Dates to Note
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Thursday, April 7 - Bridges Open House
Community neighbors are invited to come by for a hamburger cook-out and a tour
4:30 pm to 7:30pm
Saturday, April 9 - Village Block Party
Soda floats & live band
6pm to 8pm
Friday, April 15 - Volunteer Appreciation Banquet
Saengerrunde Hall
1607 San Jacinto St. 6:30pm
Saturday, June 11 - Save the date for the annual Marbridge Parents and Families Association Day. Watch future issues of LifeLines for further details!
Stay current on the month's calendar of events at
Marbridge Calendar |
Training News
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Residents enjoy
Prime Time training 
Jake Sidwa, left, thinks of a new activity for instructor Winston Chapman to write on the board as residents Alex Cohen, James Oliver and Chuck Duggan
(back to camera) listen.
This semester, residents in a revitalized Prime Time class are learning new ways to spend their leisure time.
Instructor Winston Chapman helps residents in the class think of alternatives to their usual leisure activities. In a recent class, he challenged them to help him list
on the dry erase board both old and new activities in a classic T graph. Opposite "watch TV," he lists "play pool." Beside "listen to music," he writes "clean room." Across from "work puzzle," he puts "play a pick-up basketball game."
"The idea is to encourage them to spend their leisure time in ways they may not normally choose, including trying new activities," said Chapman. "Many of the residents' top Individual Program Plan (IPP) goals are to spend their leisure time better."
Instructor Winston Chapman, right, engaged Prime Time classmates in a game of kickball in mid-February. The class aims to encourage residents to think of new ways to use their leisure time. |
Volunteers in Action
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Mike Asmus inspects Carl Davis' bike on a recent visit to the campus. In addition to serving as a guest instructor, Mike also repairs the many bicycles belonging to residents.
Mike Asmus attended a JAM Session last June and decided he wanted more of Marbridge and its residents. He now volunteers on a regular basis, teaching an Academic Skills Improvement class.
"Mike teaches every Thursday for two class periods," says Shirey. "Having him do some teaching gives me the opportunity to work one-on-one with those who require additional assistance, and the residents enjoy his style of teaching. He likes to use animated drawings on the board to explain the problem and how to get the answer."
When he isn't teaching, you can find Mike working on the many bicycles parked on campus. He straightens handle bars, fixes flat tires and re-sets chains to keep the residents' bikes in top condition.
"I've found I learn more in working with the residents than anything I can impart to them," said Asmus. "Marbridge residents are fun to be with and to learn from." |
More information
Have you JAM'd with us? We're jammin' on the Marbridge campus every second Thursday of the month from 9:30am to 10:30am. JAM stands for Just About Marbridge, and just one hour is all it takes to discover Marbridge and learn how we make a lasting difference in the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities. Come along, invite your friends and JAM with us! To sign up, contact Michelle Levy, vice president of development, at 512-282-1144, or via email. See you at the next JAM Session! |
Visit Freytag's
Help Marbridge when you purchase floral arrangements for Easter this year. Simply tell the salesperson you want your purchase to support Marbridge, and a portion of the sale will be donated. Thanks, and Happy Easter! |
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Above, resident Anne Schneider, right, and resident trainer/CNA Melody Hall stand in the brightened hallway leading to the new women's wing in the Winters Dorm. Below, Anne relaxes in her newly renovated room.
The women who live in the Winters Dorm are moving into newly renovated and re-decorated rooms that reflect their feminine tastes. Pastel walls that feature a chair rail and tones of mint green or buttercup yellow provide a calming background for pearl-colored furniture. New bookcases and decorator ceiling fans, lighting fixtures and 2-inch blinds complete the decor to provide a cottage-like feel to the rooms. The bathrooms, too, have been renovated with new counter tops, new sinks and refinished cabinets to continue the cottage decor.
"The cost of renovation was approximately $5,600 per room, and includes eight renovated rooms," said Craig Wojtowicz, vice president of support services. "Aesthetically, we haven't previously addressed the difference between male and female rooms, and thanks to a generous donation, we are able to cover the entire cost of renovations. And thanks to input from parents, we were able to provide rooms that better reflect the taste and preferences of our women residents."
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| Press Coverage | Coach Hughie and Marbridge featured prominently in Austin American Statesman
The Sunday issue of the American Statesman detailed Coach Hughie Shaw's path from professional football player to Marbridge coach in its March 27 issue.
Those who enjoy the Austin American Statesman on Sunday mornings likely felt inspired after reading the in-depth story about Marbridge Coach Hughie Shaw. The article and photo were featured prominently on the front cover of the Metro & State section of the paper on March 27. The story details how Shaw was transformed from a cocky football player to a coach whose life calling would be to work with adults with intellectual disabilities. It truly is an inspiring story, and you can read it at www.statesman.com.
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| Horsing Around | Marbridge Equestrian Team brings home 17 first-place wins from Gold Stirrup Horse Show
From left: Audrey Andrews celebrates her first place award in the trail class
with teammates Abby MacKinney and Stephanie Hebert.
On Sunday, March 13, the Marbridge Equestrian Team participated in the Rodeo Austin Gold Stirrup Horse Show. The show, in its third year, was sponsored by Carino's Restaurants and featured six local equestrian organizations in addition to Marbridge.
Coach Shonda Corn and Assistant Coach Mark Knox have worked with the athletes over the past few months to prepare them for the competition. Each event is divided into heats with approximately eight riders per heat. Judges award the top six places in each event. In the final tally, our equestrians took first place in 17 events, second place in 10 events and third place in 16 events--a great job by all!
The success of the program relies heavily on volunteers that assist our coaches on a weekly basis. Many thanks to Gretchen Holmquist, Carol Stutzman, Liz Fenely, Danni Trader, Robert Cowan, Angie, Ted and Cole Smith, Cheryl and Preston Brock, Sandy Smith, Jeannine Tinsley, Kevin and Debra Lawson, Jill Brodsky and Jennifer Diaz, our intern.
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Resident John Perry, right, and volunteer Kevin Lawson guide Apatchey as the judge looks on in the Showmanship competition.
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| Nursing Home Games | Villa Vikings came to conquer!
The Villa Vikings showed up in force at the annual CASACA Nursing Home Games this past Saturday, March 26. More than 30 volunteers assisted with the team effort.
The Capital Area Social & Activity Coordinators Association (CASACA) sponsored their annual Nursing Home Games on Saturday, March 26, and throngs of Villa Vikings showed to compete with sound and fury. The games included wheelchair and walking races, balloon volleyball, throwing competitions and a spelling bee. Our staff even joined in the fun by participating in the wheelchair races, with Villa Administrator Jeff Tompkins and Activities Coordinator Haley Koop taking first place in their divisions. Many thanks to the more than 30 volunteers who helped out with the team. They came from Hays and Akins High Schools, Austin Community College and Texas State University to help the Vikings win, or just to show support. |
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LIFE Lines is published for family, friends, volunteers and staff members of Marbridge, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that provides training and residential care for adults with intellectual disabilities.
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