June 2022 Newsletter
Leadership Message
Greetings supporters,

I think it’s safe to say that everyone here at ACHIEVE is enjoying the warmer temperatures that signal summer is just around the corner, with all kinds of outdoor activities and get-togethers filling our days!

The warmer weather has certainly been welcomed at ACHIEVE, with everyone across the agency taking advantage and participating in all kinds of activities across our community. The days are certainly busy, and you can see just a snapshot of what we’ve been up to in this month’s newsletter.

Excitement is building for our 67th annual Dinner Dance and Awards Banquet, quickly approaching on June 10th at The McKinley in Endicott! After three years apart, this incredibly special evening is a welcome return and reminder of all the amazing things that happen across our agency every year as we recognize the achievements and accomplishments of program participants, staff members and community supporters. I know I speak for many when I say that I look forward to being together and catching up with everyone who is attending next Friday!

Again, I’d like to remind our supporters that our 2021 Membership Campaign is in progress and will run through August. For $1, you and your family can become a Member of ACHIEVE and demonstrate your support for our organization and the individuals we serve. I personally ask you to consider becoming a Member and recruiting others to join as well.

Once again, on behalf of myself and all of us at ACHIEVE, thank you for your continued support and have a safe and wonderful June!
Amy Howard
Chief Executive Officer
ACHIEVE's 67th Annual Dinner Dance
Congratulations, Ellen!
Congratulations to former Board of Director's President, longtime Board Member and incredible friend and advocate for ACHIEVE, Ellen Feldman, on her selection as the 2022 Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce Civic Leader of the Year!

A truly deserving award for your dedication and support of ACHIEVE and other nonprofits across our community, and we're #ACHIEVEProud to have been able to join you in celebrating this recognition!
#WhyIACHIEVE
#WhyIACHIEVE is proud to feature our Director of Performance Improvement and Corporate Compliance, Julye Bush, a 34 year veteran with the agency!

Julye started as a Direct Support Professional, and she appreciates the opportunities for growth afforded by the organization since she started, including fostering her sense of purpose and meaning.

Julye's life goal has always been to enrich the lives of others and make a difference everyday in some way. Simply put, she loves the people who are supported by ACHIEVE!
#WhyIACHIEVEis excited to highlight Celeste Barbera, Recreation Respite Team Lead!

In her four years at ACHIEVE, Celeste has enjoyed the chance to provide meaningful experiences and a wide range of opportunities to those she supports through creative recreational programming.

Working in this field has always made Celeste feel like she's making a difference in the lives of others, and she's having a great time continuing to do so here at ACHIEVE!
Congratulations!
Rayshawn Daly - Day Habilitation Specialist
Norwich Job Fair
ACHIEVE was proud to partner with the Norwich Family YMCA in Chenango County to host a mini job fair.

A huge thank you goes out to the YMCA for letting us host this event at their facility, and all the businesses who joined us to make the fair happen!
Owego Free Academy Career Center Ribbon Cutting
We're #ACHIEVEProud to be partnering with Owego Free Academy alongside other local businesses in the creation and development of their new Career Center for students!

This is an innovative opportunity for high school students interested in pursuing human services to learn more about discovering the rewards of a career in direct support, and we look forward to building on our relationship with the school moving forward!
Juliana's Story
Juliana started her first job as a laborer on the assembly line at the sheltered workshop in Binghamton. After a couple of years, Juliana decided to seek employment in the customer service arena. With the help of an ACHIEVE Job Coach, Juliana’s next job was with Ponderosa Steakhouse in Vestal. She worked at Ponderosa for 10 years with continued support and services from her Job Coach.

As the years passed, Juliana pondered the importance of a job that offers a stable income, as well as good benefits. So with assistance from her Job Coach, on January 29, 1996, Juliana found employment with SODEXO Food Services at Binghamton University. During Juliana’s first 10 years in this position, she was honored as Employee of the Month and was nominated and selected by ACHIEVE for the Supported Employment Participant of the Year Award.

In 2012, Einstein’s Café opened on the Binghamton University campus. Juliana applied, was hired, and is still employed with Einstein Café today. She says that accepting her first job with Binghamton University was a life-changing career move for her, and she is happy she had the support to help her apply. Juliana’s responsibilities include stocking, cleaning, and sanitizing her work area, creating custom drinks, assisting with new hire training, and advising new hires about the expectations of the job.

Juliana’s favorite part of her job is serving the students, faculty, and families. She enjoys the environment and says that her supervisors support and praise her often on her work ethic. She has been observed displaying great leadership qualities and being a positive role model.

Juliana just celebrated 26 years of service at Binghamton University and was honored with a special nametag. Juliana states that she cannot see herself working anywhere else, finds this position to be a good fit for her, and views her coworkers and supervisors as her second family.

Juliana contributes her successes in her career to having a supportive family and great Job Coaches from ACHIEVE.
Working Hard
Kevin has been working hard at Agway, stocking shelves, cleaning, and doing anything he can to stay busy! He has been working hard with the Employment Training Program at ACHIEVE, and, as you can see, it's been paying off!

Keep up the great work, Kevin!
Thank you for providing meaningful employment,
Binghamton University and Agway!

Looking to hire your next Juliana or Kevin? Contact Laura Thompson,
ACHIEVE Vice President of Programs at lthompson@achieveny.org!
Big Rig Day!
Carter loves big rigs and heavy machinery, so what did our Recreation Respite team do? Of course they headed up to Syracuse for Big Rig Day!

Carter got to hop in some of the heavy machinery and test it out for himself!
Horse Show!
Let's check in with the Carlton Street IRA, who recently went to a horse showcase!

Carlton Street IRA went to the very exciting horse show and saw various different breeds of horses, from miniature ponies to HUGE Shire Horses!

Keep the adventures happening, Carlton Street!

Making Memories
Who doesn't enjoy a little color in their lives? River Road sure does and participated in Pathfinder Village's annual Splash Path 5k to add some color to their day!

Everyone had a great time supporting the community as well as getting some sun and enjoying the very scenic walk!
Uncorked Creations
The Recreation Respite team made a really heartfelt Mother's Day present for their mothers! Everyone popped over to Uncorked Creations to make their very own Mother's Day coffee cups and other crafts for their loved ones!

They came out great and will definitely be a nice present for Mom!
Memorial Day BBQ


Riverside Drive IRA enjoyed the nice weather on Memorial Day and helped celebrate with their very own Memorial Day BBQ!

Since the weather was all sunshine, the Riverside Team decided to spend their day outside grilling and having a blast!

The food looks delicious! Great work, team!
Play Ball!
The great weather always brings out our baseball fans! The Rumble Ponies and the BU Bearcats baseball programs definitely have some fans from ACHIEVE's Recreation Respite program to always cheer them on!
Staying Active with the nice weather!
Laura, Heather, and Jarrad represented ACHIEVE in the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce's Bridge Run and 5K. What a great way to spend your day, participating in a great event while enjoying the weather and exercise, but also supporting your community and the wonderful people who live in it!
The Special Olympics are Here!
The month of May always consists of many individuals heading to the Broome-Tioga BOCES Special Olympics to compete in various competitions!

ACHIEVE was joined by many surrounding chapters and other agencies for some friendly competition! Courtly Circle showed up, had a blast and dominated, bringing home several medals.

Congratulations to everyone involved!
Happy Birthday, Alan!

Alan celebrated his 72nd birthday!

There were smiles and laughter all through the day, leading up to bellies full of cheeseburgers from Red Robin!

Happy birthday, Alan!
Happy Birthday, Susan!
Susan, a dedicated, hardworking, compassionate employee, celebrated her birthday and got a nice welcome gift that morning!

Thank you to everyone who made her birthday special!
Nurses Week 2022
Each year, May 6th marks the start of National Nurses Week! ACHIEVE just wants to give a huge THANK YOU to our amazing Nursing Team! Thank you for all your commitment, dedication, service, and compassion!

You are truly appreciated and valued!
Happy National Nurses Week to all of our nurses and once again, thank you for your service!
Become a Member of ACHIEVE for just $1!
  • Our members give us a voice.
  • The more members we have, the bigger our voice.
  • By becoming a member, you show that you support ACHIEVE and our Mission.
  • There are no emails, no mailings - just proof of your support.
If you contributed to our 2022 Annual Appeal, as a thank you,
your Membership has already been renewed, but please consider signing up your friends and family; the more members we have, the stronger our voice!
Your Legacy, Our Future
Planned Gifts to ACHIEVE

The ACHIEVE Foundation seeks to support ACHIEVE’s Mission to improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The growth of the Foundation is determined by planned gifts from our community and family members. These gifts are the cornerstone of our Foundation and allow us to continue to offer a wide range of programs and services.

Every year, more donors are discovering the benefits of supporting ACHIEVE through their estate plans. These planned gifts are the cornerstones to the ACHIEVE Foundation and support the programs and services of our organization.

Charitable Bequest through Last Will or other Estate Plan
Individual Retirement Account
Stock and Securities
Real Estate

To learn more about Planned Giving, or to make a donation, please contact Preston Evans, Vice President Development and Donor Relations, at (607) 352-3280 or pevans@achieveny.org
Thank you to our 2022 Platinum Partners!