Progress' Inaugural East Nash Dash a HIT in East Nashville

   

The E.N.D. East Nash Dash at Five Points Presented By First Tennessee drew in 200 runners, walkers and spectators from across Middle Tennessee and Kentucky and helped raise awareness about  Progress Inc.'s mission and clients. The first-time event, which took place Saturday, Nov. 3, centered in the heart of East Nashville’s Five Points, featured a challenging, 4-mile course through East Nashville, awards, prizes and food and drinks from Five Points Pizza, Drifters BBQ, Fat Bottom Brewing, Jackalope Brewing, Lotus Energy Drink and Real Water.

District 6 Metro Councilman Peter Westerholm welcomed participants to the inaugural run-raiser  Nashville Running Company served as the East Nash Dash headquarters. Streetlight Allstar deejays provided music at the event.

One race participant said: "I had a great time. Loved the course. Overall, a great time."

Another said: "Great preparation and course safety...It was a fun course. Happy to be a part of the first one. " 

We're so happy to have introduced such a great event to East Nashville. Stay Tuned to find out details about 2013's East Nash Dash.

2012 Mayor's Awards Honors Progress for Care to Seniors & Adults with Disabilities

The Mayor’s Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities and Vanderbilt Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities awarded Progress Inc. with four of the 12 awards presented at the 31^st Annual Mayor’s Awards, which took place Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012 at the Nashville Farmers’ Market.

 Mayor Karl Dean and advisory committee members honored Progress with the 2012 Agency Award for the organization’s ability to find “creative and innovative” ways in providing care to adults with disabilities and seniors. Progress employee Pam Reed received the 2012 Direct Support Professional Award for making significant strides with in the lives of the individuals she serves. Progress office manager Lanitta Joseph was named the Agent of Change for her ability to touch the lives of each person that steps foot in Progress’ offices. Robert Page, Progress client and 2012 Employment Idol winner, was awarded the Jo Andrews Award for his efforts to improve the lives of children at Harris Hillman Special Education School.

The 2012 Mayor’s Awards ceremony also honored and featured the work of local artists with disabilities from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities’ Creative Expressions XVII exhibit. The 2012 Mayor’s Awards, hosted by Emmy award-winner Janet Ivey, recognized employers, volunteers, advocates and artists that have made significant strides and efforts to improve the disability community.  Please view photos from the awards ceremony at http://portal.sliderocket.com/BOJPY/2012MayorsAwards .

Progress wins FOUR awards from Mayor's Committee on People With Disabilities

Robert Page with DIDD Commissioner Jim Henry

Progress Inc. Executive Director Donna Goodaker, Mitch and Allison at a Progress party.

We're so excited to announce that Progress has been honored in a huge way this year by the Mayor's Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities. We were named top agency by the advisory committee and our staff and clients also received honors. The awards' ceremony will take place Oct. 25 at the Nashville Farmer's Market. Thanks so much to the committee for considering our folks and our agency noteworthy.

Here's a rundown of Progress' 2012 Mayor's Advisory Committee for People with Disabilities Awards:

• PROGRESS INC. - AGENCY/ORGANIZATION - Recognizes an entity that meets the needs of persons with disabilities in the community in creative, innovative ways; that advocates for persons with disabilities and their families individually and systemically; and work cooperatively with other agencies/ organizations for the advancement of the field.

• PAM REED - DSP or DEDICATED SPECIAL PERSON – Recognizes a paid Direct Support Professional who believes and demonstrates by their actions that their first allegiance is to the person or persons they support, that all other actions flow from this allegiance, and that dedicate their efforts to improving the lives of people with disabilities, both on and off the job.
• LANITTA JOSEPH - AGENT FOR CHANGE - Recognizes a person who strongly advocates for and demonstrates keen sensitivity to issues related to disabilities, and whose efforts impact positively and significantly upon the service system and/or community.

• ROBERT PAGE - JO ANDREWS AWARD - Recognizes a person with a disability who makes an important contribution to the disability community by his/her example or effort.    

Progress' SMART! Holds First Donation Day -Oct. 2.

Progress Inc. will soon open an innovative social enterprise called SMART! - Scrape Made Art. On Oct. 2, you can help this new green business by coming by Progress and donating useful, recyclable items.

WHAT IS SMART!?

SMART! will be an art reuse center where artists, school teachers, craftsmen, seamstress and anyone in between can purchase unique, recycled items for any arts and crafts project. Customers will be able to purchase these recyclable items - from Popsicle sticks to plastic water bottle tops - in bulk for their projects at affordable prices. Along with providing a cool new art store for Nashville, SMART! will benefit Progress Inc.'s mission of giving adults with intellectual disabilities meaningful employment opportunities. The clients we support will eventually work at SMART! with the assistance of management staff.

Here are some neat examples of art created from recyclable items found across the web: 

Mini Magnet Craft Courtesy of letsgochipper.wordpress.com

Balls of string created with newspapers Courtesy of news.softpedia.com

How can you help get SMART! going?

SMART! Project Manager Kelli Monday has devised a list of items that will be needed for SMART!'s inventory. 

We welcome anyone and everyone to bring the items (listed below) in bags or boxes to Progress' office, 319 Ezell Pike on Tuesday, Oct. 2. It will be the first of many donation days, where Kelli collects a variety of items that will be used for future works of art. If you have questions or want to know more about SMART!, please contact Kelli Monday k.monday@progress-inc.org. 

SLIDESHOW: HCA CARING COMMUNITY DAY AT PROGRESS

We cannot thank David Cannady and his crew of HCA employees enough for all their help during the HCA Caring Community Day 2012.  The annual event has helped Progress in so many ways. This year, the employees moved furniture, filed documents, helped assemble emergency kits that will be used at the homes of our clients, gardened and spent time decorating pumpkins with our day program clients. Please view our slideshow dedicated to the day of volunteering.

Progress Inc. 4-miler Coming to East Nashville Nov. 3

Progress Inc. is gearing up for the inaugural E.N.D. East Nash Dash - a 4-miler and bash that will benefit the programs that support seniors and adults with disabilities. There will be free food, drinks and music from East Nashville's favorites.

Please learn more and register for the 4-miler at www.eastnashdash.org and take a peek at the video from our PSA shot in the heart of Five Points last week.

DIDD Commissioner Jim Henry visits Progress Inc.

2012 Employment Idol Winner and Progress client Robert Page and DIDD Commissioner Jim Henry.



Henry and Progress Inc. Executive Director Donna Goodaker after his visit at Progress.

DIDD Commissioner Jim Henry made a visit to Progress Inc. this week.
Each of our directors in accounting, quality assurance, day programs and residential programs were able to share some insight with the commissioner about what is working and what has become challenges for our agency.

Commissioner Henry had glowing remarks about Progress' quality programming over the last several years. Since more than 20 percent of our clients are employed, we stand out as one of the top agencies in the state, he said. The commissioner introduced an initiative this year encouraging provider agencies in Tennessee to employ at least 20 percent of their clients.

We appreciate the commissioner taking the time to speak to us, tour the campus and share some updates about the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.