Kokua clients: Call to coordinate with the Resource Team if you wish to join the group that may be going from Kokua.. EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION AWARDS This month’s Employee Appreciation Awa
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:
Harry Potter: The Exhibition
Now is your chance to peer
into the famous wizard’s
magical world This exhibit will
be on display at the Pacific
Science Center in Seattle until
February 13, 2011 (Kokua
clients: Call to coordinate with
the Resource Team if you wish
to join the group that may be
going from Kokua.)
2011 Pie Fest!
An annual fundraiser to
support the Thurston County
Food Bank and Senior Nutrition
Program Sat, Feb 26 at the
Olympia Center,1-3:30 pm Eat
Pie ($3.00 or 3 cans of food),
buy pie at the live auction, win
prizes in the raffle You can also
compete in a pie baking
contest For rules/entry form,
contact olybakers@gmail.com
Kokua’s Reading Group
After a short hiatus over the
holidays, the reading group will
resume on February 14th
(Happy Valentine’s Day) The
group is held twice a month,
once in the morning from 10:30
– 12:00 and once in the
afternoon from 12:00 – 1:30
Have you read, heard, or done
anything lately that you’d like
to share? The reading group
would love to hear from you
Or maybe you’d just like to
listen to others stories and
experiences Call the Resource
Team at Ext 119 for more
information.The schedule for
the group can also be found on
at: www.kokuaservices.com
HAPPY VALENTINE’S
DAY!
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT KOKUA?
Amanda B and staff have been going for walks to a pond near
her house, when weather permits She enjoys going because she gets to see ducks, geese and others from her neighborhood and she can visit with their children and/or pets Amanda likes to share doing bubbles with the kids They all laugh and compete to see who can do the most We always have a good time Amanda is also helping staff with chores around the house, although she prefers for staff to do the vacuuming We are awaiting good weather so we can get outside more to play ball and Frisbee, two
of her favorite things Amanda’s neighbor has a cat that enjoys coming to visit her The cat’s name is “Jake” and is very loving and gentle with Amanda, and she does very well around the cat They seem to have bonded with each other
Ben C has been busy caring for his cat, Missy She recently went
to the vet to be spayed Ben is looking forward to Missy healing so
he can take her outside to play when the weather is nice enough
Jenny D will be attending a Smokey Robinson concert this
Saturday at the Lucky Eagle She’s been hard at work planning her Chubby Checker concert and working on researching/viewing/test driving wheelchair adaptable vans to purchase She continues to visit her brothers in Centralia every other weekend She was excited to get pictures of the newest member of the family via e-mail and continues to work on new goals and improving her signs for communication
Bobby C is now working on some trips of his own, such as the
Tacoma aquarium, the zoo, and local animal shelters He has been enjoying MELE and continues to express active engagement in playing the different instruments All of us at Jenny & Bobby’s house wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day!
The 22nd house has been very busy planning Bev G and
Maggie P are excited about their vacation to Seattle Bev is going
to see her boys and Joany Maggie is going site-seeing and
attending the ballet with Bev Manuela C is going on a day trip to
enjoy the Harry Potter Exhibit and beginning a class at Evergreen
Cecelia M is also going on a very special overnight, as her family
is surprising her with an all-day Harry Potter expedition All the ladies at 22nd are beaming with excitement these days Maggie P
is getting her room painted with a special mural this month as well
Danny C had an adventure trip this month, attending the First
Nation’s Pow Wow in Salem, Oregon He enjoyed seeing the dancers and hearing the drums He smiled a lot while in the pavilion! Unfortunately, there were no DVS’s available for sale at the time he was there; however, he bought a Dreamcatcher, a
painting and a T-shirt, all which he seems to enjoy John C has
been enjoying his brand new coffee maker – now he doesn’t have
to wait so long for his cup to fill up! Derek E has been right in
thick of things at basketball practice, enjoying all the action, sounds and lights He’s also been a regular at MEOW on Saturdays
at the YMCA Kevin R has been working hard at fitness class,
Trang 2EMPLOYEE
APPRECIATION
AWARDS
This month’s Employee
Appreciation Awards are
presented to:
Derek Solberg - In recognition
of your hard work and
dedication to your team Thank
you for supporting your team
members and the clients You
are greatly appreciated!
San Ahmath-Thank you for
doing an excellent job
supporting the clients and your
team by working extra shifts
Your hard work and dedication
is greatly appreciated!
Jill Smith- In recognition of
your hard work to complete the
medical equipment protocols
Thank you for doing such a
great job Your efforts are
greatly appreciated!
Independent Living Team
B-In recognition of your ability
to use your time and resources
as efficiently as possible Thank
you for pulling together and
working hard to support
Kokua’s clients You are greatly
appreciated!
NEW FACES AT KOKUA
A new face you will be seeing
at Kokua belongs to Shayna
Malone Shayna was born in
Linton, IN In her spare time
she enjoys reading and writing,
photography, cooking, knitting,
sewing and gardening When
asked where she’ll be working,
she responded,
“With the wonderful ladies at
22nd! I’m thrilled to be part of
the Kokua Team and can’t wait
to meet everyone!”
We are thrilled to have you
with us, too! Welcome!
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR
riding the exercise bike, lifting weights and one week even racing his instructor across the parking lot! (Continued on page 2)
Contact us to have your newsletter delivered by e-mail (360)705- 4665 or e-mail: sally@kokuaservices.com
What’s Happening at Kokua Continued from page 1
Paul J is looking forward to going to see some plays in the month
of February Keith W has his 40th birthday coming up in February Keith’s staff and roommates would like to wish him a Happy 40th
Birthday! Michael C continues to work 3 days a week He also
continues to make decorations for his house Mike is planning a
trip to the Henry Potter Expo with some other clients Joe L and his
roommates went to the Space Needle to celebrate his birthday Joe’s family was able to come from Soap Lake to join the group A great time was had by all! Also, Joe went to Safeco Field to the Mariners Fan Fest and had a great time He got autographs from some of his favorite players: Felix Hernandez, Brett Boone, Dan Wilson and Jay Buhner! (See pictures below)
Jay Buhner and Joe Brett Boone and Joe
Felix Hernandez and Joe Dan Wilson and Joe
Darren A enjoys going out to the community dance once a
month He also likes to go to the AM/PM store to meet his friends
and get a soda Gary W just started in the LEAD tutoring program
at Evergreen College He also has been enjoying going to the movie once or twice a week He’s been going out on bus rides and meeting people out in the community
The ladies at Angela St went to a free concert at the library in
January Christine R and Kim R attended an Elvis show at Merrill
Gardens in January and enjoyed the Elvis songs In February, the ladies will be attending a benefit dinner to support programs through Community Youth Services at Garden Courte Memory Care All the ladies are looking forward to Valentine’s Day and have been
decorating around the house Kimberly R has been attending
sign language classes on Thursday evenings and is enjoying
learning to sign Christine R has also been attending sign
language class on Thursday and enjoys going to the YMCA for
swimming and aerobics Laurie H went with Jenny D to Rainy Day
Records to purchase new records and has been going to the YMCA and enjoying swimming She spends time visiting with her family
Trang 3MORE HOURS?
Temporary and fill-in hours are
available We can train you to
work at more than one house
Contact Client Services
Coordinators for more
information Call 705-4665
Allen G ext 103, Sean B ext
118,
Melissa K ext 123,& Theo P ext
106
FOR SALE:
Jenny D has a TV for sale – it
works great and includes a DVD
& VCR player $80.00 Call
456-3489 if you’re interested
KOKUA COOKS
Do you want to make something
special for Valentine’s Day for your
Valentine? Here’s a special dessert
using a recipe from Kokua’s
Cookbook, Love in the Soup
CHOCOLATE MERINGUES
3 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
1 tblsp unsweetened cocoa
powder
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate
chips
Preheat oven to 300° In a
mixing bowl, beat the egg
whites and the cream of tartar
on high setting until the egg
whites stand in soft peaks
Slowly add the sugar and
vanilla and continue beating
until the egg whites stand in
firm peaks Beat until the egg
whites appear glossy Using a
rubber spatula, gently fold in
the cocoa powder and the
chocolate chips Drop the
mixture onto a greased cookie
sheet in rounds (or shape into
hearts) Bake 25-30 minutes
To make into a special and easy
dessert for Valentine’s Day:
Remove from pans to cool
completely To serve, top with
fresh strawberries or
raspberries and whipped
cream
Cookbooks Make Great
Gifts
Kokua's "Love in the Soup"
cookbook makes a great gift –
for someone else or yourself!
Our cookbook is jam packed
every other weekend Laurie is looking forward to going to breakfast with her boyfriend for his birthday
Matthew L and his staff had a great month! First of all, Matthew
loves music and he especially loves the staff to play their guitars for him Since almost all of the staff members play, there are plenty of guitars to make Matthew Happy, Happy, Happy! At times
we have to let him know that we need a break – sore fingers! Matthew loves being involved,and he and staff have done a lot of coloring and paperwork together (Continued on pg3)
What’s Happening at Kokua Continued from pg 2 He’s been assisting with some cooking duties and he loves to eat! Matthew is extremely smart and very much a jokester – he likes to play with staff! He’s a very special, happy guy and this month we’d like to award him a medal for “Client of the Month”
It’s birthday time at the 54th ladies’ house! Frieda B celebrated
her 66th birthday on January 31st and Doreen L celebrated her 58th birthday on February 5 Happy Birthday to both of you! Frieda,
Doreen and Cecilia C are excited about participating in the LEAD
Program They attended on February 4 and got to meet their tutors and are looking forward to working with them
Jeffrey D is having a great
time going to basketball practice with Special Olympics every Monday and Tuesday night His team is the "Superstars" and next week, February 13, he and his team are going to Regionals in Bremerton Also, Jeff is very excited because he recently connected with his brother, and they have been keeping in contact with each other
Rodney O is excited to be going for walks when the sun is out
Rodney recently had a dental appointment and the dentist was very happy to see that Rodney's teeth looked great and he had no cavities The dentist was impressed at how clean they looked Good job Rodney!
Charlie B wants to thank Allen G for helping him put his Bike
Safety Book together Charlie is very proud of it and has been showing it to everyone.Charlie has been going out on special outings every couple of weeks with his buddy Karen He loves doing that Charlie still has his Blue Bike for sale (see picture)
If you or someone you know is looking for a Cool Bike, contact the Resource Team at the Kokua office for more information
MAKING FRIENDS THROUGH MUSIC
By Devin Giles, Resource Team Member Kokua staff first met Bobby C at Rainier School in the summer of
2010 This was a "get to know each other" visit which preceded Bobby's move to the community During that visit Bobby had his first interaction with Kokua's MELE music program when Resource Team member, Devin Giles, offered him a "shaker egg." A big smile crossed Bobby's face as he gave the egg a shake
After Bobby's move to Lacey he was offered the opportunity to attend the morning session of MELE, a smaller less rambunctious version of the afternoon session When weather, health issues and transportation problems interfered with his participation, MELE sometimes came to visit Bobby at home Gradually, as his home routine stabilized, Bobby became a regular morning MELE
attendee His staff deserve major kudos for their positive attitude and perseverance in helping Bobby to attend and participate
Trang 4with yummy recipes all
designed with healthy eating in
mind All of the proceeds from
cookbook sales will benefit
individuals with developmental
disabilities Buying a
cookbook (or two, or three!) is
easy You can order them from
our website and they will arrive
by mail If you live in the local
area and would like them
delivered to your home, call
Chris at 705-4665, ext 101 and
we will arrange delivery at your
convenience
A THOUGHTFUL GIFT
Jim asked his friend, Tony, whether
he had bought his wife anything
for Valentine’s Day “Yes,” came
the answer from Tony, “I’ve bought
her a belt and a bag.”
“That was very kind of you,” Jim
added, “I hope she liked it.” Tony
smiled as he replied, “So do I, and
hopefully the vacuum cleaner will
work better now.”
RECRUIT NEW
EMPLOYEES FOR
KOKUA AND EARN $$
Kokua is still giving out
bonuses for referrals Here’s
how it works
Refer (or give an application to)
people who would make great
Kokua team members Have
them notify the Kokua
interviewer that you’ve referred
them A referral form will be
completed at hire 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
********************************
**********
12 Step Program of
Recovery for Web Addicts
Submitted by Robb Krieble
1) I will have a cup of coffee in
the morning and read my
PAPER newspaper like I used to,
before the Web
2) I will eat breakfast with a
knife and fork and not with one
hand typing
3) I will get dressed before
Because Bobby likes to move objects from one bin to another, the Resource Team created a special arrangement for his MELE participation made from an old drum rack and adorned with various bins and containers This allows Bobby to handle the musical instruments as he transfers
them from one bin to another It is a truly unique apparatus!
Early this month Bobby attended his first afternoon MELE session with the veteran "jammers." Group members were interested to welcome a new participant They listened to Bobby's vocals over the microphone and they watched his use of the various bins and buckets
Music experimentation allows for self expression in a fluid medium and can provide a great way for people to learn about each other Thanks for helping us all learn, Bobby!
CLEANING UP THE OFFICE!
Submitted by Diane Lamb Kokua is getting some extra help cleaning our offices from the VOICE program at North Thurston High School VOICE stands for
‘vocational opportunities for independent community employment’ VOICE prepares young adults ages 18 to 21 for employment
Kokua appreciates having a VOICE participant give us a hand! Meet Bryden B who is in his final year at North Thurston High School Bryden also works at Morningside doing similar tasks of vacuuming, emptying trash and other janitorial duties Lewis Holmes is Bryden‘s job coach Lewis accompanies Bryden on Mondays when they come in to make the rounds vacuuming, sweeping and emptying trash in all 3 offices It’s a big job and Bryden is making a difference in our workplace Thank you Bryden and Lewis!
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM NEWS!
By: Breezie O’Neill, Volunteer & Internship Coordinator
LEAD
Kokua’s new literacy program, LEAD (Literacy and Education for Adults with Disabilities), is completely up and running On January
25th Kokua launched the LEAD program The tutors, Kokua staff, and The Center for Community Based Learning and Action all met
at The Evergreen State College Then, the tutors began their first formal training For the past two weeks eight Kokua clients have made the journey to Evergreen State College to meet with their tutor Together they are developing learning goals and building friendships
For the next four months the pairs will continue to meet weekly
to work on the goals they have created The ultimate goal is to empower adults with disabilities to become more independent through literacy and education! Every step in the process is client driven They determine what they want to learn and must put forth the effort to accomplish their goals The tutors provide support and instruction to make that happen
The LEAD program could use donations of flash cards, work books, dry-erase markers, and other education related materials Please contact me for more information
Welcome Melissa!
Trang 5noon
4) I will make an attempt to
clean the house, wash clothes,
and plan dinner before even
thinking of the Web
5) I will sit down and write a
letter to those unfortunate few
friends and family that are
Web-deprived
6) I will call someone on the
phone who I cannot contact via
the Web
7) I will read a book if I still
remember how
8) I will listen to those around
me about their needs and stop
telling them to turn the TV
down so I can hear the music
on the Web
9) I will not be tempted during
TV commercials to check for
10) I will try and get out of the
house at least once a week, if it
is necessary or not
11) I will remember that my
bank is not forgiving if I forget
to balance my checkbook
because I was too busy on the
Web
12) Last, but not least, I will
remember that I must go to
bed sometime and the Web
will always be there tomorrow!
BEYOND FRUGAL
Anyone who knows Sally,
Diane and me (Chris) knows
how very frugal we are We
use every rebate, coupon and
cheap purchasing trick known
to humankind to stretch every
penny We are beyond frugal in
the way we approach our
stewardship of the agency's
resources
Discussing office supplies is
not the most inspiring topic;
however, it is important to note
that Kokua's supply
budget provides for the needs
of 130 employees and 34
volunteers who work in service
of the 56 individuals Kokua
supports
Most of you know that
Kokua's state funding took a
3.4% hit in 2010 We redoubled
our efforts at economy and
Melissa Ebinger is Kokua’s new HR Intern She was born in
Kauai, Hawaii and enjoys reading, outdoor activities, and watching sports She is working hard in the office to support the Service Coordination Team She is also working with a client to develop a communication chart Welcome to the team!!
Kokua regularly hosts interns from Saint Martin’s University, The Evergreen State College, and South Puget Sound Community College We offer internships in Mental Health, Education, Team Support Specialist, Recreation/Physical Fitness, and Office Administration
Quote of the Month
I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher’s mitt
on both hands You need to be able to throw something back
~Maya Angelou
Thank you volunteers for spending an amazing
199 hours of your time in January supporting Kokua ANOTHER ALL TIME RECORD!
KOKUA KUDOS
“Everyone appreciates being appreciated Try to catch people red-handed in the act
of doing something right – and praise them for it.”
Thank you to those who covered my shifts while I was out on
FMLA Thank you so very much! From Lisa S
Arthur S and Stephen M – you both are amazing workers
Thanks for all you do for the house and the guys From Rosie R
Robb K is doing a wonderful job supporting Ron C and his team,
and making sure that Ron is able to go to the YMCA Thank you to
Devin G for taking Ron to the YMCA every Wednesday Wendy Y
and Theo P – you did a great job solving Dawn M’s financial
problem I appreciate the support you all give to me, also From Jill R
Thanks to all the staff at Angela! Everyone works well
together – we make a great team! From Amy B
Thank you to Jessie M, Brianne S and Mareen D for covering
for me when I was sick From Stacie M
Thank you to Mandi C for working at the house during our team
meeting Many thanks to Tina D for being acting team leader while
I was on vacation and to Lavenia M, Tina D, Stacie M and Elke
C for filling in shifts for me From Jessie M
I would like to thank all the staff at 5th Ave for their dedication
and hard work every day Also, thanks to Lea K and Ethan W for
helping out at 5th – your help is much appreciated! From Fia F
Kudos to our team leader, Eric M – he is awesome and is very
helpful in keeping staff on track when it comes to Matthew’s well-being! Eric always retains his good nature, and is a very patient and loving person Eric does a great job all the way around! ROCK
ON, ERIC! From Rob B
Kudos to Susie W – thank you for all your hard work and
organization You’re awesome! To Sue K – I appreciate how you go
above & beyond for the clients You Rock, Lady and Thank You!
Kudos to Jessica R, I thank you for your hard work as well – you’re awesome! And Nouhoum S, thank you for filling in when staff was
out and keep up the good work From Hilary P
A very special thank you to Janet K and Mel S for being so
flexible and helpful in picking up extra responsibilities to help make
such a smooth transition for the team and the ladies From Pam B
Kudos to Lavenia M, Havi P, Mareen D and Ann B for all of your help filling shifts so efficiently Thank you Rose H and Diane
L for all of your help over the past few weeks! From Autumn B
the best team! Melissa W, you are absolutely great and a fast
learner We also would like to welcome Rob B to the team From
Trang 6managed to stay in the
black The really sad news is
that we will have another cut in
2011 This time, however, there
is no fat to cut We will be very
challenged to maintain our
quality of service and we will
have to implement cutbacks
which are very unpalatable in
order to ride out this wave of
funding reductions
This is why we are asking the
community for help Any dollar
we don't have to spend on
office supplies is a dollar we
can spend on client service
We are asking community
members to keep us in mind
when they do their weekly
grocery shopping or when they
make a trip to COSTCO If you
are financially able to "sponsor"
our work by picking up any of
the following items, we will
have a donation box in the
front office Maybe you know
someone with a business that
is downsizing or has items
taking up space that will
probably not be put to use?
These are the items we use
most often: 3-ring
binders(2”-3”), Black Bic pens, Xerox
(copy) paper, Manila folders,
Toilet paper, Paper towels,
Business envelopes, Dry erase
markers, Tall kitchen trash
bags, Scotch tape, liquid hand
soap
Thank you
Chris Rasmussen-Barsanti,
Executive Director
Thank you!
Lilie L
Lavenia M, Melanie S, and Elke C – you continue to be selfless
and help where help is needed Kudos to my girls in the office,
Sally and Diane – you guys are beyond helpful and giving of your
time, which benefits our clients and our team Kudos to Lilie for being such a great team leader to our team Kudos to Carol L for
being so flexible and successfully going on her own CI with Jen
Kudos to Melissa W for picking up the archiving AOR and doing
such a great job Kudos to all our team for your innovative problem solving, your positive attitudes and compassion for the adults we
care for, as well as your fellow co-workers From Havi P
We’d like to say thank you to Elke C, Jane M and Hana G for
helping us out with shifts in January, February and half of March You are the best – we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without your great work and dedication You all have such a great work
ethic Thank you! Staff member Paige W has been on maternity
leave and will return in mid- March Her baby was born in early January, 2011– a little girl,6 lbs, 14 oz–named Ingrid Rain Mom
and baby are doing fine Thanks to Valerie H for helping Paige and
baby with clothes, diapers, etc.– they can really use these things
Your donations are appreciated very much Thank you From the Carpenter Team
Kudos to Devin G for doing such a wonderful job with the guys!
From Yolanda W