Progress Staff Honored at 2013 TNCO Awards of Excellence

Yaeden "Spud" Taylor won the title of Oustanding DSP of the year.

Progress Staff Honored at 2013 TNCO Awards of Excellence

Spud Taylor and Carolyn Huey win big at TNCO Awards on Aug. 14.

Spud Taylor and Carolyn Huey will be honored for their outstanding efforts to keep seniors and people with disabilities healthy, happy and safe. We here at Progress are honored that these two individuals can represent the dozens of other exceptional Progress employees.These two folks go above and beyond their roles as direct support professional and program manager, respectively. 

Spud's nomiantor said: 

Spud always arranges his ‘off time’ to accommodate appointments, picking his guys up early for whatever reason. He has also changed his schedule and adjusted his time off if there was another staff that needed the same time off. He arranged his studies to work around his guys to ensure their well-being and happiness instead of putting himself and his studies before the guys.

Carolyn's nominator said:

Carolyn never hesitates to pull in and work a home when needed, not just because she is without staff, but because she is very familiar with everyone on her caseload. She would rather work in the home herself than place someone in the home that’s not familiar with the service recipient’s needs.. The last couple of years Carolyn began managing homes through our senior program in Cheatham Co. She often also worked the homes, not just to get the home covered but at times the senior client would request Carolyn to work their home.

On Wednesday, the two will accept their awards at the TNCO Awards of Excellence Ceremony and Luncheon at Hotel Preston.
Please share your congratulations here in the comment section for Carolyn and Spud!

Nashville's Best Special Olympics Basketball Player

Markus in between his big game with the Nashville Knights Tuesday.

Markus Boyce has overcome a hurdle he never thought he would - a basketball goal!
He scored 8 points during Tuesday's game with the Special Olympics' Nashville Knights. The team won one out of two games thanks to Markus' efforts. That's why we've crowned him Nashville's Best Special Olympics Basketball Player.
Progress' Director of Programs Meika McClendon and his Program Manager Sarah Floyd both attended Markus' game on Tuesday, which was held at Belmont University. 
Markus great showing during the game is a huge step, because in his first season with the Knights' he never scored a point.
Practicing every Tuesday with his teammates and coach has made the difference. He proves that with perseverance anything is possible. 

Markus amongst his teammates.

He was also honored for his great work ethic at Progress last Friday through our new ACHIEVE program. Markus, like many of the folks we support, always strives do to his best. Congrats on the win, Markus! 

Share this blog post to show your support for Markus & the Knights this basketball season.

Valentine's Day Fun with Belmont students & Progress

Belmont grad student Cantrell Ellis guides Vanlisha’s hands as she draws a heart inside her greeting card for the arts & crafts project.

Red and pink construction paper sprawled across the day center can only mean one thing - It's the season of love. 

Vanlisha, Shonda and others got a head start on Valentine's Day by making cards for their companions,  friends and loved ones. They had the help of Belmont University grad student Cantrell Ellis. She helped make sure the "hearts" and sweet messages were just right for everyone's special Valentines.

Ellis is one of six students that will spend the next three months at Progress fulfilling Progress’ mission of keeping seniors and adults with disabilities healthy, happy and safe.

The graduate students, who are studying Occupational Therapy, will assist Progress staff in the homes of seniors who receive in-home care and they will also participate in the community activities and employment support teams for adults with intellectual disabilities supported a Progress Inc., a non-profit agency that provides staff support to more than 150 clients.

The volunteer hours will be clocked as fieldwork hours towards the students’ degrees. Belmont selects various human services sites each year for students to get hands-on experience. Progress was one of those fortunate agencies to be chosen by Belmont Academic Fieldwork Coordinator Shelley Hix last fall.

To our wonderful Belmont students, THANK YOU!

Please share this post to highlight this great partnership between Belmont & Progress. To hear more about our updates & stories of Progress, visit our recently updated Progress Inc. website.

Progress Inc. clients Shonda Pevahouse, Vanlisha Harbison and Billy Goodman watch as Belmont graduate student Cantrell Ellis assembles a construction paper Valentine’s Day card.

Holiday Trash 101: Regift, Recycle & Reclaim

Now, that the holidays are coming to end. You're probably looking for ways to get rid of gifts, holiday cards, wrapping paper and everything else under the sun. Progress has just the solution. Donate your holiday items, materials around the house filling up space or an array of other items to  SMART!  Scrap Made Art. Our repurposed arts & supplies store, which will officially launch in the New Year, is accepting donations now.

Reclaimed holiday cards.

Reclaimed holiday bows.

The reclaimed items, from wire hangers to greeting cards, will be sold in bulk at affordable prices to artists, teachers & craftspeople looking to reduce Nashville's waste and make art from scraps. We already have a large inventory of fabric, buttons, yarn, metal scraps and much much more. We can schedule appointments for drop off, so before or after the New Year, we're here to help!
We'll have a store opening soon, but we are already storing our inventory, so if interested in donating items or learning more, please contact Kelli Monday at k.monday@progress-inc.org. 

Here's an idea of items you could donate to SMART! today:
• Recycle wrapping paper, card stock type gift tags, cards and envelopes along with all the holiday catalogues and promotional mail.
• Boxes, ribbons, bows and other gift decorations
• Save used Christmas cards that can be used as gift tags for next year

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. 

Progress' Robert Page to be featured in The Tennessean

Robert being interviewed by Tennessean reporter Dawn Wyatt as his dad Les listens.

Robert Page's Employment Idol success has led right into the summer. He will be featured in The Tennessean's Davidson A.M. on July 4th! Please pick up a copy of Wednesday's paper and check the story out online.

His endearing story of being a dedicated, hardworking teacher's aide at Harris-Hillman for 15 years garnered the attention of reporter Dawn Wyatt. His Employment Idol video, which now has nearly 400 views on YouTube, was a fan favorite, but it also inspired some of the other contestants in the Tennessee Disability MegaConference video contest.

One of the competing videographers Walter Dodd from the Hilltoppers agency in Crossville shared this message on YouTube: "Congrats, guys. Robert won first place. We all were there and Brian (another contestant) and our group voted for Robert as well. He really Deserves it please tell him CONGRATS from everyone at our agency."

We appreciate the support from other agencies and the coverage by The Tennessean.

 Sharing the Progress' Story

Robert could not have become Tennessee's Employment Idol without social media outlets like Facebook and Youtube. Many Progress supporters shared links to the videos, Facebook posts and told their friends about the competition.

Just as that support helped Robert, it would help Progress if all our readers, Facebook fans and others shared the stories posted here at Pressing Forward With Progress and on our Facebook Page. According to a recent research provided by Facebook, 92 percent of people on social media sites shared and read stories that their online friends talked about or shared online.

Invite your friends to like and read our blog posts and like our Facebook page. There are so many great stories, photos and videos that give a glimpse into Progress' story.

Thanks for all the support!

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.

 

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!

Disability & Employment: The Good, Bad and Better

Billy, Progress Inc. client, attaches instructions to a refurbished Comcast Cable remote control.

The Good

The U.S. Labor Department delivered great news Friday - unemployment numbers are lower than they've been in more than two years. About 200,000 new jobs were added in December alone. That news brings a glimmer of hope to all Americans facing unemployment.

The Bad
However, on the heels of that good news, Disability Scoop reported the unfortunate job outlook for Americans with disabilities. Unemployment for that group of workers increased slightly from 13 percent in November to 13.5 percent in December.

The Better

Those numbers could see a shift by next month. The employment outlook recently improved for several Progress Inc. clients in need of work.
Several of our clients now have employment thanks to a new partnership with Comcast Cable. Comcast has agreed to ship more than 3,000 used and/or slightly damaged remote controls to our Day Center, so that our folks can inspect, clean and package them for reuse. The partnership is in the process of becoming a great Facility Based program that offers our older adults with intellectual disabilities a meaningful work day.

The remotes are shipped monthly, and Comcast could add to our shipment further down the line giving even more adults with intellectual disabilities an opportunity at a fulfilling work day. Future corporate partnerships will ensure that more of the folks we serve will find ways to attain and keep employment. More details about those partnerships will be announced in a later post.

"We have some folks that are aging that don’t want to participate in community-based activities, but would still like to be productive in their day. This partnership has provided that for these folks," said Susan Hutchison, Associate Director of Day Programs at Progress Inc.

Comcast employees and Progress Inc. staff and clients that work on the refurbishing project.

UPDATE: Progress Inc. family will have heat this Christmas

'

John Steele of Area Air and Heating Control working on the breaker box at the Ingrahams home.



After weeks of fighting rain and other work holdups, subcontractors have nearly completed electrical work on the home of Randy and Karen Ingraham, a Madison couple supported by Progesss Inc.

Greater Nashville Regional Council subcontractors Area Heating and Air Control have worked to upgrade the electrical and heating and air system, put in a new meter and replace the damaged fuse box that led to a fire hazard at the home. The contractors also repaired plumbing and upgraded the Ingrahams' bathroom with a new commode, flooring and vanity.

BEFORE

AFTER

John Steele, electrician on the project, said the home was in a dangerous condition when he began work two weeks ago.
"We see a lot of home like this, and they are a danger to the families," he said.

Randy and his wife Karen both have disabilities that require they receive daily staff support from Progress Inc. in-home care workers. Senior Care Attendant Judy helped get them help from other organizations when she began working for them in September.

The Ingrahams are excited to see all the work that's going on. They have lived without a sufficient heating and air system for the last year. There is still work to be done,  for now, Randy said he will look forward to a comfortable home for Christmas.

Flooring has been donated by friends of Progress, and Progress staff will be replacing the floors that are currently damaged and inhibiting to Randy, who uses a wheelchair. Volunteers are needed to make that part of the renovation possible. The family also still needs new doors.

The hope is that the additional work can be completed through the help of other donors and those who would like to donate labor. To help or for more information, please contact Stephanie at Progress.

The Ingrahams and Progress Inc. appreciate all the support and hardwork that has been devoted to the home.

Happy Holidays!