2012 Lifeworks Self-Advocacy Summit: Influencing Change

submitted by James Houck, marketing assistant

Influencing change in the world starts with using your own voice. On a sunny September morning, Lifeworks self-advocates and staff from seven different program locations- Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Burnsville, Eagan, Hastings, Minneapolis and Mankato, began to arrive at Mayflower Community Church in Minneapolis to learn about and rally around self-empowerment and creating positive change in the community.

Individuals with disabilities are greatly impacted by decisions made though our political system. This year’s Lifeworks Self Advocacy Summit, “Influencing Change,” focused on how people with disabilities can use their own voices and personal stories to help politicians understand what kinds of support they need from the government.

Keynote speaker, Anni Simons, speaking at the 2012 Lifeworks Self-Advocacy Summit

The keynote speaker, Anni Simons, inspired the group with her message of self-empowerment and call to political action. Anni is a senior policy and program manager for the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, an organization that supports access to needed services, empowerment and choice, and quality of care for people with disabilities. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Madison with her B.A. in Social Work, and from the Columbia University School of Social Work in New York City with her M.A. in Social Policy.

Anni’s prominent message was that people with disabilities have the most power to advocate on their own behalf to politicians. She shared that during legislative sessions where voting occurs around issues that impact people with disabilities, politicians are strongly influenced by the personal stories that people share when considering how to vote. Stories of struggle, success, and positive life changes carry the most heartfelt impact and give ammo to convince others in the political arena to support them. Anni articulated this point by saying, “It will be hard for people to involve us in change if we’re not being clear about what we want to see.”

Anni passionately urged everyone in the room to make appointments, write letters, send emails, and make phone calls to their representatives. She asserted that we all have power to make change, but that we must also act on our own behalf to realize that power,

“If we want to make sure that changes happen in a way that we would like, we’re going to have to be involved.”

Aside from sharing personal stories, another way that Anni suggests to get involved is to join work groups. Work groups are formed by the state whenever changes to legislation are proposed. The work groups are mostly populated with citizens whom the proposed changes would affect. During meetings, each member gets to weigh in on the issues in question and share their opinion of how the proposed legislation should or shouldn’t be enacted.

Anni also shared that a big way we can enact change is to vote for politicians who we believe will listen to us and work to pass legislation in our benefit. This involves being educated on the issues and making the effort to get out and vote.

Anni Simons and Lifeworks self-advocate David Spragg deep in conversation at the summit.

When Anni finished speaking, the room erupted with eager cheers and clapping. Lori Horstman, client from Lifeworks Bloomington excitedly proclaimed, “Oh, I liked her! She was a very good speaker!” Lori’s enthusiasm mirrored the collective positivity that was mounting throughout the room. I later had the chance to speak with David Spragg, Lifeworks Brooklyn Park self-advocate, about why being a self-advocate is important to him. He commented, “I would like to see people with disabilities get out of their homes and be a part of their community and see what they can do- be a part of the change rather than just having other people make the changes.” David also proclaimed his own dedication for self-advocating by saying,

“I want to be a part of the change, so it’s not just their voice- it’s my voice too.”

Annie Smith (left) and Kath Pengelly (right), serving lunch

The group then took a break to enjoy a delicious lunch from Jimmy John’s served by warm and friendly Lifeworks staff, Kath Pengelly, volunteer and advocate coordinator, Annie Smith, client services coordinator, and Vicki Gerrits, vice president of service development and family and government relations.

Lifeworks self-advocates designing their art squares to display during trips to the capitol

When finished eating their lunches, clients had the opportunity to participate in an art project. Every client was asked to pick up a pens and markers and draw or write about what’s important to them on a fabric square. The squares will then be sewn together into a giant flag which will be displayed during trips to the capitol by Lifeworks self-advocates when the legislative session starts this January.

Self-advocates from Lifeworks Mankato presented on Temple Grandin and included a model of the “hug machine” that she invented.

After lunch and designing art squares, several Lifeworks self-advocate groups took to the stage to share PowerPoint presentations on their favorite and most inspiring advocates and leaders of change. Lifeworks Brooklyn Park clients educated the group on Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Mother Teresa. Lifeworks Hastings clients shared their interest in Abraham Lincoln and his part in the abolition of slavery. Lifeworks Mankato clients brought to life the story of Temple Grandin by including several posters and even a life-sized model of the deep-pressure device invented by Grandin to help calm hyper-sensitive persons, especially those with Autism.

Following the PowerPoint presentations, there was a rally led by Vicki Gerrits, Anni Simons, and Nathan Voltz, program supervisor at Lifeworks St. Paul. Through motivational words and expressive gestures, including call and response chanting, each speaker enthused the eager group of Lifeworks self-advocates to engage with the political system by voting and sharing their stories of struggle and triumph with their representatives.

As a further point of rallying the group and unifying the conviction to advocate, clients were encouraged to sign a poster board that says, “I commit to influencing change.” By signing the poster board, Lifeworks self-advocates solidified their resolve to advocate on their own behalf and influencing change.

Lifeworks self-advocates lining up to sign the, “I commit to influencing change,” poster board

At the end of the summit, I spoke briefly with Anni. She commented that she really enjoys getting out into the community to share her passion for self-advocacy with others. Part of her job is to attend legislative sessions and stay current with relevant politics, but she is also fueled to make personal connections with the individuals she advocates for. She said that at the end of the day, all of this advocating and political influence boils down to transformation. Decisions made by our legislation directly affect all of us. Anni believes that advocating for yourself and others has a positive, powerful effect on your community,

“It’s all about changing people’s lives.”

When you leave someone out, what are you missing?

At the invitation of the University of St. Thomas, Lifeworks and Midwest Special Services (MSS) joined forces to create an art exhibit for America’s largest diversity and inclusion conference, the Multicultural Forum on Workplace Diversity at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Diversity is Enrichment is an art installation of works presented by Lifeworks and MSS.

The exhibit celebrates diversity and innovation in the workplace highlighted by a collection of human form sculptures created from reclaimed and found materials by artists with disabilities. Using re-purposed and recycled supplies demonstrates diversity and invites the viewer to consider innovative solutions.

The installation places over 35 sculptures in a circle – representing community, interdependence, and reliance on one another. Within the circle, each unique work of art represents the distinctive role of the individual in life and in our community.

Each figure plays an important role in the arrangement – which leads the audience to ask, “When you leave someone out, what are you missing?”

Where Should We Go for Lunch?

Submitted by: Kath Pengelly, volunteer and advocate coordinator at Lifeworks

Famous Civil Rights Activist, Cesar Chavez, once said, “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone’s house and eat with him.” Well every other Wednesday, Theresa and John Dahlberg have definitely extended their friendship to Scott Strohman(Lifeworks client) as they meet for lunch on the second floor of the Securian Building in downtown St. Paul for lunch.  

It isn’t exactly anyone’s house but instead a bustling gathering space on the second floor of a large corporation. A meal is shared, interesting conversation exchanged  and absolutely friendship has occurred. Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting with Theresa, John, Scott and his job coach, Beth Coppock. Theresa and John have now been volunteering during their lunch time for one and a half years. I asked them, “Why do you do this?” Theresa was quick to respond,

“Scott is so friendly, fun and he amazes John and I with his knowledge of sports and music. This is an easy way for us to volunteer and give back to our community.”  

Scott shares the same enthusiasm about the lunch time meetings. He said, “ It is so nice to have someone to talk to, and meet someone new. John likes sports too. I like having the company of others and finding out what they are like.” 

Theresa added, “Recently I ran into Scott outside of work. We both went to the Winter Carnival on the weekend. What a nice surprise to see him there too.” 

Theresa, Scott & John

I asked if they would recommend this volunteer opportunity to anyone else. “Both John and Theresa answered at the same time, “Yes, this is an easy way to volunteer while you are at work- meet someone twice a month for an hour at a time.”  

Scott’s job coach, Beth Coppock, said that Scott’s job as a Securian Mail Center Messenger requires him to be completely focused on his work. Having a scheduled day and time to meet with Theresa and John is an intentional time to make a friend. Beth went on to say that there are other people served by Lifeworks at Securian who also have Securian volunteers meeting them for lunch but she can certainly use more. 

Having a friend is something we all want. Friendship expands our individual worlds. To have a friend and be a friend brings more meaning to our lives. If you currently work at one of our employers, contact me if you would like to schedule a lunchtime volunteer opportunity. If you would like to come to one of our centers for lunch, conversation and friendship, there are people waiting there too for a lunch time friend. Call me at 651-365-3720 or email me at kpengelly@lifeworks.org

Who knows where things will go over lunch? When I left Scott, Theresa and John they were heading toward the food court at the Norwest Center.

 

2012 Traveling Art Show

Artists with developmental disabilities created more than 100 works that were juried by Walker Art Center’s Scott Stulen and Courtney Gerber. These twelve works were then chosen for the show. The show will travel around the Twin Cites at various galleries and businesses throughout the year. 

To view beautiful full size pictures and details about the art, visit the Lifeworks Flickr Page.

2012 Leadership Circle Luncheon

On Thursday, February 2, Lifeworks celebrated the generosity of its donors during the annual Leadership Circle Luncheon. The event, held at the Mendakota Country Club in Mendota Heights, recognizes donors who give $500 or more during the preceding calendar year.

Barbara Baumann welcoming event attendees

Barbara A. Baumann, board chair, second vice president at Securian Financial Group, welcomed the group and shared that Lifeworks raised over $800,000 in 2011. Baumann also highlighted the great and innovative services that Lifeworks initiated, supported, and made better thanks to the generous gifts of Lifeworks donors.

 After Baumann’s introduction, Lifeworks President and CEO Judy Lysne recognized donors individually with Leadership Circle gifts, including exclusively designed clay tiles by artist and friend of Lifeworks, Laura McCaul, and card sets and limited edition mugs featuring artwork by Lifeworks clients.

Leadership Circle gifts: painted turtle tile, mugs, and cards

Beth Huss: In pursuit of a career, but taking the road less traveled

 Submitted by Kath Pengelly, volunteer and advocate coordinator at Lifeworks

 

In Robert Frost’s famous poem, The Road Not Taken, he describes two roads diverged in a yellow wood and which road should he take in pursuit of his goal. Meet Beth Huss, a student at Argosy University, in pursuit of a PsyD in Psychology. Someday Beth will be a Clinical Psychologist helping people help themselves, but for now she balances studies, practicum assignments, and volunteer work. We are grateful she chose to come to Lifeworks rather than a large hospital or clinic to share her time.

 

Beth Huss, volunteer at Lifeworks Burnsville

Beth began to volunteer at Lifeworks in October of 2010. She was new to the area, she wanted to help others, and because of her studies she wanted to learn more about people with disabilities. She has dependably continued, once a week, three hours per week, meeting people where they are at and providing them with something they hunger for, one to one time. Beth moves quietly from person to person getting to know each one as an individual, their interests, dislikes and communication styles. She knows who likes to have their hand held while the fingernail polish dries, who likes to do the same jigsaw puzzle each week, and which board games are the favorite.

In the last fifteen months, Beth has spent more than 140 hours getting to know people as friends, not someone with a disability. I asked her what made her come back week after week and she told me that she always feels welcome at our Burnsville center. She feels appreciated and enjoys helping others.

Beth’s studies are taking her in a new direction this next semester and she won’t be able to come back to Burnsville for her weekly visits until sometime next summer. I told her we will be waiting and that she is welcome anytime her schedule reopens. There will always be someone who would love to have Beth spend uninterrupted time playing a game, painting their nails, giving a hand lotion massage or doing the same puzzle.

Robert Frost ends his poem with these lines: I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Thank you, Beth Huss, for making a difference in our lives. How about you? You could make all the difference to someone. Do you have time to volunteer; spending time with one person, getting to know what they enjoy, and perhaps making a new friend? Please call me, Kath Pengelly, at 651-365-3720.

Write On! Lifeworks and Loyola High School

In October of 2010 handwritten letters started passing back and forth between Loyola High School and Lifeworks Mankato. Seventeen Loyola students from Valerie Koch’s class were paired with clients from Lifeworks using letter writing to foster inclusion, assist our clients with reading and writing, but most of all create an opportunity to share friendship.

Julia Bray puts the laptop aside to write a handwritten letter

The idea of having a pen pal dates back to World War II when classrooms of US children were matched with children in other countries. The goal of pen pal programs was to provide a window into different cultures, acknowledge differences, celebrate the similarities, and also encourage literacy. The goal remains the same today.

It has always been a thrill of mine to go to the mail box and find a hand written letter. Don’t get me wrong, I love the immediacy of email and I appreciate spell check, but there is nothing like sitting down to read and reread a hand written letter. Personal correspondence can capture the particular feelings of a time and place as nothing else can. Letters form a personal record of a life lived.

Valerie Koch, the teacher and our partner at Loyola, and I were looking for a way for her students to volunteer given the fact that it had to fit into the school day and the idea of the Write On program was born. Of course there were ground rules established to launch the program; no identifying information was shared like last names, phone numbers, email or home addresses. The information that traveled back and forth was basic, getting to know you types of questions like, what is your favorite color, what kind of music do you like, what is your favorite TV show, or how far have you ever traveled away from home?

Lifeworks client Chrissy Smisek chats with her Loyola High school writing partner

After months of corresponding we gathered in the gym at Loyola for a “meet and greet” party. I quizzed our clients as they walked from the parking lot to the high school and asked them what they thought about the Write On program. Their answers were exactly what I had expected them to say, over and over again I heard,

“It was fun. I liked getting letters, I got to know a new person, she liked movies and Justin Bieber too.”

There were a few awkward moments as pen pals were introduced to each other but soon the smiles were out in full force as the pen pals shared the snacks and reinforced the things that they had learned about each other.

I asked Valerie to poll her students about their experience with us. I asked her to check whether her students had also enjoyed the activity. One student said,

“Yes, it was fun writing and getting to meet my pen pal. It was fun meeting them in person and how they remembered a lot of things from my letters.” Another student answered, “Yes, well, doing volunteer work makes me feel value.”

I was curious to know if the students felt that they had learned anything about people with disabilities. The Loyola students responded,

“They really aren’t different from us.” “They share a lot of interests that I have.” “People with disabilities want people’s care and they want friendship just like I do.”

Finally I wanted to know whether this experience had changed their thoughts about people with disabilities and this answer confirmed that this was a good project.  Loyola students responded,

“It gave me more respect for them.” “I learned that people with disabilities like the same things that I do.”

Valerie and I are gearing up for the fall of 2011, the Write On project will definitely be a repeat. A typed or email letter can never provide the feeling that a hand written note brings. Each letter in an email is a laser copy of each other letter, there is emotional warmth that comes from handwriting. Thank you Loyola High School for volunteering with Lifeworks, enjoy the summer and we will write to you in the fall.

Written by Kath Pengelly, volunteer and advocate coordinator, Lifeworks Services

A Night to Remember – Lifeworks 2011 Annual Celebration

On April 21, more than 850 people gathered at The Depot in Minneapolis to celebrate and honor Lifeworks clients and those who support them at the 2011 Lifeworks Annual Celebration, “Better Together.”  

The 2011 Lifeworks Annual Celebration

View more event photos on our Flickr page.

The evening began with a cocktail reception for all guests in The Depot’s Great Hall. Guests welcomed each other, viewed the Lifeworks Traveling Art Show, and bid on framed artwork by Lifeworks clients. Guests later moved to The Depot’s Pavilion for dinner and the evening’s program.

In her opening remarks, Judy Lysne, president and CEO of Lifeworks kicked off the program and introduced the nights theme, Better Together.

“On our own we can do some pretty great things; together, anything is possible.” said Lysne.

By the end of the evening, Judy’s statement was continuously reinforced. Many guests were moved to tears watching inspiring videos highlighting achievements of each of the year’s award winners, including:

Employer of the Year

 Dart Transit

Advocate of the Year

Brenna Finke, volunteer at Lifeworks Brooklyn Park

Personal Achievement

Kerry Houston, client of Lifeworks Brooklyn Park and employed at Unitron Hearing

Personal Achievement

Joe Branham, client of Lifeworks Burnsville and employed at Ecolab

Auctioneer Glen Fladeboe at the Lifeworks Annual Celebration

Following the award presentation, auctioneer Glen Fladeboe took the floor for a live auction and a special ask for transportation. After all was said and done, Lifeworks had raised nearly $117,000 through sponsorships, registrations, auctions, and donations. Thank  you everyone for your generous support!

As guests left the hall with farewells and smiling faces, it was obvious that this was truly a night to remember.

U of M Dental Therapy Students Make Teeth Happy at Lifeworks.

Brush, brush, brush your teeth
At least two times a day.
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning,
Fighting tooth decay.

We all know it is important to brush our teeth regularly, floss everyday and see our dentist twice a year for check ups. Sometimes going to see the dentist can be a stressful experience and so for that reason Lifeworks has partnered with the University of Minnesota for more than five years to host dental hygiene students in a community outreach partnership.

This year our partnership with the university offered an unexpected surprise. The students that came to Lifeworks were members of the very first Dental Therapy class at the U of MN. Dental Therapy is a newly created career path at the university. This year’s students will be among the first in the nation to graduate with the degree. Their program is the only midlevel provider education program in the country that is affiliated with an accredited school of dentistry.

Their degree does not allow diagnosis but will prepare them to provide preventative and restorative care for patients whose issues are straight forward and without complication.

Our clients always look forward to having the students come, review proper oral hygiene and talk about the importance of good dental health. This year’s students participated at the Minneapolis and Brooklyn Park centers. On their first visit they offered a pretest of dental health knowledge and then each week added more information about brushing, flossing, rinsing and regular dental visits.

I asked the Minneapolis clients what they had learned and what they would remember from this year’s students. Hands went up all over the room.

“They taught us the dos and don’ts of brushing.” “They said go to the dentist every year for your check up.” “Take care of your teeth so we don’t get cavities or denture.” “Having clean teeth and good breathe is important to getting a job.” And finally, “Tell them to come back again next year, we like to have them.”

Having the students come is an effort to create a friendly way to interact with the dentist and hopefully reduce stress for the future. But the purpose is a two fold, we also want to expose these future dental professionals to the people we support so they will have a comfort level too. I asked the students who came to our Minneapolis center what they will take away from being with us. All three said the experience was both fun and also educational.

“We had to learn to adapt our techniques and be ready to improvise”, said Brandi Tweeter.

Denae Helton added, “This experience will put us at ease when we have someone with a disability at the office. The more interactions that we have the opportunity for will create more comfort both groups.”

And finally Lindsey Tischer said, “I learned that people with disabilities are just like everyone else. This has been a good experience to establish relationships. I think we learned just as much as we tried to teach.”

Our clients were sad when the Dental Therapy students completed their community outreach hours and we had to say goodbye. We look forward to next year’s class and we wish this group all the best as they pursue their new careers. They will graduate in December of 2011. Thanks for spending time with Lifeworks, now don’t forget to floss!

Leah and Laura. The Summer Ladies from Gustavus.

Leah and Laura – both students at Gustavus College in St. Peter, both studying psychology, both have warm smiles and sparkling eyes, and both have names that start with that start with an L.   Leah is volunteering at the Eagan center and is passionate about dance and creative movement. Laura is volunteering at the Hastings center and is passionate about art, pottery in particular.

Leah, Laura, Birds, and Art

Laura and Leah have been volunteering with us since early June and I had a chance to sit down with them this week to gather feedback about their Lifeworks experience. Neither young woman  had previous experience spending time with adults with disabilities, and both said early in the conversation that they were surprised about how easy it is to build relationships with clients at Lifeworks.

Every Wednesday Laura goes with a group of Hastings clients and staff to observe birds in a local park. Earlier this year the Hastings center was awarded a grant from Cornell University to do bird observation and data collection for the summer. Laura said that there are 16 birds that the group is assigned to look for using binoculars, eyes, and ears. She said they each created bird books and studied bird calls, it seemed like a big task in the beginning but now the members of the group know all sixteen birds both by sight and call. “Amazing,” she said.

Laura has also been impressed by the level of creative talent at the Hastings center. “The art is remarkable,” she said. “There is a dragon mosaic that one person made that is so intricate and beautiful.” Next week she will be going to the Dakota county fair with the client artists to see their work be displayed for the public, hopefully with a blue ribbon attached.

Leah has been moving through the Eagan center, spending time in each program room, finding out what makes that room and its members unique and different. She told me she was surprised at how easy it was to build relationships with our clients. I asked her why and she said, “Every one is so friendly, so welcoming, their personalities are so genuine. This is refreshing and different from other experiences I have had with new groups of people.” I said I need examples and she laughed,
“Well, Shirley is happy if I will just play a bean bag game with her. Shirley’s laugh is contagious, if she laughs I find myself laughing too. Or Shannon, she is so sweet and warm hearted, she loves it if I will just spend time talking and really listening to her. I am struck by the fact that it is so simple to make someone happy, I can’t help but feel happy too when I am here.”

August is upon us and the Gustavus ladies will be heading back to college soon. Laura will be a junior and Leah a senior. Both say they plan to come back when college allows, both say their time here was life changing and has helped them clarify where they are headed in their career path. Laura would like to be a social worker and Leah hopes to get her PhD. in psychology. After being with us for the summer they both say emphatically that they will direct their careers to work with people with disabilities. Thank you Leah and Laura, it has been our pleasure to spend summer days with you. The freckles and tans will fade, the warm days will come to an end but memories of friendship will stay with us forever.