THIS MONTH’S ISSUE The View From My Chair
01
GCS Family Spotlight
02
Help GCS Earn $250,000!
03
Around GCS
04
THE LEAFLET ISSUE SEPTEMBER YEAR 2012
The View From My Chair a message from our Executive director
Welcome to our September Newsletter. My comments for this article are narrowly focused on some current and upcoming fundraising activities that are important to the financial health of the agency.
Check out Gerry's Blog at www.GardenCenterServices.org
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.
You hopefully have noticed the thermometer in our last few newsletters and on our website that has been measuring the progress towards our goal of $22,500 in donations to help cover the costs of moving from the vandalized Wesbrook Center to the new Kedzie location. The thermometer in last months’ Leaflet showed that we were $700 short of that mark. The day the newsletter was distributed, I received a call from a wonderful woman whose son we support in one of our community-based homes. She wanted to drop by with a check for $700 so that we would reach the top of the thermometer! How cool is that?! This means we can now move on to Phase 2 of the goal we had established at the time of the unfortunate incident at the Wesbrook day program site. The target of the new thermometer you will find in the months’ newsletter is for $21,500. This money will be used to cover the cost we incurred in replacing the destroyed or stolen equipment, furniture, and program supplies. It will also enable us to fund the set up of data and communication systems, as well as fund the cost of the move itself and the storage for the items we were able to salvage from the Wesbrook building. Any donations you can make towards this aim are greatly appreciated. You will also find an article on page 3 about the Chase Community Giving Program which allows Garden Center to compete with charities nationwide for grants ranging from $10,000 to $250,000. All you have to do to support us in this effort is to vote for us on Facebook and the Chase website! So it doesn’t cost you anything, it’s quick & easy, and it could get us some much needed cash! But we need your
help in getting the word out through your social network of family, friends, and co-workers. We are confident of our success if this is a real GCS family effort!. Lastly, I want to mention the “Celebrate Me Home” event that is being held this Saturday, Sept. 8th, at 115 Bourbon Street Restaurant located at 3359 W. 159th St. in Merrionette Park. Monies from this affair are going to be donated to Garden Center Services to assist us with the purchase and rehab of a house that will become the new home for some women that are choosing to take advantage of the Ligas consent decree. This decree, which has become law in Illinois, states that individuals residing in congregate Intermediate Care Facilities for the Developmentally Disabled must be given the opportunity to move into smaller community based living arrangements if they so choose. A couple of the ladies we serve at our Berwyn ICF/DD have decided to take advantage of this opportunity, and the family of one of these individuals is the driving force behind this fundraiser. I’m sure this is going to be a terrific event! The work and effort that has been put forward by this family and their circle of friends has been tremendous. Here is a sneak preview of their INCREDIBLE Silent Auction Items!! Items include cooking classes, sports tickets (Cubs, Sox, Bears, Packers), signed Blackhawks memorabilia, a week’s stay in Ireland, Disney Park Hopper passes and more! These 33 auction items are in addition to the 80 basket raffle items that will be presented on the day of the event! Please join us for this celebration of helping people with disabilities have the most connected and independent lives possible. Thank You.
A 5 0 1 ( c ) ( 3 ) N o npr o fit organization
Garden Center Family Spotlight
Rebecca “Becca” Burrow started with Garden Center in March of 2006. She began with piece work assembling buttons and later working on jobs for groups including Burger King and Chicago Metalics. Later, Becca assisted a Garden Center group as an aide, reading to the group, counting and tracking the work that was completed. This past May, when Garden Center opened the Kedzie building, Becca interviewed for and won the receptionist position. At Kedzie, Becca mans the front desk, answers the phone, buzzes people in, handles the mail, makes copies and even sells GCS’s new coffee. Becca says what she loves most about her job is helping people. In her spare time, Becca enjoys painting. Three of her works hang in local Starbucks and she has sold two other paintings through Garden Gallery & Studio. Currently, Becca is working on a piece inspired by the Olympic Opening Ceremony for Garden Gallery. And as if that wasn’t enough, Becca is also an author. Becca has written two books on her life. The first, Becca’s Challenge, was given as gifts. Becca’s second book has sold over 350 copies to date. Becca is currently working on the third book in the series. When asked about all the things she does, Becca says matter-offactly, “I’m an author, a scholar, and everything in between.”
REBECCA BURROW
GCS Reaches First Fundraising Goal for Relocation Following Break-In Program Relocation to Kedzie Goals 2-4
Thanks to your generous donations, Garden Center has reached our first goal of $22,500 to address the costs of our relocation to the Kedzie building following the break-in, theft, and vandalism at our previous program site. This initial money is being used to cover the costs of preparations required for our program to move into the space. We are now working to raise the remaining $21,500 to cover the final three expense areas:
$21,500
$1,050 Street View
Front Foyer
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Replacement of destroyed and stolen equipment, furniture, and program supplies.
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Communication and data systems set-up.
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Cost of move into the new space and storage costs for items salvaged from the building.
Group Area
GCS Business Corner
Garden Center currently has six support businesses. Revenue from those businesses go back to programs for the people we serve. Over the next several issues we will highlight each of our businesses and what they can do for you. This past May, Garden Center started brewing our
newest business venture, GC Roast Coffee Company. GC Roast offers three distinct coffees; GC Original, Masterpiece Blend, and Empowerment Brew. GC Roast Coffees may be purchased at Garden Gallery & Studio, the Burbank and Kedzie day program buildings and on the Garden Gallery & Studio website, www.GardenGalleryandStudio.com.
GET YOURS TODAY!
GC Original - A fantastic, rich, aromatic, full-bodied, smooth, low-acidic medium dark roast. Fair Trade. Organic. Also in decaf. Masterpiece Blend - A hearty breakfast blend roasted medium with a refreshing hint of sweet fruit and brightness to start your day! Eco-Sustainable. Organic. Kosher. Empowerment Brew - An earthy, deep, complex, full-bodied dark roast that exhibits low-acidity smoothness. It is creamy and sweet with touches of butterscotch and spice. Fair Trade. Organic.
H el p G C S Ear n $2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ! Garden Center is competing with charities nationwide for grants ranging from $10,000 to $250,000 from the Chase Community Giving program. You can help ensure our success by voting for Garden Center through the Chase Community Giving program on Facebook.
Garden Center’s NEEDS List Computers
The Chase Community Giving program has already directed more than $20 million dollars through this program putting the power to bring positive change into the hands of those who need it most.
Sofa/Chairs for our reading area
The Fall 2012 round of the Chase Community Giving program is designed to benefit smaller charities like Garden Center. The top eligible charity will receive $250,000 and the remaining 195 top charities will earn $10,000 through $100,000 awards, for a total of $5 million dollars in grants.
Umbrellas
Bar-type stools
Free-standing shelf units Printer
With your support and the support of our volunteers, fans and local residents, we have the opportunity to get much needed resources to implement big changes!
Phone
How You Can Help You can help Garden Center receive up to $250,000 by simply visiting Facebook.com/ChaseCommunityGiving and casting your vote for us!
Microwave
Chase customers can get two extra votes by logging into www.Chase.com/ ChaseGiving with your customer login information and voting there too.
Electronic keyboards
VOTING OPENS SEPTEMBER 6th
September 8th 3-8pm
Silent Auction & Raffles Adults $30 Children $15
Books
(music)
Craft supplies
Frames for artwork Blank canvases
X-Box and Wii games Abide in Me’s Celebrate Me Home Benefit will raise money to purchase, adapt and maintain a home in a local neighborhood for a group of women with disabilities from Garden Center Services.
Dinner, dessert, beer, wine and Entertainment.
Thank You!
www.CelebrateMeHomeBenefit.com
GCS BULLETIN BOARD Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive Date: Friday Sept. 21 and Saturday Sept. 22 Time: 6am-6pm Details: We need as many volunteers as possible to help collect donations at various checkpoints in the Burbank area- we receive our share of donations based on how many volunteers we have so tell you family, friends, neighbors to come out for a couple hours! Contact Michele Hula to volunteer at: (773) 941-4151 ext. 212 or mhula@ gardencenterservices.org.
Large coffee maker
Event tickets
ABIDE IN ME’s Celebrate Me Home Benefit 115 Bourbon Street Restaurant 3359 W. 115th St. Merrionette Park, IL
Office desk
SAVE THE DATE ! GCS 56th Annual Fa shion Show Sunday, Novembe
r 4th DoubleTree Hote l 5000 W . 127th St . Alsip, IL
If you have an item to donate, please email Anne McFerron at amcferron@gardencenterservices.org
Where we grow
AROUND GCS
dignity and
independence phone 708.636.0054 email info@gardencenterservices.org web www.gardencenterservices.org
Board of Directors President
Daniel Wenzler
1st Vice President
Scott Hardek
2nd Vice President
Doug Combs
Treasurer
R. Pat Ballis
Secretary
Annmarie Caulfield
Members:
John J. Kunkes
Jonathan shows off his pizza making skills
Knights of Columbus #14553 present GCS with a check from their July YB Hungry fundraiser
Carla and Katy get creative at a ceramics shop
Kathy takes a break at Five Guys
Linda Stearns Linda Sherwood Sharon Duncan Jenny Wojcik
Don’t Forget!
NEFIT ABIDE IN ME BEber 8th em pt Se y, rda tu Sa t 3-8pm 115 Bourbon Stree ROLL DRIVE KOC TOOTSIE rday ember 21st & Satu Friday, Sept22 nd September ION SHOW ANNUAL FASH r 4th be vem No Sunday, sip at noon DoubleTree in Al
SECOND CHANCE THRIFT SHOPPE
SECOND CHANCE THRIFT SHOPPE SUPER SALE
September 30th 12pm-4pm
HALF OFF EVERYTHING IN THE STORE! 44 Stephen Street Lemont, IL
GCS bowlers, Stacey and David, pose with the rest of the Buddy League. Ricky (also in pic) was on-hand to cheer our team on
Shop GCS Businesses http://gardencenterservices. wordpress.com/
another way you can help us make a difference... COFFEE Co.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ gardencenterservices
. Tastes Good. Does Good. Feels Good
For sale online, at day sites, & at Garden Gallery Gift Shop
http://twitter.com/gardencentersrv
http://www.facebook.com/ gardencenterservices
17459 S. Oak Park Ave. Tinley Park
44 Stephen Street, Lemont
GCS Ink Cartridge and Small Electronics Recycling
For more information, visit www.GardenCenterServices.org/our-businesses.html