Vote for Robert Page in the TN Employment Idol Video Contest

YouTube Video on What Makes Robert Page a TN Employment Idol.

Robert Page doesn't sing or play the guitar, but he is hoping to win your vote as an "idol" - Tennessee's Employment Idol that is.

The Tennessee Disability MegaConference called for video submissions earlier this month that highlight the employment success of an individual with intellectual disabilities. Online voting began Tuesday, and it ends today. During Thursday morning's MegaConference, a studio audience will also vote on the seven Employment Idol videos.

How to Vote for Robert's Video:

1. Sign into your Gmail, YouTube or Google+ account
2. Open this link in another tab.
3. Watch the video on Robert
4. Click the like button on the video

Robert has been a dedicated employee at Harris-Hillman for 15 years. He began as a volunteer at the school, but soon became a paid employee. When budget cuts threaten his employment, the school principal and Metro School Board fought to keep his position paid.

He loves earning his own money, but, most of all, he loves interacting with the students. He shows the students at Harris-Hillman, who also have disabilities, that there can be a full and prosperous life as an adult with disabilities.

He lives out the Progress mission of "moving forward with abilities."

Please take a few moments to view his video story and vote for Robert!

Check back here to see if Robert nabs the title.

Progress & Rochelle event will feature golf, food and FUN challenges

Daron Hall, Congressman Jim Cooper and dozens of business including Pinnacle Bank, Walgreens, Bass Tires, Zaxby's, Shoney's, Del Mar Medical and others will come out Thursday for a daylong golf tournament at the Pine Creek Golf Course.

The event is an inaugural collaboration between Progress Inc. and Rochelle Center, two Nashville non-profits that have been committed to providing day programs, employment and other support to adults with intellectual disabilities for more than 40 years.

Golfers from across the area will take on challenging contests and games at many holes, so, in part, they have a glimpse of the daily challenges some of the folks we serve face. Proceeds from the event will help subsidize programs that enrich and enhance the lives of adults with disabilities.

A recent Progress Activities Day with staff and clients gave our folks a chance to play everything from volleyball to Frisbee.

Along with the interesting challenges, including rating the golfer with the "worst" drive and the golfers who drive their balls closest to Pine Creek Golf Course's beautiful creek. The scramble across the 18-hole golf course will benefit two great organizations, but we also hope the golfers will indeed have a "A party at every hole..." Golfers will have goodies from Jonbalaya Food Truck, Corky's, Shoney's, Sonic's, Zaxby's and many others.

Check back here for photos from tomorrow's event!

Progress Senior Care @ Southern Women's Show and Bethlehem Centers



Progress Inc. program manager Alisha takes information from a Southern Women's Show-Nashville eventgoer.

Progress Senior Care staff has been busy the last couple of weeks sharing information about how our trained, caring caregivers can ensure that seniors "age with grace, while staying in place." Our Senior Care Services division has tripled in growth over the last year, and we now serve nearly 80 seniors across Davidson, Rutherford, Cheatham and Williamson counties. We took time over the past week to meet and inform the families and individuals that could use our services.

Southern Women's Show Nashville

Seniors and their family members flocked to the Progress booth at the Southern Women's Show recently. More than 300 showgoers stopped by the Progress booth over the four-day weekend to get information about our various forms of Senior Care Services, including respite, homemaker, and personal care. In addition to the information, many patrons stopped by to take advantage of a chance to win a $50 Walmart gift card, four-hours of cleaning services and an iPod.

Thanks to the Southern Women's show, Progress has gained several new Facebook fans and many more Middle Tennesseans are now aware that there are choices when their loved one ages.

Bethlehem Centers Senior Meeting

Director of Senior Services Crystal Martin spoke with a group of seniors at Bethlehem Centers last week. Bethlehem Centers Senior Adults program is in line with what Progress hopes to do for seniors - "enable seniors to live longer, more fulfilling lives." About 20 seniors from across Nashville attended the meeting. Many had never heard of Progress and were not aware that there are affordable options to help with making meals, cleaning their homes and providing other support at home.



Crystal Martin, Progress Director of Senior Services,  speaking on the different types of insurance Progress accepts for in-home care.

Progress accepts Medicaid, VA Aid & Assistance, Tennessee CHOICES and other insurances for our in-home care services. Progress also provides transportation services to seniors. Many of the seniors said the help with homemaker duties would be the most needed service for them. We'd like to thank Brooke Bell, Senior Programs Director at Bethlehem, for inviting us out to speak to the seniors.

If you would like to learn more about our services or would like to have our staff come and speak at an event, please let us know by sending us an e-mail or giving us a call.

http://www.progress-inc.org/contact_us.html

Senior Services Administrator Brittany (left) and Crystal speaking at Bethlehem Centers last week.

 

Jerry Adams to serve on "Paths to Entrepreneurship" panel April 3



Vanderbilt University junior Allen Huang views two of Jerry Adams' pieces in the Provocateurs, Entrepreneurs show at Kennedy Center.

Progress Inc.'s Jerry Adams will be one of the panelists at the Nashville Area Employment Consortium's "Paths to Entrepreneurship: A Panel Discussion for Artists and Others with Big Dreams from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 3 at Vanderbilt's Kennedy Center.

Jerry will be a featured artist on the panel, which will focus on the resources to support self-employment for artists with disabilities. Jerry, who lives in Cheatham County, is renown across Middle Tennessee for his watercolor paintings and other artwork that has been featured in galleries for more than 25 years. He has mastered selling and showing his work for several years.

 The NAEC event will be held in Room 241 of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. To register for the meeting, visit Vanderbilt's website. A pre-ordered lunch will be provided by Bagel Works and Perks for cash pick up that day.

To view Jerry's work, visit the Kennedy Center during business hours.

Seven of Jerry's pieces are currently being featured in the Kennedy Center's Provocateurs, Entrepreneurs exhibit until late May. Below are more photos of his work. A group of Vanderbilt's Peabody College of Education students stopped by the Kennedy Center to review some of his art.

YouTube VIDEO: Charles & Bill on the set of Fox17 commercial

In Friday's Pressing Forward with Progress blogpost, we told you about Progress Inc. companion Charles and client Bill Lipscomb being featured in an upcoming commercial about the service and care at Creative Dentistry, where Bill has been a client for several years. Here's some footage from the commercial shoot at Creative Dentistry. The commercial producer asked Charles some questions. Some of his answers will be featured in a commercial that will run on Fox17. Check out the video!

Progress Inc. staff/client featured in Fox17 Commercial



Progress Inc. companion Charles and Progress Inc. client Bill prepare for the commercial shoot at Creative Dentistry.

Longtime Progress client Bill Lipscomb's bubbly and warm personality has given him a chance to get his "close up" in a local television commercial.

Dr. Andre Rouse, Bill's dentist of 20 years, recently contacted Progress Inc. companion Charles, Bill's companion of three years, about them both being featured in a commercial for her dental office Creative Dentistry.

Dr. Rouse was looking for her most personable clients with disabilities to be featured in a Fox 17 commercial. The commercials will run for several months, and will begin airing on the channel in a few weeks.

 As a part of the commercial, Charles gave a testimonial about why he and Bill like receiving dental care at Dr. Rouse's office. Charles said he was nervous about being on camera, but Bill seemed very comfortable in the spotlight.

Jewel Majors, dental hygienist at Creative Dentistry, said Bill was one of the first patients that came to mind for the commercial.

"Bill has been our client for a long time," she said. "He is lovable and adorable. He's always laughing. We love to see him every time he comes in the office."

Check back at Pressing Forward With Progress for updates about when the commercial will air.

 

 





No State Budget Cuts for Progress Inc.; New recipients Can Enroll in 2012-2013

DIDD's Commissioner Jim Henry announced great news for Progress Inc. and all statewide provider agencies that serve adults with intellectual disabilities earlier this month. Gov. Bill Haslam's recommended budget for the 2012-2013 will have NO budget cuts for the waiver program that makes it possible for Progress Inc. to serve more than 100 adults with intellectual disabilities everyday.

The budget also makes room for a growth of more than 100 new recipients in the state Home and Community Based waiver services program.

That announcement means that 105 out of the more than 6,000 people with intellectual disabilities that have been on the waiting list will have the chance to receive support at home, participate in daily activities and perhaps get a job through a provider agency like Progress Inc.

Commissioner Henry also announced a new employment initiative that would push agencies like Progress Inc. to have at least 20 percent employment rate for its clients by this fall. Progress is considered the standard agency to follow since we are already above 20 percent employment due to our employer partnerships that were the focus of a recent NewsChannel 5 story. (Click the link to view that video)

Progress Inc. client Bea working diligently at the Marriott Hotel- Courtesy of NewsChannel5.

Though this is a great announcement, Progress and other agencies still need much support from donors and advocates across the state.

Remember to continue to follow Pressing Forward With Progress for news and updates on the senior citizen and disability community.

Here's a roundup of Commissioner Henry's announcements:

§  DIDD Budget: Governor’s Recommended Fiscal Year 2012-2013 budget for DIDD is $206.5 million and includes the following:

*$4.5 million in recurring funds to continue the Family Support Program

*$6.7 million for projected growth of 105 people in Home and Community Based waiver services

Reductions to the Department’s base budget are $2.6 million. No reductions to waiver services or to provider reimbursements are included.

§ Employment Initiative:  Obtaining employment rates of at least 20% by Fall 2012.