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Greetings Supporters,
Where did July go? I hope that you and your family are enjoying your summer and all the opportunities to be outside enjoying the best of what our community has to offer. As you’ll see in this month’s newsletter, we’ve been very busy taking advantage of the sunshine and warmer weather.
Earlier in July, we kicked off our six-week Children’s Summer Program, our oldest service, and the foundation for our agency, having started in 1952. I’m glad to share that we were able to partner with Binghamton City School District again this year to bring the program back to Calvin Coolidge Elementary School for 80 students between the ages of 5 and 21, giving them the opportunity to continue to build skills and prevent the loss of scholastic knowledge that all students, regardless of ability, experience during the summer months.
While it feels like this year’s Dinner Dance took place yesterday, we’re now only a few weeks away from our 13th annual Savor the Summer, generously presented again this year by M&T Bank, on Thursday, August 31st from 6:00 – 9:00PM. If you’ve never attended, I hope you’ll consider joining us this year for our largest fundraiser as we sample some of the region’s best wineries, breweries and restaurants, all while overlooking beautiful Cutler Pond in the remaining days of summer. This terrific evening also features entertainment provided by the band Friday at Freddie’s, an impressive silent auction, with another surprise or two in the works. I hope to see you there! Tickets and more information can be found here and in this month’s newsletter.
Lastly, I’m happy to share that we are about midway through construction on our New Beginnings in Norwich renovation project, bringing a state-of-the-art day and community-based services facility into the heart of downtown Norwich. This site promises to be a life-changing opportunity for over 100 individuals supported in Chenango County by offering greater experiences for them to participate, integrate and be included as members of the community. Pictures of the project’s progress can be found in this month’s newsletter, and you can still be a part of its legacy by donating here.
As August gets underway, I wanted to take a moment and once again thank you for your continued support of ACHIEVE. I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter and have a great month.
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Amy Howard
Chief Executive Officer
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We are all very excited for this year's 13th annual Savor the Summer! This year's event will be held on Thursday, August 31st, and will once again be proudly presented by M&T Bank.
Like every year, the evening is sure to be a very special gathering of friends and supporters, overlooking the beautiful vista of Cutler Pond while sampling great food and beverages, enjoying live entertainment, an impressive silent auction, and capping off the night with a breathtaking fireworks display!
Tickets are limited! Get yours today!
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ACHIEVE's Summer Program is the agency’s longest running program, hosting students for nearly seven decades. The goal of Summer Program is to ensure students ages 5 to 21 with IDD and other disabilities avoid the “summer slide” by maintaining the skills and knowledge they gained throughout their school year in a fun and creative way.
We're so glad to be able to offer this program to 80 students again at Calvin Coolidge Elementary, and be a part of their learning journey!
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Thank You, Governor Hochul | |
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Amy Howard, ACHIEVE’s Chief Executive Officer, joined her colleagues from The Arc New York and other leaders from provider agencies within the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities system for a special visit to the Governor’s Mansion in Albany to join Governor Kathy Hochul in recognizing the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act!
Signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, this landmark legislation prohibits discrimination based on someone’s disabilities across a number of areas including employment, transportation, communications and access to government services, ensuring equal opportunity for all, regardless of ability.
Thank you, Governor Hochul, for helping to recognize the importance of this invaluable law and the impact it’s made on those within the IDD community!
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Staff Appreciation Picnic | | |
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We love our incredible staff!
Thank you to everyone who attended the Staff Appreciation Picnic in July! We'd also like to send a huge thank you to The Smoke Out BBQ for the delicious barbecue lunches, and The Scoop out of Whitney Point for bringing their ice cream truck to keep everyone cool with a fresh treat!
Of course, none of this would be possible without our awesome Staff Appreciation Committee, whose hard work made the afternoon come together, and our amazing staff for, well, being AMAZING!
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In this edition of #WhyIACHIEVE, we are excited to highlight Brittany Crane, a Community Habilitation Provider who has been working for the organization for more than 4 years!
Brittany enjoys working at ACHIEVE because of the individuals she has the privilege of working with, and all the amazing staff that have assisted her throughout her time here. She says that her job is important to her because it allows many of the individuals to live on their own in the community, where she can assist them with their medical appointments, advocate as needed, and assist with upkeep of their apartments. “It is very rewarding to see the strides the individuals are making! Some of our favorite activities are volunteering at Meals on Wheels four days a week, bowling, and, when in season, going to the Black Bear Hockey Games!"
Brittany, thank you for everything you do for the individuals and ACHIEVE! You are truly valued!
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ACHIEVE Partners with Jablon Studios to Create Beautiful Mosaics | |
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For the last couple months, individuals in On the Pond ~ At Cutler have been working with Jablon Studios, learning about mosaic tile making and creating something extra special to be displayed at Cutler Pond day habilitation. In July, we were very excited to unveil the final results in a special presentation, and they came out beautifully!
Thank you to Emily Jablon for teaching everyone all the techniques that go into making a mosaic, and everyone in the On the Pond program for all your hard work and creativity that added a stunning splash of color to day habilitation!
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ACHIEVE Goes to the Big Apple | |
On a beautiful Saturday morning, ACHIEVE was up early and ready to travel to Yankee Stadium to enjoy America's past time on the biggest stage! Everyone had such a phenomenal time cheering on their favorite players while enjoying the hot dogs and Cracker Jacks! | |
Summer means baseball, and our Community Habilitation teams took in a couple games with our local Rumble Ponies, which is always sure to be a great time! | |
A Trip to the Northeastern Car Museum | |
The folks in On the Pond ~ At Cutler visited the Northeastern Car Museum in Norwich recently, and were all smiles as they enjoyed checking out hundreds of classic and one-of-a-kind cars! | |
It's always a great time when our Recreation Respite team visits KW Fitness to pump some iron! Everyone was able to burn some calories and use their energy in a nice group workout session, and we're so grateful for the partnership we have with the trainers! | |
Cutler Pond Has Some Special Guests! | |
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We always have a great time when the Broome County Sheriff's Office pop by Cutler Pond for a visit!
Thank you to their Community Engagement Officers for stopping by and making everyone's day by chatting with individuals in the On the Pond program and showing them their cruisers!
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Sterry Goes to Rogers Conservation Center | |
Rogers Conservation Center is always a nice place to visit, especially with the weather cooperating. Everyone at Sterry Drive decided to take advantage of the sunshine and headed to Rogers for a scenic walk through the trails, stopping afterwards to enjoy some ice cream as a tasty treat! | |
The sweet tooth continues! Over at Chenango's Supportive Apartments, ice cream was on everyone's mind, so they made sundae's with all of the fixings! | |
Core Room 1 Visits the Park! | | |
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Core Room 1 at Cutler Pond day habilitation took advantage of the nice weather and went to the park, where they enjoyed a nice walk and played some basketball, all before enjoying a nice picnic with great company! After lunch, everyone took some time to relax and enjoy the breeze in the shade. | |
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A couple of individuals at the Broad Street residence in Endicott as well as those at Country Club Lane in Norwich have been busy, writing letters to each other with staff assistance.
They're very eager to get their return letters from their friends from afar!
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Summer Kick-Off with Community Habilitation | | |
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The Chenango Community Habilitation crew were all over the place in July, traveling to Ithaca to visit the falls, going to baseball games, checking out the Discovery Center, and going to the Baseball Hall of Fame! | |
Checking In with River Road | |
River Road IRA have been taking their talents to the garden this summer, with each individual making their own succulent planter box to grow outside. As you can tell, they definitely have a green thumb for projects like these! | |
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Whenever the fair is town, it is always a good time for everyone at ACHIEVE!
Individuals at Cutler Pond day habilitation took a break from their regular programming and popped over to the fair, where they rode the swings, ate some food, and played some games!
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ACHIEVE Takes a Tour of the Airport | |
Individuals in Norwich were able to tour the Norwich Airport, where they were able to see where the planes are stored, and even popped into the operations deck to check out where all of the magic happens! | |
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Participating in the Arc Otsego's
"VOICE!" Art Show
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In July, Carol, a self-advocate and one of our newest members of the Board of Directors, submitted an entry to be a part of The Arc Otsego's "VOICE!" art show, taking a trip to Oneonta to visit the gallery and see her work on display. It is always a beautiful show, and we're always happy to submit artwork and be a part of such a magical evening. | |
Suncatchers with Core Room 4 | |
At Cutler Pond day habilitation, individuals in Core Room 4 made their very own sun catchers. They turned out beautifully and will be sure to brighten up anyone's day! | |
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In the Kitchen with
Chenango Supportive Apartments
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Chenango Supportive Apartments have been whipping something up in the kitchen! What is it you ask? Well, they made homemade apple sauce from scratch. Great job, everyone! | |
Chapin Street IRA were able to cool off the right way with some iced cream over at The Maine Scoop. What a great way to beat the heat! | |
Adventures to Bowman Lake | The Fowlston house took a nice relaxing trip to Bowman Lake, where they enjoyed a picnic at the beach, some rays of sunshine, and a fun volleyball game to cap off the day! | Working on Baking Skills! | Sterry Drive has been busy whipping up some delicious foods in the kitchen, showing off their baking talents. They worked on their cooking skills by making some delicious cookies that would pair perfectly with a cup of milk. We can only imagine the fantastic smells of freshly baked cookies in the house! Great job, everyone! | This month, On the Pond ~ at Cutler Pond visited one of their favorite spots, Frog Pond. The goats loved getting all the attention they were given, and made sure to yell for everyone to come back when they took a trip to the shop! | |
Congratulations to our friends at Sunrise Family Farm, this year’s ACHIEVE Supported Employer of the Year, on their selection as one of four statewide businesses to receive The Arc New York’s 2023 Employer Recognition Award for their inclusive hiring practices and providing meaningful employment to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities!
Thank you to Co-Owner Charlie for joining us for a special awards presentation by The Arc New York, and for your team’s philosophy that everyone deserves a chance to show they can achieve successful employment, regardless of ability!
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Discover the Rewards of Your New
Career in Direct Support!
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Update - New Beginnings in Norwich | |
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As you can see, renovations of our New Beginnings in Norwich project are well underway, and we are about halfway through construction of this exciting, new facility.
Thank you to everyone who has donated to our New Beginnings in Norwich renovation project, which is on schedule to open in Fall of this year!
You can be a part of this state-of-the-art day and community-based services facility that will be right in the heart of downtown Norwich and directly impact the lives of hundreds of individuals in Chenango County by donating and helping us reach our $250,000 public fundraising goal.
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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
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Thank You to Our Platinum Partners! | | | | |
