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 July 2009 |
Vol 1, Issue 1 |
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| From The Executive Director Rhonda Johnstone |
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| Greetings! |
I hope you've had a great summer. In June I completed my first year as Executive Director of The Arc of Katy. The year was filled with excitement, growth, a hurricane, a flood, and lots of Arc of Katy activities.
A new Arc of Katy Business Plan was developed by members of the stategic planning committee and it was approved by the board.
In the Adult Activity Day Camp we added a day, thereby providing services four days a week instead of three. (This camp is very popular and successful, but would not be possible without the generosity of the Katy Family YMCA who allow our program to meet at their summer camp facility, Camp Cinco).
Arc of Katy membership has nearly doubled and has seen an increase in families with younger children.
A new committee was formed, within The Arc of Katy, by parents and guardians of individuals with disabilities that require a higher level of support. This Specific Needs committee meets monthly and will be developing a plan to meet the needs of their loved ones.
Arc of Katy Socials have been so popular that we had to move them to a new location to accomodate the larger crowd.
Our Summer Day Camp, serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilites ages 16 and up, has been a great success with enrollment growing to 30 participants requiring the addition of a fifth teacher.
Our success thus far has been due to the selfless determination, time, and efforts of a few parents, teachers, friends, and volunteers bent on meeting the needs of the special needs community in the greater Katy area.
With our fiscal year starting in August, we begin an exciting time filled with new goals and dreams for The Arc of Katy. It is my hope that you will join us and get involved with one or more of the new or existing committees dedicated to developing and maintaining the many needed services and programs provided by The Arc of Katy.
Please do not hesitate to call or email me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Johnstone
Executive Director
The Arc of Katy
(823) 754-9802
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| It is Membership Renewal Time |
If you are currently a member of The Arc of Katy or if you would like to join, please keep reading.
We recently changed our "dues year" to run August through July to coincide with the requirements for participants in our socials and the Day Program.
We did not collect dues from current members in January 2009 in order to initiate this transition.
Your membership dues for the Arc of Katy expire July 31, 2009. You should have recently received an email from me with the Membership Form enclosed. If you did not get my email, please contact me for a membership form: rjohnstone003@comcast.net.
Please send your completed membership form with your dues of $25.00 to:
The Arc of Katy, P. O. Box 6133, Katy, TX 77491. We ask you to complete a new membership form to make sure our records are accurate.
Your dues paid to the Arc of Katy include your membership in both our state and national organizations. Prompt payment of your dues will help us complete this "dues year" transition seamlessly with both the Arc of Texas and Arc US.
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| Upcoming Socials |
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Each year our social committee plans entertaining and fun socials for our members with intellectual and developmental disabilities. These activities are hosted by volunteers from the National Charity League and supervised by parent volunteers from The Arc of Katy. All of the socials are well attended and great fun! Due to safety reasons, there is required paperwork that must be completed and updated each year before participants are allowed to participate in the socials. Read on for details.
Our first social of our fiscal year will be the Ice Cream Social at the Katy Family YMCA on Saturday, August 8th from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m..
We hope all can attend this event where we will thank the National Charity League members who do so much for us throughout the year.
At the Ice Cream Social you will also be able to complete the required yearly paperwork. All participants in the Day Program and Socials MUST be members of the ARC of Katy and be signed in by a parent, guardian or their representative. Membership and release forms, as well as a notary will be available at the August Ice Cream Social. After that time, please contact me, Rhonda Johnstone, Executive Director at 832-754-9802 or rjohnstone003@comcast.net.
Here is the 2009-2010 Arc of Katy Social Calendar:
PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF LOCATION
ALL SOCIALS WILL BE HELD AT:
Katy Family YMCA
1100 South Peek Road at Westheimer Parkway
Katy, Texas 77450
281-392-7227
7:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.
2009
August 8, 2009 - Ice Cream Social @ YMCA
September 12, 2009 - Back to School dance YMCA w/DJ
October 24, 2009 - Fall/Halloween dance @ YMCA* w/DJ
November 14, 2009 - Bingo Pizza Party @ YMCA*
December 12, 2009 - Christmas dance @ YMCA*- w/DJ
2010
January 9, 2010 - New Year's Dance @ YMCA*-w/DJ
February 13, 2010 - Valentine's Day dance @ YMCA* w/DJ
March 13, 2010 -Spring dance @ YMCA* w/DJ
April 10, 2010 -Bingo Pizza party @ YMCA*
May 8, 2010 - End of School/Graduation dance @ YMCA* w/DJ
Arc of Katy Social Committee contacts:
Robin and Lee Pantermuehl 281-395-9416
Jeanne Ann and Dennis Combrink 281-398-3532
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| How can I help? |
The Arc of Katy has outlined several exciting project goals for the upcoming year. We need your help to make these dreams come true.
Here are some ways that you can help:
1. Donate online using PayPal :
2. Use your Kroger Card
Through Kroger's Neighbor to Neighbor Donation Program you can set up your Kroger Plus Card so that every time you use your card, a percentage of eligible purchases will be donated to the Arc of Katy. The program started on July 1, 2009 and ends on April 30, 2010. For details on how to activate your Kroger card please download the customer letter by clicking here.
3. Use GoodSearch as your search engine of choice.
 Raise money for The Arc of Katy just by using the search engine Goodsearch.com and typing in "The Arc of Katy" where it says "Who do you Goodsearch for?". Click the "Amount Raised" button for a running tab on how much has been raised through this innovative search engine.
4. Get involved.
The programs that The Arc of Katy currently supports are a direct result of the involvement of parents, family members, and friends of the participants being served.
If you are in need of a program designed to fit the needs of your loved one with intellectual and developmental disabilities, get involved.
All members are invited to come to the monthly Arc of Katy board meetings held the first Thursday of each month at the Consolidated Communications building located at 1400 Avenue A in Old Katy. Be sure and come in on the East Avenue entrance (back side of the building).
General membership meetings are held 3 times a year. Arc members will receive an email or mailing detailing times and locations prior to these meetings.
In addition, please consider supporting The Arc of Katy with your prayers, your presence, and your gifts.
For more information on how you can begin helping expand the efforts of The Arc of Katy, call our office: 832-754-9802.
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| Fundraiser Information |
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Each year, two major fundraisers are held to help support the efforts of The Arc of Katy. These include the Annual Mardi Gras Gala which will be on February 26, 2010 at Pine Forest Country Club, and the annual Golf Classic held in July.
Most recently Arc members and lots of golfers came together at Pine Forest Country Club for the Consolidated Communications~The Arc of Katy 2009 Golf Classic on July 20th. Fun was had by all and it was a great success!
To the left is our own Arc of Katy golfer, Austin, as he prepares for a great game of golf.
To see more pictures from the tournament, click here.
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| Arc of Katy website undergoing changes :) |
As you visit The Arc of Katy website (www.thearcofkaty.org) you may notice that it is changing for the better and is being updated quicker and more often. There's a lot more to do to bring it all up to date, so keep checking back to find new and important information. We are greatful for our new webmaster, Jeff Kopp! Jeff has made a link on the bottom left of the Arc website pages so that members can send any comments or suggestions directly to him. While doing so, be sure to tell him that you appreciate him!
P.S.
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Hey there all you members of The Arc of Katy!
Here's something to make your travels even more fun...
Wear your Arc of Katy shirt any time you travel around the country or around the world, and have your picture taken wearing it.
In the photos above, Amy Campbell sports her Arc of Katy shirt while visiting Jamaica this past November.
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Looking forward to another great year for The Arc of Katy! Give me a call or email me if I can be of service to you.
Sincerely,
Rhonda Johnstone
Executive Director
The Arc of Katy
(832) 754-9802
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