THE KOKUA SPIRIT VOL 5 NUMBER 10 Oct 09

“THE KOKUA SPIRIT” “Kokua’s Mission is to provide citizens with disabilities the support they need to lead full and meaningful lives.” www.kokuaservices.com October 10, 2009 FUN THINGS TO DO The Olympia Farmers Market - open April thru Oct Thurs thru Sun, 10a-3p; Nov & Dec- Sat & Sun 10a - 3p The Apple Festival at Lattin's Cider Mill - the last weekend of Sept & continues every weekend thru Oct, 9a5p, free admission, $2 parking Visit the Less Scary Haunted House every Sat & Sun in Oct from noon to 4:30p, $4.00 per person or visit the Very Scary Haunted Barn Fri & Sat, Oct 17/18, 24/25 & Fri, Oct 31st, 7p-10p, $6.00 per person Thurston County Scare: A haunted walk through the Thurston Co Fairgrounds Ghouls, zombies, ghosts & clowns lurk in the shadows $10 for adults, 10/2 - 10/31, Fri & Sat 7-11pm at the fairgrounds More info: 7865453 Say Hey Olympia Career Networking for Disabled Individuals held at the Phoenix Inn, downtown Olympia, 10/13, 6pm-8pm More info: 725-3610 Volume 5, Number 10 DAY OF CARING For the first time ever, Kokua participated in the United Way "Day of Caring" The Day of Caring is a one day event sponsored by the United Way, the Evergreen State College and the Volunteer Center This year volunteers from the community signed up to help Kokua landscape the yard of the 22nd house There were 10 volunteers from the Lacey Lions Club and Morningside The volunteers worked tirelessly and graciously shared their skills to make the yard look amazing Thank you volunteers for helping this project turn out so great Everyone had a wonderful time and we can't wait to partner with our neighboring organizations again! NIMBLE HANDS BENEFIT KOKUA As part of the Washington State Combined Fund Drive, the Department of Fish and Wildlife is raffling off a gorgeous quilt to benefit Kokua The artist behind this amazing quilt is Tammy Meyers, who has a family members served by Kokua Tammy is an expert quilter and often has several quilts in various stages of completion We are very honored that Tammy chose Kokua as the focus of her fundraising Many thanks to Tammy and the Department of Fish and Wildlife Below are pictures of this beautiful quilt Contact us to have your newsletter delivered by e-mail Phone: (360) 705- 4665 or email sally@kokuaservices.com SAFETY COMMITTEE NEWS Kokua greatly appreciates all the little things our employees in the effort to stay safe Here are just a couple of examples that the Safety Committee would like to recognize: - Rick C at 5th swept all the leaves off the patio to prevent slipping - Candice G and Sara C used teamwork to safely change a light bulb at 17th - Darcy has been a great hand washing advocate at Chambers - Hana G for promoting client safety around meal time at Carpenter Hills Thanks for finding ways to help prevent injuries and reduce the spread of germs! Many thanks to the awesome members of our Safety Committee! I appreciate that you come to meetings prepared, have positive attitudes,and come up with creative solutions Our group consists of: Zula W, Hillary P, Rick C, Linda M, Noreen T, Amy G, Evelyn B, Valarie H, Merja T, Candice G, and Mary Ann Y WHAT'S HAPPENING AT KOKUA VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH This month's featured volunteer is Alayna Brantner! Alayna is a loyal friend to Kim and has spent the summer getting to know her buddy Alayna enjoys going out to eat with Kim and crocheting Thank you Alayna for being such a compassionate person and for sharing your gift of friendship MACY’S SHOP A CAUSE Shop a Cause is an annual fundraiser hosted by Macy's Now through October 16th, Kokua will be selling $5 discount cards that will be good for 20% off your entire purchase at Macy's on October 16th For each card sold, Kokua will earn $5 to benefit the volunteer program To purchase your discount card, please visit Breezie (Thompson) O’Neill, Volunteer and Internship Coordinator at 7054665 ext 120 or visit Kokua's booth at Macy's on October 18th Charlie B, John C and Danny C have had a busy end of the summer wrap up Danny celebrated his birthday in style His family visited and everyone enjoyed a huge enchilada feast followed by cake and ice cream He went shopping and assisted with redecorating his room for his Native American heritage Great choices Danny! Charlie is noticing how the days are getting shorter and he makes sure he gets to some bike riding He has enjoyed lunches and visits with his family He will be celebrating his birthday on October 21st and has been working on planning his party Save the date on your calendar John continues to enjoy his coffee time He has noticed the cooler weather and definitely prefers the warmth and sunshine He received some special coffee treats from his family and has spent some time with them for breakfast as well as other home visits He recently found a swing at Priest Point Park that he enjoyed, and when the weather permits, he plans to visit again The guys all relaxed recently during a day trip to Oregon, enjoying the sites While leaving Washington there was a very large bridge that crossed the Columbia River There was plenty to see once over the bridge in Portland, Oregon They stopped for coffee/tea and cookies at the great rest stops on the interstate and also stopped for lunch It was a great day adventure Rick F has been going to new places and enjoyed Cabela's very much Scott B went to a Def Leppard concert a while back and had a great time John W has been politically active and is supporting his candidates, attending meetings and campaigning We'd like to welcome some new employees who joined Kokua this last month Jeff D and Gary W went to the Puyallup Fair in September They both said they had lots of fun Jeff went to two concerts The first one was the Poison and Def Leppard concert at the White River Amphitheater He was accompanied by Candice Garman Jeff had a big smile on his face the whole time and was rockin' out to the music! Jeff also went to the Beach Boys concert with friends He said he had a good time! Jane McCarthy was born in Burlington, Wisconsin She loves music and most anything having to with the arts She claims that she doesn't haven't a real talent, but admires those that Her current hobby is photography and she enjoys photographing nature's beauty Laurie H enjoys swimming every Monday afternoon at the YMCA and loves the hot tub, too She always looks forward to it every week Christine R loves to bike around the park and enjoys watching kids play Jenny D had a very exciting birthday last September 13 in Centralia She celebrated her birthday with family and received wonderful gifts Kim R unfortunately is still in the nursing home recovering from her fall Hopefully she will be coming home soon Her roommates and staff miss her They are planning something special for her birthday, which is coming up soon Jessie McDonnell was born in Aberdeen, WA and raised in Quinault, WA, a small town near the Olympic National Park After high school she attended Community College and traveled for a while She moved to this area to attend the Evergreen State College, where she's lived the last three years In June of 2009 she graduated with an emphasis in psychology She enjoys photography, learning ASL & Spanish, gardening, knitting, fishing, traveling and painting She says, "I'm glad to be a part of the Kokua team and look forward to meeting everyone." Manuela C and Maggie P celebrated their birthdays on Friday, October 2, with family, staff and friends at the 22nd home They both received wonderful gifts that they have already started using Manuela got a computer game and Maggie got some fashionable new gloves and a scarf for the upcoming fall/winter season Beverly G has been up to visit her friend Joan and is already planning another outing to visit her at her new home in Seattle Cecelia M is hard at work planning for her birthday and her favorite holiday of the year - Halloween! NEW FACES AT KOKUA The Clearfield house will be having a Halloween party on the 28th of October from 5pm - 7pm Be sure to wear a costume! Keith W got to spend some time with his newborn nephew, Elias Michael C is planning a trip to Hawaii to see his sister Paul J is planning a train ride to go to see the Seattle Seahawks Joe L's mom and dad are coming on October 24 and 25 to visit for the weekend and to celebrate an early Christmas with Joe Jesse W made a trip to Seattle with staff and on the way back Emma Lusis was born in Tacoma She will be working at the Carpenter Hills house and is a student at Evergreen State College, pursuing a BA in Environmental Studies and a BS in Oceanography She loves scuba diving, travel and reading She looks forward to making new friends at Kokua Leslie PIlon has joined the Independent Living Team A She was born in Ojai, CA and is currently a student in psychology and will be graduating soon She is the mom of two boys, ages and She loves to refinish antique furniture and read ARE YOU LOOKING FOR MORE HOURS? Temporary and fill-in hours are available We can train you to work at more than one house Contact Client Services Coordinators for more information.Call 705-4665 Allen Gilchrist ext 123 Lynn Royal ext 118 Karen McSwain ext 103 IN THE COMMUNITY John W is always very active and visible in our community He's active with North Thurston Sports activities, church activities, and volunteering his assistance wherever he can He's always been interested in politics, and just recently he was appointed as a Precinct Committee Officer of the Thurston County Democrats, District Montgomery 10 Congratulations, John! BRYAN’S MOVIE REVIEW Each month, Bryan C will be attending some movies locally and giving us a review of they stopped andd stopped and ate lunch at Hooter's All the girls signed a hat stopped and ate lunch at Hootersthat he bought there James M went on a ferry ride to Seattle and had lunch at a restaurant (cont on page 3) (Continued from page 2) Dean H has just gotten a membership to the YMCA and enjoyed going swimming with the Devin G from the Resource Team Dean is also enjoying working at Left Foot Organics He gets to eat with the other employees and is very excited about this! KOKUA KUDOS "Everyone appreciates being appreciated Try to catch people red-handed in the act of doing something right - and praise them for it!" I'd like to extend a very huge welcome to Emma L to the Carpenter Hills Loop team Thank you for jumping right on in and providing your input and the initiative you have proven in this short time We are thankful to have you as part of the Carpenter Hills Team! Also, a very huge thank you to Yolanda W You continuously go out of your way for the clients as well as for other team members and other teams too You are awesome and truly appreciated! Thanks for going way above and beyond with your expertise in assisting with Danny's birthday From the shopping adventures for his room makeover to the extravagant feast prepared for the party - what magic you performed! I also want to thank everyone who participated with the carpet-cleaning event Thank you so much! A special thank you to Mick G for working your own magic with getting the carpets cleared as well as enduring the regular morning activities Hilary P - you are a tremendous asset to the team! I admire how you have the ability to look forward and provide ideas that benefit the needs of the clients and how you focus on making your ideas a reality You have many talents and you are greatly appreciated! Susan S: You are the best! Thank you for taking on the new schedule and being patient with me You are truly amazing! Sunny R: I think you are awesome with the clients Thank you for the learning opportunities you have enlightened me with You are a complete ray of Sunshine! To the entire team: I want to thank you all for EVERYTHING What great teamwork! And wherever the magic wand is will someone please tell me??? From Sue Korns Thanks to Ann Barrios-Ruiz for filling in at the Clearfield house for all the open shifts You're awesome! From the Clearfield team I'd like to give kudos to the ENTIRE team at 22nd - you have all been so helpful and patient with me as I transition to the team leader position Thank you to Meg M, Mel S, Amanda C, Nicole E, Jennifer M, Lilie L, Havie P and Christa B for filling open shifts and covering for teammates when they were sick You have been real life savers to the ladies and the team! From Amanda Conwell Kudos to everyone on my team who helped me through my hard times! and Yolanda W for being so awesome and covering my shifts while I was sick From Candice Garman those movies This month, Bryan went to see "Jennifer's Body", a dark comedy and horror film starring Megan Fox, who portrays a possessed teenage serial killer The movie has an R rating Bryan says this movie had some good acting and pretty good special effects, but was very predictable We look forward to hearing more about what’s new in the theaters every month Thanks, Bryan! RECRUIT NEW EMPLOYEES FOR KOKUA AND EARN $$ Kokua is still giving out bonuses for referrals Here’s how it works Refer (or give an application to) people who’d make great Kokua team members When they come for an interview, have them tell their interviewer(s) that you referred them A referral form will be completed at hire A referral form must be completed & in the new employee’s file for you to receive the bonus If your referral is hired & completes the 90 day probation period, you’ll receive a $50.00 bonus If your referral remains an employee for a year, you’ll receive a $100.00 bonus I want to give major kudos to the team at 17th: Lakeisha Allen, Candice Garman, Geoff Brown and Kam Fashay As a team, everyone works together When issues arise, you work as a team to get things done You are all sooo awesome Also I want to thank the fill-in team who are able to work at a moment's notice, during emergencies: Nicole Ekar, Yolanda Worrall, Les Messmer, Ann Barrios-Ruiz and Kevin Preston Thanks to you all! From Sara Lynn Chafe EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION AWARDS This month’s Employee Appreciation Awards go to: Evelyn Baker - You are being recognized for your incredible time management skills, your calm personality, and your impeccable communication You are also being awarded for your wonderful logging skills Sally Lewis - You are recognized for your hard work implementing the new databases Thank you for your willingness to take on new projects and help other staff Your support in the office is greatly appreciated Diane Lamb - You are awarded this month for your hard work with new projects in the office Your willingness to jump in and help out anyone in need is greatly appreciated You are so supportive, warmhearted and compassionate Thank you! The Carpenter Hills Team -You are recognized this month for your teamwork Thank you for doing such a great job coming together and supporting clients through difficult situations and challenging incidents You are greatly appreciated! Congratulations also to the three winners of our third quarter Employee Recognition drawing: Melanie Smith, Rebecca Pickett and Noreen Tangredi All three ladies are honored by exemplifying Kokua's vision of respectful, quality client support VOLUNTEER PROGRAM NEWS By: Breezie (Thompson) O'Neill, Volunteer & Internship Coordinator Kokua Welcomes New Volunteers This September the volunteer program has been lucky enough to welcome two more volunteers DENTISTRY FROM THE HEART Samantha Wlazlak was born in Seattle and enjoys beading jewelry, painting, drawing and hiking She will be volunteering to help with some special projects in the office "Dentistry from the Heart" is a day of free dental care for anyone in need They will treat the first 100 patients or as many people as they can see by 5pm There will be two dentists, two hygienists and many more volunteers Extractions, simple fillings and cleanings will be done Elizabeth Chapman is a recent graduate from Eastern Washington University with a Master's Degree in Social Work Her hobbies include music, writing, poetry, watching the Mariners, reading and movies She will be matched up in our "Be a Buddy" program The broadest and maybe the most meaningful definition of volunteering: Doing more than you have to because you want to, in a cause you consider good - Ivan Scheier 54 Thank you volunteers for spending an amazing hours of your time in September helping others and putting Kokua's mission to action! Patients must be at least 18 years old This will be held at Dr Bill Bode's office on October 17, 2009 His address is 2728D Westmoor Ct SW, Olympia For more information, contact Sonya at 357-4505 FREE IF YOU’LL PICK THEM UP I have a coffee table, computer desk and microwave stand that I want to give away if you'll pick them up These are nice pieces in very good condition If you're interested, call Kam at (206)259-6252 KOKUA EMPLOYEES: If you’re having Family Problems, Stress, Anger, Job Concerns, Alcohol- Drug Problems, Depression, Anxiety, Parenting, Grief, or Relationship Problems, Call Employee Assistance Service 493-7867 DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR FLU SHOT Group Health is having it's flu shot clinics on Saturday, October 24 and Saturday November 7, 10am-3pm Also, many pharmacies and physician offices/clinics have flu shot clinics TAKING CARE OF YOU NO MATTER HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN SMOKING, YOUR BODY BEGINS TO REPAIR ITSELF AS SOON AS YOU QUIT! - After 20 minutes: your blood pressure, heart rate and the temperature of your hands and feet become normal - After hours: oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your blood become normal - After 24 hours: your risk of heart attack begins to decrease - After days: Sense of smell and taste improves Nerve endings start to regrow Mucus in your airways begins to break up and clear out your lungs - Between weeks - months: circulation becomes better and breathing improves; it becomes easier to walk - Between 1-9 months: Coughing, sinus congestion, shortness of breath and fatigue decrease and you have more energy - At year - Happy Birthday! Your excess risk of heart disease is now less than half what it was a year ago - At years: your risk of cancer of the lung, mouth, throat and esophagus is half that of a pack-a-day smoker - At 10 years: risk of dying of lung cancer is now similar to non-smokers' Pre-cancerous cells have been replaced - At 15 years: risk of heart disease is the same as if you never smoked ... through October 16th, Kokua will be selling $5 discount cards that will be good for 20% off your entire purchase at Macy's on October 16th For each card sold, Kokua will earn $5 to benefit the volunteer... (Thompson) O’Neill, Volunteer and Internship Coordinator at 7 054 6 65 ext 120 or visit Kokua' s booth at Macy's on October 18th Charlie B, John C and Danny C have had a busy end of the summer wrap up... Oregon, enjoying the sites While leaving Washington there was a very large bridge that crossed the Columbia River There was plenty to see once over the bridge in Portland, Oregon They stopped for