COMING EVENTS
VALENTINE'S DAY BRUNCH FUNDRAISER
Benefiting the Oxford Hill Food Collaborative and the Community Dinners - Helping Hands
CLICK HERE
Feb. 14th from 10 - 2
The Progress Center, 35 Cottage Street, Norway
$30 couple / $17 person
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SHOUT OUTS
THANK YOU!!!
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A BIG "Thank you" to Bonny Bishop for connecting with our new friends at the Lake House in Waterford. We will be looking forward to hearing about the different crafts learned and the outdoor field trips taken there! Don't forget to take pictures with the digital camera donated by Pam Williams. THANKS PAM!
Terry Cole
Here is A shout out for - Gary, thanks for being a great boss
and working with us. Nancy
Here is a shout out for-
Priscilla, Thank you for covering for, so I could go to training.
Nancy
To Pam H. for taking such good care of Priscilla when she fell. Pam - you are so responsible!
To Priscilla and Deb for putting on a thwacking good Christmas party at Charlie's. Good time!
To Erwin for helping day services recoup more money for transportation. Mr. Detail!
To Pam W. for helping make Cottage Street look festive and Christmassy over the holidays. Very cheering!
To Bonny, Ken, Jessica, Tish, Mike, Shawna and Mary Ellen for making the fall DSP class fun and (hopefully) educational.
To Larry for rescuing the trees on the sign - I don't think anyone has noticed except for how good they look!
To Christine for keeping the billing flowing and the finance department hopping. Also for not repainting my old office.
To Deb for being a strong leader in difficult times. No one likes to deliver bad news or make tough decisions but it has to be done to keep the agency alive. Thank you for your creative ideas and commitment to quality.
To Kristin for buying me 40 cent cups of coffee. Why, I didn't even drink the one you got me yesterday!
To all the DSPs who go with the flow and do what needs to be done.
To Floyd for taking care of our bottles at Winter Street. Take the recyclables, too!
To Mike for keeping our technology going. What will you do when everything is working?
To Larry and Cherie for doing a good job teaching CPR and first aid. Larry - have you put away the manikins' heads yet?
To Mark for helping out with a child in need. We would like to clone you, so please report to the lab at once. Thank you.
Laurie Phillips
To the Board of Directors for the support you offer. Deb
To all the front line staff who keep positive and quality focused. You are the best! Deb
To Laurie and Kristin. You both have been wonderful leaders in tough times. Deb
To Pat V. thanks for all the hard work you have done to make the collaborative a reality. It is wonderful. Deb
I'd like to recognize James for his can do attitude and perseverance when jobs are challenging.
To Nancy for always being willing to help.
To Gary for his professionalism.
Kathy for managing the unmanageable.
Jessica for her commitment to the people she supports.
Jen for her understanding of what being a DSP should mean.
Laurie for her sense of humor and clarity.
Deb for being our pilot in " The Perfect Storm"
Larry Jordan
SHOUT OUT to the mountaintops of Western Maine to Deb Anthony!! You are our gladiator and representative extraordinaire in the battle of sustaining service to the people we support with the best possible quality of guidance and mentoring that we can possibly provide. I know that you eat, sleep, (well, try to sleep) and fight the fight daily to reach our goals, to not give up, to advocate, teach and push forward in this monumental uphill battle. I appreciate all that you do personally and professionally. We need you! Thank you, Deb! Kathy Brown, Community Supports Supervisor and friend!
Shout Out to Amanda Skillings! You have proven to be a huge help to me and to your fellow DSP's as we have shifted into our new split shift module. I am very proud of you and very impressed with your work ethic and eagerness to get things done the way they should be done. Thank you so much, Amanda!!!
Kathy Brown
Shout out to Bonny Bishop! Your dedication from day one and your ability to organize and prioritize our PCP process is a huge benefit to The Progress Center. The wonderful way you write has personalized and brought to life individual plans. The people we support have quickly come to realize that you are a true friend and sincere advocate for what they need. Thank you so much! Kathy
Shout Out to Kristin Benedix!! You continue to amaze me with your support and patience with me and my learning curve! I am grateful that you recognize my true dedication and love for what I do, as I learn better each day how to do it! I feel so much more confident in my role as Supervisor of Community Supports and that is because of you. Thank you so much Kristin! Kathy
To Nancy from Gary- for being my "Billable Hour Cop." You do a great job scheduling and keeping me straight.
To Nancy and Tia from Gary- for sacrificing nights and weekends to provide quality work support to our consumers. This demonstrates a very high level of dedication to your work.
To Laurie Phillips- for organizing my client files. They really look great. You are a Paperwork Genius.
Here is A shout out for - Gary, thanks for being a great boss
and working with us. Nancy
Here is a shout out for-
Priscilla, Thank you for covering for, so I could go to training. Nancy
I would like to thank every one who made our Christmas Gift Event a wonderful experience for all. We served families from the Community Dinners (that Liz hosts), consumers and their families (that receive serves from the Progress Center) as well as many of our staff and their families as they prepared for a Merry Christmas.
One of the children in the Children Services Program came to shop for his mother and siblings. He had the biggest smile on his face as he picked out just what he wanted to give and then wrapped his gifts to take home and put under the tree. As he left he said this will be the best Christmas ever. That made all the work and long hour worth it for me. It was wonderful to see everyone find something special to give to a friend or a loved one. Everyone gave what they could and we collected $166.09 to add to the consumers activity account. This was truly amazing and a blessing for all who gave and received over these two days.
I would like to give a big thank-you to the following people who helped by giving items and working both Thursday evening and Friday morning on this event; Deb Peaco, Bette Woodbury, Sue Bone, Stephenie Michaud and boys, Terry Cole, Fred Cummings, Becky, Louise Gould, Liz B, Nancy Priest, Jen Cousins, Bonny Bishop, Kathy Brown, Ken, and Manda Paine. THANK YOU ALL!!
Pam Williams
To all the KJ Staff .. I Thank-You for everything you do! We have been down a ruff road lately and I couldn't have done it without you and your support. We pulled together as a team and made it though.
Well... We may not be there yet! Thank-You, Thank-You
Kristin Benedix
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We are entering another year. Many wonderful things happened in 2009 and we look forward to 2010.
Highlights from 2009
The Oxford Hills Food Collaborative has significantly increased membership in the CSA share program which now runs year round in 6 week blocks. It is a great way to get a weekly allotment of local foods. This summer we included local High School Students in our very own garden which also served the collaborative. We now host a weekly farm stand year round that is open Wednesday and soon will add Fridays. We are considering hosting a farmer's market indoors for the Winter at Cottage Street to support our local food producers. The second loop of our Matthew Record Park trail was cleared and prepared for a spring layer of mulch. We had over 30 people assist in our second annual day of caring to continue this effort. Thanks to our community friends who join us each to help build this trail and Stephens Memorial Hospital for its financial support of this great endeavor. Tree Works has been raising money for TPC this past year. They are just now beginning internet sales with a new website. The sales of bread boards and cutting boards increased over 150%. Fred Cummings and his employees Greg and Bruce have had wonderful success at local Farmer's Markets and Fairs. This holiday season we had the great problem of slowing orders down to meet demand. This has been a great year for Tree Works. Our Community Meals in Norway grew and the plans to rehabilitate our own kitchen at Cottage Street began. Fund raising is underway and by the end of 2010 we will have a state of the art commercial kitchen: the TPC " Community Kitchen". The kitchen will allow for community suppers, feeding those who are in need of meal weekly. We will also use the kitchen as a shared use licensed kitchen. We have had so many inquires it is hard to keep track of the calls from farmers and local food producers seeking to use a commercial kitchen that will allow them to add value to their foods and create products for retail. Healthy Oxford Hills has been a great partner in this effort and I am certain classes will be abundant. We awarded employer awards to including our Employer of the Year "the Margaret Murphy Center". We celebrated in the locally owned Tuscany Hall which was catered by Maurice's Restaraunt , Liz B. and the folks at Helping Hands Community Meals provided fabulous deserts. It was a great night filled with celebration. We were chosen as a Pilot for the College of Direct Support project. We were very excited and pleased to partake in this pilot which will allow our staff, employers, families and members of any individual's support team to access training via the internet. This is a statewide program that will build efficiency and effectiveness into our training programs. Our summer retreat was at Shawnee Peak. Each department provided entertainment and education regarding their services. We reviewed our success measures and set new goals for 2010. We reviewed our previous year goals and outcomes. Our score card was excellent which made the event more fun. We were joined by a board member from years back who was a founding member: George Ricker. We are sad to report he passed away shortly after that event. We felt blessed to have met him and for the staff to have the opportunity to hear the story first hand. It was a great retreat. TPC staff led by Pam Williams hosted our first ever Christmas Gift Event, collecting gifts for people to come and purchase for pennies or simply take to ensure that all those we support were able to have presents, nicely wrap, for their holiday. It was very well received and many folks from our community attended. |
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Community Supports!
 The Community Support program at the Progress Center continues to go through many changes as we seek ways to better serve and support the folks who come here each day to better their lives. We push forward in our quest to increase inclusion in our community by skill building and volunteering.
Our goal isn't to just take folks into our communities and then take them home four hours later. We are striving to help people become important, productive and necessary contributors in their communities. They want to help others, they want to have jobs, they want to have friends and they want to belong. Our vision is to assist them in achieving this by recognizing individual strengths and gifts, by nurturing confidence and discovering what is inside each person that makes them who they are, and hoping that our communities continue to learn and embrace what those of us who provide support already know. That these folks ARE important, productive, necessary and eager to begin the individual lives that they deserve to have. Just like the rest of us.
We have had a great few months. Our folks were a huge help in the success of our Oxford Hills Food Collaborative Program from harvesting gardens, packing orders, and delivering these orders to folks in the community. They continue to help the "Co-op" during the winter months assisting Pat in packaging items, and getting ready for the weekly indoor market.
To better meet the needs of all those we support we recently started our "split shift" with the first shift from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. and the second shift from 12:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. On January 15th we will start a 9:00 to 3:00 day every Friday open to everyone. Each person will be offered a choice of one of two different activities or events, or to join a Center based group that will have the opportunity to try woodworking, painting, creative cooking, physical development, music and dance, etc. We are constantly seeking new and exciting activities and volunteer opportunities for people to participate in and strive to achieve.
Our Special Olympics team is preparing for the Winter Olympics on January 30, 31st and Feb. 1st. Several fundraising activities were held for this big event throughout the year. They held a very successful pizza kit fundraiser, many car washes and bake sales, numerous bottle drives and visited local businesses to acquire sponsors. Team leaders are in the process of planning candy bar sales, another pizza fundraiser, bake sales, and bottle drives in the future. We wish them all Good Luck at Squaw Mountain as they reap the rewards of all their accumulative hard work. We are all very proud of you!
Our community teams continue to deliver Meals on Wheels to shut ins. They volunteer at The Good Shepard Food Bank weekly, and provide shopping, cleaning, and home visits through Seniors Plus. We go to Responsible Pet Care and provide cleaning services, and bathe dogs at our local doggie day care. We assist Liz with food preparation for Community Suppers, and visit folks in local nursing homes. We also get to bowl, swim at the YMCA at Pineland, go snowshoeing, workout at the gym and learn about healthy cooking and nutrition. We are busy, with plans to get even busier in the months to come. Community Supports Program is the place to be!
Kathy Brown, Community Supports Supervisor
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Good Bye to some Great Board Members!
We wanted to thank some wonderful people whose terms have brought them to the end of their leadership on our Board of Directors.
Thank you to Donita St John, Jim St John and Tom Gorrill.
You have seen this agency through many difficult and wonderful times. You brought your heart to the work as family to people we support. You brought with you the history of this wonderful agency and the knowledge of this community. You will be missed. However Board members never really leave, we will make sure that you continue to part of our celebrations, news events and on going life.
Thank you for all you have done. We will keep you posted and hope to see you at our annual events and summer fun days.
Hello to our Newest Board Member!
Ken Verrill of Oxford Maine has joined our Board of Directors. He has been involved with people who have disabilities for much of his life. He is a well respected community leader. He is now a Past Master at Oxford Masonic Lodge where he remains very active with The Student of the Month Program, Books for Bikes Program, Blood Drives, and CHIPS Programs (he is Oxford Lodge's coordinator for The CHIPS Program). He also serves as a Trustee for Masonic Temple at 9 Temple Street in Norway Maine. He actively helps raise funds to maintain the building and its worthy programs.
We are very pleased to have him on board with us at the Progress Center and hope that you will all have the opportunity to meet him in the months ahead.
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Goal Attainment
About a year ago, TPC was approached by Mobius, another social services agency in Brunswick, to participate in a Goal Attainment project with them. Mobius has developed a simple system to write PCP (person centered plan) goals that are observable and measurable and to track how many of these goals are met in the agency. They will ultimately do a research project around this and we will be part of that project.
In fall, 2009, we trained DSPs, supervisors, managers and our PCP coordinators on how to write observable and measurable PCP goals. Now DSPs write goals for the people they serve and asess the goals with their supervisors, using a simple one page tool. Goals like "Bob will explore how to cook," which is fuzzy and not observable nor measurable, is now written "Bob will cook a meal once a week." We can see Bob cook and we can count how many times he cooks in a week. Observable and measurable! Hooray!
Our next step is to find out how many goals at TPC have been met. We will be using this information both for quality assurance and for the research project mentioned above. The PCP coordinators will ask, via a form, PCP team members to subjectively decide if a particular goal has been met or not. The more observable and measurable a goal is, the easier it will be for a case manager or a family member or a guardian or a primary staff person to determine if the goal has been met or not. So, the circle of life, or PCP goals, is completed!
Stay tuned. The plan is to have the second step, the goal attainment, begin in January, 2010. We'll keep you posted!
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Residential News
 The past few months have been eventful for people living at Frederick Avenue. Penelope, the cat, has bunkered down inside the home as it is cold. She looks forward to warm weather, chipmunks & rodents to hunt. The holidays came & flew buy. Everyone had a wish list and Santa was able to grant all wishes. Arthur came and spent the day with his dear friend Sandra. New years was quiet. Fred stayed up and watched the big ball drop with staff while others slept.
Fred recently went on a vacation to Branson Missouri with Outpoint. They have a fabulous Christmas display that Fred said was beautiful. He came home happy and planning his next trip. He wants to go back to Florida this year and also wants to go to Mohegan Sun, gambling. Erlene offered to take him to Mohegan, (can't imagine why). Fred attended the Employer Recognition night & enjoyed the magician.
Linda recently returned back to work at the Guild in Turner after being out for almost a year. She is part time but is in hopes to reach full time. Go Linda!!!!
Debbie had not been feeling well but is back home and doing great! She recently started back to work and is anxious to begin working the Rotary breakfast on Wednesdays. Her mom has had extensive surgery and has been in rehab for many months. We wish her a healthy new year.
Sandra was invited to a Christmas Party at Terry's home. She went and had a great time. She also went to the employer recognition night and said next year she may have a glass of wine. Who could imagine, Sandra drinking wine!!!! She still visits her dear friend Arthur weekly at Market Square. She has been so worried about him as he has been hospitalized several times in the past year.
I want to welcome Jamie Butler & Sara D. to the team at Frederick Ave. I want to wish Mary Ellen Burnham good luck with her new job. Thanks Lisa for keeping the guys motivated. Sarah R. the people love having you working with them directly. Sarah R. thanks for all your help, couldn't get it all done with out you!!! Welcome to Sara Danico who left the darkness to come work during the daytime.
At Spring Street it is about... Snow! Snow! Snow! Those are Greg's favorite words. He is busy with snow removal this winter. Thank goodness for him as he keeps the van & vehicles cleaned off. We have a new roof and no longer have the leaks we had in the past. Thanks Deb!!!!
We have a new gentleman who moved in on December 4th. We would like to welcome Robert to Spring Street. He moved from Lewiston Maine and has numerous brothers and sisters located throughout the US. He enjoys music, specifically by Celine Dionne and loves to dance. He demonstrated some great moves at the annual holiday party this year. He loves to cook with staff and has expressed interest in helping Liz with her community suppers. Stop by and say hello to Robert.
We also have 2 new gold fish living in a tank in the home. Greg feeds them and also cleans the fish tank when needed. Thanks Pam Williams. They guys enjoyed coming to your house to fish for them with nets!
Greg had a busy month in December and worked at National Wood nearly every day. His dream is to work full time at National Wood Products. He went to his sister Cathy's for Christmas and had a wonderful time. He has helped to build and sell lots of wood products made by the "boys" at Tree Works before the holidays at local Craft Fairs and enjoys the socialization most of all. He continues to brainstorm on items that they should make and sell.
Clyde also had a wonderful Christmas spending the day with his brother Ken. Clyde has bunkered down for the winter as he does not enjoy the cold like his housemate, Greg.
Betty has also bunkered down for the winter and looks forward to warmer weather. She spent a long holiday week with her brother Tom and sister-in-law Barbara. She enjoys the visits and talks about Tom's dogs for days.
We are sad to have Rich leaving his full time position here with the"boys" but are grateful to have him subbing in the home. Welcome to Christine who came from the darkness, (overnights) and works second shift now. Thanks to Deb who does anything she is able to do while working the overnights. Sarah R. thanks for all your help. Tish-WELCOME TO SPRING STREET. Michele thanks for everything you do and being flexible with scheduling needs. Linda thanks for altering your schedule and covering my overnights. Welcome to Jessee Ferry who is working the overnights. Erlene's youngest son Tyler graduated from Lincoln Institute in January and her oldest son Josh was able to come home for his graduation. It was wonderful having the family together for a few days. Shonna thanks for covering for me!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kristin thanks for everything you do & your support.
KJH-News
The Karla Jacobson Home has been pretty busy through out the holiday season, both as groups and individually. Everybody went either to their families or to a close friends for Christmas. They all enjoyed a Christmas Party at Charlies with staff. Lots of good food, friends, and music. We also had a Christmas Party at KJ and invited family, guardians and friends. Had a great time and we even had a visitor in a red suit trimmed with white fur stop in and handed out presents, and we had a New Years Eve Party with home made pizza, chips and yummy drinks with fruit and little umbrellas. It was great! No one could stay up late enough to see the ball drop though.
Paul has been snow shoeing and cross country skiing, walking around the track and on trails, we have a movie and pizza night every Sunday, and hes enjoyed his trips to Dunkin Donuts and the community suppers.
Julie has been to the movies a few times. Her favorite movie was Alvin & the Chipmunks. She went out to eat at Shaners for her birthday, went to a play that her sister sang in, which Julie really enjoyed. She also enjoys her trips to the Dollar Tree and to Dunkin Donuts for her blueberry coffee, and the community Dinners.
Cheryl has been making blankets for family members. She enjoys volunteering at the ASPCA and Responsible Pet care, going to the movies and to the community dinners.
Nate looks forward to his visits with Mom every other Saturday. He loves walking around the track and of course going to Dunkin Donuts, Wal-mart, and the community dinner. Nate just about always goes right over to the table with his friend and sits with him during the meal. He went to Kennebunk to a Train Museum and out to supper with his friend. Had a really great time. He also enjoys just going for a ride and stopping to feed the elk.
Rusty has been working hard raking leaves and shoveling snow. Rusty loves going to Dunkin for hot cocoa and going to McDonalds. He also likes to go to Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart to pick up his books and M&Ms, and going to the Community Suppers. Rusty is a great help around the house. He keeps the floors swept and vacuumed and everything dusted. What would we do with out his help???
Well .... We are certainly looking forward to Spring, this snow is getting a bit much bring on the BBQs and Bonfires.
From all at the KJ Home !
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 Coming Together for Healthier Eating
The economy has changed along with our economic future.
Due to these changes individuals and families must restructure their habits to this reality. Each of us must become entrepreneurs within our own homes tending to projects that will endure us though ruff times and build stable futures our children.
Job security and a steady income are things of the past. Individuals need to take inventory of their abilities and build a strategy to be able to survive during hard times.
Many of us have too few hours in the week to cook healthy meals made from quality whole foods and we know of co-workers, friends and family members that feel this same pressure. Low nutritional, expensive prepackaged and fast foods are not economically sound choices.
Collaborative food arrangements are one possibility. Expansion and improved access to a wider range of food opportunities can be obtained with collaboration.
In our hectic and fast-paced world, shared meals may be an alternative.
Families, friends and neighbors can band together to buy in bulk (CSA shares, coop orders), cook in bulk and swap dishes.
A shared-meal plan works by having like minded friends, relatives or neighbors. Each partner must be in full agreement on the shared-meal guidelines set by the group.
Suggested things in your guidelines are... 1. How often will the group do shared-meals 2. Each partner is expected to cook for all partners 3. What containers will be used & will all meals be frozen 4. Will each cook at home or as a group - 5. What will each partner prepare for types of meals - soup, pies, pasta dishes All people have the right to eat safe, nutritious food. Consider joining in with others to purchase fruits, vegetables and grains together, to create your families health plan for the future. Check our website. You can order local foods weekly for pick up or delivery.
Oxford Hills Food Collaborative
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Deb Anthony
The Progress Center |
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