Good News Friday!

Today, I have the privilege of introducing the 2017 Imagine! Employees of Distinction. 

Each year we ask all employees to share with the Secret Employee of Distinction Selection Committee nominations for Imagine! employees who exemplify the mission, values, and principles of Imagine!, who inspire the individuals we serve to be their best, and who perform over and above every expectation anyone could have of them.

This year, we received 54 Employee of Distinction nominations for a total of 31 people. So it is fair to say that even among the talented and dedicated crowd of Imagine! employees, the 2017 honorees truly stood out.

Jonny Brennan, Kristin Cowin, Bridget Heddens, Jenny Kozlowski, Lucy Mwangi, Carla Rapp, Linda Saenz, and Emily Walsh were all identified by their coworkers as employees who go above and beyond even the above and beyond we see every day at Imagine!. Their recognition is well deserved, and I am honored to call them my colleagues.

Check out the video below to learn a little more about these exceptional Imagine! employees.

   

 Can’t see the video? Click here.

Technology Tuesday

Thanks to the eight people who toured Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome last week, including Mark Mills, Assistant Superintendent of the St. Vrain Valley School District.

Technology Tuesday

Imagine! has been talking about getting technology in the hands of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities for more than a decade.

Why have we done this? 

The short video below, created by the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities and YAI, offers some answers to that question and may give you some things to ponder as you reflect on what you are thankful for this week.

   

 Can’t see the video? Click here. 

Good News Friday!

Today, I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to Dave Query, who is once again treating individuals served by Imagine! and their families to a traditional turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day. This is the 14th year Dave has hosted this event, which will again be at Zolo Southwestern Grill, 2525 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder.

There are three seatings, and all three have filled up already! In all, more than 350 people will benefit from Dave's amazing generosity.

Dave Query is the owner of Big Red F Restaurant Group, including restaurants Centro Latin Kitchen, Jax Fish House – Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Glendale, and Kansas City, LoLa Coastal Mexican, Post Brewing Company, West End Tavern, and Zolo Grill.

Dave is donating the makings for a delicious dinner with all the trimmings, and the wait staff is volunteering its time. There is no charge for the meal, and no tips are necessary.

Thanks to Dave and the Zolo staff for making it a Thanksgiving to remember for individuals served by Imagine!.

Technology Tuesday

Today I’d like to share an update on Imagine!’s Tuneberg Project.

Thanks to the generosity of Aaron's Fund, Imagine! has created a technology demonstration project to improve and support the safety needs for adults with disabilities. The project is currently supporting eight individuals in Boulder County. The Tuneberg Project has developed a specific tool to assess individual support needs and identify the technologies that will best help meet those needs. The technology that has been purchased is individualized to the identified needs. It includes door and window sensors, heat and stove detectors, medication reminders, visual doorbells, and prompting systems for daily tasks. All of these are integrated into a notification system that provides alerts to caregivers or 911.

This technology allows people to be monitored remotely and notifies loved ones or caregivers when people are home and what area of the apartment or living space they are accessing. All systems allow the individuals to remain independent while still promoting their safety by remotely locking doors, monitoring when someone comes to their doors, and providing alerts when an alarm is triggered.

As one parent described: “I'm writing to tell you that the safety system Imagine! installed in my daughter's home worked very well today. First, I received a text telling me that the smoke alarm had gone off in my daughter's place at 4pm. I knew no one was there at that time besides my daughter, so I rushed over. The alarm was ringing loudly. My daughter was out of her home (with her hands over her ears). And a neighbor had called 911. It turned out that my daughter had experimented with making her first snack on the stove top and the oil in the pan had sent a lot of smoke into the air. No fire or any serious damage, but a good trial of the systems to make sure everyone knew what they should be doing.” 

The Tuneberg Project is helping to fill a huge gap that currently exists in services for adults with intellectual disabilities who are mostly independent but need some assistance to remain safe and self-reliant. At the end of this three-year project, Imagine! will share the results with state and local leaders to encourage the adoption of technology into the service system.

Good News Friday!

Imagine!’s Annual Gift Giving Drive starts soon, and I encourage you to take part! 

Gift Ideas:

For Children
Educational Toys (Spanish or English)
Dolls and Accessories
Board Games Books (Spanish or English)
Craft Sets Ball Set or Nerf Set
Car or Truck Sets
Remote Control Car
Legos Art Supplies
Hat, Scarves, Mittens, Gloves
Gift Cards

For Adults
DVDs
Colorado sports team memorabilia
Art Supplies
Craft Supplies
Body Lotion
Bath Sets
Hats, Scarves, Mittens, Gloves
Gift Cards

Please deliver donations to Imagine!’s administrative office at 1400 Dixon Ave., Lafayette, CO. Pickups can be arranged for group donations.

Questions? Contact Elizabeth Hill at ehill@imaginecolorado.org or 303-926-6460

Out & About 20 Stories Update - 11/19/17

Imagine!’s Out & About department is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year! 

To honor this milestone, we are collecting and sharing stories and memories from our employees, from the families and individuals we serve, and from the many businesses that support our work. In fact, we’re collecting and sharing 20 stories from each of those three categories!

Here’s a story from Sasha, an Out & About participant, who promises to share this advice to others: “If someone is nervous to come to Out & About, I would say ‘there’s nothing to be nervous about, Out & About is fun!’”

You can also click here to see all the stories we have so far.