Good News Friday!

Transportation is so vital to Imagine!. If we want to provide the individuals we serve opportunities to participate in and contribute to our community, we need to be sure they can travel throughout the community.

Today, I’d like to share three stories of support that have increased our ability to keep local citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities on the move in Boulder and Broomfield counties. 

The van pictured above was made possible by a grant from the Don and Lorraine Freeberg Foundation for Imagine!’s Out & About department. Thanks to this generous grant, Imagine!’s Out & About program will increase of transportation options and safety by adding a vehicle to support community based activities. Thanks to this addition to our fleet, we will increase the opportunities for children with disabilities to more fully engage in their communities from a very early age into adulthood.

The RAV4 pictured above, for Out & About children’s program, was made possible by the tremendous generosity of guests attending the 2018 Imagine! Celebration. Guests raised their paddles to support Imagine!’s Out & About children’s therapeutic recreation program, bringing in $175,000 in support. This vehicle is just one of the many ways donors gifts are impacting the lives of those we serve.

And finally, I’d like to thank the volunteers from the Empowerment Center of East County who braved freezing temps and snow showers last Saturday with smiles as they cleaned Imagine!’s Out & About department vehicle fleet.

The event was planned in conjunction with Global Youth Service Day.

Technology Tuesday

Touring Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome last week: the Leadership team from Foothills Gateway of Larimer County, Ed Watson, new Imagine! Foundation Board member, Michael Dougherty, Boulder County District Attorney, and Elliot Moore, Music Director of the Longmont Symphony Orchestra.

Good News Friday!

Today I’d like to share three stories of support from the Longmont community.

First, I'd like to offer a huge “thank you” to the students, teachers and administrators at Longmont’s Timberline PK-8 school for donating $420.25 to support Imagine!’s mission.

The fundraiser was called “Feed the Pigs.” The kids had to bring coins to feed piggy container (pictured below). Each container was for a different grade level. There was a contest of which grade would earn the most coins. The prize for elementary was extra recess, and the 5th grade won. The prize for middle school was a hat day, and the 6th grade won.

We love it when some of our community’s youngest citizens reach out to help create a world of opportunity for all abilities, and thank the good folks at Timberline for their amazing generosity.

Special thanks also to Belinda Chirinos (pictured below with her son and Imagine! Foundation Executive Director Patti Micklin), a former Imagine! employee who helped to facilitate this wonderful donation!

Next, I'd like to thank the Longmont Community Foundation for its generous grant of $1,900 for Imagine! CORE/Labor Source programs based in Longmont.

The Longmont Community Foundation has supported Imagine! in so many ways over the years, and we remain so grateful for all they do to promote the potential of Longmont citizens with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Pictured below are Imagine! Foundation Executive Director Patti Micklin and Imagine! Ambassador Extraordinaire (and former Longmont mayor) Leona Stoecker at the Longmont Community Foundation event where the grant was announced.

Finally, Imagine! is honored to have been selected winner of The Longmont Community Foundation’s “Your Story” contest.

As winners, we received a $750 award, and will be featured on the Longmont Community Foundation’s website and social media sites. We are delighted to be selected, and once again thank the Longmont Community Foundation for its longtime support of Imagine! and the individuals we serve.

The award winning story and photo are below.

Longmont resident Gillian takes part in Imagine!’s “Horsin’ Around” class, where participants with intellectual disabilities learn how to build relationships with the horses, care for them, and ride them. Like all of Imagine!’s services, “Horsin’ Around” is community-based and designed to enhance the quality of life of people like Gillian. Community-based services enable people with disabilities to be included in society, as well as enriching communities by encouraging acceptance of all.

Technology Tuesday

Imagine! recently purchased its first electric plug-in hybrid car, a Ford Fusion Erergi, to add to its fleet for transporting those we serve throughout the community. the car averages 97 miles to the gallon, and we will save Imagine! approximately $600 in gas costs per year while allowing us to leave a smaller carbon footprint on our community making it healthier and cleaner.

Every day, Imagine! evaluates its options to improve our cost efficiency in a world of ever changing technology, and we’re always looking for ways to be a better community partner. This vehicle helps us do both. Congratulations to our vehicle department for making this big step!

Good News Friday!

Tonight, Imagine!’s Out & About Centre Stage for Children is debuting “Let The Wild Rumpus Begin.” Details are below.

I hope you’ll be able to join us!

Technology Tuesday

Electric adjustable counter tops at Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome allow Stacey and Anthony to utilize their kitchen better.

 

Good News Friday!

Imagine!’s Out & About department is currently hiring for summer positions. To help in their recruiting efforts, they created a short video that I thought would be fun to share. Check it out below.
 

And if you or anyone you know is interested in a great summer job opportunity, click here to get started.

Technology Tuesday

Imagine!'s CORE/Labor Source (CLS) team uses technology to their advantage during their weekly science class. Eight students engage in an interactive quiz using iPads. Instructors read the question off of a projector screen, and students submit their answers on the tablet. Students can choose their answer by word, letter, color, or shape, ensuring that people with a wide variety of capabilities can participate in the instructional activities. The app CLS uses displays quiz results in real time, making for an interactive and fun way to learn!