APRIL
2014
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Garden Center Services
HE LEAFLET
The View From My Chair A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Shari & Gerry
INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE VIEW FROM MY CHAIR Page 1 GARDEN CENTER FAMILY Page 2 MUSIC at GCS Page 3 AROUND GCS Page 4
It seems like the only experience of Spring we’re having so far is connected to our fund raising events. Last week, myself and staff were busy manning a booth at the annual Chicago Flower and Garden Show. The theme of this year’s show was “Do Green, Do Good”, and this was certainly true for Garden Center Services as our agency was identified as one of the five non-profits that will receive a donation from the sale of tickets for the Flower Show’s opening night Gala. At the show, we had sales of almost a thousand dollars from products made by our artists from the Garden Gallery & Studio and we made some awesome new contacts!
We’ve also had a taste of Spring as we’ve been “planting seeds” for next Friday’s 4th Annual Potting Party to be held at 115 Bourbon St. Restaurant. Please join us for a wonderful evening of great music, refreshments, and raffles that will generate funds to help us keep doing the right things for the individuals we support. Events like these are so vital as we strive to supplement the inadequate and late funding we receive from the state of Illinois. In the governor’s budget address presented on Wednesday, community providers could either benefit by a $30 million increase, or we could be hit with a $143.7 million decrease. If the current state income tax rate remains in place, providers will receive $30 million for a half year to provide a $1 and hour wage increase for Direct Support Staff (that they desperately need and deserve) coupled with a maintenance budget. If the tax increases expire, there will be no DSP increase and DD Waiver
program funding will be cut by $143 million. This, of course, would devastate the community structure and is too horrible to contemplate. I may be contacting you in the coming months to communicate with your legislators how important it is that they support an increase to our funding and not allow any cuts to our already inadequate state funding. As I believe that hope springs eternal, I would like to leave you with the following quote:
“Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come.” Anne Lamott
GARDEN CENTER FAMILY GCS’ Newest Home For a few months now, we have been telling you about Garden Center’s purchase and ongoing renovation of a new home, Keeler House. Celebrate Me Home!, a project set up to help five women from Garden Center’s Berwyn home move into a smaller setting worked with Abide in Me, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting people with developmental disabilities, to help raise money for that home. It has taken some time, but we are ecstatic that the five women have now moved into their new space. Thanks to the many volunteers through Abide in Me and Celebrate Me Home! for helping Garden Center get the home ready for it’s new residents. The ladies love their new neighborhood and look forward to exploring the area and meeting their neighbors.
Cozy living room
edrooms Beautiful b
om athro b e l ssib Acce
Bright kitchen
This move was made possible as a result of the Ligis consent Decree which says that people living in ICF-DDs who want to move into smaller community settings now have the opportunity to do so. For more information on the Ligis Consent Decree, visit www.dhs.state.il.us.
G C S
B U S I N E S S
Amazing lau ndry area
C O R N E R
ONE OF THE BEST IN CHICAGO - Chicagolist Last month GCS’s coffee roasting partner, Hardboiled Coffee, was rated by Chicagolist as one of the best coffee shops in Chicago! We already recognized Hardboiled’s awesome brew and partnered with them this past February to begin roasting GC ROAST in their Beverly shop. GCS consumers work with Hardboiled’s owner/operator, Gregg Wilson, and his staff to roast our signature blends and fill our coffee orders. GC Roast’s new coffees are even better than our previous versions. The beans get to you fresher roasted and the price is better too! Only $9 a $9 a 12oz bag bag. Currently we offer Original, a medium dark Pick up yours at Garden Gallery roast and Empowerment Brew, our dark roast. Both roasts are available in ground or whole or our Kedzie location bean. Stay tuned for new blends on the way!
GC ROAST COFFEE
2
Do good when you shop... COFFEE Co.
. Tastes Good. Does Good. Feels Good
New & Improved GC Roast Coffee
MUSIC is in the AIR at GARDEN CENTER Stephanie Burrow has been working with GCS consumers to make music since 2010. She teaches at our Kedzie building on Tuesdays and at our State Street site on Wedesdays and Thursdays. Stephanie has developed her own music teaching method that allows her students to use colors and shapes to learn a piece instead of reading music in a traditional way. Stephanie teaches group classes, individual classes and “partner classes” where two students work together on a piece. Her classes follow the range of interests of her students including guitar, piano, voice, drums, and ukulele. The classes make a difference in people’s lives in so many ways. Stephanie shared a story about Tom who showed no interest in music for the first two years of the program. “Then one day I saw he was listening to John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’. I told him, ‘I can show you how to play that on the piano.’” Tom joined her at the piano that day and has been hooked ever since. He even makes sure to remind her several times on music day of their lesson time.
How You Can Help
Another music success story is Lisa. She has the use of only one hand and in the beginning was able only to pick out notes with her index finger. After a few months of practice she is now able to play ‘You are My Sunshine’ using all five fingers! Stephanie’s students have come a long way and are in the beginning phases of planning their first recital. Stay tuned for details. In the meantime, Stephanie and her students invite you to attend a singa-long at State Street on Thursdays at 1pm. Of the sing-a-longs Stephanie says,“It is a joyful, exciting time to be at Garden Center!”.
APRIL 4 7pm to midnight 115 Bourbon St. Restaurant Join us for a full buffet and open bar while you dance to the LIVE band Four on the Floor. The fun continues with a live art auction, silent auction, and raffles. Tickets: $30 in advance/ $35 at the door.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW! $25 Each Chance
JUNE 7th 9am Newcastle Park in Burbank
Thanks to a generous donation from Bettenhausen Fiat in Tinley Park, GCS is raffling a car at the Super Sunny 5k and Walk ‘n Roll-a-Thon!
Run into summer with our professionally timed 5k or stroll in with your friends at the Walk ‘n Roll-a-Thon that follows the race. Stay for our cookout and enjoy raffles, dancing and fun!
Tickets may be purchased on our website, at the Gallery or at our State Street location.
Visit www.gardencenterservices.org for more information and to purchase tickets.
Mark your calendar...
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Check www.gardencenterservices.org for more information in the coming months.
April 2014
March 2014 SUN
The music program is in need of drums, keyboards and tuning/maintenance for our pianos. Please contact Jennifer at 773-9414151 Ext. 218 if you have an instrument to donate or you would like to make a financial gift toward the music program.
Super Sunny 5k & Walk ‘n Roll-a-Thon
Win a Fiat 500 Convertible
4th Annual GCS Potting Party
Stephanie and her sing-a-long group
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More Dates! April 4-6th
June 7th
Shop Five Below in Countryside to earn GCS $$$. Contact sobrien@ gardencenterservices. org for a flyer. Super Sunny 5k and Walk ’n Roll-a-Thon
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Saturday
Five Below 5 Fundraiser in Countryside
Potting Party Bourbon St. 7pm to midnight
All clothing at Second Chance is 50% OFF!
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All clothing at Second Chance is 50% OFF!
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Second Chance Super Sale 12pm to 4pm
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First Friday 4 Garden Gallery 7pm to 9pm
Five Below Fundraiser in Countryside
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May 2014
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Tax Day
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All clothing at Second Chance is 50% OFF!
Good Friday
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Easter
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Growing dignity
FRIENDS OF GARDEN CENTER SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER 2013
and independence
$1,000 - $5,000 • •
8333 S. Austin Ave. Burbank, IL 60459 10444 S. Kedzie Chicago, IL 60655 phone 773-941-4151 email info@gardencenterservices.org web www.GardenCenterServices.org
$500 - $999 Ashley got her the movies wish for a day out! , had lunch S and did som he went to e shopping
BOARD OF DIRECTORS President
Daniel Wenzler
1st Vice President
Jenny Wojcik
2nd Vice President
Doug Combs
Treasurer
George Sterba
Secretary
Sharon Duncan
Members:
Annmarie Caulfield
Getting ready for the Irish Day Parade in Tinley Park
Mary Beth Herr John J. Kunkes Sean O’Shea Linda Sherwood
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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.
pizza the Jaycees’ ople attendedarden Gallery pe 0 30 r ve O rG fundraiser fo
Shop Second Chance’s Super Sale Sunday, April 13th 12pm to 4pm 44 Stephen Street in Lemont Get 50% OFF on amazing items like this girls Easter dress S TO R E W I D E !
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GARDEN GALLERY DONORS ANNABELLE WINTERS FUNDRAISER GCS COMMUNITY CRUSADERS Mrs. Dorothy Ballis Mr. Brain Rotroff Ms. Elizabeth Wojak
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Ms. Deborah Conway THE CLOROX COMPANY FOUNDATION GCS iGIVE SHOPPERS Ms. Gabrielle Perez Ms. Guadalupe Diaz Ms. Joan Fox
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Mr. Kevin Cronin Mr. Michael Staisiunas Mr. & Mrs. Adolph Staisiunas
Just visit www.igive.com and choose Garden Center Services as your charity of choice and you can start earning money for GCS every time you shop at the over 1300 stores registered with iGive.
For NANCY RICKARD
MEMORIAL FOR LUCILLE STAISTUNAS
Mr. Raymond Sierakowski
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ANONYMOUS Mr. & Mrs. Dennis Conway TRUIST Ms. Beatrice Ramirez Mr. David & Mrs. Patricia Reginell
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Ms. Elsa Heinemann
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MEMORIAL FOR BOB DUMAIS
MEMORY OF MARVIN VANDERMOLDEN
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GOLDEN EAGLES ARCHITECTURAL RESTORATION Ms. Gretchen Winter
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KRAFT FOODS FOUNDATION R. Fkynn
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iGive shoppers have earned GCS $700!
Memorial for Joan Miller
Up to $99
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GCS earns money when you shop online!
UNITED WAY EMPLOYEE MATCH SECOND CHANCE THRIFT DONORS CHICAGOLAND BOWLING PROPRIETORS ASSOCIATION
$100 - $499
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OUR MISSION
TWIN HEARTS AUTISM FOUNDATION MARTIN WHALEN OFFICE SOLUTIONS
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Memorial for Carl Lindemann
MEMORIAL FOR ROBERT DUMAIS
Ms. Cynthia Malloy
MEMORIAL FOR BOB DUMAIS
Mr. Joseph & Mrs. Katherine Carroll MEMORIAL FOR BOB DUMAIS
Mr. Martin & Mrs. Kathleen McGarry MEMORIAL FOR BOB DUMAIS
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Nellis
MEMORIAL BIRTHDAY FOR JOHN GRONKE
Mr. & Mrs. William Walsh
MEMORIAL FOR ROBERT DUMAIS
Mr. James Matthews Ms. Laura Sweiss
Memorial for Frank Batory
Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin J Roscrow Mr. Larry & Mrs. Linda McFerron Ms. Mary Alexander Ms. Katrina Handy Ms. Meghan Petterson Ms. Sharon Duncan Ms. Patsy Gould
THANK YOU!