Many thanks and kudos to all the staff members that transported clients to the session this month and interacted so encouragingly with them.. UPDATE FROM THE RESOURCE TEAM Contact the R
Trang 1“THE KOKUA SPIRIT”
“Kokua’s Mission is to provide citizens with disabilities the support they need to lead full and meaningful lives.”
www.kokuaservices.com
FUN THINGS TO DO:
Mother’s Day May 11
Lacey Parks will be
sponsoring “Open Swim” this
summer – at the River Ridge
Pool It will be held June 23
through August 22, 1:00pm –
3:00pm Mondays through
Saturdays The River Ridge Pool
has a hydro-lift (basket-type) to
lift or lower swimmers into the
pool For more information, call
491-0857
21 st Annual Lacey Spring
Fun Fair May 17th & 18th
Held at St Martin’s University
Entertainment, arts, crafts,
food and exhibits For more
information, call 481-4393
Broadway & Beyond II A
musical ensemble with a mix of
Broadway songs and popular
music Tickets $10-$30 May 15
– May 18, Thurs-Sat, 8pm;
Sunday 2pm Held at SPSCC
For more information, call
596-5501
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
From All of Us at Kokua
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT KOKUA?
Jenny D is looking forward to going to Centralia to visit her sibling this Mother’s Day Laurie H has been invited to attend a
dance with her boyfriend, Roger this Friday She is really excited
about going Kim R enjoyed making meatballs at the latest
cooking class, and then making them at home last week! Good
job, Kim! Denise H has enjoyed spending lots of time with her
mother lately She also went to the movies and saw “Horton Hears
a Who” with her roommate
Happy Mother’s Day! To all the mothers and grandmothers in
the Kokua family! From Clients and Staff at the Angela St house
Joe L will be going to a Mariners game on May 16th He’s very
excited and looking forward to that Paul J, Keith W and Mike C
all attended the 8th Avenue Advocates retreat They had a great time and look forward to other 8th Avenue functions Mike and Keith have been continually attending the Thursday music
program at Kokua and the Sunday MEOW program They both appear to enjoy the social interaction and, of course, the music!
Manuela C is continuing to work towards getting her own
computer She has been meeting with her job coach about once a
week to sharpen her skills Cecelia M has been working on getting her bags packed to go to Camp Cascade Beverly G is
planning a trip to Everett to visit her friend Dave “The Boy”
Bolman She is VERY excited and seems to enjoy sharing the news
about her trip Maggie P has been winning big at the Senior
Center Bingo
Gary W is making final preparations for his cruise to Alaska on
May 17th He still has a little shopping to do before he leaves, but is pretty much ready and really looking forward to the trip While
Gary is gone, roommate Jeff D will be making several day trips,
among them a trip to the beach and perhaps a trip to Seattle to
see the sights and do some shopping Also this month, Gary got
himself a new computer and is looking forward to getting hooked
up to the internet Jeff and Gary still are going to the movies at
least once a week – one of their favorite pastimes!
Danny C and John C are planning a trip to the Point Defiance Zoo later this month Danny has also been working with Fircrest
Emerging Communication on a communication system He’s been learning the system quickly and always has a smile on his face
while using it Way to go, Danny! Charlie B has been doing a lot of
work in his new back yard and going on lots of bike rides “It’s beautiful outside!”, he says
James M had a birthday this month He was sick on his actual
birthday, so we celebrated the day after with cake and ice cream
Dean H has been going to Left Foot and having a great time Dean enjoys his nights of music Jesse W has been hanging out at
home, feeding the squirrels, and watching his peas and potatoes growing in the garden
Scott B has been enjoying playing with his Playstation 2 He got
the new Rock Band Video Game for it and like’s to jam out with it
Trang 2KOKUA MUSIC
PROGRAM
Get in on the fun!
The May 1st music gathering
in Kokua’s building C-1 was the
largest ever Participants were:
Danny C, Rodney O, Dean H,
Keith W, Mike C, Ron C, Jeff
D, Bill C, Charlie B and
making his first visit to ‘music
time’ was John C, who reached
out and played the bongo
drums and tambourine when
they were offered
Many thanks and kudos to all
the staff members that
transported clients to the
session this month and
interacted so encouragingly
with them Staff members
involved were Sara Chafe,
Tony Benavente, Candice
Lindley, Arthur Schafer,
Bruce Walton, Jill Smith,
Michelle Cole, Bart
Herigstad, Wendy Yarber,
and Andy Wedlund Thank
you so much for your continued
support of our clients’ abilities
to express themselves with
music!
UPDATE FROM THE
RESOURCE TEAM
Contact the Resource Team at
the Kokua Office (705-4665 ext
119 or 124) for more
information about the following
upcoming events:
May 13 th – Trip to The Museum
of Flight
Rick F is doing really well Staff is assisting him with a shopping
list so that he only buys things that he needs Rick really likes the idea
Contact us to have your newsletter delivered by e-mail Contact us: (360) 705- 4665 or e-mail sally@kokuaservices.com
KOKUA KUDOS
“Everyone appreciates being appreciated Try to catch people red-handed in the act of doing something right – and praise them for it.”
Kudos to the 31 st Team for working so proactively to get the
clients out and for being so thorough with the new “Med Log
Check” procedures Also kudos to Lynn Royal for your exceptional
organizational skills and your commitment to maintain a positive work environment with those you work with! You are amazing –
keep up the good work! Anonymous
Thanks to Lee Davis and Bruce Walton for their help in the financial office And a big thanks to Sara Gordon for her help and
words of encouragement before she left for her next adventure in
her new job From Rose Hahn
Kudos to Franny King for taking the extra time with the clients
to allow them to be successful in the kitchen I was so amazed at your patience and kindness I feel blessed to have been able to
witness Kokua’s Mission being fulfilled Submitted by Valarie Potter
As a new member of the Independent Living Team, I’m working with some great clients! I’ve had the chance to talk with them and
get to know them Bryan C comes into the office and we go to Fred Meyer John W comes into the office to see me twice a week
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting his sister, who is a really nice
person From Tony Benavente
I’d like to give kudos to Sean Bonneprise and Wendy Yarber
for training me and answering any questions I have during training
From Tony Benavente
Kudos to Rolf Eidsath for his great job as our new Team Leader Also, thanks to Dawn Stewart for her hard work on the evening shift, and Andy Wedlund for filling in on our much needed open
shifts From the Staff at 25 th Loop
Kudos to Andy Wedlund for your hard work and leadership
around Danny’s communication plan Your hard work is making a positive impact on the quality of life and independence of our
clients Thank you! From Hana Greer, Team Leader
To Diane Lamb, thank you for all the little things that altogether
are huge Thank you for your tireless and persistent efforts you give to the Resource Team
Thanks to Jill Smith and Michelle Cole for consistently going above and beyond the call of your duties Kudos to Devin Giles for
being the voice of friendly reminding SUPER BIG thanks to our
fill-in staff (especially Lynn and Lavenia) and regular staff You are all
doing a fabulous job! From Melanie Smith
Kudos to Andria Membreno and Amber Zawadzinski for helping us out with recent scheduling issues Also, kudos to Mary Ann Yarber for stepping up to the plate and doing such a great
job as the new training coordinator From the Clearfield Team
I would like to thank Darcy Dentler, Hana Greer, Andy Wedlund, Andria Membreno, and Candice Garman for filling
in our empty shifts Big kudos to Choua Chhim and Bonnie Crawford for pulling extra hours and shifts Both of you are
amazing You are such valued members of our Team From Crissy Thompson
Thank you Judy Cline for working so incredibly hard We
2
Trang 3June 10 – Trip to the Museum
of Glass and Washington State
History Museum
June 17 – Trip to Woodland
Park Zoo
July 4 th – Mariner’s Baseball
Also, the Resource Team
would like staff to know that
they have moved one of the
paper shredders to the other
side of the office (B-1) next to
the tall forms shelf This may
be more convenient for many
people and will prevent
interruptions in the Resource
Team office when someone
needs to shred something
immediately
KOKUA EMPLOYEES:
If you’re feeling weighed
down with:Family
Problems,Stress, Anger,Job
Concerns ,Alcohol/Drug
Problems,
Depression/Anxiety
Parenting, Grief, or
Relationship Problems,
You’re covered by:
Employee Assistance
Service Call 493-7867
EMPLOYEE EXCELLENCE
AWARDS
Crystal Pogue is appreciated
this month for her amazing
ability to continue to meet
client’s needs during arduous
times Regardless of the
situation she is faced with,
Crystal maintains a high quality
of care We respect your work
ethic!
Franny King is appreciated for
the manner in which she
engages clients Franny
maintains good boundaries so
that those she works with can
remain as independent as
possible Thank you Franny!
Hana Greer is recognized for
her excellent leadership skills
Moreover, The Mental Health
office appreciates Hana’s
willingness to work with them
to maintain a high standard of
services for clients Fantastic
job!
The 22nd Team is recognized for
their medical charting for the
past month! This is such an
appreciate everything you do! From the Service Coordination Team
Thanks to all who have helped me out in the last few weeks
Nathan Sanchelli has taken more than one field trip to Pick-A-Part
for tail light covers for our vehicles at a fraction of the price we would have to pay at the repair shop He also installed them
Nathan has also helped me move heavy objects when he shows up
at the office at the right time I appreciate you being there for me
and for Kokua! Thanks also to Rolf Eidsath, Judy Cline, Oline Horton, Andy Wedlund, MaryAnn Yarber and David Bacon and all who have assisted in driving vehicles to and from the repair shop.If I’ve left anyone out, my apologies! I appreciate
all the help I get with vehicles and moving heavy objects From Diane Lamb
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION CELEBRATION
What a wonderful gathering we had May 2nd to celebrate our wonderful and selfless volunteers from 2007- 2008
Thank you all again , Pat Clark, Cat Toung Le, Kitty Center, Whitney Miller (SMU intern), Lee Davis, Don Murphy, Judy Murphy, Linda Murphy, Elisabeth Schafer, Tammy Stark, Terry Steinbrugger, Eunjoo Valente, Renuka Vallarapu, Sandy Wilson and Candi Zhao.
A huge thank you to MaryAnn for rearranging her busy schedule
to help set-up for the party as well as helping with clean-up and Judy for helping with clean-up It was much appreciated
Lee Davis will be leaving us He was offered a job and decided to take it Lee stated that if life gets in a groove and there is room to volunteer- he would come back Lee started in November of ’07 and completed the tasks he signed up for, yet stayed on to help in other areas Thus, we are fortunate to have had such a dedicated volunteer Lee- good luck on your new job!
Welcome Candi Zhao Candi will work with Rose in the financial department It was wonderful that Candi came to our celebration
on Friday after deciding just that day she wanted to volunteer with Kokua Glad you are here Candi!
The Kokua Board of Directors would like to thank Cary Richardson for the wonderful job she did planning and hosting the
“Volunteer Appreciation Celebration” gathering that was held at the Kokua office Cary has done an amazing job assisting the volunteers who so generously devote their time to Kokua
8
th AVENUE ADVOCATE UPDATE
There was a wonderful turnout for the April 19th 8th Avenue Advocate retreat The Advocates came together and made the fundamental decisions that will focus the group for the year In attendance was Beverly O., Barb O., Keith W., Doreen L., Cecilia C., Paul J., Mike C., Manuela C., John F., Beverly G., Melvin V., Dawn M.,
as well as volunteer Terry S., and support staff Candice L., and Sara
A
The Advocates will write a mission statement, put out a newsletter, bring in guest speakers, be involved in the legislature and promote public awareness through community events such as Super Saturday or the Wooden Boat show Lastly, the group will post social activities they can do together out side the monthly meetings in the newsletter Activities range from meeting at a coffee house, to bowling, attending a movie or eating dinner out at
a local restaurant
If you would like to join the 8th Avenue Advocates, please call Cary at 705-4665 ext 108 or Andria at 705-4665 ext 120
The next Advocates meeting will be Saturday May 31st from
Trang 4important part of the agency
and your attention to detail is
commended Great work 22nd
team!
RECRUIT NEW
EMPLOYEES FOR
KOKUA AND EARN $$
Kokua is still giving out bonuses
for referrals Here’s how it
works
Talk to people you know who
you think would make great
Kokua team members Give
them an application or Kokua’s
phone number with
Dominique’s extension #105
Have them tell Dominique that
you’ve referred them She will
complete a referral form so you
can get the credit for the
referral (A referral form
must be completed and in
the new employee’s file for
you to receive the bonus.)
If your referral is hired and
completes the 90 day probation
period, you will receive a
$50.00 cash bonus If your
referral remains a Kokua
employee for a year, you will
receive a $100.00 cash bonus
We have several employees
who have already received
their $50.00 bonus for referred
employees, and they’re on
their way to receiving that
$100.00 bonus!
KOKUA COOKS
Here’s a yummy and refreshing
fruit salad The dressing could
also be used as a dip for a fresh
fruit tray
CREAMSICLE FRUIT SALAD
- 1 pkg (1.4 oz) sugar free and
fat free instant vanilla
pudding mix
- 1 ½ cups low-fat milk
- 5 tablespoons frozen orange
juice concentrate, thawed
- ½ cup fat free sour cream
- 2 c melon cubes or balls
(honeydew, cantaloupe,
watermelon, etc.)
- 2 bananas, sliced
11:00am-1:00pm at Kokua room C-1 Guest speaker Andria Abrahamson from Disability Rights of Washington (DRW) in Seattle
will be accompanied by a few advocates to talk about self advocacy Andria will help build the next step for the group in moving forward with its mission
The DRW is a wonderful resource Andria will talk with the group about future topics that the 8th Avenue Advocates can choose from
to help them with their objectives
A light lunch will be provided RSVP is required Call Cary Richardson at 705-4665, ext 108
EXTRA HELP NEEDED
Kokua Employees: As many of you are aware, some teams are very short staffed right now Anyone who is interested in extra hours and is willing to get trained in other homes, please contact Judy Cline at 705-4665 ext 100 Thank you
HOW TO BE HAPPY AND FEEL BETTER
From a “Good Housekeeping” Magazine article by Stacy Weiner You don’t have to change much Researchers have found scientific evidence of what really boosts our moods Here are some
surprising strategies to use to feel better every day
1 Don’t strive for perfection or constant contentment
If you expect to “have it all” and “do it all” and be happy all
of the time, it’s going to make you miserable Instead, manage your expectations A study led by the University of Virginia looked at how everyday events (both positive and negative) affected people’s overall daily satisfaction They tracked four groups: European Americans, Asian Americans, Japanese and Koreans European Americans reported feeling happier than the other groups did, but needed double the number of positive events to help them rebound from negative ones The study authors suspect that a downside of feeling happy most of the time is that you expect that to be the “norm” and when bad things happen,
it can seem catastrophic
2 Find your balance Psychologists generally describe
happiness as a sense of well-being or satisfaction with your life There is fun without meaning (like a foot massage) and meaning without fun (like 2 a.m feedings), and happiness comes from some combo of the two If you consistently choose one and not the other, you’ll end up feeling empty
or resentful
3 Don’t try to buy happiness Money helps, especially if
you start out poor and then do better But a nationwide study found that those who avidly pursued possessions were less satisfied with all aspects of their lives than those who were less materialistic
4 Switch gears Studies have shown that subjects who
experience a change in their circumstances (like moving to
a nicer place) and/or in their activities (like pursuing a new hobby) report more gains in well-being Something different
is inherently entertaining
5 Lose yourself in the moment If you’re in a bad mood,
try to find your “flow” – do something that you really enjoy – that makes you feel like time is flying by It may be doing a crossword puzzle, skiing, or weeding your garden
6 Develop an attitude of gratitude Recognize good things
4
Trang 5- 2 apples, cored and sliced
- 2 peaches, nectarines or
pears, cored and sliced
Put pudding mix, milk and
orange juice concentrate in
mixing bowl and beat on
medium speed for 2 minutes
Mix in sour cream
Mix all the fruits in a large
bowl Pour orange dressing
over the top and toss gently to
blend Serve immediately or
cover and keep in refrigerator
until ready to serve
Yield: 8-10 cups of fruit salad
Per cup of fruit salad and
dressing (if 8 cups per recipe):
162 calories, 4 g protein, 37 g
carbohydrate, 1 g fat, 0.4 g
saturated fat, 2 mg cholesterol,
3.5 g fiber, 35 mg sodium
Calories from fat: 6%
QUESTIONS THAT MAKE YOU
SAY – HUH?
How much deeper would the
ocean be without sponges?
What happens if you get scared
to death twice?
If the #2 pencil is so popular,
why is it still #2?
If all the world is a stage, where
is the audience sitting?
If love is blind, why is lingerie
so popular?
If Superman is so smart, why
does he wear underpants over
his trousers?
Why is it that if someone tells
you there are 1 billion stars in
the universe, you believe them,
but if someone tells you a wall
has wet paint, you have to
touch it to be sure?
when they happen If you have trouble counting your blessings, try keeping a gratitude journal Studies have shown that people who record what they appreciate experience greater happiness, less anxiety and they sleep better, too
7 Set aside time to connect with other people 100% of
happy people had good relationships It doesn’t matter if the strong bond is with a partner, a friend or a parent – it’s just important to have at least two of these essential relationships
8 Help yourself by helping others Helping others makes
us feel capable and full of purpose and it lets us quit stressing about our own problems Even small gestures will work
9 Choose to choose less Too much choice can cause
anxiety and leads people to blame themselves if things don’t turn out as they expected Learn how to accept “good-enough” options
10 Be more forgiving Forgiving is a gift you give yourself.
11 Make the best of things that happen Pick out the
positives in a situation Once we start trying to do this, it can become a habit
12 Get your body involved in expressing happiness
Laugh out loud, jump up & down with joy, dance around You’ll feel happier
KOKUA COOKING CLASS
April’s cooking class was great! The class was attended by Becky C., Sue W., Cecilia C., Doreen L., Kim R., and Laurie H
Elisabeth taught the group to make meatballs She started things off by discussing how protein helps keep the immune system strong as well as the importance to cook hamburger thoroughly (no pink!) The kitchen was busy and the recipe was complex but everyone was very successful because they have been cooking for months now and their comfort level has grown along with their confidence Elisabeth is very consistent in the way she runs the class so everyone is at ease in the kitchen and ready to learn a new recipe
TANGY MEATBALLS
1 pound ground beef
Trang 66 tablespoons uncooked oats
1 egg
½ cup + 3 tablespoons chili sauce
6 tablespoons grape jelly
1 In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, oats, egg, and 3 tablespoons chili sauce
Mix well
2 Shape to form 1-inch balls, about the size of a walnut
3 Bake on shallow, un-greased baking pan at 400 degrees for 15 minutes
4 Meanwhile in a large saucepan mix ½ cup chili sauce with grape jelly
5 Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until mixture is well-blended
6 Add cooked meatballs; continue cooking 5 minutes or until heated through
7 Makes 30 meatballs Good served with cooked rice
Safety Tip: Ground beef often contains the dangerous bacteria E.coli Luckily, it can be destroyed by
cooking, so be sure to cook meatballs very well, until no pink remains
The class is a success for many reasons Elisabeth’s amazing ability to facilitate the class, staff
support for the clients, Chris Rasmussen-Barsanti’s support for purchases of the needed utensils, as well
as, the office staff who bring equipment from home that we only need one time
We will have one more session before taking the summer off, and we will resume classes in the fall If you would like to attend next month, contact Cary at 705.4665 ext 108
We will be making Veggies and Dips, May 28th from 1P- 2p at the Lacey Community Center
6