Marguerite Salazar SmartHome Tour

We had a great tour of the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome yesterday with Marguerite Salazar, Regional Director for Region VIII of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Joining Director Salazar were Doyle Forrestal, Regional Outreach Specialist for Region VIII of the US Department of Health and Human Services, and Todd Saliman, from Policy Matters. The tour guides were Imagine! CEO Mark Emery, SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems, SmartHome Project Manager Sterling Wind, and Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome Site Supervisor Chantelle Tweten.

Director Salazar asked some insightful questions, including our favorite question: “How can I help?” The tour guides gave some concrete examples of how she can help champion our goal of using technology to serve some of our most vulnerable citizen, and Director Salazar promised to share information with her boss, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.

Thanks for taking a tour, Director Salazar!

A Zolo/SmartHome Thanksgiving

Last week, Dave Query and the Big Red F Restaurant Group hosted a free Thanksgiving Dinner for Imagine! clients and their families at Zolo Southwestern Grill in Boulder.  This is te eighth year he has hosted this event.

Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome residents were on hand to enjoy the meal, seen in the picture below.

The event was once again a huge success. 360 meals were served in three seatings -- turkey, dressing, all the trimmings, pumpkin pie. Donations to Imagine! at the event came to $816, and one generous person left a check for $500. What a great day!

Thanks to Dave, Zolo staff, and all the volunteers for creating another special Thanksgiving for the people Imagine! serves.

Check Out The Latest SmartHome Newsletter

Imagine!’s latest SmartHome newsletter is online. Check it out by clicking here.

And you can sign up to have the newsletter emailed to you every month! Just click here.

Happy Thanksgiving From Chris

A short “Happy Thanksgiving” wish from Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome resident Chris.

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHome?

Another VIP has scheduled a tour of Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome.

On Saturday, December 3, the SmartHome team is looking forward to welcoming U.S. Senator Mark Udall and to demonstrating the many technologies in the homes that are designed to improve the lives of residents and that one day may be used in individual or family homes to increase independence among people with developmental disabilities.  Thanks, Sen. Udall.

You can be a VIP tourist, too! Click here to sign up online for your own SmartHome tour.

Guess Who's Touring The SmartHomes?

Scheduled to tour Imagine!’s Bob and Judy Charles SmartHomes next week: Patti Micklin, Development Director for our good friends at Special Transit.

How Technology Can Increase Employment Opportunities For Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

Imagine!’s SmartHomes guru Greg Wellems is currently attending the Alliance for Full Participation’s 2011 Summit. This year’s summit is focusing on employment.

Our experience with our SmartHomes tells us technology has a role in increasing employment opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Click here to read one such story, about SmartHome resident Gerald, who is using technology to do inventory work and communications work.

The coolest part of the story? A few short years ago Gerald couldn’t read, write, or count to 10! Technology has changed all that, and the opportunities for more stories like Gerald’s are limitless!