Lambs Tales Volume 3 2023

2023 Volume 3 Fall

inside: page 2: A Message from the President & CEO page 4: Special Olympics Update page 5: Participant Job Skills Fair page 6: Fun on the Farm

our mission: Helping people with developmental disabilities lead productive, happy lives and connecting with the human spirit in us all www.lambsfarm.org

Made with a Mission at Lambs Farm After a summer full of sunshine and ice cream making, participant bakers have switched gears and are in full holiday mode.

The bakery is a joyful place all year long, but during catalog season, there’s a little extra magic. The sweet smell of freshly baked Famous Butter cookies fills the air, hundreds of creamy chocolates make their way through the enrober and thousands of gifts are carefully packaged and shipped across the country.

During this busy time of year, participants work hard, focus on teamwork and beam with pride knowing that the delicious products they have prepared are going to make celebrations merry and bright.

Our 2023 virtual holiday catalog is available now and it’s overflowing with classic favorites and a wide variety of new treats such as our Perfectly Pumpkin, White Chocolate Cranberry and Hot Chocolate cookies.

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Make Your Reservations for Breakfast with Santa!

Santa hopes you will join him for a delicious brunch and unlimited family fun when he makes his annual trek to Lambs Farm!

Saturday, December 9 Sunday, December 10 Saturday, December 16 Sunday, December 17 Seatings available at 9am, 10:30am & 12pm.

Please call the Magnolia Cafe & Bakery at 847.362.5050 to make your reservations. Spots are filling up quickly!

Life is Good on the Farm Life is good on the Farm and getting better every day. It has been exciting for everyone to experience our activities and events in person again. We all missed the excitement of Lambs Farm competing in Special Olympics sports and were delighted to celebrate our athletes once again at the Sports Banquet in August. Participant dances have been back in full swing. Thanks to generous donors to one of our social media fundraisers, participants have been able to put on their dancing shoes every other month.

Cookouts at the summer dances were especially popular.

But getting back to normal hasn’t been our goal! Instead, we are adding different activities and building on new interests. We are especially interested in creating new opportunities for participants to be engaged in the community and included with peers. The participant advisory council is in full swing and full of fresh ideas to make their lives even better.

As we build the future of Lambs Farm together, we honor the legacy of our co-founders, Bob Terese and Corinne Owen. Lambs Farm was born from their boldness and innovation, and those are the qualities that will help us make life on the Farm better every day.

Kathy Buresch President & CEO

If you are interested in volunteering at Breakfast with Santa, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Angela Ramert at asr@lambsfarm.org.

President & CEO Kathy Buresch & Manoj celebrating at the Special Olympics Sports Banquet

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Dances include good food, great company and awesome games, including Pie in the Face

Mary was given the 2023 Sportsmanship Award

Participants love attending and volunteering at this wonderful event!

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Jane and Alan dancing the night away

Staff and families supported our awesome athletes

Jeff proudly wore his gold medal

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We are also excited to share our recently developed Thinking of You Kindness Box. This special assortment includes a Lambs Farm coffee mug, a sampler size of our refreshing Lemon Butter Cookies, toffee caramels, a tea bag, chocolates, a toffee crunch blondie and three colorful cards designed with love by our participants.

With so much happiness inside, this gift will have you smiling all year long.

We have another fun twist on catalog season and that is the addition of golden tickets.

From now until January, three randomly selected gift boxes will have a ticket for a free 3 month Sweet Treat of the Month Club subscription inside.

As you receive your Lambs Farm goodies, keep an eye out as you may be one of our lucky winners!

Our selection of cookies and chocolates, all made with a mission, are a wonderful way to spread holiday cheer to your family and friends. The Sugar Maple Country Store & Bakery also loves helping corporations find the perfect gifts for their coworkers and clients. We can accommodate large, small and customized orders for your business.

We welcome you to share the mission of Lambs Farm with your loved ones. Every purchase directly supports our participant bakers and continues to help them learn new skills. To place an order, scan the QR code below to access our online store or give us a call at 847.362.4636 Monday through Friday between the hours of 9am and 5pm.

View our new 2023 virtual holiday catalog!

Lambs Farm Coffee!

In partnership with Swiss Mountain Coffee, we now have our very own Lambs Farm whole bean medium dark roast coffee blend! Participants proudly weigh, package, seal and label each bag. With these new skill sets, they can also grind the whole beans for guests upon request.

We celebrated this new offering with Lambs Farm staff and the community with two coffee launch parties. Everyone enjoyed a free cup of coffee while checking out our coffee bags, mugs, specialty drinks and coffee gift assortments.

One of those gift assortments was Coffee, Coffee, Coffee, and it’s a featured item in our 2023 holiday catalog!

Joanna with our new Thinking of You Kindness Box

Doug loves our Perfectly Pumpkin cookies

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee contains mocha meltaways, dark chocolate espresso beans, delightful coffee cookies and coffee. With a Lambs Farm mug, this assortment has everything you need to get that extra caffeine boost!

Participant bakers excited and ready for another holiday season

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Custom Animal Paintings!

You can now order a custom masterpiece made with love by our Farmyard friends!

Our talented artists use their own special techniques to create unique artwork while enjoying the feeling and sight of animal-safe paint.

All custom paintings are $29.95 and are made on an 8x10 canvas. They can be picked up at the Farmyard or shipped to your doorstep. Our animal artists ask that you give them up to 14 days to complete the painting. They work hard to ensure each one is extra special!

Paintings are a fun addition to any home or the perfect gift for the animal lover in your life.

Athletes at the Special Olympics bowling competition

Special Olympics Update

Athletes have been in competition mode and don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon! They’ve been throwing strikes at the bowling alley, setting and shooting goals at floor hockey events, having fun at bocce practice and gearing up for winter sports.

An exciting, new addition to Special Olympics is unified bags. This program gives siblings, parents and staff the opportunity to partner with a participant. Teams are busy preparing for the big tournament on November 18 at the College of Lake County.

We love watching the excitement that unfolds when athletes challenge themselves and reach new heights. We can’t wait to see what else they accomplish before 2023 ends!

Sari at the bowling alley

Athletes receiving their medals

Dill the Indian Runner duck during a paint session

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Linda in the zone at floor hockey skills

Ben proudly wears his ribbon

Pet Center Renovation Update The Pet Center renovation is in its final stages!

The viewing room project, which provides much-needed space to meet our rescue puppies, was completed over the summer. Since then, the main floor pen has gotten a total makeover.

Tiffany was ready to test out her skills

Participant Job Skills Fair

In September, staff held the inaugural Partcipant Job Skills Fair. This event was designed for participants to learn new skills and gain confidence while learning about employment opportunities both on and off campus.

As they tried different tasks at each station, participants were assessed on their timing and accuracy to help guide them on their employment journeys. Many were able to explore different areas of work such as quality control, industrial dishwashing, food preparation and shipping and receiving.

We are proud of the men and women of Lambs Farm for having the courage to try tasks outside of their comfort zone, being open to new opportunities and continuing to dream big.

The new and improved floor pen gives the rescue puppies plenty of room to run and play as they wait to get adopted. Built with tile and versatile cement, it has a fresh look and allows for easy cleaning.

The finishing touch on the floor pen is the charming decorative dog house, which holds the Alicat Playpen sign.

Both the floor pen and viewing room renvoations were possible thanks to Gerry and Olivia Shapiro.

They generously donated the funds to renovate the spaces in honor of their daughter Alison, also known as Alicat, who is employed at the Dogwood Garden & Pet Center.

Sunjay at the labeling station

Our dedicated staff assisted participants at each station

Olivia, Gerry and Alison in the new floor pen named the Alicat Playpen

Jane practices rolling silverware

Family photo in front of the Alicat Showroom Participants who completed five stations received a gift bag!

Ron with his job fair punch card

Gina was proud of herself for completing every station

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Behind the Scenes at 102.3XLC Hannah Brummer, radio personality at 102.3XLC, helped us close out digital creations Quest class with a behind-thescenes tour of Alpha Media!

Participants got to meet radio stars across several stations, see the ins and outs of the studio and learn about how each show is recorded.

The visit ended with participants getting behind the microphone to record their own segment!

Special thank you to Hannah B. and 102.3XLC for making our last class extra special and memborable.

House 7 staff and participants having fun at Kroll’s Family Farm

Fun on the Farm

Between outings and dances to clubs and classes, participants are having plenty of fun on the farm!

In September, Elvis Club had a very special guest. Hugo’s Elvis, a Chicago Tribute artist, surprised participants with a dazzling performance. They joined him on the dance floor to belt out to their favorite songs and show off their best dance moves.

Participants in House 7 welcomed the fall season with a fun outing to Kroll’s Family Farm. They went on a hay ride, visited the petting zoo and picked the perfect pumpkin. Many participants found inspiration as they prepared for the campus group home Halloween decoration competition.

We were all impressed with the beauitful creations participants made in the woodworking Quest class last term. Each artisan came with an idea, made a blueprint and completed the project start to finish.

Aubrey was a natural

Participants have also been able to give back to the community by volunteering. Direct support staff who regularly dedicate time to Feed My Starving Children in Libertyville invited participants to join them for an evening of labeling boxes and packaging meals. Those who attended had a wonderful experience and plan to volunteer on a regular basis.

As we head into the holidays, we are excited to watch participants continue to learn, grow and explore!

The digital creations class with Hannah in the studio

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Jerry and Elvis

Jenny at a volunteer outing

Charles made a coat rack

Donor Salute

Lambs Farm is grateful for the support we receive from our many friends. Listed below are the names of those especially generous individuals, foundations and corporations whose gifts of $1,000 or more were received from May - August 2023.

$50,000 and above Anonymous Packaging Corporation of America $25,000 to $49,000 Mr. & Mrs. Warren Aldridge Anonymous $10,000 to $24,999 Autohaus on Edens, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Robert Goerne Mr. & Mrs. Mark Kowlzan Milburn Family Fund Mr. & Mrs. Robert E. Neiman Mr. & Mrs. John G. Schreiber Ms. Alice P. White $5,000 to $9,999 AbbVie The Aldridge Family Charitable Fund Alera Group/GCG Financial, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Walt Bazarnik Eric & Kathy Buresch Mr. Russell Dann Ms. M. Victoria Greene Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Gruebnau Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Harer Horizon Carpentry Mrs. Virginia C. Horsch Mr. John Jennings Joan & James Lancaster Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Liner New Trier Township Old National Bank Putnam Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Michael J. Reilly Mr. Robert N. Savoie Uline Vernon Township Mr. & Mrs. Willard T. Walker Mr. & Mrs. Philip Wernick Mr. & Mrs. James P. Zils

$2,500 to $4,999 Abbott Laboratories Abt Electronics Ms. Renate Ade Apex Wood Floors Assurance Mrs. Nancy Casanova Craft Productions, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Frank Czaja Mr. & Mrs. John Durbin Mr. & Mrs. James E. Gallagher Dr. Melvin P. Katz Mrs. Donna J. Krilich Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Krupp Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC Mr. & Mrs. Peter Levy Maron Electric Company MedScript Long Term Care Pharmacy Samuel Melton Mesirow Financial Mr. & Mrs. James Milburn Mr. & Mrs. Dan Novak Gerald & Olivia Shapiro Family Foundation Ms. Susan Rancourt Summit Design + Build Ms. Carrie Van Lake $1,000 to $2,499 Allstate Giving Campaign Aon Mrs. Laurie Asbeck-Hickman Daniel Barrins Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Breck Mrs. Electra Carlson Carol Lavin Bernick Family Foundation Jay & Karen Case Amy & Michael Cash Mr. & Mrs. John Cerwin Mr. Alan Chapman Mr. Edward Chez

Mr. & Mrs. Mitchell Czyzowicz Mr. & Mrs. James E. Dahl Mr. James H. Davis Ms. Laurie Demetrio & Mr. Matt Ward Mr. & Mrs. Tom Donlon Mr. Douglas A. Fisher Mrs. Joan Fuller Gibraltar Equipment Finance LLC Carol Goldbaum Mr. & Mrs. David B. Golder Golder Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Mark A. Goodman Mr. & Mrs. Jim Graham Ms. Paula Graham and Mr. Mike Clark John G. Harty Ltd. Mr. Dan Heyn Mr. Keith Hickman IMC Insperity Corporate Citizenship International Decorators, Inc. Irpino Avin & Hawkins JAB Produce William & Susan Jacobs JMD Builders, Inc. Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Karpek Mr. & Mrs. Kennen H. Kim Mr. & Mrs. Richard Koehler Deborah Kopp Mr. & Mrs. Seymour Levine Ms. Beth Lewis Mr. William Liner Mr. Paul M. Mandell Marcus & Millichap Marsh & McLennan Companies Ms. Olivia McConnell Ms. Mary McGonigel Mr. & Mrs. Michael McMeins Meltzer Purtill & Stelle LLC Mr. Jerome G. Merkel

Bequests Merrill Estate of John Brember Mr. Todd Mintz Ms. Daisy D. Patt Monahan Law Group, LLC Charitable Trust Mr. Jim Naylor Mr. & Mrs. Robert Facebook Fundraisers A. Northrip Wes Dawson nuHaus Janelle Fleck DJ O’Keeffe David Jones Mr. Chaitanya Patel Stan Kaminski Jr. John Petrovski Dan Kummer Ms. Rosalie Piazza Brian Bigdogg Verner Frank Ponterio Interiors Gale Zemel RCA, LLC Roof Management LLC Mr. & Mrs. Steven Rosenmutter RVP, LLC Sacks Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Gary Schuh Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Scialabba Mr. John Seder Olivia & Gerald Shapiro Ms. Susan Siebers St. Gilbert Catholic School Sub-Zero Group Midwest, LLC Tennaqua Ladies Paddle League Ms. Eiko Terao Mr. & Mrs. Thomas A. Thill Mr. John Tithof Mr. & Mrs. Brad Vogan Walker & Dunlop Mr. & Mrs. Peter T. Wall Samuel Weinstein Family Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Richard Willix Windward Roofing & Construction, Inc. Ms. Ruth Wittenberg Ms. Ellen R. Zemel Ms. Gale Zemel Ms. Gina M. Zisook Mr. Sheldon O. Zisook Michael & Franny Zucker

Tributes and Memorials We are always especially honored by the decision to honor and remember friends and loved ones with a gift to Lambs Farm. Below, we list the names of those individuals who have been honored or remembered with a gift received from May - August 2023.

In Honor Of All People with Special Needs Owen Birnholz & Family Fia Bozonier Lyra Bozonier River Bozonier Wes Dawson Nick Durbin Thomas Durbin Janelle Fleck Analiese Gabuzzi Tony Green John Gruebnau Marc Henry Joshua Johnson Lillian Johnson David Jones Stan Kaminski Tara Kane Susan Koehler Karyn Krupp Dan Kummer Lambs Farm Lambs Farm Participants Beth Lewis Craig Marlowe Debbie Marlowe David Mausner Michael J. McMeins Liam Moorthy Theresa Mosser Colleen Moyer Moyer Family

Greg Moyer Ruth I. Moyer Mark Naughton Robert E. Neiman Jason O’Day Lianne Piccione Frank Ponterio Bruce P. Redwanc Betty B. Ruben Ruth Schulien Jackie Schumacher Stephanie Scialabba Alison Shapiro Ben Shively Susan Stein Sarita Still Leia Tiu-Bakalov Brian Verner Douglas Wagner Joanna Willix Abbey Wright Gale Zemel Jon Zils Rodd Zisook

In Memory Of Judy Beccastro Clara Bohmann Fouad Bousetouane Marcus J. Bradshaw Jimmy Braun Roger A. Bury Tim Christie Caroline Cleary Michele Colice-Cadwell Rena Defez Julie Durbin Robert Durbin Ruth Eldert William Eldert Stephen Engelman Kaitlin Englehart Shirley Fier Gertrude E. Fredrich Frank Froncek Irene Froncek Janie Froncek Bob Hansen Jennifer Hart R. Shawn Heaviland Harvey B. Hoffman Sanford Horwitz Morris Isaac Vithal Kinhal Tony Kirch Jeanne L. Koster McCareins Alice Krochmal Theresa A. Kruse

Phillip A. Kurschner Helga Larsen Dolores Lewandowski Norbert Lewandowski Tera L. Matthies Ivy Mileski Theresa Mosser Katherine M. Murphy Elinor M. Newman Howard Newman Paula O’Connor Sarah Onley Bob Quatrocchi Frank Redwanc Stella Redwanc Douglas Rostron Nancy Sauseda Jayne Schickedanz Rosemarie Schmidt Vincent Scialabba William Silet Karen Sneade Jack Stein Judy Stein Lee Travin Lois Weber Leo Wernick Trudy Wernick

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Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Libertyville, IL Permit No. 171

14245 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville, IL 60048

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Join the Holiday Fun at Lambs Farm!

14245 W. Rockland Road, Libertyville, IL 60048

p: 847.362.4636

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www.lambsfarm.org