Connect to LIFE - July 2011

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LIFE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
William G. McKelvey, Chairperson

JoAnn Simons,
Vice Chairperson

Peter Capernaros, Secretary

Trustees:
Jody Bellows
Peter Bowman
Pamela Dempsey
Jill Edelson
Nancy Jones
David Leary
Michael Lenehan
Karen Megathlin
Joseph Reardon
Susan Reilly
Stephen Rothenberg
Kathy Titus
Dick Weir

ABOUT LIFE...

Living Independently Forever, Inc., is a non profit organization that has served adults with learning disabilities within its condomium communities on Cape Cod, Massachusetts since 1993. Residents have joined the LIFE community from many areas of our country and beyond.
LIFE's professional staff is dedicated to the goal of encouraging each resident's aspirations, strengths and abilities.
LIFE provides support and resources in the areas of vocation, education, social/community involvement and daily living. LIFE is a thriving community, whose residents live full and productive lives.

LIFE OFFERS:

FLEXIBLE SECURE OPTIONS

At LIFE, Residents own or share a condominium within LIFE's condominium communities on lovely Cape Cod, or have the option to live in a nearby condo and receive LIFE's Supported Independent Living Services.
Our communities offer recreation facilities and state of the art fitness centers.
LIFE's professional staff provide support services appropriate to each individual resident.
For more information about LIFE, please call
Diane Enochs,
Executive Director
at 508-790-3600
or email Diane

July, 2011

What Memories Are Made Of...Our Bermuda Cruise

Dressed for dinner, and striking a pose

We're having a great summer on beautiful Cape Cod, but some

of our hearts are still in Bermuda. LIFE, Inc.'s vacation club

made it possible for 32 of our residents to cruise to Bermuda for 10 days of fun in late May and early June. We'll leave the comments to our LIFE residents:

"Breathtaking, astounding, beautiful . I've never been on a cruise before and I loved it!" - Tripp Gillespie

"It was my first cruise and I loved being on the boat. And the Karaoke was the best ever!" - Matt Klompus

"The cruise was awesome...Bermuda is beautiful and the water was the bluest I have ever see. I would definitely go again."

-Tara Gertel

"The Bermuda caves were so interesting. I've never seen

anything like them. The whole trip was great." -Austin Keane

"Bermuda was so beautiful- and the people we met on our trip were awesome" -Dan Snyder

"It was spectacular, what I loved the most was being together with everyone on such a great trip.....just like traveling with a very big family." Jill Connell

(Watch the slideshow/video and experience our Bermuda dream.)

What Big Hearts Are Made Of...

LIFE residents present a large food donation basket in honor

of LIFE's new vocational counselor, Erin Dell'Arciprete

Last month, when Erin Dell 'Arciprete began working as an Employment Counselor at Hyannis LIFE, she was surprised when a group of LIFE residents presented her with a with a large container of donated food to be given in her honor to a local organization of her chosing. This group of big-hearted residents call themselves the "LIFE Hospitality Committee". Passionate about community service, they welcome new residents and staff members with donation baskets. The baskets are then donated to a local non-profit organization that provides services to Cape Codders in need. Some of the local charities that have received gifts from LIFE residents are: Homeless not Helpless, The Hyannis Food Pantry and the Noah Shelter.

"I'll never forget my first week at LIFE, said Jamie Schuh, Director of Supported Independent Living in Hyannis."I was so moved when I received my basket"

Baskets presented to staff members are given with a certificate that reads:

"We wanted to show you what we are capable of and how we can help our Cape Cod community. Since this donation will be made in your honor, you may choose a local organization to donate it to."

"I hung the certificate on my wall and will probably keep it forever" , said Jamie. "This is a wonderful and heartwarming effort "and, well, it just makes me very proud to work with the generous residents at LIFE."

A Great Job for Tom...

Tom Wolanske takes pride in his job at Willowbend

Tom Wolanske recently landed a great new job at Mashpee's lovely Willowbend Country Club, where he is working as a dishwasher five days a week. Tom said:

"Having great co-workers and an awesome boss is really a big plus! At LIFE, my goal is to be as independent as possible and having a job that I like so much really helps me. I've been working there for a little over a month. It's really busy there this time of year but I really like it. It's also been fun to see the celebrities who have come to Willowbend to play golf. I'm thankful to Jan Viall, my job counselor, for helping me get the job. Also,my case manager, Linda Wolfe is great and always helps me with my independence."

All of us at LIFE are rooting for Tom and wish him continued success with his new job. Congrats, Tom!

New residents: Dan Snyder (left) and Mike Roux

LIFE is very happy to welcome two new residents to the LIFE family. Dan Snyder came to LIFE in late April and Mike Roux joined the Hyannis community in June.

About Dan: He hails from South Carolina but is originally from Chicago. Dan thinks that the best thing about LIFE is "the staff, the people, the activities and everything about this place. I already feel like this is really my home. My favorite activity at LIFE so far is the 'Cape Cod Road Trip' project. We travel to all the awesome places on Cape Cod. It's just great."

About Mike: Mike attended Riverview School before coming to LIFE. He is originally from California. Mike says that he was interested in LIFE because one of his Riverview friends really loves living at LIFE, and he thought that he might have a similarly positive experience. "Overall, I would have to say I'm very content here", Mike said. "I enjoy everybody's company and I really like the activities, especially the bowling trips and the karaoke events. I'm counting on the LIFE staff to help me with drivers' ed so I can get my license soon"

We think that Dan and Mike are great additions to our LIFE community

...and a we'd like to share something with Chicago sports fans: Dan was recently seen wearing a Boston Red Sox tee-shirt!

Spotlight on...Our Bermuda Cruise Staffers!

Corinne, Rachelle and Ian

Both behind the scenes and on the scene, our LIFE staff members went "beyond the call" to insure that our cruise was a wonderful and enriching experience for all of our residents.

What they said:

Rachelle Jonas (Director of Supported Independent Living):

"The cruise stands out as one of my favorite experiences at LIFE. Our residents had a wonderful time and it was a great community bonding experience for them. Seeing our residents have such a wonderful experience was immensely rewarding."

Ian Saarmann (Fitness Director):

"The best part of the cruise from my perspective was seeing how many activities the residents participated in and the camaraderie they developed with fellow passengers on the ship. It was great to see them take advantage of every experience on the trip!"

Corinne Wickel (Vocational Counselor)

"The cruise, for most, was a 'vacation of a lifetime'! The ship provided entertainment, activities and dining choices to suit all interests. It was great to see the residents each evening as they arrived for dinner 'dressed to impress' and looking great! I couldn't have been more proud of them"

Rachelle, Ian and Corinne...Thanks For the Memories!