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IN THIS ISSUE

► Ramp donation to serve community
► PPE boxed and ready to go!
► Independence, Inc. 2020 Annual Report
► Peer Groups: Beauty in Art Therapy
► Independence, Inc. service highlights
► Event: Sitting Pretty with Rebekah Taussig
Donation of Portable Ramp Increases Capacity to Help Meet Short-Term Accessibility Needs
When community member Ann Hossler learned of the Independence, Inc. Accessible Housing Program (AHP) and our need for continued funding, she put her thinking cap on, paired that with her desire to serve the Lawrence community, and came up with a plan to apply for a grant available through faith-based Thrivent Financial, of which Hossler is a member, and use it to assist in some way with the Accessible Housing Program.
"I originally thought we would use the grant to purchase construction materials such as grab bars", said Hossler, pictured above, far left, with her 10-year-old daughter Elise. However, the more we talked through how to best use the funds, the idea of purchasing portable ramps began to take shape. "I am grateful for our back and forth email correspondence that allowed us to use the grant in such a great way" she said. "You (Amy Ballinger, Independence, Inc. Community Engagement Manager, pictured up above, far right) came up with the idea of portable ramps that could be used in an emergency situation and also be used multiple times".
Hossler followed through with her grant application and we worked together to order a portable ramp that can be used for accessible entry to a location with a couple of steps, or at the back or side of a van to load a wheelchair, as well as a small threshold ramp that creates a smooth transition in an entry with a protruding threshold. We are grateful to Ann and her daughter for serving us in this way! Thrivent is a faith-based investment company that supports its member's philanthropic and volunteering efforts by providing yearly Action Grants.
Boxed Care Packages Full of PPE Ready for Consumers and Caretakers
When Independence, Inc. staff gather for teamwork, great things happen!
Many hands made light work while assembling boxed care packages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to deliver to our consumers and their Personal Care Attendants.
We hope this PPE will serve them well in safety and protection during the ongoing pandemic.
Independence, Inc. Annual Report: Impact 2020 Now Available to View
2020 - a year unlike any that most of us have ever seen before. Through great loss, unprecedented uncertainty and ongoing trial, a myriad of triumphs happening at community levels, stand out as beacons of hope, encouragement and healing - some at large scale and others at small scale. But all with impact.
Impact 2020, the Independence, Inc. 2020 Annual Report, has been created to reflect both our everyday continuation of service delivery and the unprecedented adjustments and innovations that pushed our work from the ordinary to the extraordinary.
Enjoy it interactive flipbook style, download the PDF, or contact us to request a copy: Amy Ballinger, Community Engagement Manager,
785-840-0333 ext. 119 aballinger@independenceinc.org
Independence, Inc. Peer Groups: Connecting through Art Therapy
“Art is the meeting ground of the world inside and the world outside.” -Elinor Ulman
Peer Groups at Independence, Inc. are a great way to safely connect with others to create, chat, share, socialize and build relationships. And what a better way to do this than through Art Therapy!
Art therapy is an integrative activity that can enrich the lives of individuals through active art-making and the creative process. Facilitated by a professional art therapist, it can foster self-esteem, cultivate emotional resilience, reduce stress and and enhance social skills.
Don't think you're creative? Think again! Everyone has a creative side - come join us and tap into yours!
"Art Therapy can enrich the lives of individuals through active art-making and the creative process. It can foster self-esteem, cultivate emotional resilience, reduce stress and and enhance social skills."
-American Art Therapy Association
Above: consumers show off their beautiful works of art during an April 2021 Art Therapy Group, hosted by Independence, Inc. Independent Living Specialist, Rachel Vogelmeier (left) and facilitated by Art Therapist, Kristen Anderson
Our Peer Groups are open to anyone! Interested in finding out more about them?
Independence, Inc. Service Highlights: Making a Difference
  • assisted a consumer in maintaining Kansas Food Assistance Eligibility
  • consumers transitioned into long-term Section 8 Voucher Program from Transitional Housing Program
  • assistance provided to adjust subsidized rent
  • assisted a consumer with reasonable accommodation requests for accessible parking and automatic door openers at apartment complex
  • assisted with nursing home to community -based living transitions
  • Independence, Inc. Transportation Department gave a total of 565 rides in March alone. This number is up over 24% from the previous month!
  • Our Transportation Department continue to adapt to COVID-19 by transporting consumers to receive COVID testing and vaccinations, delivering Personal Protection Equipment to our consumers and more!
Our Independent Living Counselors in our Working Healthy/W.O.R.K. program have had a busy spring!
  • assistance with technology and acquiring an iPad for telehealth, email and socializing during isolation
  • making personal connections with WORK participants to assess needs, deliver PPE and monitor services
  • assistance with the aging-out process of the WORK Healthy Program
  • onboarding of new participants
Event: Sitting Pretty with Rebekah Taussig and Hannah Soyer, April 21
Independence, Inc. is excited to co-host "Sitting Pretty: A Conversation with Rebekah Taussig and Hannah Soyer" as part of the Paper Plains Literary Festival. All are welcome to this virtual event! Join online as we delve into great conversation with author and teacher, Rebekah Taussig and creative writer, Hannah Soyer on their most recent works and "the rhythms and textures of what it means to live in a body that doesn’t fit". To find out more information and to get the zoom link for this event, visit our website or the Lawrence Public Library Event Page
Independence, Inc. [www.independenceinc.org]