuating financial markets impact industries and individual investments differently, and often in ways that are difficult to predict. You can strengthen your portfolio by making sure your investment dollars are spread across a variety of investments. With diversified investments, your overall portfolio is not as likely to be derailed should one investment topple in value. Rather than trying to pick individual stocks and time the market, consider pacing yourself with systematic investments and think long-term. 4. Achieve the right balance. In light of the fickle nature of financial markets, even a well-balanced portfolio can look different than what you may have expected over time. Therefore, it’s wise to periodically assess the volatility of your investments across and within asset classes (stocks, bonds, and so forth) and rebalance your portfolio to achieve the desired asset allocation. A financial advisor can help you apply asset allocation strategies, and may have access to tools that will help you decide what may be a good match for your risk tolerance and goals – see tip #6. 5. Trim your waste. The Internet has made it easy to securely monitor your financial affairs while also helping to minimize paper waste. Question every printed piece you receive related to your portfolio. Is it absolutely essential to receive a paper statement? Do you really need to print that 100-page prospectus? Review the options provided by your financial institution and take advantage of their green initiatives if you’re comfortable managing your accounts online. With regard to your personal paper trail, keep in mind that your tax records and supporting documents should be maintained for seven years, while credit card statements can be tossed after a year. When disposing of documents, always use a shredder to keep your personal information safe from identity theft. Follow this advice, and your file cabinet will be slimmer in no time. 6. Enlist a personal trainer for your finances. Like many activities, managing investments is more fun—and potentially more productive—when you have a knowledgeable person by your side. A skilled financial advisor can guide you through simple exercises to help improve your investment fitness and cheer you on in pursuit of your financial dreams and goals. Together you can apply disciplined strategies designed to strengthen your investment portfolio and help you get in the best financial shape of your life. Contributed by Brian Stumpf Learn more at www.ameripriseadvisors.com/brian.d.stumpf Living Green From roofing to flooring, “eco-friendly” materials and devices can help you save money when you’re maintaining, repairing or improving your home. Even better, they help save the environment. Join the Green Revolution and consider these simple ways to conserve energy and other natural resources. Use impact-resistant roof shingles made from asphalt, metal or simulated tile. They deflect hail, wind and fire better than asphalt and keep roofing material out of landfills. Replace appliances more than ten years old with energy-efficient models, which could save you hundreds of dollars a year according to the EPA. Install low-flow showerheads and toilets to conserve water. Exchange your most-used lighting fixtures for Energy Star models to help reduce greenhouse gasses. Switch to compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, which can save more than $30 in electricity costs compared to an ordinary incandescent bulb. Substitute recycled plastic lumber for concrete, work and metal in decks, fences, swing sets and landscaping. Choose renewable flooring materials when you build or redecorate, such as bamboo, cork, reclaimed glass and salvaged wood. Lay carpeting made from natural, organic or fair-trade fibers that are friendly to the environment and hypoallergenic. Employees of the Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh are eligible to receive an exclusive group discount off of Liberty Mutual’s already competitive rates on home and auto insurance. To learn more about Liberty Mutual’s auto and home insurance or to get a free, no-obligation consultation, call Alan Alcalde at 724-325-2535 x.
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