THIS MONTH’S ISSUE The View From My Chair
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Garden Center Family Spotlight
02
Someone You Should Know
03
Friends of Garden Center
04
THE LEAFLET ISSUE APR YEAR 2011
a message from our Executive director
The View From My Chair Given this is the April newsletter, hopefully It is the governor’s proposed rate cuts we’ll begin to have those 60 degree, sunny and the efforts necessary to combat such days that renew our own energy and our heinous actions that are taking up much awareness of the small signs of growth of my time. It was because of the phone around us. Certainly markers of progress calls and letters from advocates like you are present at the agency as we strive to throughout Illinois that the state backed improve the activities and away from implementing It has made me experiences we are able to any cuts during this fiscal offer our participants. However, if they follow keenly aware of the year. through with the 6% decrease A few examples that lay fragileness of life, and beginning July 1st, we would bare the short, green shoots lose over $300,000, and have of how imperative of our efforts are as follows: to make some very difficult choices. Therefore, do not let it is that we sense • Full time art instruction up on your contacts with the program urgency about legislators for your area. If you • Music appreciation, creating fulfilling lives need any clarification of who participation, and they are, just call the agency. lessons
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OUR MISSION Garden Center Services is committed to supporting and empowering persons with developmental disabilities through innovative and person-centered services. Our commitment to the excellence of our programs is surpassed only by our devotion to the people we serve and the communities in which they live.
for those we serve,
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• Hiring a full time staff Just as we’re preparing to & volunteer recruitment and ourselves. experience a season of specialist growth, we have certainly had • Additional day program our encounters with death & loss administrative staff over the recent months. A number of parent/ • An agency Weight Watcher’s program guardians, some of whom which were very for consumers & staff involved with the founding or upholding of the agency, have passed on. It has made These are just some of the enhancements me keenly aware of the fragileness of life, that are being put into place to support the Agency’s mission and our strategic planning and of how imperative it is that we sense urgency about creating fulfilling lives for process. those we serve, and ourselves. A 5 0 1 (c ) ( 3 ) N onpr ofit organi zati on