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Promote, Strengthen & Support
Individuals with Disabilities & Their Families
JULY E-News Issue 2
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SUMMER IS HERE - YAY!
a
nd that means children are anxious to be active, outside, and playing!
Our Zach's Place program is keeping very busy with the return of school-aged children on summer break! We've been taking advantage of the beautiful weather and spending time at the park, taking trips to Garden of the Gods, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and catching a Sky Sox baseball game! On stormy days, we head to the library, YMCA, Harmony Bowl or Chapel Hills Mall.
Whether you plan to spend the summer in the community or take a family vacation we hope this list of summer activity ideas and tips will help you and your kids stay busy:
For more information about Zach's Place respite/childcare program for children with disabilities ages 2.5-21 visit us online at:
www.SKSFcolorado.org.
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ADULT SERVICES: JOEY'S PLACE
At our adult center based program - Joey's Place's - program participants spend time doing activities that are sensory stimulating, challenging and fun. We frequently use gaming consoles to engage in physical and interactive games, but our TV was on the brink and in need for a NEW one! A request for donation was sent out and thanks to
Kathleen Winder, she
generously stepped up to the plate and delivered!
Kathleen brought in a new TV for the program and now we all are able to enjoy this donation for many years to come!
Thanks for your generous donation Kathleen! YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE!
ADULT SERVICES: ICAN
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Adult Mentor, Mercedes Reeves at butterfly pavilion
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ICAN Program Participant. Cindy Phelps enjoying the great weather
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ICAN Program Participant, Ivan Garcia & Brian Dickson showing butterflies
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In our ICAN program, Adult Participants along with their Mentors head out into the community to volunteer their time by assisting with various work and projects. This month, the ICAN Volunteer group visited the Calhan County Fair. They had a great time, enjoyed the beautiful weather and visited the the butterfly pavilion. Thanks to Janet Carson (affiliated with Walmart) for donating the tickets to the fair.
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Nicole Baker during Hop-A-Thon event
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"This was pretty darn cute," said Theresa Jordan, SKSF Volunteer Coordinator who took photos of a fundraiser event put together by Nicole Baker. Nicole is from
Primrose School at Cottonwood Park and they chose SKSF to be the recipient of their annual fundraiser Hop-A-Thon! Thank you so much for donating the proceeds of this event to help support our programming!
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DOVE OF THE DESERT
Thanks to Greg Ramsey, Music Director, and the singing volunteer group of Dove of the Desert Church from Glendale, AZ. This group also volunteered last year and once again delighted our SKSF staff and adult program participants with a free POP music concert! This music ministry consists of Jr. High and High School youth who travel to various organizations sharing their musical talents with others.
It was such an honor to have them visit our program once again! Thank you!
SUNNYSIDE CHURCH
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Sunnyside volunteers at Adult Program Joey's Place
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Sunnyside volunteers at Administration Offices
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For several years now, Sunnyside Christian Church volunteers visit our various programs to help out! A group came to our Adult Services facility and helped with sanitizing various rooms, cleaning buses and the kitchen plus refrigerator. They worked hard moving all the furniture and shampooed the carpets in Joey's Place! Another group came to our Admin offices and stained the fence, painted the front porch, cleaned the yard & picked weeds, dusted the blinds and other furniture in the admin office. A great group of kids headed by Youth Pastor CJ Wheeler and his family and a group of great high school students. WOW - what an accomplishment and a HUGE help.
Thanks so much for your hard work and efforts!
1ST PRES VOLUNTEER YOUTH GROUP
Pastor Allen Hunter with 1st Pres Youth Volunteers
Volunteer youth from
First Presbyterian Church
Colorado Springs and Pastor Allen Hunter spent their time doing activities with our program participants like art projects, played games and had a dance party PLUS they worked hard weeding the vegetable garden and cleaned up around the facility! They were an awesome group of people! Thank you for your hard work and dedication!
You truly made a difference in the lives of the individuals we serve!
If you are interested in volunteering with SKSF, contact Theresa at [email protected] or call us at 719-447-8983.
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QMAP TRAINING NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH SKSF
SKSF
is a Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) Approved Training Entity and offers courses monthly for Support Staff and Host Home Providers caring for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Check out our website for upcoming dates. The
2 day course ($100) will be held on the 3rd Friday (8am-2:30pm) & Saturday (8am-1:00pm) of every month.
KOSCOVE KIDS LAUNCHING SOON!
Theresa Jordan, SKSF Volunteer Coordinator and her daughter Cody will have the Koscove Kids on display Saturday, August 5th during the Kids First Safety Day from 10am-3pm at the Chapel Hills Mall.
We've gathered a volunteer
group that will be starting to practice scripts (Mary Matheys, Cody Lamkin, Shkak Yousuf and Theresa Jordan) and intend to launch the puppet program awareness shows this Fall!
INTERESTED ON BEING ON THE COMMITTEE?
We are still searching for puppet committee volunteers. Volunteers will be
participating in presenting disability awareness education puppet shows to children in preschools, kindergarten and grades 1-4, daycare centers, youth groups, and other community opportunities. May occasionally participate in evening or weekend programs for community or fundraising events. Contact Theresa Jordan for additional information & for future rehearsal dates: [email protected]. Visit us online to learn more about the Koscove Kids: http://sksfcolorado.org/programs/children-family-services/koscove-kids-puppets/
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THANK YOU Academy Bank for generously sponsoring our Night of Comedy fundraising event at the PLATINUM level! Your donation will help make this a successful event to help raise funds for our Zach's Place program for children with disabilities and special needs!
ABOUT ACADEMY BANK: Academy Bank is a full-service commercial bank with over $900 million in assets and over 80 branch locations in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri and Florida. Academy Bank provides a wide range of financial solutions for businesses and individuals, including commercial and small business lending, treasury management and mortgage services. Academy Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dickinson Financial Corporation, a $2 billion bank holding company headquartered in Kansas City, MO. Check them out here: https://www.academybank.com/personal/.
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CAN YOU HELP US SPREAD THE WORD?
& post at your place of business or pass to a friend or co-worker!
With your help, we can spread the word about this event and raise funds to help support our many programs for individuals with disabilities and special needs.
WED., AUGUST 16th
5-8pm
Dino Donor Charity Pint Night at
FOSSIL BREWING COMPANY
2845 Ore Mill Road #1
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Thanks for your help!
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We'd like to acknowledge the following sponsors for their support
NuStar Energy |
Academy Bank |
RPS Healthcare |
Warren Management
Moody Insurance | Community Health Partnership (CHP)
Colorado Automotive Restoration Services
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NEW BOARD PRESIDENT
We welcome new Board President, Kathy Ciano-McGee, RN, BSN.
Kathy founded a home health agency in 2000 for her own disabled child and other disabled children. In 2002, Kathy was given a provider number by the State of Colorado to administer the Children's-Home and Community Based Children's Medicaid Waiver C-HCBS Medicaid Waiver. She feels that she has found her calling which has given her purpose for her daughter and other children with disabilities. In 2008, Memorial Hospital via Health Care Policy and Finance (HCPF) contracted exclusively with Kathy Ciano-McGee to provide case management to ALL children with special needs in El Paso County Colorado via Healthy Communities (EPSDT). Kathy left the home health agency and started A Rise Above (ARA). It is Kathy's passion to assist ALL children ages 0-to their 21 on Medicaid with special needs. In 2014, Governor Hikenlooper appointed Kathy to the Colorado Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities.
WELCOME Kathy - we are glad to have you on board!
NEW STAFF MEMBERS
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Tonikka White
Adult Mentor
Joey's Place Program
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Sunshine Hummingbird
Adult Mentor
Joey's Place Program
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Kristin Martin
Adult Mentor
Joey's Place Program
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Kayla Helm
Adult Mentor
ICAN Program
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Billijo Irwin
Adult Mentor
Joey's Place Program
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Instead of selling, trading or storing your vehicle, you can make a donation and receive a tax deduction!
When you donate your vehicle through Vehicles for Charity, Special Kids Special Families benefits by receiving a cash donation to fund new and existing programs and increase community awareness through local events.
YOU benefit by being able to reduce your taxable income when taxes are itemized. Plus you avoid the costs associated with selling your car. No need to pay for advertising, no loss of privacy and possible security risk, and no need to pay for vehicle registration, insurance, and repairs to keep your car in running condition while you wait for a buyer.
It's simple, easy, and Vehicles for Charity makes all of the arrangements!
- Vehicles for Charity accept cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, recreational vehicles, campers and more!
- Free Pickup. Vehicles for Charity will come to your house or office.
- Get an Income Tax Deduction. Vehicles for Charity provide the donation documentation that you need for your records.
Would you consider a donation to SKSF?
Your donation will help support low income families caring for a loved one with a disability
with valuable respite care.
(you don't need a Paypal account to donate)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION!
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