2983124

LIFE Club Events This Week!

Tuesday, September 15

Pop Culture Group: Cartoons and Animation

When:  Tuesday, September 15 from 10:00am-11:00am

What:  Pop Culture Group is an opportunity for clients to come together and connect over their common interests and explore new ideas at the same time. Come explore different styles of cartoons, animation, and comedy through illustrated art. We will learn, laugh, and watch in this upcoming session focused on cartoons and animation. This one is for the tv lovers! Pop Culture Group is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83324855770 at 10:00am to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. All are welcome!

LIFE Club:  Game Night

When:  Tuesday, September 15 from 5:00pm-6:00pm

What: Join us for an evening of friendship, discussion, and learning! These interactive groups will focus on developing skills and confidence for social situations in a way that is fun and informative! It’s time for another game night. Join us as we learn some new virtual games and discuss what some of our favorite games have been. Let’s get to know each other virtually! LIFE Club is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88541386228 at 5:00pm to participate. Contact christopher.sharkey@supportinc.com or gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Wednesday, September 16

Moving and Grooving:  Strength

When:  Wednesday, September 16 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  We will join together to discuss life’s stressors while improving the physical health of our bodies to create a healthy lifestyle by learning helpful social and exercise habits. Thisgroupwill incorporate a different movement activity every session. This week is all about strength. What makes you strong? We will discuss different types of strengths and how it relates to both our inner and outer selves. This is a great opportunity to be active during a virtual time. Adaptable for all abilities! Moving and Grooving is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85277454478  at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact ashley.treiber@supportinc.com or meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions.

Thursday, September 17

Touching Stories

When:  Thursday, September 17 from 11:00am-12:00pm

What: Touching Stories is a unique therapy model, specifically designed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, that pairs the social and emotional learning of story with sensory integration activities in a way that is educational, engaging, and simply, a lot of fun! We have adapted our Touching Stories for at home use. Gwen and Meredith will first lead participants in a scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items. If you are curious to learn more, please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcjzvevJ9_w&t=67s. Touching Stories is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86143640216 at 11:00am to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com or meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Moving and Grooving:  Adaptive Yoga

When:  Thursday, September 17 from 12:45pm-1:45pm

What:  We will join together to discuss life’s stressors while improving the physical health of our bodies to create a healthy lifestyle by learning helpful social and exercise habits. Thisgroupwill incorporate a different movement activity every session. Let’s slow down and take a day to get back to basics. We will stretch and focus on our inner strength by using adaptive yoga techniques. This is a great opportunity to be active during a virtual time. Adaptable for all abilities! Moving and Grooving is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83907174169 at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact ashley.treiber@supportinc.com for any questions.

Friday, September 18

Pop Culture Group: Show and Tell

When:  Friday, September 18 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  Pop Culture Group is an opportunity for clients to come together and connect over their common interests and explore new ideas at the same time. Join us as we explore the exciting genre of mystery. We will learn, watch and solve in this upcoming session focused on mysteries and unexplained phenomenon. The game is afoot! This week we will “get a clue” about what makes mysteries work. This is what we have all been waiting for! Bring your talents, enthusiasm, and support for our friends as we show off our talents and talk about our favorite hobbies. Make sure to invite everyone in your house to show off your new skills in performance! Pop Culture Group is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83324855770 at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. All are welcome!

Items Needed For Thursday, September 17

We’ll do two stories:

Scavenger Hunt for Little Red Hen!

Find the following items:
1.3 pennies
2. A squishy pillow (with a pillowcase)
3. A rolling pin (If you don’t have that, a can or a bottle will do!)
4. A water glass
5. A spoon
6. A piece of bread

You should be sitting at a hard, flat surface for this story

Writing Our Own Story!

*Let’s work together and create our own story for Touching Stories. The only thing you need to bring is yourself.

shelby

Shelby Reese Promoted to Day Services Supervisor

Please join us in congratulating Shelby Reese on her recent promotion to Day Services Supervisor.

Hi everyone! My name is Shelby Reese and I am the new Day Services Supervisor. I grew up mainly in New Mexico, but have also lived in Texas, Arizona, and now, Colorado. I have wanted to live in Colorado for most of my life, so I am so happy to finally be here!

I have a bit of a unique background- I got my bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from New Mexico State University and started working at a Nuclear Power Plant outside of Phoenix right out of college. It only took 3 years working as an engineer to realize that my work was not enriching my life or allowing me to grow as a person. I made a huge leap of faith, uprooted my life to Colorado and decided to try out a career centered around helping people!

I started out as a DSP in July of 2019 and soon found out how a job helping people can quickly change your perspective on life. I was no longer just a number at a huge company, but someone who could make a difference in the lives of an under-represented and misunderstood population. I would leave work happy, fulfilled, and proud of what I had done for the day. In March of this year, I had the incredible opportunity to transition to Staffing Coordinator. In this position, I was able to pair my process-oriented mind set with my compassion for helping people. It has been so much fun to help create and implement a hiring and training process.

In my next role, as Day Services Supervisor, I hope to continue developing new skills, overcome new challenges, and, most importantly, ensure our clients are receiving meaningful sessions with our DSPs. I am very grateful for the opportunities to grow my career here at Support.

In my free time, I love live music, hiking, camping, snowboarding, traveling, and, of course, dogs.

.

Untitled Design (58)

A Note From Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council

To: All Support, Inc. Staff, Families, and Providers

From: CEO Bentley SmithIn light of recent events over this past week including another incident of social injustice, I want to acknowledge the impact that this has on our entire Support, Inc. network, and especially our Black community. With these types of events, compounded by the pandemic, wildfires, and even hurricanes, it makes for a trying time. But through these trying times I am encouraged by the growing support from key communities, along with the efforts of our own Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council that was created in July. Having a group of dedicated Support, Inc. staff focused on navigating these times gives me comfort and encouragement. Below, I would like to share a communication from this group:

To our Support Inc. Community,

We are saddened by the continued display of social injustice in our communities. In our current social climate, our company has committed ourselves to answering the call for creating change. Supported and encouraged by Founder Dennis Kirkman and CEO Bentley Smith, our company wants to dedicate resources in time, presence, education, and financial support to variety of social justice issues. Our first step was to create a committee of Support Inc. employees ranging from Directors to DSP’s and across our various departments.

Support Inc. has chosen to create a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. Effective 7/1/2020, Support Inc. embarked on a mission to address, explore, educate, learn about, and respond to the diversity of the human experience. To do so, we have created a DEI Council and Committee to identify ways to impact our community and improve equality both inside our organization and outside of it.

Guided by a set of ideals, this council strives to encourage and support our company’s full understanding of diverse cultural perspectives and backgrounds by listening to personal experiences and calling on the use of critical thinking, empathy, and a deeper appreciation of others. Additionally, we will work to create an inclusive, equitable, culturally competent, and supportive environment where employees model behavior that enriches our community.

Our objective is to lead and hold the organization accountable in the incorporation of diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the work at Support Inc.

Our DEI Initiative is Guided by several ideals:

  • Be present and respect the space
  • Share your experiences, use “I” statements
  • Assess your safety and use your discernment
  • he stories of others are theirs to share, maintain confidentially and trust among the group
  • Step up, step back
  • If you experience yourself making judgements, ask yourself where those feelings came from
  • Consider and address the impact of actions rather than focusing on your intentions
  • Consider your privilege
  • Acknowledge pain or offense in the moment using “ouch” and have the option to discuss it or not at that time
  • Confront, critique, and challenge your discomfort

We have defined Diversity our Core Principles:

Definitions

Diversity: The range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, physical ability or attributes, religious or ethical values systems, national origin, political beliefs, and cultures.

  • Diversity means more than just acknowledging and/or tolerating difference. It’s a set of conscious practices that seek to understand and appreciate the interdependence of humanity, cultures, and the natural environment.

Equity: Ensuring that everyone has support and access to the resources needed to be successful and identifying and eliminating barriers that have prevented the full participation of communities most impacted by systemic oppression.

  • Improving equity involves increasing justice and fairness within the procedures and processes of institutions and systems, as well as in the distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires an understanding of the root causes of outcome disparities within our society and institution.
  • Equity differs from equality. Equality refers to treating everyone the same but does not necessarily lead to equitable outcomes because diverse communities have diverse needs and have faced varying obstacles and inequities.

Inclusion: Ensuring that people of all backgrounds, identifies, abilities, perspectives, and beliefs have an equal opportunity to belong, achieve, and contribute to their communities. An inclusive organization and community promote and sustains a sense of belonging; it values and practices respect where all people are recognized for their inherent worth and dignity, talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of living.

Cultural Competence: An understanding of how organizations and individuals can respond respectfully and effectively to people from all cultures, economic statuses, language backgrounds, races, ethnic backgrounds, disabilities, religions, genders, gender identifications, sexual orientations, veteran statuses and other characteristics in a manner that recognizes, affirms and values the worth, and preserves the dignity, of individuals, families and communities.

Meeting weekly, our objective is to create change amongst a wide scope of issues experienced in our community. That scope is vast and encompasses a lot of aspects, which can be a large weight to carry and one we are excited to do so.

Our Scope

The committee will guide the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion at our institution through the following:

  1. Assessing the implementation of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan
  2. Monitoring the development, implementation, and evaluation of standards for cultural competence for employees and care givers
  3. Providing input on organizational policies and procedures to address diversity, equity, and inclusion issues
  4. Focus on organizational policies and procedures to address diversity, equity, and inclusion issues and make recommendations when appropriate
  5. Evaluating and recommending solutions where organizational inequities exist
  6. Informing and consulting with clients, caregivers, contractors, employees, and leadership regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
  7. Ensuring the maintenance and dissemination of best practices for diversity, equity, and inclusion in institutional policies, teaching, training, hiring, and retention of employees and contractors
  8. Serving as a resource for guidance and consultation regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion issues for employees, clients, caregivers and contractors
  9. Disseminating information about ongoing professional development training around diversity, equity, and inclusion for employees and contractors
  10. Seeking regular feedback from contractors, caregivers, clients and employees to inform decision-making and understand opportunities for improvement
  11. Sharing the work of the committee with the Support Inc. community

To date; our group has created a DEI Charter to guide our efforts, we have created a questionaries’ that will be available to our community for feedback in the creation of initiatives, reviewed our implemented Discrimination Policy, and created a Further Education List for DEI initiatives to be distributed soon. Additionally, we are developing a strategic plan to address trainings and internal/external initiatives.

2983124

LIFE Club Events This Week!

Join us for some upcoming virtual events! Any and all are welcome!

We have now added another Moving & Grooving and Pop Culture Group! Join us on Tuesdays at 10am and Fridays at 12pm for Pop Culture and Wednesdays at 12pm AND Thursdays at 12:45pm for Moving and Grooving.

Tuesday, September 1

Pop Culture Group: Cartoons and Animation

When:  Tuesday, September 1 from 10:00am-11:00am

What:  Pop Culture Group is an opportunity for clients to come together and connect over their common interests and explore new ideas at the same time. Come explore different styles of cartoons, animation, and comedy through illustrated art. We will learn, laugh, and watch in this upcoming session focused on cartoons and animation. This one is for the tv lovers! Pop Culture Group is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88042448634 at 10:00am to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. All are welcome!

LIFE Club:  Musical Instruments

When:  Tuesday, September 1 from 5:00pm-6:00pm

What: Join us for an evening of friendship, discussion, and learning! These interactive groups will focus on developing skills and confidence for social situations in a way that is fun and informative! Join us this week as we create and play our own musical instruments. Let’s get creative with the items in our house to make kazoos, drums, shakers…the possibilities are endless. We will end with a jam session.  LIFE Club is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88541386228 at 5:00pm to participate. Contact christopher.sharkey@supportinc.com or gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Wednesday, September 2

Moving and Grooving:  Tai Chi

When:  Wednesday, September 2 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  We will join together to discuss life’s stressors while improving the physical health of our bodies to create a healthy lifestyle by learning helpful social and exercise habits. Thisgroupwill incorporate a different movement activity every session. Join us for tai chi! There will be a tutorial and visuals for this fun and meditation based exercise. This is a great opportunity to be active during a virtual time. Adaptable for all abilities! Moving and Grooving is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85277454478  at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact ashley.treiber@supportinc.com or meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions.

Thursday, September 3

Touching Stories

When:  Thursday, September 3 from 11:00am-12:00pm

What: Touching Stories is a unique therapy model, specifically designed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, that pairs the social and emotional learning of story with sensory integration activities in a way that is educational, engaging, and simply, a lot of fun! We have adapted our Touching Stories for at home use. Gwen and Meredith will first lead participants in a scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items. If you are curious to learn more, please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcjzvevJ9_w&t=67s. Touching Stories is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86143640216 at 11:00am to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com or meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Moving and Grooving:  Dance Party

When:  Thursday, September 3 from 12:45pm-1:45pm

What:  We will join together to discuss life’s stressors while improving the physical health of our bodies to create a healthy lifestyle by learning helpful social and exercise habits. Thisgroupwill incorporate a different movement activity every session. This week we will celebrate all the hard work from the last few weeks in Moving and Grooving. Join us for a dance party where we will learn the classics like YMCA, The Macarena, Cupid Shuffle, the Chicken Dance and many others. Dancing is a great way to experience different muscle movement. is a great opportunity to be active during a virtual time. Adaptable for all abilities! Moving and Grooving is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83907174169 at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact ashley.treiber@supportinc.com for any questions.

Friday, September 4

Pop Culture Group: It’s Elementary!

When:  Friday, September 4 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  Pop Culture Group is an opportunity for clients to come together and connect over their common interests and explore new ideas at the same time. Join us as we explore the exciting genre of mystery. We will learn, watch and solve in this upcoming session focused on mysteries and unexplained phenomenon. The game is afoot! This week we will “get a clue” about what makes mysteries work. Pop Culture Group is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88042448634 at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. All are welcome!

Items Needed For Thursday, September 3

We’ll do two stories:

Scavenger Hunt for Henny Penny!

  1. Wooden Spoon
  2. Empty box or Hardcover book
  3. Something round like a nut
  4. Shirt with a pocket
  5. String
  6. “Pail” or a Jar or a bowl
  7. Berries or something that smells like berries
  8. Nails/Screws/etc
  9. Buttons
  10. Something Furry/Soft
  11. And get ready to make animal noises for a chicken, a duck, a cow, a goose, a pig, a sheep, and a fox

Scavenger Hunt for Obedient Jack!

  1. Yoga mat or towel

*Make sure to wear comfy clothes.

2983124

LIFE Club Events This Week!

Join us for some upcoming virtual events! Any and all are welcome!

We have now added another Moving & Grooving! Join us on Wednesdays at 12pm AND Thursdays at 12:45pm.

Tuesday, August 18

Pop Culture Group: Cartoons and Animation

When:  Tuesday, August 18 from 10:00am-11:00am

What:  Pop Culture Group is an opportunity for clients to come together and connect over their common interests and explore new ideas at the same time. Come explore different styles of cartoons, animation, and comedy through illustrated art. We will learn, laugh, and watch in this upcoming session focused on cartoons and animation. This one is for the tv lovers! Pop Culture Group is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88042448634 at 10:00am to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. All are welcome!

LIFE Club:  How to Mix Your Favorite Beverage

When:  Tuesday, August 18 from 5:00pm-6:00pm

What: Join us for an evening of friendship, discussion, and learning! These interactive groups will focus on developing skills and confidence for social situations in a way that is fun and informative! Join us as we make our favorite drinks. Be prepared to show us what beverage is the most refreshing and share some fun recipe ideas. What a great way to cool off through this summer heat! Please come prepared with any ingredients you’ll need to make your favorite drink.

LIFE Club is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89924525638 at 5:00pm to participate. Contact christopher.sharkey@supportinc.com or gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Wednesday, August 19

Moving and Grooving:  Join us again on Wednesday, August 26 for a sock hop!

Thursday, August 20

Touching Stories

When:  Thursday, August 20 from 11:00am-12:00pm

What: Touching Stories is a unique therapy model, specifically designed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, that pairs the social and emotional learning of story with sensory integration activities in a way that is educational, engaging, and simply, a lot of fun! We have adapted our Touching Stories for at home use. Gwen and Meredith will first lead participants in a scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items. If you are curious to learn more, please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcjzvevJ9_w&t=67s. Touching Stories is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86143640216 at 11:00am to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com or meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Moving and Grooving:  Join us again on Thursday, August 27 for adaptive yoga!

Friday, August 21

Pop Culture Group: Introducing Mysteries!

When:  Friday, August 21 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  Pop Culture Group is an opportunity for clients to come together and connect over their common interests and explore new ideas at the same time. Join us as we explore the exciting genre of mystery. We will learn, watch and solve in this upcoming session focused on mysteries and unexplained phenomenon. The game is afoot! This week will begin the next six week session. Pop Culture Group is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88042448634 at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. All are welcome!

Items Needed for Thursday, August 20

We’ll do two stories:

The Monster on Grandma’s Bed Scavenger Hunt!

Find the following items:

  1. A mixing bowl (preferably plastic of metal)
  2.  A big spoon
  3. A bottle of vanilla extract (or something that smells like vanilla)
  4. A pillow
  5. A stuffed animal (or something that feels furry)
  6. A flashlight
  7. A piece of black paper or cloth
  8. A fuzzy or soft blanket or towel

Lay the items out in order.

Rapunzel Scavenger Hunt!

  1. An herb or spice that smells fresh (basil, dill, mint, etc)
  2. A LONG piece of yarn, string, or rope (REALLY LONG if possible)
  3. Something with a smooth, flat surface — a dinner plate, a picture frame, or a mirror would work
  4. A small piece of silky fabric (a necktie, a silly handkerchief, etc.)
  5. Scissors
2983124

LIFE Club Events This Week!

Join us for some upcoming virtual events! Any and all are welcome!

We have now added another Moving & Grooving! Join us on Wednesdays at 12pm AND Thursdays at 12:45 p.m.

We will also offer a Sensory Walk opportunity on Friday at 10 a.m. Please see below for information!

Tuesday, August 11

LIFE Club:  State of the Group

When:  Tuesday, August 11 from 5:00pm-6:30pm

What: Join us for an evening of friendship, discussion, and learning! These interactive groups will focus on developing skills and confidence for social situations in a way that is fun and informative!This week we will take some time to check in to see how everyone is doing. We will discuss everyone’s likes and dislikes and reflect on how this year has gone. The evening will end with some fun games! LIFE Club is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89924525638 at 5:00pm to participate. Contact christopher.sharkey@supportinc.com or gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Wednesday, August 12

Moving and Grooving:  Strength

When:  Wednesday, August 12 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  We will join together to discuss life’s stressors while improving the physical health of our bodies to create a healthy lifestyle by learning helpful social and exercise habits. Thisgroupwill incorporate a different movement activity every session. This week is all about strength. What makes you strong? We will discuss different types of strengths and how it relates to both our inner and outer selves. This is a great opportunity to be active during a virtual time. Adaptable for all abilities! Moving and Grooving is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85277454478  at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact ashley.treiber@supportinc.com for any questions.

Thursday, August 13

Touching Stories

When:  Thursday, August 13 from 11:00am-12:00pm

What: Touching Stories is a unique therapy model, specifically designed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, that pairs the social and emotional learning of story with sensory integration activities in a way that is educational, engaging, and simply, a lot of fun! We have adapted our Touching Stories for at home use. Gwen and Meredith will first lead participants in a scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items. If you are curious to learn more, please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcjzvevJ9_w&t=67s. Touching Stories is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86143640216 at 11:00am to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com or meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Moving and Grooving:  You Pick It!

When:  Thursday, August 13 from 12:45pm-1:45pm

What:  We will join together to discuss life’s stressors while improving the physical health of our bodies to create a healthy lifestyle by learning helpful social and exercise habits. Thisgroupwill incorporate a different movement activity every session. This week is all about you! We will all get the chance to choose a song to dance to. Be sure to show us your best dance moves! This is a great opportunity to be active during a virtual time. Adaptable for all abilities! Moving and Grooving is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85277454478  at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact ashley.treiber@supportinc.com for any questions.

Friday, August 14

Sensory Walk

When:  Friday, August 12 from 10:00am-11:00am

What:  This is an excellent opportunity to get out and hang out with friends in a safe and social distancing way. Meet us site-based in the parking lot behind Day Program before we go for a sensory walk around the neighborhood. We will notice all the sights, sounds, smells, and touching in a safe and staggered environment. All clients and DSPs are welcome!

Instructions:  In order to participate,please contact Gwen at gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com. Please arrive no earlier that 9:30am and be prepared to be picked up no later than 11:30am. Masks will be required for this activity.

Address:  Support, Inc.

                  15591 E Centretech Pkwy

                 Aurora, CO 80011

Pop Culture Group: That’s a Wrap!

When:  Friday, August 14 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  Pop Culture Group is an opportunity for clients to come together and connect over their common interests and explore new ideas at the same time. Come explore different styles of cartoons, animation, and comedy through illustrated art. We will learn, laugh, and watch in this upcoming session focused on cartoons and animation. This one is for the tv lovers! Let’s take some time to reflect on all that we’ve experienced in the last few weeks. We want to hear your likes and dislikes and discuss our next topic for this group! This will end our first cartoon and animation session. Pop Culture Group is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88042448634 at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. All are welcome!

Items Needed for Thursday, August 13

We’ll do two stories:

Scavenger Hunt for How the Elephant Got Its Trunk!

Find the following items:

  1. A spray bottle
  2. Tongs
  3. A long sock
  4. Something that smells like flowers
  5. A banana or something that smells and/or tastes like a banana. Any fruit would be acceptable!

Scavenger Hunt for Obedient Jack!

  1. Yoga mat or towel

*Make sure to wear comfy clothes.

2983124

LIFE Club Events This Week!

Join us for some upcoming virtual events! Any and all are welcome!

We are switching to a different platform for LIFE Club. Please follow the links imbedded in this message to participate.

Tuesday, July 28

LIFE Club:  Game Night

When:  Tuesday, July 28 from 5:00pm-6:30pm

What: Join us for an evening of friendship, discussion, and learning! These interactive groups will focus on developing skills and confidence for social situations in a way that is fun and informative! This week we will go back to a classic and have a game night! We will play charades and other fun word games. Please follow the new link below to participate! LIFE Club is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow meet.google.com/cvq-xaya-swy at 5:00pm to participate. Contact christopher.sharkey@supportinc.com or gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Wednesday, July 29

Moving and Grooving:  Tai Chi

When:  Wednesday, July 29 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  We will join together to discuss life’s stressors while improving the physical health of our bodies to create a healthy lifestyle by learning helpful social and exercise habits. Thisgroupwill incorporate a different movement activity every session. This week will have a tai chi theme! There will be a tutorial and visuals for this fun and meditation based exercise. This is a great opportunity to be active during a virtual time. Adaptable for all abilities!

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85277454478  at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact ashley.treiber@supportinc.com for any questions.

Thursday, July 30

Touching Stories

When:  Thursday, July 30 from 11:00am-12:00pm

What: Touching Stories is a unique therapy model, specifically designed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, that pairs the social and emotional learning of story with sensory integration activities in a way that is educational, engaging, and simply, a lot of fun! We have adapted our Touching Stories for at home use. Gwen and Meredith will first lead participants in a scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items. If you are curious to learn more, please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcjzvevJ9_w&t=67s.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86143640216 at 11:00am to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com or meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Friday, July 31

Pop Culture Group:  Cartoons and Animation

When:  Friday, July 31 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  Pop Culture Group is an opportunity for clients to come together and connect over their common interests and explore new ideas at the same time. Come explore different styles of cartoons, animation, and comedy through illustrated art. We will learn, laugh, and watch in this upcoming session focused on cartoons and animation. Last we learned what “episodic” means. This week we are watching more than one episode and talking about how story lines can connect. This one is for the tv lovers!

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88042448634 at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. All are welcome!

Items Needed For Thursday, July 30

We’ll do two stories:

Scavenger Hunt for Henny Penny!

  1. Wooden Spoon
  2. Empty box or Hardcover book
  3. Something round like a nut
  4. Shirt with a pocket
  5. String
  6. “Pail” or a Jar or a bowl
  7. Berries or something that smells like berries
  8. Nails/Screws/etc
  9. Buttons
  10. Something Furry/Soft
  11. And get ready to make animal noises for a chicken, a duck, a cow, a goose, a pig, a sheep, and a fox

A Day at the Beach Scavenger Hunt!

  1. Shredded up newspaper (just a couple sheets)
  2. A plastic bag
  3. Something that smells like flowers (real flowers, a candle, perfume, etc.)
  4. Sandpaper (or something that feels gritty – a pumice stone, or the rough side of a scrubbing sponge)
  5. Vanilla (or something that smells like vanilla)
  6. Bubbles (you can get them at the dollar store or grocery store, but if that’s not available, a little  dish soap in water)
  7. Aluminum foil
  8. A towel
  9. Bandaid
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Host Home Provider of the Month

Please join us in congratulating our recent Host Home Provider of the Month, Christine Silitonga.

The following write-ups were produced by our Denver Metro 3 Team:

We first met Christine Silitonga in July of 2019 when her PRS was discharged from Wheat Ridge Regional Center to her home. From day one, he was considered part of her family and enjoyed BBQ’s, parties and other activities with them when able. Although it was challenging in the beginning due to increased symptoms of dementia, Christine kept moving forward, showing her love and compassion for this individual as he struggled through numerous health issues. She was dedicated, worked around the clock and always kept a positive attitude. Christine was there day in and day out while this person endured multiple hospitalizations. Hospital staff would call Christine for assistance as they could see how strong their bond was. She could calm this person down when he was in pain and feed him when he wouldn’t eat for anyone else. Christine, his med proxy, and team at Support, Inc worked together to challenge medical decisions to ensure he got the best care possible. She was an advocate for him, showed the world that he had a will to live and that he most certainly had a good quality of life.

After a recent hospitalization, Christine went to great lengths to set up this person’s room as though he were at the hospital so she could provide continuous care to him in the comfort of his own home. Those who previously worked with this individual, his case manager at the CCB and his whole team at Support, Inc will be forever grateful for the love and compassion that he was shown at Christine’s home and we know that if he could tell us now, he would say that he lived his best life, right up until his last breath.
-Dani Gordon/Associate Director, Support, Inc.

Christine has been an exemplary provider since I first met her, and I had no doubt our PRS would get amazing care. From the get-go, she showed a willingness to care for him no matter the difficulty. As this person’s health began to decline, she did everything in her power to treat him with love and dignity and was a true advocate. She always put him first, including staying numerous days and nights in the hospital with him to ensure he got the best care possible. She took on an amazing amount of health assignments to keep this individual healthy and happy at home. She did these things until he eventually passed on, but we never doubted her love and commitment to him every single day. Christine deserves this as much as any person in this organization. Congratulations Christine 🙂
-Jared Trembly/RPC, Support, Inc

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LIFE Club Events This Week!

Join us for some upcoming virtual events! Check out our new Pop Culture Group on Fridays.

Please follow the links imbedded in this message to participate.

Tuesday, July 14

LIFE Club:  The “Ungame”

When:  Tuesday, July 14 from 5:00pm-6:30pm

What: Join us for an evening of friendship, discussion, and learning! These interactive groups will focus on developing skills and confidence for social situations in a way that is fun and informative! The UnGame is the game with a thousand answers to every question!  In this non-competitive game, everybody wins as we learn more about each other by asking questions like “What would you do with a million dollars” and “If you were going to write a book, what would the title be?” LIFE Club is open to all.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89924525638 at 5:00pm to participate. Contact christopher.sharkey@supportinc.com or gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Wednesday, July 15

Moving and Grooving:  Adaptive Yoga

When:  Wednesday, July 15 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  We will join together to discuss life’s stressors while improving the physical health of our bodies to create a healthy lifestyle by learning helpful social and exercise habits. Thisgroupwill incorporate a different movement activity every session. Let’s slow down and take a day to get back to basics. We will stretch and focus on our inner strength by using adaptive yoga techniques. This is a great opportunity to be active during a virtual time. Adaptable for all abilities!

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85277454478  at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact ashley.treiber@supportinc.com for any questions.

Thursday, July 16

Touching Stories

When:  Thursday, July 16 from 11:00am-12:00pm

What: Touching Stories is a unique therapy model, specifically designed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, that pairs the social and emotional learning of story with sensory integration activities in a way that is educational, engaging, and simply, a lot of fun! We have adapted our Touching Stories for at home use. Gwen and Meredith will first lead participants in a scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items. If you are curious to learn more, please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcjzvevJ9_w&t=67s.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86143640216 at 11:00am to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com or meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Friday, July 17

Pop Culture Group:  Cartoons and Animation

When:  Friday, July 17 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  Pop Culture Group is an opportunity for clients to come together and connect over their common interests and explore new ideas at the same time. Come explore different styles of cartoons, animation, and comedy through illustrated art. We will learn, laugh, and watch in this upcoming session focused on cartoons and animation. This one is for the tv lovers!

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88042448634 at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. All are welcome!

Items Needed For Thursday, July 16

We’ll do two stories:

Scavenger Hunt for How the Elephant Got Its Trunk!

Find the following items:

  1. A spray bottle
  2. Tongs
  3. A long sock
  4. Something that smells like flowers
  5. A banana or something that smells and/or tastes like a banana. Any fruit would be acceptable!

Scavenger Hunt for Six Blind Men and the Elephant!

Find the following items:

  1. A spice tea bag, cinnamon, or something that smells like cinnamon
  2. A Hairbrush
  3. A piece of rope (or string)
  4.  A hand-held fan or a piece of cardboard
  5. A bucket or small plastic trash can
  6. A picture of an elephant (from a book, magazine or printed froma google image search)

Lay the items out in order.  Position the client so that (s)he is sitting within reach of a wall

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LIFE CLub Events This Week!

Join us for some upcoming virtual events! Check out our new Pop Culture Group on Fridays.

Please follow the links imbedded in this message to participate.

Tuesday, July 7

LIFE Club:  We are taking a break from LIFE Club for Tuesday, July 7. Join us again on Tuesday, July 14!

Wednesday, July 8

Moving and Grooving:  Diving into Summer

When:  Wednesday, July 8 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  We will join together to discuss life’s stressors while improving the physical health of our bodies to create a healthy lifestyle by learning helpful social and exercise habits. Thisgroupwill incorporate a different movement activity every session. This week we are truly diving into summer! We are moving and grooving to some summertime music so we can be ready to hit the pools when they open. This is a great opportunity to be active during a virtual time. Adaptable for all abilities!

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85277454478  at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact ashley.treiber@supportinc.com for any questions.

Thursday, July 9

Touching Stories

When:  Thursday, July 9 from 11:00am-12:00pm

What: Touching Stories is a unique therapy model, specifically designed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, that pairs the social and emotional learning of story with sensory integration activities in a way that is educational, engaging, and simply, a lot of fun! We have adapted our Touching Stories for at home use. Gwen will first lead participants in a scavenger hunt for the sensory items needed for the stories (all items are common items found in every home) and then will tell the sensory-based stories to the group. Please see the attached list for scavenger hunt items. If you are curious to learn more, please watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcjzvevJ9_w&t=67s.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86143640216 at 11:00am to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact gwen.bonilla@supportinc.com for any questions. Everyone is welcome!

Friday, July 10

Pop Culture Group:  Reflection

When:  Friday, July 10 from 12:00pm-1:00pm

What:  Pop Culture Group is an opportunity for clients to come together and connect over their common interests and explore new ideas at the same time. Come explore different styles of music and comedy for the next six weeks as we discuss, sing, dance, and laugh. Let’s take some time to reflect on all that we’ve experienced in the last few weeks. We want to hear your likes and dislikes and discuss our next topic for this group! This will end our comedy and music session.

Instructions:  In order to participate, please follow https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88042448634 at 12:00pm to participate. Everyone is welcome! Contact meredith.kane@supportinc.com for any questions. All are welcome!

Items Needed for Thursday, July 9

We’ll do two stories:

Scavenger Hunt for Little Red Riding Hood!

A Red piece of fabric (big enough to be placed around head and shoulder)

A clove of garlic or garlic powder

A stick or tree branch

Something that smells like flowers

A blanket

A piece of wood or other hard surface

A beach ball or other large ball

A cloth glove

A toothpick

A pillow

Scavenger Hunt for Henny Penny!

Wooden Spoon

Empty box or Hardcover book

Something round like a nut

Shirt with a pocket

String

“Pail” or a Jar or a bowl

Berries or something that smells like berries

Nails/Screws/etc

Buttons

Something Furry/Soft

And get ready to make animal noises for a chicken, a duck, a cow, a goose, a pig, a sheep, and a fox