Tell Me About Stevens Center

A special publication of
The Stevens Center
Celebrating 10 Years as Part of
Sanford’s Welcoming Community
2 Stevens Center
The Sanford Herald, Saturday, June 2, 2012
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The Stevens Center Mission:
The Stevens Center provides personalized support for individuals with developmental disabilities to live fulfilling
lives in a welcoming community.
What it means:
The Stevens Center provides professional and caring assistance, based on the specific needs of each unique person
with a significant long-term disability beginning before they turn 22 to pursue and achieve a life based on their choices
as part of an informed community that accepts, respects and assists them when needed.
Saturday, June 2, 2012,
anford Hearld
Stevens Center 3
y
From the desk of Roger Baile
e of visiting several
Over the years, I’ve had the privileg
port people with disagencies across the country that sup
the director typically
abilities. In the course of conversation,
ite often, I find that
asks what I think of their building. Qu
second hand furniture,
these facilities are poorly lit, full of
and feel pieced together.
mbers took the converIn one instance, one of the board me
“If you received a
sation to the next level when he asked,
ide whether to spend
$10,000 donation, how would you dec
?”
it on the building or some other project
board member go
I replied, “I would suggest that each
h member feels it
to the facility and look around. If eac
work at each day, I
is a place that he or she would like to
wouldn’t change anything.”
vens Center the first
In contrast, when I walked into the Ste
right building! There
time, I wondered whether I was in the
ned as “devalued
was no “disability feel”—maybe defi
other facilities I had
people feel”—that was so common to
us, airy and prestigious.
visited. It was, and is, bright, spacio
ect the philosophy of
The physical building continues to refl
respected. The diversity
the Stevens Center. Every person is
ry person is welcome.
of the community is appreciated. Eve
was invited to be a
I feel gratitude that eight years ago I
d I extend the same
part of this welcoming community. An
come to the Stevens
invitation to you—if you have not yet
Center, please stop on in.
Participate. We welReach out. Get connected. Volunteer.
come you.
Roger Bailey
Executive Director
Congratulations
To To
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Congratulations
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Floral
Arrangements
• Gifts
• Weddings
& More
Floral
Arrangements
• Gifts
• Weddings
& More
4 Stevens Center
The Sanford Herald, Saturday, June 2, 2012
Stevens Center History
As shared by Ron Huber and Poly Cohen
If Jane Stevens was the spark behind
making the Stevens Center a reality in Lee County, Poly and Sissy Cohen
brought much of the wood that turned
it into the fire, and Ron and Carol Huber
tended the fire so the flame never died.
The Stevens Center is a nonprofit
agency located at 1576 Kelly Drive in Sanford, NC. The Stevens Center philosophy
is based on treating all people, including
those with disabilities, as equals and with
respect. Services provided by the Stevens
Center are designed to provide the support people with disabilities need to be
an active member of the community, to
empower rather than control.
In the mid 1970’s, Ms. Stevens had created and begun teaching a Sunday school
class, named the Love Class, for youths
with disabilities.
“Jane was a kind, generous woman,”
Poly Cohen recalled. “The Sunday School
class that she established still meets at
First Baptist Church in Sanford.”
“Jane’s motive was selfless,” said Ron
Huber. “On numerous occasions she told
me she was thankful that all her family
was healthy. Yet every Sunday she was
involved in this special ministry.”
Huber, whose daughter Anne Marie
is one of the original students of the Love
Class, fondly recalled a conversation that
later led to the development of the Stevens Center.
“Several years prior to the incorporation of the Stevens Center, Mrs. Jane Stevens and I had taken the Love Class to a
three day retreat,” Huber said.
“One evening Jane and I were discussing the need for our group of eighteen
persons to have the opportunity to experience real life, and become involved in
the community where they live,” Huber
recalled. “Also to interact with people
of all abilities, enjoy and be involved in
the civic opportunities of Sanford, and
to share their individual skills with our
community to help Sanford to be a better
place for all citizens.”
“Jane told me she had the land to help
the dream become a reality,” Huber continued. “She shared with me that when
she started teaching the Love Class in the
early 1970’s, she saw the potential of each
member to offer more to the world. Jane
also shared that she and her husband
Vernon had talked about doing something for her friends with special needs,
and she was certain that her deceased
husband would have approved the donation of 14 acres of land.”
The Stevens Foundation was established as a nonprofit organization
to accept the donation of the parcel of
property on Kelly Drive. Poly Cohen still
remembers the first meeting held in 1989
to discuss what would be developed, if the
property was donated.
“Jane Stevens was a visionary,” Cohen
recollected. “She was acquainted with
a program in Mississippi that provided
wrap-around services to people with disabilities in a campus setting and wanted
to do the same here.”
“Upon investigation we found that
the campus required millions of dollars
donated up front, and about a million dollars in donations each year to keep it running.”
“Jane didn’t let that stop us,” Cohen
recounted. “We just considered other
options, and kept moving forward.”
At the same time, other people in the
community were brought on board, to
help shape the vision and turn it into a
reality.
“David Simpson got involved ver y
early and drew the plans for what came
to be the Stevens Center,” Cohen remembered. “He left a sizeable bequest to
the Stevens Center and after his death,
David’s son Brad built the facility for a
very nominal fee. We owe a lot to David,
and David H. Simpson Construction
Company.”
“A lot of those early years were spent
deciding what to build and how to pay for
it,” says Cohen.
“We had 14 acres of property,” Huber
recalled, “but no money.”
Poly and Sissy Cohen took on the
challenge. They hosted dinner parties
and receptions, and shared their vision
with their friends. The impact of their
efforts is noted on plaques throughout the Stevens Center that acknowledge major initial donors. Several were
made in honor of Poly and Sissy’s son
Jane Stevens (March 7, 1915 - July 25, 2009)
Stephen, who has a disability.
By 2000, the board of directors felt that
enough money had been raised to break
ground. In May 2002 the facility was formally dedicated. Ron Huber volunteered
full time to keep the Center open and
develop some programs. In January 2004
Roger Bailey was hired to be the Stevens
Center’s first full time staff and agency
director. From this point on the employee
base has grown, but volunteers continue
to play a key role. Volunteers permit the
organization to provide services to people
in the community with disabilities at a
reasonable cost.
In 2007 the agency name was changed
to the Stevens Center.
Both Cohen and Huber are pleased
with what has happened since 1989.
“It has been a wonderful program,”
Cohen said. “People with disabilities, of
all ages, are receiving supports from this
location. We wanted the building to be
used. We wanted it for everyone, and that
is what is happening.”
“Jane Stevens is only one of many who
contributed to the dream of helping persons with intellectual disabilities become
a valuable asset to this community,”
Huber pondered, “but without her
vision and deter mination, where
would we be today?”
Saturday, June 2, 2012,
anford Hearld
Stevens Center 5
Stevens Center Board of Directors
President Bill Bates, Treasurer Linda Foushee, Secretary JoAnne Cameron, Barbara Dymond, Ruth Washer, Debbie Lowther, Cynthia Reives. Not pictured: Vice President David
Dudley, Brad Simpson
Friend us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/StevensCenter
6 Stevens Center
The Sanford Herald, Saturday, June 2, 2012
The Kimberly Holder Story
The year 2010 was a bittersweet year
for Ruth Holder. She was grieving the
loss of her husband of 40 years, John,
who died in Februar y. But a healing
began in June of the same year, when
her daughter, Kimberly, was able to move
back home.
Kimberly was born with developmental disabilities. Her body has difficulty
recycling the fluid that bathes her brain.
For most of her life she communicated
with, at most, one-word sentences. Evaluations indicate Kim has an intellectual disability. And there were behavioral issues.
“Kimberly was easily overstimulated,”
Ruth recalled. “We couldn’t go out to eat,
or to a park. She would destroy things at
home. Her brother, Christopher, didn’t
have a life because Kim demanded all the
attention.”
“When Kim was about 16, her case
manager suggested that Kim move into
a licensed group home,” Ruth continued.
“It wasn’t an issue of us wanting her to go,
but it was the only way of getting help. It
was the only way we could get support to
deal with Kim’s disruptive behavior.
“It wasn’t the best situation. Kim didn’t
like the group home. Though she came
home every other weekend, and whenever she was sick, she missed the family,
and we missed her.”
On a positive note, Kim learned new
skills at the group home that helped her
become more independent.
“They did not baby Kim like we did,”
Ruth confessed. “Kim learned to do more
things for herself.”
But there were tradeoffs. When Kim
had to begin using a wheelchair, there
was evidence that the group home staff
did not follow through on providing all
the therapy that was prescribed. There
seemed to be an over-reliance on use of
waterproof undergarments instead of
helping her use the toilet. And there was
a question of trust.
“While at the group home, Kimberly got a severe sunburn that blistered,”
Ruth recalled. “Staff was told to not let me
know they had taken Kim to the doctor.
After I found out, it was very difficult to
trust them.”
When Kim was about 19, she began
having life-threatening health issues. Neither doctors nor specialists could find the
Ruth and Kimberly Holder enjoy lunch out.
cause.
“Two days after coming home from
a hospital stay,” Ruth said, “I went into
Kim’s bedroom, and I could see her
dying. She was all curled up in a fetal
position, quivering. We rushed her up
to UNC, where a doctor promised Kim
would not leave until they found a cause.”
The doctor eventually found an infection in Kim’s brain fluid. It was apparently
caused by a small fragment of a drainage shunt that had been removed from
Kim’s brain several years earlier. Surgery
removed the fragment. After healing,
most of Kim’s aggressive behaviors were
also gone.
As Kim entered into her 20s, Ruth and
John talked about having their daughter
move back home. However, when John
was diagnosed with cancer, all attention
focused on his health. It was not until
after his death that Ruth was able to pursue their dream of having Kim move back
home.
Kim’s current case manager, Joanne
Horak, explained how Medicaid CAPIDD (Community Alternative Program
for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) provides support
so people can live in unlicensed settings,
such as with their parents or in their own
apartments.
“So I called the Stevens Center,” Ruth
said. “I knew it was absolutely necessary
to have outside help if Kim was going
to come home. My strength is not that
great, and Kim would need assistance.
Also, I had other responsibilities, such
as pastoring my church, so I could not
spend full time meeting Kim’s needs.”
“Working with the Stevens Center has
been a godsend,” she added. “I remember on our first meeting that Roger Bailey
said he doesn’t employ ‘sofa supervisors’;
his support workers are expected to interact with the people they support. On the
whole, that’s what has happened.
“I have found the Stevens Center to be
kind, honest and upfront. Management
is willing to deal with any problems that
arise and nip them in the bud. Everyone
truly treats Kim like an individual, and
Saturday, June 2, 2012,
that means a lot to a parent of a child
with a disability. That’s a rare quality
among service-providing agencies.”
Reflecting on the profess her daughter has made, Ruth said, “In the 20
months Kim has been home, the change
has been amazing. She is more independent, more grown up. She makes
choices on what she wants to wear, and
picks what she wants at the store. These
are not things I saw happening at her
group home.”
For six years, Kim used a wheelchair
to get around. Because Stevens Center staff follows through on her in-home
therapy, Kim is walking again with the
aid of a walker, something Ruth doesn’t
think would have happened if she had
stayed in a group home. She expects the
day will come again when Kim walks
without assistance.
“One of the other amazing trans-
formations I have seen is in how Kim
communicates,” Ruth said. “For most of
Kim’s life, she used one-word sentences. Now she is putting more and more
words together. Recently at a church
gathering, she spontaneously said to
someone, ‘Go get Ruth out of the kitchen.’”
When asked what she feels accounts
for this growth, Ruth replied, “Her support workers never talk baby talk to her.
They all talk to her like an adult. When
they are around her, they realize how
smart she is, that she just cannot communicate it.”
Life is still difficult. Ruth and Kim still
feel the loss of John, husband and father,
but things are getting better each day.
“Having Kim move back is certainly
a healing process for both of us,” Ruth
said, “and it makes our home more complete.”
You can be part of a
welcoming community
When you see a person with a disability, are you unsure what to do? If so,
here’s a tip. Remember, the individual in
front of you is a person. So if you make
eye contact—and that’s okay—nod your
head or say hello. In this small way, you
become part of a welcoming community.
When talking about people with disabilities, do you have trouble finding the
right words? If so, here’s a tip. Always
refer to the person first. For example,
don’t say autistic people, or disabled people. Instead, say people who have autism,
or people who have a disability. In this
small way, you become part of a welcoming community.
When you see a person with a disability who may need some help, what should
you do? Here’s a tip. Ask if they would
like assistance. If they say yes, then do
what you can to help. If you are not sure
how to help, ask what they would like you
to do. In this small way, you become part
of a welcoming community.
For more information on how you can
be part of a welcoming community, visit
stevenscenter.org and click on Welcoming Community.
“I have a disability, yes that’s true, but all
that really means is I may have to take a
slightly different path than you.”
— Robert M. Hensel
anford Hearld
Stevens Center 7
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104 Hawkins Avenue
Sanford, NC 27330
PHONE: 919-774-9442
FAX: (919) 774-3368
www.jonesprintingco.com
*Booklets * Business Forms * Multi-Copy Forms
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Jones Printing - established 1928
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“Free delivery service available to the local area.”
8 Stevens Center
The Sanford Herald, Saturday, June 2, 2012
Summer Camp Volunteers
Max and Alegra Hogan cherish their
connection with the Stevens Center. In
2004 they participated in the first summer camp of the Stevens Center, and
attended each year thereafter until they
aged out. Now they volunteer as camp
leaders.
Volunteers are important to the Stevens Center, as it keeps program costs
affordable, and makes it easier to include
participants with a wide range of abilities.
In the spring of 2012 Danny Redman, pastor of St. Andrews Presbyterian
Church, contacted the Stevens Center.
He was looking for an in-county missionary experience for his senior youth
group. It was decided that the youth
group would develop and volunteerstaff a summer camp for nine to 12 year
olds. In keeping with the Stevens Center
philosophy, the camp would be open to
youths of all abilities and disabilities.
The camp was called Free-to-Be-Me,
for two reasons. First, each day campers
were encouraged to be proud of who
they were, and respect other people for
who they were. Second, multiple activities were provided each half hour, and
campers got to select for themselves
which activity they would participate in.
Max and Alegra Hogan were twin
third-graders that participated in that
first Free-to-Be-Me camp.
“It was fun to be around so many kids
of our same age,” said Alegra. “It was fun
to be around kids we weren’t with everyday.”
“For me it was fun to do whatever I
wanted,” Max shared. “I got to try a lot
of new things, like playing bocce for the
first time. And I liked knowing that each
year we could choose a nature walk at
SanLee Park.”
On one level they knew there were
participants of different abilities at the
camp. Most youths in camp did not have
a disability. One camper used a wheelchair. Some campers would come accompanied by a staff person. But on the
whole, it didn’t make a difference.
“I really didn’t think about it,”
observed Alegra. “We were all just having fun. Disability wasn’t a factor.”
“No one was treated dif ferent,”
recalled Max. “They were just one of
us.”
In looking back, both feel the experence has had a positive effect on them.
“I think I am more understanding
of people with disabilities,” Max feels.
“I know what to do when I am around
them.”
Alegra agreed. “You become more
comfortable with them. It’s not, “Oh no!
What am I supposed to do?’”
Both decided, after their junior year in
high school, to volunteer with the Freeto-Be-Me camp.
“Participating was more fun,” Alegra
chuckled. “I thought being volunteer
staff would be easy, but it is challenging. Still it was worth it, when you see
the excitement the campers share with
their parents when it is time for pickup.
It is so rewarding to see the effect you
can have on a child.”
When asked if they found it difficult to
include participants that had disabilities,
both smiled.
“If you develop a relationship
with the camper, and treat them with
respect, like a human being, it’s not
at all difficult,” said Alegra.
According to Max, “Some of the
kids without disabilities just wanted
to run around and throw balls. The
kids with disabilities were engaged
in the activity. They were having fun,
but you could tell they were learning to be better at whatever we were
doing.”
This year Max and Alegra both
plan to retur n to volunteer at one
of the summer camps. When asked
what their incentive was, Alegra
replied, “It is my turn to give back,
to give to the next batch of campers
what we had.” Max agreed.
“People need to know Stevens
Center camps are not just for kids
with disabilities,” said Max. Ever yone can come and have fun.”
“It is an enjoyable experience at
ever y age—as a camper or as volunteer staff,” said Alegra.
Saturday, June 2, 2012,
Volunteer opportunities
Improve your health by volunteering.
Some opportunities at the Stevens Center:
• Share your hobby
• Teach a class
• Be a guest speaker
• Play a musical instrument
• Help in the office
• Care for the lawn
• Be staff at a summer camp
• Teach someone to read
• Help maintain the inside of the building
anford Hearld
n!
issio
Free
Adm
ublic
Stevens Center 9
Lots o
f
Local
Vendo
rs!!
P
Carolina Animal Rescue & Adoption
presents
“Crafty Critters”
Craft and Vendor Fair
Saturday, June 23, 2012
10am - 2pm.
Lions Club Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall,
Sanford, NC
Vendors are invited to set up a booth to sell merchandise
(arts, crafts, animal items, gift items, home based businesses, etc)
Cost is $25 per vendor.
Please see our website of www.cara-nc.org/vendors for more
details of how to register to be a vendor at this event. We ask
that you please register before June 10th.
Please come out and support CARA & do some
shopping of your own.
10 Stevens Center
The Sanford Herald, Saturday, June 2, 2012
Connections
Program
No one, including adults with disabilities, wants to
live in a bubble. People thrive on developing and maintaining relationships with other people. Connections is
a new program of the Stevens Center that links people.
Connections provides activities at the Stevens Center
from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Some
activities are designed to address the specific needs of
adults with disabilities, plus other programs that will be
of interest to the community at large. It accomplishes
several goals:
•
Develop skills needed to be more independent
•
Develop problem solving skills so an
individual can have more personal control
•
Promote better physical and emotional health
•
Help people apply the knowledge they have
to real life
•
Address the individual learning needs of
each person
•
Help connect people with the community
The program components that address the learning
needs of adults with disabilities emphasize developing or maintaining skills through practical use of what
people already know or can learn. For example, participants use math skills when playing cards or board
games. Cooking classes promote reading, math and
better health decisions. Discussing articles from The
Sanford Herald improves reading skills and community
awareness.
Additionally, many activities, such as exercise,
sports, art, music or guest speakers, are open to everyone. Free walking and exercise programs occur Monday through Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. and are open to
the public.
Joyce Marks is the Activities Coordinator of Connections. She is in the process of developing cottage industry components, where people will make items to sell on
the Internet.
The core program is limited to a maximum of 12
adults with disabilities that attend regularly. The program also serves as a “home base” for adults with disabilities who are employed in the community.
Registration for the basic core program is $200 per
month, or $75 per week. Financial aid may be available
to adults with disabilities living in private homes. There
will still be registration fees for special classes, like
cooking and art.
If you have questions, would like to register, or want
to make a donation to the financial aid fund, please call
Roger Bailey at (919) 776-4048.
UNC-CH students work with
Connections Program
According to a community assessment completed by
UNC-CH nursing students
Stephanie Shannon and
Jake Haskins, Lee County
adults with developmental
disabilities face the same
health challenges as other
people, plus some. Trying
to change this became part
of a 16 week internship at
the Stevens Center in Sanford.
The method was three
pronged. First, Shannon
and Haskins obser ved
the health, eating habits and exercise patterns
of people attending the
Stevens Center’s Connections program. Second,
they compiled results of
a survey that was sent to
26 licensed adult group
homes in Lee County. Finally,
they provided nutrition education
and exercise classes at the Stevens
Center.
“We obser ved that people
drank a lot of sweetened beverages and junk food, and ate hardly
any fruits and vegetables while at
the Stevens Center,” said Shannon.
“This same pattern was reflected
in the survey results that we compiled from people with disabilities
living throughout Lee County.”
The Center for Disease Control recommends that people 18 to
64 engage in at least 30 minutes
of moderate-intensity exercise at
least five days per week, to maintain health. The Lee County survey found that 62% of people with
developmental disabilities do not
exercise daily for at least 30 minutes daily.
“During observation we noted
that even during organized exercise programs, few participants
would exercise at the moderate
intensity level, which could loosely
be defined as at the level where
you break a sweat,” noted Haskins.
“Without moderate intensity, a
person does not increase stamina
and therefore see more limited
benefits.”
Caregivers stated that lack of
nutrition education contributed to
the poor eating choices of people
with disabilities. Shannon and
Haskins implemented a ten week
nutrition class for the Connections
class, which supports daytime
activity for adults with developmental disabilities. After 6 weeks,
80% of the people were passing
every post-test. But eating habits
changed very little.
“At that point,” said Shannon,
“we realized that lack of understanding was not the issue. Lack
of implementation with caregivers
was fueling the issue of improper
nutrition and exercise.”
Shannon’s and Haskins’
research indicates the resources
are available to address the problem. Lee County Public Health
Department and the interagency
LeeCAN have prioritized obesity/overweight as an issue to be
addressed. The Stevens Center
offers free drop-in adult exercise
classes Monday through Thursday
from 10 to 11 a.m.
But to have an impact on adults
with developmental disabilities, it is
necessary to get the buy-in of the
person providing meals or transportation.
Shannon and Haskins concluded, “When family members and
program staff get involved in activities that count as moderate intensity exercise, and when they provide healthier eating options, the
benefits will trickle down to every
person they are supervising.”
For a complete copy of this
community assessment, information on exercise programs at the
Stevens Center, or the Connections program, call (919) 776-4048,
e-mail [email protected] or
request through facebook.com/
StevensCenter. Pictured above: UNC-CH School of
Nursing students Stephanie Shannon
and Jake Haskins discuss the portion
plate with Bryan Rives as part of
their activity with the Connections
program.
Saturday, June 2, 2012,
Stevens Center 11
anford Hearld
Your opinion counts at the Stevens Center
Ever y nonprofit organization periodically needs to check in with the community it serves, to see how effective its services are. Optimally, the opinion of
both the people directly benefiting from the service, and people comprising the
community-at-large, should be obtained and evaluated.
“We all want to think we are doing a good job,” notes Stevens Center’s executive director Roger Bailey. “A survey answers the question, “What does the community think?”
The Stevens Center is seeking input from individuals that have a developmental disability, their family and their friends, as well as from the community-atlarge. People can complete the survey in this article and mail it back to Stevens
Center, 1576 Kelly Drive Sanford, NC, 27330. It can be obtained online at www.
stevenscenter.org or at facebook.com/StevensCenter. Members from the general
community can complete the survey online by going to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VMGXNWP. Individuals with developmental disabilities and the family and friends can complete the survey online at https://www.surveymonkey.
com/s/VT76JRP. A paper copy will be mailed if people call (919) 776-4048.
“We appreciate the time people take to complete this survey,” Bailey said. “It
will result in a stronger agency, and a stronger community.”
Sur vey of persons with a developmental disability, a member of a family with a person who has a developmental disability or a friend of someone with a developmental disability
Note: A developmental disability is a significant long-term disability beginning
before a person turns 22 years of age.
1. Please provide your contact information if you would like to learn more
about the Stevens Center.
Name___________________________;
Phone___________________________;
Email___________________________;
2. Which best defines who you are:
•
An individual with a disability that began before you turned 22.
•
A member of a family with a person whose disability began before
he/she turned 22.
•
A friend of an individual with a disability that began before
he/she turned 22.
•
None of the above (if this is your category, please discontinue
this survey and complete the community-at-large survey)
3. What are the hopes and dreams for yourself or others who you know with
developmental disabilities?
4. What support/services do you/your family need that are not available or
you have been unable to obtain?
5. What organizations or persons do you turn to when you want to find out
about services available to individuals with developmental disabilities?
6. What do you understand is the purpose of the Stevens Center and what services does it provide?
7. If you are familiar with the Stevens Center, how well is the Stevens Center
addressing the needs in our community?
8. What should the Stevens Center be doing to address the needs of persons
with developmental disabilities in our community?
Sur vey of persons within the community-at-large
Note: A developmental disability is a significant long-term disability beginning
before a person turns 22 years of age.
1. Please provide your contact information if you would like to learn more
about the Stevens Center.
Name___________________________;
Phone____________________;
Email___________________
2. Indicate if you are:
•
Pre-teen or teenager
•
Adult
•
Retired
3. From your perspective, what are some of the challenges that persons with
developmental disabilities face in our community?
4. How important is it to our community for an organization to provide programs and services that include people of varied abilities/disabilities?
5. What organizations or persons do you turn to when you want to find out
about services available to individuals with disabilities?
6. What do you understand is the purpose of the Stevens Center and what services do we provide?
7. If you are familiar with the Stevens Center, how well is the Stevens Center
addressing the needs in our community?
8. What should the Stevens Center be doing to address the needs of persons
with developmental disabilities in our community?
Its time to grab your
clubs and join us for
CARA’s Father’s Day
Golf Tournament!
WHEN – Saturday June 16th, 2012
Check in will begin at 7:00 AM
Shotgun Start at 8:30 AM
WHERE –
Quail Ridge Golf Course
5634 Quail Ridge Lane
Sanford, NC
WHAT - Four Player Scramble Tournament
with Prizes, Raffles, Games, Drinks, Food, and Fun
COST - $50 per player –
Fee includes: Green Fees & Cart Fees
Range Balls & Practice Facilities
Beverages & a Catered Lunch
from Cafe 121
Saving One Dog’s Life
Register and pay online at www.cara-nc.org/puttsformutts
or call Quail Ridge Golf Course at (919)776-6623
12 Stevens Center
The Sanford Herald, Saturday, June 2, 2012
Stevens Center Programs:
Open to the whole community
“Someone wondered why my
grandson had registered for a Stevens Center program,” a grandmother recently shared, “because he
doesn’t have a disability. I told them
that Stevens Center programs are
open to the whole community.”
Historically, ser vices designed for
individuals with developmental disabilities (significant long-term disabilities beginning before the person
turns 22) were typically provided in
a segregated environment. Residential ser vices were provided in institutions or licensed group homes.
Employment ser vices were provided
in sheltered workshops. Self-contained schools were developed for
students with disabilities.
For decades, specialized ser vices
were deemed to be the best model.
However, research now shows that
including individuals with developmental disabilities in the mainstream
of the community, with appropriate
suppor ts, has equal or better outcomes for the individual with the
disability, and no negative impact on
the community-at-large. That is why,
since 2004, the Stevens Center has
provided programs that are open to
all members of the community, not
just those with disabilities.
Health Canada 2001 concluded
that “income and social status (how
much a person is valued) are the single most impor tant determinants of
health.” It reported that “some studies conclude that the health effect of
social relationships may be as important as established risk factors such
as smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and a sedentar y lifestyle.”
An article in the July-August 2004
Public Health Repor ts stated that
adults in Nor th Carolina who had a
developmental disability were seven
times as likely to repor t inadequate
emotional suppor t, compared with
Pfizer employees Debbie Lowther and Julie Conder (pictured) volunteer weekly to assist Zelda Chance and Bryan Rives learn computer skills. Pfizer also recently donated updated computers, flat screen monitors and accessories for the computer room.
adults without disabilities. They
were also significantly more likely
to report being in fair or poor health
than adults without disabilities.
“It is essential to ever y person’s
physical and emotional health to
be connected to other people,” said
Stevens Center’s executive director
Roger Bailey. “Being in a program
exclusively with staff and other peo-
ple who have a developmental disability does not provide the level of
connectedness that people need.”
“Few people would say that
because dozens of other people live
in the same nursing home, a family
member in that facility has sufficient
social connectedness,” obser ved
Bailey. “Likewise, it doesn’t make
sense to think that way about people
with developmental disabilities who
receive ser vices in a segregated setting.”
The Stevens Center’s practice of
including people of all abilities is now
considered best practice. When individuals par ticipate, whether or not
they have a disability, they contribute
to the overall health of the community.
Saturday, June 2, 2012,
anford Hearld
Stevens Center 13
Make a donation
Name______________________________________________
Mailing Address _____________________________________________________________________
Home Phone (_____)________________  E-mail Preferred: ________________________________
 Donate by Check: make payable to Stevens Center $___________
 Donate by Credit Card: ë$___________  Visa  Master Card
Card # _____________________________________________ Exp. Date __________
Signature _____________________________________________________________
Please make my gift in:___ honor of: ___memory of: ____________________________________________________
and notify (please state their relationship to the honoree):__________________________________________________
at Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Remove from Mailing List
Your contribution to Stevens Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation is tax-exempt to the extent allowed by law. Financial information about this organization and a copy of its license are
available from the Charitable Solicitation Licensing Section at (888)830-4989. The license is not an endorsement by the State. SL003027
ëTo donate by credit card via phone with a Stevens Center employee, please call 919-776-4048
To make a donation online, go to: www.stevenscenter.org
Painless giving for
on-line shoppers
If you ever shop on-line, check out GoodShop.com. By going through
this portal to get to the internet shopping site you want, each purchase
you make can result in a donation to the Stevens Center, without it
costing you anything!
This is how it works:
1. Go to GoodShop.com
2. Select Stevens Center as the charity
3. Select the site you want to shop at (almost a thousand are participating)
4. After you get to the shopping page, do your shopping
5. Make your purchase, and feel good that you are supporting the
Stevens Center!
You can do this from your home or business, since it costs you or
your employer nothing. For instance, when purchasing office supplies, the Stevens Center now goes through GoodShop.com. From
there you are linked to the same website as if you did not go through
GoodShop.com. Make your purchase, and then wait for a donation to
be sent back to the Stevens Center from GoodShop.
“Placing one foot in front of
the other, I’ve climbed to higher
lengths. Reaching beyond my own
limitations, to show my inner
strength. No obstacle too hard, for
this warrior to overcome. I’m just
a man on a mission, to prove my
disability hasn’t won.”
— Robert M. Hensel
14 Stevens Center
The Sanford Herald, Saturday, June 2, 2012
T
he Herald congratulates the Stevens Center on its 10th
anniversary of serving Sanford and Lee County. We all
know people with cognitive or developmental disabilities,
so we’re fortunate to have the Stevens Center here to assist our
neighbors with such disabilities in achieving their life’s goals.
The Center creates opportunities for those so affected to thrive in
relationships with others and to contribute to the community. People
with disabilities are nonetheless people with abilities, and the
Stevens Center is instrumental in creating success stories for them.
We salute your work and your
accomplishments, and wish you many
more years of continued success and
contributions.
Saturday, June 2, 2012,
anford Hearld
Stevens Center 15
16 Stevens Center
The Sanford Herald, Saturday, June 2, 2012
Summer Camps for Children and Youths
At the Stevens Center 1576 Kelly Drive in Sanford
Air conditioned gymnasium, one mile past CCCC
Go on-line to stevenscenter.org and
select Calendar/Registration or call 776-4048
Financial
Assistance
Available
We welcome youths of all abilities and disabilities
Party, Paint & Playtime
for 3-4 year olds
Activities include arts and crafts, music and motion, story time and more! Tuesdays, June 26, July 3, 10, 17 from 9 - 11 a.m.
4 mornings of fun once per week! $15
READY
Day
Camp
for 6 - 16 year olds
Four weeks of
fun and learning.
only $120,
includes
activity fees
Monday through Thursday July 9 - Aug. 2 from 8 a.m. to noon
Registration includes:
• Team building exercises • Your chance to build new friends
• Field Trips • Computer lab for reading tutoring
A
Kids Can
Connect
for 5-8 year olds
Activities include art, music and motion, drama, basketball & more
Tuesdays, June 26, July 3, 10, 17 from 9 - 11 a.m.
4 mornings of fun once per week! $15
.
Free-to-Be-Me
for 9-12 year olds
Mix & Match Your Day! Basketball, dance, art, games, music & more!
June 18-22, Monday thru Friday, 10 a.m.—2 p.m.
Pack your lunch and be ready for a whole week of fun. $25
Basketball Fundamentals
Skill-building clinic coached by Larry Goins
for 6-16 year olds
Focus—dribbling, passing, shooting, and lay-ups
July 23-25, Monday thru Wednesday from 6 - 8 p.m.
3 evenings of skill building in one week. $20
CONNECTIONS
for 17 years and older
Current events, computer lab, practical use of basic reading and math skills, exercise, nutrition and fun! A summer program
for individuals still in school, registration is $400, or $75 per week. June 11 – August 22 with no program week of
July 4th. Monday through Thursday 8:15 a.m.—2 p.m.
e