Vol XXVI, No 4
Winter 2008
connections
Integrity ~ Teamwork ~ Caring ~ Open-mindedness
Merry Christmas
At this Holiday Season,
We Wish to Thank All Those
Who have Supported Genesis in our
Mission to Create Opportunities,
Choices and Support for
People with Disabilities
We Wish You Peace and Joy
Throughout the Holidays and
Happiness and Prosperity
In the New Year
The Staff and Board of Directors of
Genesis Development
The Listening Post ……
You asked and we heard you
Genesis Development has long prided itself in its ability to respond to the
wishes and suggestions of our consumers, their families, case managers,
funders and staff. The Listening Post will let you know what issues are being
addressed and what changes are being made.
Consumer concern: During a consumer focus group session in Jefferson, it
was found that a common concern of many in the Work Services program there
was difficulty in finding clean work gloves. Sometimes they were still in the
dryer. Occasionally they didn’t get washed. One of the participants suggested
that specific people take over the task of making sure that the gloves got
laundered and were in the appropriate place each morning. Then she and two
other consumers volunteered to take on that task. Clean gloves have not been a
problem since. Consumers voiced a concern………..consumers solved their
own problem.
Staff Honored for Service
Terry Johnson, Genesis CEO, recently presented commemorative plaques
to Donna Bushore of Boone for 20 years of providing services for people
with disabilities and to Brenda Larkin of Belle Plaine for 15 years of service.
Donna began working for River Valley Residential Services (RVRS) just
north of Boone in December 1988. She started her career there in a part-time
temporary position in the business office where she helped manage client
accounts in a job sharing situation. At that point all accounts were handled
manually in huge ledger books. Over time, she also began working with the
payable accounts. She moved into a full-time position in April of 1998
shortly after RVRS was
closed and the offices were
moved into Boone where
she was instrumental in the
change-over from manual
entries to a computerized
bookkeeping system. After
working personally with so many clients and their financial accounts for so many
years, a visit with Donna is still one of the first stops for many consumers when
they come to the Genesis offices.
Brenda Larkin began working with people with disabilities in 1993 when she
started working for Lutheran Family Services in Benton County. When Genesis
assumed those services in 2003, Brenda was hired in a supervisory capacity for
our Belle Plaine site. She now supervises all of our eastern Iowa services
in Vinton, Belle Plaine, and in Poweshiek County. The services we provide in
eastern Iowa and the number of people receiving those services have doubled in
the last five years under Brenda’s leadership.
Five-Year Milestones
Genesis commemorates five-year anniversaries for all staff members.
The following have reached a milestone since September.
Donna Bushore, Boone – 20 years
Brenda Larkin, Belle Plaine – 15 years
Lori Brandt, Winterset – 10 years
Ashley Coil, Jefferson – 5 years
Betty Aldrich, Jefferson – 10 years
Kathy Lonergan, Boone – 10 years
Kim Williams, Indianola – 5 years
Elizabeth Woods, Winterset – 5 years
Printing Remodel Fully Funded
At the end of September Genesis in Storm Lake completed their first local fundraising campaign reaching their goal of $30,000
to create an area for their Rain Gauge Printing business. Naming rights for this special department have gone to the Bedel family
of Storm Lake for their lead donation to the project. Tony Bedel, owner of Bedel’s Pharmacy, pledged the first $15,000 to the
project in honor of his four bothers – Mike, Dan, Tim and Pat – who participate in Genesis programs. The new production area
will be called the “Bedel Brothers Printing Department”. Over 60 businesses and individuals donated another $15,700 to the
campaign. Without this community support, the printing department would not have been possible.
Our Sites and Our People . . . . .
The Boone Discovery group visited with local
VFW representatives John Chidester and Dale
Titman about Veterans Day and how it should be
celebrated! They also baked and donated 45 plates
of goodies for the Boone Shop With a Cop
fundraiser.
Martha Wilt and Joshua Egly of
Lamoni participated in Special Olympics
bowling in Creston in October. From
there Josh went on to state competition in
November.
Another seven bowlers participated in the
Benton County area, including Joseph
Dedrick, Sherry Berry, and Ronnie Mikoda
from Vinton, and Dan Wilson, Mary
Brown, Gary Johnston, and Adam Herzberger
from
Belle
Plaine.
Jennie Bethards, Shelly Strable, Virginia Kimberlin, and Bruna Masolini from Winterset
visited the Iowa State Fair this summer. Great fair food and the butter cow were high on
their list of “fair fun.”
The Jefferson Discovery group spent a lot
of time outside this fall.
Great weather made a trip
to Deal’s Orchard where
they went on a hay ride
and a trolley ride on the Raccoon River Valley Bike Trail extra
special.
Taste of Storm Lake
For the fourth year in a row, Genesis participated in Taste of Storm Lake, a summer fundraising event whereby a
different non-profit organization provides a Thursday evening meal on the court house square each week. Consumers and
staff prepared the fixings for their traditional “Taco in a Boat” meal. A first this year was a corporate sponsor, Merrill
Manufacturing, that helped offset the expenses involved with the preparation of the meal and also provided additional
manpower for the event. Genesis has assembled a stem and coupling unit for Merrill hydrants and manufactured boxes
for their outdoor water hydrants for many years making Genesis and Merrill a great team for Taste of Storm Lake. Roger
Christiansen provided musical entertainment for the event which served over 180 people and netted a $966 profit for
Genesis. “It was the best year yet,” commented Site Director, Cindy Wiemold. “More important than the net profit is the
fact that we all worked together and had a great time doing it." Other businesses that made this event possible were:
Fareway, Dairy Queen, Hy-Vee, Pepsi, Wells Dairy, One Stop Shop, Culligan Water Conditioning, Lakeshore Family
Restaurant and Williams Water Works.
Voter Education
During the recent political campaign and voting
process, several of the Genesis sites provided voter
education workshops for the consumers that were
interested in learning more about the process. As US
citizens, most people who have reached the age of 18 are
eligible to vote; however, in the 2000 presidential election,
more than 60% of people with disabilities did not vote.
Reasons ranged from inability to get to the polls, lack of
understanding of the process, inability to read or see the
ballot clearly, and not enough knowledge about the
candidates. The workshops addressed these issues and
answered many questions from those in attendance.
In Storm Lake, the ACES (Advocacy, Choices,
Empowerment and Support) group met on three different
occasions to prepare themselves for the elections. Local candidates from both political parties talked to the group and
information was gathered about other local and national races. County Auditor, Karen Strawn, shared a video made by
Governor Culver about the importance of voting and the rights of all Americans to take part in the process.
Both the Benton County and Jefferson Genesis sites hosted Vote 2008 Workshops designed to help people with
disabilities understand the voting process. The workshops were sponsored by IDAction (Iowans with Disabilities in
Action) in conjunction with the Governor's Developmental Disabilities Council. The non-partisan presentations talked
about registering to vote, the voting process, and answered many questions. An accessible voting machine designed to
enable individuals with vision and reading problems to participate in the voting process was also demonstrated and
participants were able to practice using it. Those who wished to do so were also able to register to vote.
Wish List
8’ or 6’ tables
Arcade games
Bean bag chairs
Beanbag toss games
Bocce ball sets
Bookshelves
Carpet shampooer
Coat trees
Computers – PIV or newer
Cordless phones
Desktop copy machines
Dining table & chairs
DVD games
DVD players
Easy chairs
Exercise balls
Fiberglass step ladders
Footballs/basketballs/
volleyballs
Fork lift
Games/puzzles
Horse shoe set
Impact (air) wrench
Industrial floor fans
Laptop computers
Lawn mower
Lift van
Locking file cabinets
Motion sensor light
Movies
Rechargeable
drill/screwdriver
Outdoor benches
Pallet jacks
Paper shredders
Plastic bowling sets
Printer/copiers
Refrigerators
Rhythm band instruments
Roasters
Screw driver set
Shop vacs
Short story books
Snow blowers
Snow shovels
Softballs/gloves/bats
Storage cabinets
Timers
Vacuum cleaners
Vans
Weather radios
Discovery Wish List
Aquarium
Croquet set
Wiffle balls & bats
Kick balls for outside
Foam balls for inside
Golf balls
Ping pong balls
Blankets
Electric pencil sharpener
Elmer’s glue, glue sticks
Scissors – full size
Zip lock baggies – all sizes
Cookie cutters
Cake decorating tubes
Measuring cups – wet & dry
Wheat flour & corn meal
Wheel chair accessible van
Learning programs
Arts & crafts supplies
Fishing poles & equipment
Softball equipment
Smoke alarms
Flashlights
Batteries – all sizes
XL garbage cans on wheels
Big wall calendar
Picnic table
Removable wall hangers
XL area rugs
Learning games & puzzles
Exercise equipment
Books & read along headsets
Brooms, mops, XL dust pans
Inspirational wall hangings
CD’s
Pool table
Pinball table
Foosball table
Electric stove
Walkers
Genesis Development
Outcomes Measurement Report
FY2008
Every year Genesis Development sets specific goals for each of the Genesis services. These goals are developed through
feedback from stakeholder focus groups (consumers, families, case managers, etc.) and staff input. At the end of each quarter, the
goals are assessed and a final report is generated at the end of each fiscal year.
Group Living:
Goal Consumers receiving Group Living services will meet with staff to review their
progress on their residential goals each month – to be at 90% completion by
June 30, 2008.
Year-end results: Consumers reviewed progress on their residential goals at an overall average of 86 % completion.
Supported Community Living:
Goal A minimum of 95% of persons receiving Genesis SCL services will successfully remain
living in their own homes in FY2008.
Year-end results: 99% of consumers receiving Genesis SCL services successfully
maintained living in their own home thru June 2008.
Discovery:
Goal Discovery will be involved in one new community activity each month. (New community activity is defined as one not conducted
within the past two years, and outside of Genesis facilities.)
Year-end results: Ten of possible twelve new activities.
Work Services:
Goal –
Each individual receiving Work Services will be provided
the opportunity to learn a minimum of 2 new jobs by June
30, 2008.
Year-end results: 137 out of 170 consumers (81%) reached this goal by June 30,
2008.
Employment Services:
Goal –
100% of persons receiving Genesis Employment Services will successfully maintain community employment of their choice.
(Employment terminations due to reasons beyond the control of ES staff are excluded. Examples would be voluntary resignations,
job elimination or business failure.)
Year-end results: 100% of individuals (23 of 23) receiving Genesis ES services successfully maintained the community
employment of their choice.
Thank You for Your Help
We Appreciate Your Generosity!
Contributions made August through November, 2008
United Way of Boone County
Goodwin & Sons Painting, Jefferson
Tuesday Matinee Bowling League, Storm Lake
Denison Drywall & Supply
United Way of Central Iowa
Storm Lake Community Chest
Wendy Hartwig & Gloria Wilbur, Storm Lake
PEO – CZ, Jefferson
Scranton United Methodist Church
Storm Lake Knights of Columbus
First Presbyterian Church, Boone
Memorials
In Memory of Judy A. Krum
By Sandy Pingel
In Memory of Bernice Schaal
By David & Linda Redfern
In Memory of Linda Miller
By Violet Vaughn
In Memory of Molly George
By Linda Rice
In Memory of Becky North by...
Betty Aldrich
Angela & Jeremy Bane
Caroline Bathurst
Lisa Blake
Maureen Borkowski
Cindy & Jerry Boyd
Brenda & Marty Brewer
Jeremy Brewer
Carolyn Butler
Ross Chambers
Ashley Coil
Alana & John Curnyn
Ron & Lori DeBok
Sandi & Noel Drewry
Bonnie Duncan
Jay Duncan
Tom Duncan
Karla Dzuris
Diane Fister
Ida Fuss
Charla Grote
Sue Gunn
Mary & David Hayes
Dave & Rosemary Hoyt
Audrey Jepsen
Terry & Darla Johnson
Karina McCarney
Janice McCauley
Catherine Miller
Ferrol & Sandy Miner
Betty Niles
Helen Owens
Crystal Pepples
Kathy Pittman
Linda & David Redfern
Linda Rice
Barb Robb
Carolyn Robb
Deana Shriver
Daryl Sigler
Verna Sigler
Ron Sipe
Janet Smith
Wayne & Isabel Smith
Cindy & Terry Wiemold
Don Wills
Gifts-in-Kind
Betty Niles, Jefferson
Vernon & Alice Fritz, Jefferson
Connie Allensworth, Jefferson
Dennis & Barb Tucker, Gowrie
Gene & Louise Vogel, Churdan
Wes Bunnell, Jefferson
John & Alana Curnyn, Jefferson
Kent McWilliam, Paton
Stanco Industries, Ft. Wayne, IN
Keith Conroy, Jefferson
Mike Hegstrom, Jefferson
Donna Blair, Jefferson
Eva Mullins, Paton
Sue McDonald, Cedar Rapids
Darrell Pettit, Jefferson
Dianne & Julie Blackmer, Jefferson
Shon Brakey, Boone
Mary Conrad-Long, Boone
John’s Appliance & TV-John Bossard, Jefferson
Johnetta Harms, Jefferson
Roger Custer, Jefferson
Deal’s Orchard-Jerald & Cindy Deal, Jefferson
Don & Jean Feldman, Jefferson
Jason Whitver, Jefferson
Dana Kopecky, Jefferson
Tim & Julie Bantz, Des Moines
Boone County United Way
Wendy Daleske, Stratford
Sisters of SOS, Jefferson
Belinda Mikkelson, Rockwell City
Lisa Blake, Jefferson
Deana Shriver, Jefferson
Cindy Ore, Grand Junction
Karen Polking, Jefferson
Julie Blackmer, Jefferson
Donations to the Storm Lake
Printing Remodel Project
Dale Carver
Larry Hecht
Meta Bank
Linda Redfern
Donations to the Jefferson Expansion and Building Fund
Glen & Cheryl Christensen
Community Bank of Boone
Doug & Karen Carman
Jim & Jeanne Daubendiek
Don & Marilyn Scott
Francis & Joan Tasler
Bob & Mikki Schwarzkopf
In Memory of Merritt Duncan by….
Norman & Lynn Huffman
William Meyers
Beverly Batcheller
Richard & Joyce Sherwood
Jim & Karen North
Bill & Donna Duncan
Don & Alice Yepsen
Nancy Oatts
Terry & Darla Johnson
David & Linda Redfern
John & Alana Curnyn
Linda Rice
Noel & Sandi Drewry
Carrie Wilde
William Schulze
Joann Corcoran
Peggy Murrane
Evelyn Shearman
Tom Shearman
Dee & Jean Naylor
Scott Harmer
Chris Henning
Jim Ure
Deke & Maxine Ure
Betty Peipel
Jim & Ramona Snow
Lea & Jack Yepsen
Matt & Carlene Murrane
Brian & Jodi Durlam
Marjorie Garrity
Lee & Mary Ann Derry
Lois Graven & Family
Don & Janice Badger
Brent & Jenefer Badger
Bertha Miller
Beverly Flack
Alan & Carman Bryan
Neil & Pat Bryan
Marjorie Robson
Karl & Freda Citurs
Bud & Joan Tasler
Mark & Kathy Holiday
Joe & Dot Davis
Dale & Barbara Winkleman
Bob & Donna Matheson
Jim & Carolyn Hilker
Don & Leona Maas
Vince & Delores McDermott
Lulu Garnes
Helen & Dale Durbin
Kim & Sherry Bates
Kent & Marla Bates
Margaret Dozier
Jim & Laurie Wyckoff
Dennes & Darcia Crooks
Marie Smith
Jean Taylor
Cindy Tapper
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Sandage
Fred & Shirley Fillman
Dudley & Janice Strawn
Tom & Cae Lawton
Norma Ferguson
Joe & James Healy & Cheri Ure
Earl & Phyllis Lynch
Duane & Pat Eberle
Jerry & Annie Vincent
Lowell & Marilyn Wuebker
DuWayne Erb
Mary Beltz
Jay & Janie Nevins
Marvin Mengel
Ross & Darlene Enabnit
Phyllis Henrickson
Beverly & Ann Whiton &Family
Jim & Lori Damron
Stacy & Janis McDonald
Margorie Shaffer
Albert & Jeanette Wetzel
Tom & Jeanette Flack
Dean & Nancy Rogers
Clair & Judy Wills
Harold & Mary Woodruff
Dean & Delores Byrnes
Donald & Delores Gibson
Billie Wind
Jonathon Smith
Bill & Jackie Souder
Phyllis Christy
Olin & Jane Shane
Phyllis Subbert
Jim & Joyce Calder
Doug & Jan McDermott
Joe & Dione McCullough
Donald Hamilton
Wayne & Pat Monthei
Virginia Battles
Lois Olson
Ken & Carol Scott
Jon Owens
Bob & Janet Owens
Our Mission
Genesis Development
creates opportunities, choices and support for people with disabilities.
GENESIS OFFICES:
401 West McKinley Street
P.O. Box 438
Jefferson, IA 50129
th
710 12 Street
P.O. Box 95
Belle Plaine, IA 52208
1607 North Lake Avenue
Storm Lake, IA 50588
704 Story Street
Boone, IA 50036
1007 West 4th Street
P.O. Box 30
Vinton, IA 52349
1809 West 2nd Avenue
Indianola, IA 50125
115 East Washington St.
P.O. Box 488
Winterset, IA 50273
610 10th Street
Perry, IA 50220
Yes, I would like to make a contribution to help Genesis Development accomplish its Mission:
(Please give your name as you would like it to appear in our donor recognition list)
I would like my gift to be:
____ In Memory of ________________________
___________________________________________
NAME
____ In Honor of __________________________
___________________________________________
STREET
____ For the Jefferson Building Fund
___________________________________________
CITY
____ Other _______________________________
STATE
ZIP
__________________________________________
PHONE
E-MAIL
$5,000_____ $1,000_____ $500_____ $100_____ $50_____ $25_____ Other_____
Thank you for including Genesis Development in your charitable giving plans
Mail to Genesis Development, P.O. Box 438, Jefferson, IA 50129
Genesis Development is a not-for-profit 501( c)(3) corporation. Donations to Genesis are usually tax deductible .
If you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please notify us at P.O. Box 438, Jefferson, IA 50129