Check Out The Latest SmartHomes Newsletter

The latest SmartHomes newsletter is available online.

Click here to check it out.  

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Representatives of East Carolina Behavioral Health are planning to visit Colorado next Thursday, June 5, to tour one of our SmartHomes and to learn more about Imagine!'s approach to applying technology, including consumer tech, remote monitoring, and enterprise technology.

Donna And Gerald Get Bolder

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome residents Donna and Gerald participated in the Bolder Boulder this past Memorial Day. From the looks of the pictures, it appears they had a great time!

Technology Tuesday

In order for us to be successful at using technology to improve the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities, we must ensure our staff members are also comfortable with and understand the various technologies we are using. This picture is from a training taking place at the Charles Family SmartHome. Site Supervisor Chris DiRosa says: “This month we are focusing on adaptive communication device training. A Dynovox is a fantastic tool to allow many of our residents to communicate and control their environment through the use of technology. Dynovox users at our SmartHome are able to control their TVs, radios, and lights all through the use of their adaptive devices. Because of the amazing work being done here by Imagine!, residents are able to enhance their independence and express themselves like never before! Pictured is Isaac (with Toby assisting) teaching a class on device set up and troubleshooting.”

Donna Uses Computer To Make Personalized Card

Here’s one of the many simple ways Imagine! SmartHome residents are able to use technology to stay in touch with friends and families. In the photo, Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Donna shows a card she made on the computer. It’s a note to her friend Aneta, who sends Donna nice notes regularly.

Mandy Just Called To Say . . .

This blog post came to us in an email from Kelly Faus, who is an Instructor in Imagine!s CORE/Labor Source department. One of the classes Kelly teaches is a music class that is held at KGNU radio station in Boulder, and the class, which includes Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Mandy, recently finished another song, their take on Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called To Say I Loved You." Take a listen below.

The musicians in the song are as follows:
--Vocals by Scott
--Organ Sound by Mandy
--Guitar Sounds by Frank
--Drum Sounds by Frank and Scott

Scott wanted to give this song to his girlfriend as a gift.  The class will put all of their work into an album once they finish one more song!  They have previously recorded a cover of Derek and the Dominos' "Layla" and "Mandy's Song," written by Mandy.

Can't see the video? Click here. 

A Cool Meeting

This photo below was taken yesterday afternoon, as Lana, Donna, and John were leaving their monthly Innovations Advocacy Council meeting. The housemates from the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder have been volunteering as members of the Innovations Advocacy Council for the past year.

Yesterday's agenda included discussing the creation of a logo for the council, having a table at Imagine!'s Supported Living Services Provider Fair on May 29, and the Family Model for residential services.

John, displaying his typical positive attitude, came out of the two hour meeting with a smile and when asked about the meeting, replied, "It's cool." John's enthusiasm made us wonder how many of us come out of a two hour meeting feeling like that! Well done John.

Technology Tuesday

Imagine!’s PR Director Fred Hobbs recently contributed an article to “Frontline Initiative,” a publication of the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals, about Imagine!’s use of social media and how organizations and DSPs looking to use social media to support the individuals they serve need to be strategic. The article is below (click on the article to get a bigger view), or you can click here to see the entire publication.

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

We’d like to thank Dennis L. Coombs, Mayor of the City of Longmont, for touring the Charles Family SmartHome in Longmont this past Friday.

Congratulatons, Leona

 

Today we’d like to offer our congratulations to Leona Stoecker, a great friend of Imagine!'s SmartHomes who has been awarded the prestigious Stan Black Award by the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County.

Leona Stoecker is a truly remarkable woman who has made a tremendous difference in our community. After more than two decades of direct involvement with government service at the local, county, and regional levels, including serving as Mayor of the City of Longmont from 1993-2001, she has since devoted herself to community service in the non-profit sector. In most cases, she has risen quickly to a position of leadership from which she has been able to guide each organization to strengthen and improve itself and the services it provides. It would be difficult to find another person in our area who has made similar contributions of effort and time or who could match Leona’s ability to rapidly understand a need and to involve and inspire just the right people to help.

Leona’s involvement with the Imagine! Foundation typifies her commitment to all of the non-profits she has served. In 2006, the Foundation board sought to increase awareness of its operations in Longmont, where it supported nearly 1,000 vulnerable members of the community. Research and discussion with Longmont residents led the Foundation board to believe that Leona could be the key to that effort. Board members met with Leona in January 2007, and she attended the annual Imagine! Celebration event later that month, followed by a board meeting in March. She was immediately enthusiastic and truly moved by the work Imagine! does in the community. The Imagine! Foundation signed her up then and there, and she jumped right in!

Leona has gone above and beyond even the Foundation’s greatest hopes in bringing the Imagine! message to Longmont. She has spoken to every Rotary Club, the Philanthropic Educational Organization, grandparent groups of children with developmental disabilities, and many other community organizations. She has talked with senior management and reporters at the Longmont Times-Call and has been able to interest them in developing many stories about Imagine! and its services and clients. She has also invited a large number of people to the Imagine! Celebration, has secured auction items for the event, and has donated a “Year of Baked Bread” (which has sold for up to $2,500!) for seven consecutive years. She has even established an endowment at the Longmont Community Foundation in Imagine!’s name.

Leona has developed a very personal relationship with the residents and staff members at Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome. She often rides her bike over to the SmartHome with home-baked cookies to share. When she heard that the SmartHome needed a dining room table, she found a beautiful table top at a consignment store, persuaded the owner to donate it, and then found someone to make the table legs! Because of the deep connection she has with the SmartHome’s residents, she has played an integral part in raising community awareness and funding for the facility. A perfect example is the day she spent at the Charity Hole of the Longmont Chamber’s Commerce Cup Golf Tournament in 2009. As each cart rolled up to the hole – for five hours straight – Leona greeted each foursome with a brochure and a story about Imagine! and the Charles Family SmartHome. Because almost every player already knew and respected Leona, she was able to gently but enthusiastically encourage each person’s support. That event and countless other meetings with potential donors, talks to groups, and scores of SmartHome tours that she set up, accompanied, and often led (34 tours to date involving 179 individuals!) have resulted in critical funding being raised. Thanks in great measure to her efforts, nearly $1,180,000 has been secured for the Longmont SmartHome to date, despite the very tight economy.

What is amazing is that the enormous impact she has had through the Imagine! Foundation board is only ONE example of this marvelous woman’s influence, which has been replicated for the many organizations with which she has been involved throughout her adult life.

Congratulations, Leona! We are so fortunate for your support and incredibly grateful for your hard work on behalf of the individuals we serve.

Stacey And Her Mom Enjoy A Special Mother’s Day

Last Saturday, Charles Family SmartHome resident Stacey and her mother attended a special Mother's Day tea party at New Horizons Christian Church. They entered in via a red carpet and were announced as Lady Stacy and her mother. A group of five men (including her housemate Toby and SmartHome Site Supervisor Chris DiRosa) served them tea and lunch. It was a special day and Toby and Chris even put on bow-ties to give the ladies the royal treatment!

National And International Tourists

Members of Imagine!’s SmartHome team spent a productive day yesterday with some national and international visitors. Pictured, from left to right, John Bullis, Chairman of the Board, New York-based Human Technologies, Nicholas Mihalaras, CEO, Australia-based Orana, Bill Filmer, President of the Board, Orana, and Rick Sebastian, CEO, Human Technologies. The quartet’s day included a tour of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome, a tour of Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source technology lab, and a spirited discussion on a wide range of topics including supported employment, fundraising, and social media use. Thanks for spending the day with us!

Technology Tuesday

A group of University of Colorado students in Professor Melinda Piket-May's Spring 2014 Engineering class worked on adaptive equipment projects for individuals served by Imagine!. Check out this video of this project made by the students, a wireless train set created for Toby, who lives in Imagine!’s Charles Family SmartHome. Toby has limited use of his arms, so a special head switch was created so he could operate the trains by himself! Super cool!

 
Can’t see the video? Click here.

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Scheduled to meet with Imagine! representatives and tour the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome tomorrow: Rick Sebastian, CEO of Utica, New York’s Human Technologies Corporation, along with some colleagues visiting from South Australia who provide support services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Stacey Solos At Church

Last Sunday, Charles Family SmartHome resident Stacey got her day on the big stage as she played with her church band. Stacey loved playing for a packed house and even got some solo time too! Thanks to her friend Bill who helped surprise her and set it up!

In The News

The May edition of Apostrophe magazine, a magazine for, by, and about people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, features a story about Imagine!’s SmartHomes and the SmartHome built by our good friends at New York-based Living Resources.

Check out the article here. 

Wish Granted!

The Imagine! Foundation recently started a new effort to increase opportunities for donations that will help Imagine! meet its mission – The Wish List. The Wish List includes items that would augment and enhance Imagine! programs for the individuals we serve.

Well, we’ve already had our first wish granted!

Many thanks are in order for former member of Imagine!’s Board of Directors Mark Zentner for donating a gently used treadmill for the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome. The treadmill was delivered May 1. Below is a picture of Lana getting a good workout on the newly donated item.

Thank you Mark, for your generous donation!

Technology Tuesday

A group of University of Colorado students in Professor Melinda Piket-May's Spring 2014 Engineering class worked on adaptive equipment projects for individuals served by Imagine!. Check out this video of students demonstrating a wheelchair arm guard, designed to protect an individual who uses a wheelchair for mobility but has injured his arm in the past when using the wheelchair. The video is a little dark at first, but the lighting gets better in the middle.

 
Can’t see the video? Click here. 

Huggable

Let’s start the week off right with a charming picture of Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome residents Chris and Rae hugging each other. They clearly enjoy each other’s company!

Happy Birthday, Wes!

Wishing the happiest of birthdays today to Charles Family SmartHome resident Wes. Make it a great one, Wes!

Happy Birthday, Chris!

Wishing the happiest of birthdays today to Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Chris. Make it a great one, Chris!

Fun At The Zoo

A couple of weekends ago, Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome staff member Max went to the Denver Zoo with Gerald, Lana, Donna and John. Looks like they had a great time!