LifeROOTS: May 2012

Putting Down New “Roots” In the Community: Plans Underway for Planting of a LifeROOTS Garden

At LifeROOTS, we’re all about helping people with disabilities – and giving them the solid “roots” to help them build a solid foundation for the future. To bring to life our message of nurturing roots and helping those with disabilities grow and thrive, we are in the process of creating a beautiful LifeROOTS Garden – which will bring together those within the community to build, plant – and nurture – the roots we are putting down.

To create this special garden, students from local schools, community members and LifeROOTS clients and their families will all work together – planting seeds in special garden boxes and designing a beautiful space that will be enjoyed for years to come. In addition, we are also in the process of working with local schools on the development of a special garden mural – that will bring added beauty to the garden, as well as be an additional source for community involvement.

The LifeROOTS Garden is part of a longer-term capital project that we have launched to bring new “life” – and new services – to our members over the next few years. In addition to the Garden, the plan includes a new cinder block building project that will include an indoor therapy pool. Fundraising for these projects – which will add not only beauty but tremendous value to the community – has begun … so watch for our growing “seed” icon on our website and other LifeROOTS materials – and see how it progresses from a seed to a full-fledged tree through the generous donations of those within our community.

For more information about the LifeROOTS Garden -- and ways to get involved – visit our website at www.liferootsnm.org or call 505.255.5501.

SPOTLIGHT ON…Don Chalmers; Owner, Don Chalmers Ford

Chances are you’ve spotted one of the vans bearing our LifeROOTS message out on the roads. The vans have tremendously helped us expand the reach of our message, and mission, to so many people who have now become aware of what we offer – and we owe it all to the help and generosity of Don Chalmers, owner of Don Chalmers Ford, who has so generously provided LifeROOTS with the opportunity to get our messages out through his vehicles!

Don is known throughout the region for his philanthropic work and his commitment to many local causes. In addition, he is active in numerous boards including Vice President of UNM Board of Regents and Vice Chair of UNM Health Sciences Board of Directors, and a board member of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, Sandia Foundation, Lobo Development Corporation, WESST, Fellowship of Christian Athletes National Board, National Dance Institute and the Rio Rancho Community Foundation.

Don received a Hero of the Planet award from Ford Motor Company for his social and community service, and has been frequently recognized for his generosity, receiving the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Leader in Philanthropy award, the Outstanding Community Champion by United Way of Central New Mexico, NM Spirit of Achievement by the National Jewish Hospital Foundation, Outstanding Philanthropist by United Way of Santa Fe, and named a Corporate Hero in the New Mexico Business Weekly.

Don has been a true supporter of our cause and our work for years – and is well known to so many people for his personal vision of philanthropy. He believes strongly in giving back to his communities by supporting education, healthcare, economic development and community service – and we remain grateful for the important role he has played at LifeROOTs in helping us to enhance the reach of our messages through the fleet of his vans now traveling throughout the Albuquerque region.

Client Spotlight: Sharon Blankenship

For the past 12 years, Sharon Blankenship has been a client here at LifeROOTS and a familiar face in our Day Hab program. Those who have come to know Sharon through the years have been thrilled to notice a major turnaround in her life over the past two years – as Sharon has made some incredible strides. In fact, according to her mother Helen, over the past two years she’s excitedly watched her daughter grow and thrive, noting “She’s a whole new person – it’s like she’s alive again!”

With the help, patience and dedication of the LifeROOTS staff, Sharon’s transformation has been nothing short of remarkable. Where she previously was an “outlier” – working one-on-one with a single staff member 5 days a week and not showing any interest in anything other than her usual routine (and rarely even looking up to acknowledge another peer or staff member who she wasn’t familiar with), over the past two years she has undergone a dramatic change. Now, the young woman who was once seemed to have walls that surrounded her is integrating with her peers during group projects, cooking classes and holiday parties – and, where she used to always ride alone in a van with her one-on-one staff member, she has now integrated with her peers while riding in a vehicle. No longer scared in new settings and environments or expressing aggression at anyone who came into her space, Sharon is now attending numerous outings with her fellow peers and has made it a point to integrate and become social inside of the community. In fact, in addition to attending a number of out-of-town outings and becoming a regular customer at JB’s diner, she recently also attended her first baseball game – enjoying every moment of this momentous occasion to the fullest!

What amazes people the most – especially those who have not seen her in a few years – is Sharon’s overall personality now, and the range of emotions and affection that she displays. The young woman who once rarely communicated and showed no emotions is now communicating her likes and dislikes on a daily basis – making recent holidays and special events even more special for her parents by working with LifeROOTS staff to select and create her own cards and presents for her parents. Sharon’s incredible progress over the past few years has not only made birthdays and holidays for her family all the more special, but has made every day seem like a true gift for all those who know her.

According to Sharon’s parents, the past two years have been two of the best years of Sharon’s life. At LifeROOTS, we couldn’t agree more – and we join with her parents in not only being thrilled for all that Sharon has accomplished over the past few years, but excited for all that the future holds for this special young woman.

Conversations with the Mayor

Kathleen Cates appeared on Mayor Swisstack’s TV show in March. If you missed the airing, you can catch it HERE.

Life – And LifeROOTS – “On The Road”

Over the past few months, thousands of people each day have learned about LifeROOTS – simply by driving to and from their job, home or other errands throughout the region. Through a unique campaign – and the generosity and philanthropic donation of Don Chalmers and Don Chalmers Ford, vans and buses bearing the LifeROOTS logo and messaging have been making their way around town – and beyond. These vans and buses have helped to reach many people who might not have known about LifeROOTS and our free services – and who have subsequently reached out to us to find out more about how we may be able to help a family member or friend with a disability.

In addition to proving to be an effective way to “drive” home the message about the LifeROOTS mission and our free services for those with disabilities, the LifeROOTS vans are also proving to be an effective way for local companies to get their name out in front of people, as well. LifeROOTS has given businesses throughout the area the chance to have their company name placed on a van within the fleet of LifeROOTS vans for six months – travelling all over Albuquerque and Kirtland AFB and seen by countless people. To date, a number of companies have “climbed on board” – helping to cost-effectively gain visibility for their business.

There’s still a chance for other local businesses to get involved – limited space is available for interested company sponsors. Contact LifeROOTS at 505.255.5501 for more information about pricing and availability … and keep your eye on the road for even more sightings of the LifeROOTS vans in the months to come!

LifeROOTS Receives National Recognition From NISH - Award Presented to LifeROOTS at National NISH Conference in Indianapolis

We are excited to announce that NISH, the national nonprofit agency whose mission is to create employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities, has honored LifeROOTS with its “2011 AbilityOne/NISH Performance Excellence in Using the AbilityOne Program to Further Its Mission” Award. This prestigious honor and national recognition highlights our commitment to helping people with disabilities through the AbilityOne Program – which is the largest single source of employment for people who are blind or have other significant disabilities in the United States. The award will be presented to us in May at the upcoming AbilityOne/NISH National Training and Achievement Conference being held in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Check our next newsletter for award ceremony photos and other news from the NISH Conference (including a link to a special documentary about LifeROOTS produced by NISH and shown at the award ceremony.) Again, we’re thrilled to be receiving this major award from NISH – and even more thrilled to be continuing to work towards our mission of “empowering the lives” and “shaping the futures” of those with disabilities in our community.

Board Member Spotlight: Linda Geiszler

Linda Geiszler has been an instrumental member of our Board since 2004. As past Board Chair and a current member of the Personnel Committee, she brings a great deal of expertise and insight to the LifeROOTS Board of Directors, and continues to make a tremendous difference in helping us to reach our goals of providing outstanding programs and services to those with disabilities.

An established leader in the local business community, Ms. Geiszler is the Human Resources Director at QinetiQ North America. She formerly held the position of Manager, Staffing & Organization Development at Lockheed Martin KAPL, and was the Human Resource Manager at GE Power Systems. Ms. Geiszler, who received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wittenberg University, is a true leader in the community and in her profession – and we remain honored to have her on our Board.

Kirtland Air Force Base Cuts Jobs For Disabled Workers

As most of you know, LifeROOTS has had a long-standing federal contract with Kirtland Air Force Base – and for the past 15 years has provided the base with telephone switchboard operators and custodial workers. In fact, as many read in the Albuquerque Journal back in June, the Kirtland contract has been instrumental in helping so many people with disabilities work in meaningful jobs – including Gloria Silva, who was profiled in the piece as a great example of how someone faced with a new disability was able to not only succeed, but thrive, in the workplace ... as she rose through the ranks at Kirtland’s switchboard operations unit.

Unfortunately, as of April 1st, Gloria and seven other individuals with disabilities in Kirtland’s switchboard operations department no longer have jobs -- as LifeROOTS’ contract for switchboard operations (which provided numerous jobs for those with disabilities and offered “live voices” on the line for our troops calling home) has instead been replaced with an automatic system. The loss of this switchboard operations contract has impacted -- and will continue to impact -- so many people with disabilities who have suddenly found themselves without the jobs they loved. And there’s more bad news on the horizon for those with disabilities – as of May 1st, seven out of the 29 custodial workers at Kirtland are also slated to lose their jobs.

Although funding cuts have become common throughout New Mexico and the entire country, what many advocates for the disabled are concerned about is that recent budget cuts all too often are affecting the most vulnerable – those with disabilities. The KAFB situation is an example of how governments are being forced to balance their budgets ... and are often using programs and services for disabled citizens to do so. However, the truth of the matter is that in this case, these cuts may or may not help the base’s budget ... and, further, all of the employees will be filing for unemployment, social security, social security disability and other government programs when their jobs are eliminated -- costing the overall government more than their employment cost the government.

Losing a job is never easy – especially in today’s economy. But for people with disabilities who are not able to find other jobs within the community, the loss of a job is even more of a life-changing event that can, unfortunately, have a significant negative impact on their lives. Let’s work together to see how we can stop this trend towards cutting budgets – and cutting jobs – when it comes to services and programs for the disabled. It’s the right thing to do – for so many reasons … and for the many people with disabilities who have thrived, and who can continue to thrive, in the workplace – and beyond.

For more information about how to get involved with giving people with disabilities a job, or to see how you can help, email Kathleen Cates at kathleenc@liferootsnm.org.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

LifeROOTS Wins National Award for “Extraordinary Success” In Helping Those with Disabilities in the Workplace

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

LifeROOTS Spring Newsletter 2012