Unlimited Voices, Vol. 22

UNLIMITED VOICES Reflections and Stories from the Members of Envision Unlimited

TABLE OF CONTENTS MLK Jr. Day

New Years Celebrations

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

By Jamie P. I had a book named Who Was Martin Luther King Jr.?

Because I love to read it, on Tuesday I showed everybody

A Glance at Westtown

about Martin Luther King Jr., this life about him. Martin's birthday is coming soon on January 17, 2022. I felt bad he died. I wish him many years, good day, beautiful memories.

RIP Carolyn

He will stay in Heaven. He said, "I have a dream he will be free at last, God Almighty."

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TRIP TO ATLANTA

By William C.

It was December 22nd. Me and my mama at 7 o'clock in the morning. We took the Greyhound Atlanta bus. We made a couple stops, and by the time we got to Atlanta, Georgia, we didn't get there until almost midnight. Once we got to Atlanta, Georgia, it was my #1 brother's birthday.

Me, him, and my Uncle Frank went to seafood restaurant. And I paid for my #1 brother, and I paid for my Uncle Frank, and I paid for myself. And I told my Uncle Frank, since he is getting up there in age, we don't know how much time he have to live. So that's why I treat him out. He said, "Thank you. I appreciate it very much." I helped my #1 brother cook. We cooked some asparagus, we cooked some baked chicken. Then they took me to the soul food restaurant and they were wearing gloves. I appreciate them, they were wearing gloves. And then my #1 brother had to do something, so we went to Ross and then we went to TJ Maxx and then we went to Marshalls. We were shopping. I was looking for some white sweatpants. I was going to buy two at Ross, but I only bought one. Then he, my #1 brother, picked us up from the Ross department store. We went back home. We watched some Tyler Perry shows. And then my Uncle Frank took the train because he thought that it would help him to Atlanta, Georgia faster, but really it took him two days to get to Atlanta, Georgia. Because he thought the train was going to get him there faster. On the Sunday, which is the 26th of December 2021, we went back home.

We were supposed to catch the Chicago bus going to Chicago at 4:45am, but instead we caught the 9:45am because we were late. There were no drivers. And then by the time we got home, it was like almost 2 o'clock in the morning. I was so tired that I almost didn't come to work that day. I was so tired, but I decided to come to work. When I was on the bus, I didn't like it too much because they didn't have a table and they didn't have a reading light where I could read.

So I didn't like the bus too much.

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NEW YEAR 2022

By Lucy P.

I'm gonna have a birthday January 14th. I want to celebrate my birthday on the Friday, the day I go to Kruger. Plus, I want to go see the Blues - B.B. King and Ella Fitzgerald. I want them to give me a birthday jam, like all of the singers, like a talent show. I hope we celebrate the New Year right and the old new year out. I hope we can do a lot of things for January, but I don't be here on Thursday and Friday to do things here. I like to have New Years champagne. I like to plan something. I'ma tell Marcos to give me a pizza party, and if he can't wait, maybe I can have my party when Raul come back. He going on vacation. I like doing a lot of things in January. I like celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

By Sophia F.

I stayed up all night. I celebrated with my sister, my mama, and my nephew. We watched the countdown. I played with my nephew. His name is Kaileek. We just watched the TV.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

By Vahid M. I put lights in the couch, I plug it in. I put the lights together and the Christmas, I put it to the wall. I put it away. The bag, I put it away for next year. I put away the box for next year. Me and my family making pictures. You see me and my mother crying.

I be crying last night. I called my brother on the phone, and I tell him, "Hey, you make me cry. Do you?" He said, "Why?" I said, "Happy new year to you." My mother text to Hannah, "Happy New Year!" and "You make me cry." I sit in the bathroom a couple minutes and make you cry. I say, "Happy New Year to everyone to everybody."

Because Americans, new situations. Talk about high school. Talk about the teachers, math, studies, teachers. The nurse is named Melissa. I don't know where she's from. And I'm laughing, I'm so laughing, and the doctor said, "Did you marry? Yes or no?" She said,

"ENJOY YOUR FOOD, ENJOY YOUR DRINK AND BE HAPPY. DON'T LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHAT THEY SAY TO YOU. DON'T STAND CLOSE TO THEM. THEY GONNA MAKE YOU SICK. BE CAREFUL OF ICE AND SNOW. DON'T BE DRIVING A LOT. I LOVE YOU, DON'T DRINK A LOT, JUST ONE A DAY AND THAT'S IT. DON'T MAKE IT STRESSING OUT. PUT TOGETHER HOT DOGS AND TACOS. I MEAN, WHY NOT! I'M AT ENVISION UNLIMITED. I'M WITH JIMMY SANCHEZ, HANNAH, AND GARYN."

"No." I say. "Why not?" I don't know who she gonna marry, some person. I say, "If you know Jimmy Sanchez, let me know, yes or no." Jimmy Sanchez is my Unit Coordinator.

I give her my address, it's Westtown Limited Edition. Close by Kedzie, I don't know. She don't have a ring. If you have a ring, you can get married with them. She lost her whole grandma.

I LOVE TOURING AROUND ENVISION UNLIMITED

By Jamie P.

I do the touring around the Envision Unlimited and Kristen talked about Westtown disability, what they do. I give Lauren and Colleen a tour. I was talking about the kitchen, what they do. They do cooking. Kristen explained about it. Jason talked about it in the kitchen, how long they working there and they had their own restaurant Millie's Pizza. We walked around. Kristen explain about it, Day Program Envision Unlimited. We finished talking. Kristen said to me, "Thank you for touring." I say, "No problem."

I HATE BOOSTER SHOT

By Jamie P.

I had a booster on Wednesday at Walgreens. The lady told me and my mom, "It's going to hurt for a while because we won't get sick, like Covid." After that, we went to home to rest my arms, and in a while was sleeping on my own bed. It felt amazing to me. Last night felt good. I am not tired.

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TEAMWORK

By Sophia F. and Kasandra M.

Sophia says, "It's fun. I do horses with Kasandra and Yogi, and hanging out with Ernest."

"It's just like you gotta do something. We just like doing the hoses for ya'll," says Kasandra.

You put the legs on and sew 'em. You put the ears on and the eyes on. After you put the eyes on, you decorate them. You sell them wherever ya'll go, like downtown. Like we do the rugs - we make the rugs and sell the rugs too. You go to different places, and if they like it, they like it.

We help each other out, like teamwork.

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JAMIE'S SHAG ZOOM GROUP

By Jamie P.

I am happy do the Zoom. Talk about the shag rug newsletter. Everybody do the different colors and rugs, ponies, pillows, and show everybody what they do in different workshops. Everybody loves it in the Zoom. The people on Zoom are like, "Wow, this girl can do it." They see what we can do at different programs. One day, I come here to sell rugs at Westtown. Macus is always selling stuff. I like her. She always makes money, donations for Envision Unlimited. I feel like, "Wow. I love doing Zoom in front of everybody, my friends. Talk about shag rug."

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REST IN PEACE CAROLYN

By Sheila R., Agustin D., Ronald R., William C., and Jose G. She was our good friend. We would dance with each other, bopping our hips. And we used to slow dance together. She would always be tapping us to tease us. She was a good person. Buena persona. She was nice. She's gonna be missed.

Carolyn, I wish that you could spend a little more time with us, but there is a time that God wants you home.

SHORT ARTICLE ABOUT CHRISTMAS

By Marcus W. This is a short article for Christmas for last month. I went to Target to buy Christmas CDs. I didn't go on a field trip downtown, because of Covid-19. We went to Home Depot to get Anteneh a paint. "I like going outing," I said. "Maybe I'll to Christkindlmarket and Rose Center next year!" Next year, we will go to Target for $25 to buy something. I like going to the field trip with my classmate. I had a nice Christmas with my family. I had a great New Year. We said goobye 2021 and hello 2022.