Good News Friday!

Today, I’d like to offer a hearty congratulations to Brodie Schulze, who works for Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source (CLS) team. Brodie has been selected as the Colorado Direct Support Professional (DSP) of the Year by ANCOR, a national organization comprised of service providers for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

There are many reasons for Brodie’s selection, but rather than me try to explain, I’d like to share a couple of quotes from people whose lives Brodie has positively impacted.

Here’s a quote from mother of a young man who accepts services from Imagine! singing Brodie’s praises:

“My son, Hunter, has cerebral palsy, and I asked Brodie if he could help with a problem we’ve been trying to solve. 

Hunter loves sports and he especially loves to run, but CP makes that difficult. He uses canes for walking, but when he runs, the canes tend to slip and cause him to fall. Although he always gets back up after falling down, as a mom, I worry that one day a fall could cause serious injury beyond little scrapes and bruises. 

Brodie connected us with the University of Colorado engineering program He wrote a proposal for CU engineering students to design a wheeled walker that is lightweight, durable, and roomy enough for a running gait – something not available within existing durable medical equipment product lines. The project was selected by CU, and a group of five engineering students met with Hunter (which he loved) to hear what he wanted, watch him run and figure out a new walker design. They developed a working prototype of a “runner,” and as an added bonus, they painted it blue and orange to match the colors of Hunter’s favorite sports team – the Denver Broncos. Below is a photo of Hunter with the “runner” and the CU students when he got to test drive the prototype. He was one happy kiddo!” 

Below is some information from Brodie’s nomination that was submitted by a gentleman named Kyle. Kyle receives supports from Imagine! and works for Imagine! as our CLS Site General Assistant, helping with things like sweeping, mopping, taking out the trash, and other janitorial job functions. Brodie has taken it upon himself to support Kyle with many different job duties. Kyle provided this written testimony to support Brodie’s nomination:

“I'm Honored to Nominate Brodie Shultz for the DSP Of the Year. Brodie is my lead for my Job @ Core Labor Source. He Helps me be successful In My Job. my worst fear working @ CLS Was when the Toilets were Clogged & Part of my job is to Unclog the Toilets. I know its part of my Job But It Grossed me Out. Brodie Helped Me Get Over my fear. He Was Very Patient & worked with me to show Me Different Ways Of Unclogging Toilets!!! Now I can be Independent Most Times & Not As Fearful. Brodie Has a Big Heart & He Knows Just the Right Ways to Help Me Overcome My Fears. I Hope you Can See Why Brodie Should Get This Award!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” 

From parents to coworkers to people accepting services, the consensus is that Brodie is truly an exceptional employee who embodies Imagine!’s mission of creating a world of opportunity for all abilities. Brodie will be honored for his work at the 2017 ANCOR Annual Conference in San Antonio next month.

I’m delighted that he is being recognized in this manner, and am proud to call him a colleague of mine.