The Douglas Center Hosts A First-Of-Its

The Douglas Center Newsletter
Winter 2012
The Douglas Center Hosts A First-Of-Its-Kind Halloween
Monster Bash Event for Adults with Developmental and
Intellectual Disabilities
The Douglas Center Closing
Schedule
The Douglas Center hosted a
HALLOWEEN MONSTER BASH
P AR TY fo r Ad u lt s w i t h
Developmental and Intellectual
Disabilities on Friday, October
26, 2012. The Halloween party
was a first-of-its-kind in the
Chicago metropolitan area to
be opened to the community-atlarge of adults living with
disabilities Over 125 agencies,
residential providers, schools
and community organizations
serving adults with disabilities
were invited to participate in
this event. A good time was had
by ALL!
The Douglas Center Work
Center was transformed into a
Halloween extravaganza with
spooky décor as far as the eye
could see. Halloween costumes
were encouraged but not
required. The Halloween theme
continued onto the food buffet
with tasty dishes served in a
frightfully delightful manner
along with an array of
Halloween mocktails.
The
evening included numerous
games and prizes. Guests of the
event were entertained and
danced to live music by Boom
Shakala. It was a night to
remember!
Sponsors of The Douglas Center
Halloween Monster Bash event
included our Spookatular
Sponsor: The Apartment People
and Boom Shakala. The event
was hailed a success by the
many attendees of the
Halloween Bash. The Douglas
 Christmas Break: December 22,
2012 through January 2, 2013
 The Douglas Center re-opens on
January 3, 2013
 Martin Luther King Day: January
21st
 President’s Day: February 18th
 Good Friday: March 29th
Inside this issue:
The Douglas Center Hosts Halloween Monster Bash for Adults living with
Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities
Center has since received
many calls, notes and emails
thanking the center for hosting
this event and requests to be
placed on the list of invitees
for any future events hosted
by The Douglas Center.
toward reaching out and
meeting the needs of our
community, The Douglas Center
is honored to have hosted this
evening of fun and
entertainment in a safe
environment for our guests.”
“To our knowledge this was
the first time in the Chicago
metro area that this type of
an event was open to the
entire community of adults
with disabilities. An event such
as this serves to improve
overall health and well-being
by extending social networks
for individuals with
disabilities” stated Rifath
Khan, Chief Executive Officer.
“In our continuing efforts
To view our Halloween Monster
Bash party video visit our
YouTube channel at:
http://youtu.be/uGaoVOYLzg8
Enjoy!
DC Hosts Halloween
Monster Bash
1
A Letter from our Chief
Executive Officer
2
DC Welcomes New Staff
Members
2
DC To Create Living
Atrium
3
Halloween Monster Bash
Photos
3
DC Annual Program
Participant Thanksgiving
Luncheon
3
DC to appear on ABC7
Chicago Sunday Morning
News on January 6th
4
Lower Your Production and 4
Fulfillment Costs with
The Douglas Center!
Page 2
A Letter From Our Chief Executive Of ficer
Dear Friends and Supporters:
During this season of celebration and
gratitude it is fitting to reflect upon the
year we will soon be leaving behind. For
so many individuals with special needs,
this past year has been particularly
difficult due to the tough economic climate
and funding cutbacks that left many
agencies/programs with no alternatives
other than to close their doors. This new
reality has placed an emotional and
financial hardship on so many with urgent
needs for these types of vital services. As
the need in our community has increased
dramatically, The Douglas Center has
worked very hard in stepping up our
efforts to meet the increased demand.
In 2011, The Douglas Center underwent
an expansion of our facility to a total of
36,000 square feet. Investments were also
made in acquiring much needed
additional manufacturing equipment.
Because of this expansion, we were able
to meet the growing demand that we
were presented with during this past year.
In 2012, The Douglas Center experienced
a considerable increase in the number of
new program participants. Perhaps the
most heartwarming aspect of 2012 was in
the increase of employment opportunities
that The Douglas Center was able to
provide for our participants living with
disabilities. Our commercial sewing
department has more than doubled in the
number of participants. This year The
Douglas Center received its third sewing
contract from the Department of Defense.
This is quite an honor and we are grateful
to have been entrusted with this work.
Meyer segment. The segment will speak to
the many employment opportunities that
are provided by The Douglas Center for
individuals with disabilities
Our center has also formed several new
manufacturing partnerships for our Work
Center program. Our manufacturing
partners provide employment opportunities
for our participants through the work
projects they entrust to us. They are a key
component to our program and are making
a difference in transforming lives. Work
projects entrusted to The Douglas Center
have empowered our workers with
disabilities enabling them to live more
independently. We continue to seek out
additional manufacturing partnerships. Your
assistance in recommending The Douglas
Center as a resource for work projects to
companies/manufacturers would be greatly
appreciated!
This year, our “Art From The Heart”
Creations program also expanded into new
retail stores, community events and art
shows resulting in additional employment
and income opportunities for our
participants. . We are excited to share the
news that on Sunday, January 6th The
Douglas Center will be featured on the
ABC7 Sunday Morning News in a Karen
The cost of expansion and additional staff
to oversee the increased demand for our
services has not been easy. It has taken a
great deal of planning and preparation to
ensure an effective, efficient transition.
Having completed our expansion our focus
is on ensuring that those in need are aware
of the services available to them at The
Douglas Center. We will continue our
efforts toward raising public awareness
and visibility. We welcome your assistance
in sharing our information to those in need
of the types of programs and services we
provide. Our work in 2013 is “to leave no
one with disabilities behind”.
Thank you all for being such wonderful
advocates of The Douglas Center…for
sharing with your friends, family and
everyone in between about the work and
mission of The Douglas Center. Whether
you participated in one of our events,
fundraising campaigns, provided work
opportunities, became a Facebook friend,
shared our information with some in need,
etc., please know how valuable your efforts
are in our continuing efforts toward
reaching out and meeting the needs of our
community.
On behalf of The Douglas Center, we wish
you a happy and healthy holiday season
and a wonderful new year!
Sincerely,
Rifath Khan
Chief Executive Officer
The Douglas Center Welcomes New Staff Members
The Douglas Center is pleased to welcome our
newest member to our staff team. “We are
delighted to welcome our new staff to The
Douglas Center team”, stated Rifath Khan, Chief
Joan Nabukeer, Direct Support Personnel (DSP) is a
native of Uganda. Joan began her career with The
Douglas Center as an intern. She is soon to be enrolled in
the St. Augustine Social Work Program. “I like working
at The Douglas Center because it has given me an
opportunity to work with individuals that have truly made
me appreciate my life! My clients make my day!”
Joan Nabukeera, Direct Support Staff,
The Douglas Center
Kathy Bailon, Direct Support Personnel (DSP) is a
native of Chicago. Kathy is in the process of
completing her BA in Social Work from St. Augustine.
“I’m very happy and excited to now be a part of The
Douglas Center. Everyone here has made me feel very
welcome. I can’t wait to see what great experiences I
gain from my time here!”
Kathy Bailon, Direct Support Staff,
The Douglas Center
Page 3
The Douglas Center To Create Indoor Living Atrium
The Douglas Center Horticultural
Program will begin work on creating an
indoor living atrium within the facility.
The atrium will be comprised of a
variety of plants and flowers that will
be maintained by program participants
of The Douglas Center under the skillful
guidance or Mary Quinlan, self-made
Master Gardener. Mary is in the
process of designing the landscaping
plans for the new atrium including the
types of botanicals to be grown, the
size of garden, etc.
Horticultural activities provide a
multitude of benefits to individuals living
with disabilities. Working with plants
promotes physical fitness; nurtures selfconfidence; improves communication,
motor and social skills through group
involvement and activities; learning about
nature and our environment; opportunity
for the development of new skills, etc.
“We are very excited about our Living
Atrium project” stated Rifath Khan, Chief
Executive Officer. “Our participants have
really enjoyed their horticultural
experiences involving the creation of our
outdoor/patio deck and the beautiful
landscaping of the Douglas Center
entrance. It is such a thrill to witness how
they have blossomed in this process.”
For more information on our horticultural
activities and/or to make a donation
toward it, please contact Linda Cordero,
Development Coordinator at 847-6741921 ext. 245 or via email:
[email protected]
The Douglas Center program participants
creating indoor living atrium
The Douglas Center 2012
The Douglas Center Annual Program Participant
Thanksgiving Luncheon
The Douglas Center Newsletter
Winter 2012
The Douglas Center
3445 Howard Street
Skokie, IL 60076
Phone: 847-674-1921
Fax: 847-679-1823
www.thedouglascenter.com
O r g a n i z a t i o n
SCAN HERE to
Visit our Website
Watch The Douglas Center appearance on
ABC7 Chicago Sunday Morning News on January 6, 2013
The Douglas Center will be featured in a Karen Meyer segment highlighting the work of our
center in providing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The segment
will run during the 8:00 AM news hour. TUNE IN!