| More than a “Buffalo”
In 2001, People Inc. acquired a buffalo statue through a fundraising campaign that benefitted Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Burchfield-Penney Art Center. It was first placed at the People Inc. headquarters on North Forest Road in Williamsville. Unfortunately, over time, the statue was damaged and needed to be repaired. The buffalo was then turned over to People Inc.’s Art Experience, a fine arts day habilitation program for adults with developmental disabilities, where it was repaired and painted by participants. To learn more about the renovated buffalo statue and where it is now, click here.
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| Meet People Inc.’s Newest Board Chairperson
People Inc. is pleased to welcome Randall E. Borst as its new Board of Directors chairperson. A resident of Amherst, NY, Randall was the first student who is legally blind to attend public school in Hammond, IN. In 1976, he graduated from Perdue Calumet with a degree in psychology and earned a master’s degree in education, with an emphasis in counseling. After working for the state of Indiana as a vocation rehabilitation counselor, in 1990, Borst became the director of disability services at Indiana-Perdue Fort Wayne. In 1997, he became the director of Disability Services at SUNY Buffalo, now the Center for Accessibility Services.
At People Inc., Randall serves on the Quality Results Committee and is a wonderful addition to the agency’s Board of Directors who will help continue to make great strides for the agency.
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People Inc. Foundation Supporting Members Make a Difference
The People Inc. Foundation exists to inspire supporters to make a difference in the lives of people living with disabilities, their families and older adults. Our donors’ contributions help People Inc. serve 12,500 people with important housing, programs and services.
Our Supporting Members Program recognizes special supporters who give a one-time gift of $100 or more annually or pledge a recurring gift of $10 a month.
Supporting Members are proud to contribute towards the People Inc. Foundation: “I donate to the People Inc. Foundation because of the ways it supports people with disabilities,” says James Scutt, People Inc. associate vice president. “As a supporting member, it is great to see my donation being matched by KeyBank, doubling the total contribution. People Inc. is an amazing organization and I am proud to support its mission and vision through the People Inc. Foundation.”
Please join our Supporting Member Program today! It’s easy to join online. Our supporting members receive: - Certificate of Appreciation
- VIP status at our annual Supporting Member event
- Regal Cinema gift card
- Inclusion in published donor listing
- Personal updates throughout the year
- People Inc. Foundation Calendar, along with an additional calendar mailed to a person of your choice
For more information, contact Jennifer Robinson at
jrobinson@people-inc.org or 716.817.7269.
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| Happy to be Part of Amherst, NY
Earlier this month, Amherst Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa visited People Inc.’s headquarters to share his vision for the town, including capital projects and possible upcoming developments for Audubon Parkway and Boulevard Mall. Many of People Inc.’s staff members and program participants call Amherst home, including 30 of our sites, 623 residents receiving services and 800 People Inc. employees. During the presentation, People Inc. President and CEO Rhonda Frederick shared, “Amherst has been our home since 1992. We train our employees here, they live here and our Museum of disABILITY History is located on Main Street. We look forward to seeing and being a part of Supervisor Kulpa’s exciting plans for
the Town of Amherst.”
Our agency looks forward to a continued partnership.
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| In the Community
People Inc. is pleased to partner with the Buffalo Urban League through collaborations for employment initiatives and community engagement projects to help serve individuals with special needs, older adults and families in need. Recently, Brenda McDuffie, Buffalo Urban League president and CEO and board member for People Inc., held an Empowerment Luncheon to educate and formulate partnerships through dialogue around the services the Buffalo Urban League provides. Bradford Watts, Community Relations coordinator for People Inc. and Buffalo Urban League board member, was a table captain and host to Bonnie Sloma, senior vice president of People Inc.; Reverend Kenneth Simmons of Buffalo City Hall; Sharon Mentkowski, Community Outreach specialist of FBI; Prennessia Salder Lambert, community school navigator for Say Yes; and staff members of Buffalo Urban League. Guests worked on building supports by learning stories of empowerment throughout Western New York.
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Guest Contribution: Advocacy for the LGBTQ I/DD Movement
Last month’s agency e-newsletter included an article called “Advocacy for the LGBTQ I/DD Movement Goes National” (People Inc. Emagine’s May 2018 issue). In recognition of Pride Month, which is celebrated in June, we welcome the following guest article contribution:
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Buffalo Love of Pride 2018
By Alex Insight, Leader of Prideability WNY The Pride Parade this year was fantastic! So many people showed up even before the parade started! There was so much love and acceptance in the air, anyone could practically taste it. The parade made me so proud to be a gay man who lives in Western New York. As one of my friends who went to Pride for the very first time said, “You couldn’t go anywhere on that parade route without seeing smiles everywhere, getting hugs or getting fist-bumps.” The variety of marchers and sponsors, showing their support for Pride was truly incredible. There were teacher unions, Jewish community groups, many high schools, a multitude of community groups, the Buffalo Bears, The Imperial Court, just to name a few. It was a day of joy, celebration and support for people in the LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex and Asexual) community; celebration and joy for the rights we have gained, like marriage equality. This spirit of support was also there for the rights we have yet to gain, like full acceptance of people who are transgender in all areas of life. Pride, a month-long celebration, rose out of a cry for equality after the Stonewall Riots in June 1969 after police raided the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. This riot was the spark that ignited the flames of the gay liberation movement and the fight for LGBTQIA rights. Pride serves as a reminder for what we were as a discriminated minority to who we are now – people who are gaining more and more rights and support to be who we will be – people loving who we wish without judgment, fear or hatred.
As the many creative floats passed, showering us all with confetti, bubbles, music and more, you could feel that at Pride – you were free to be who you are, with love and support all around you. As a person with a disability, Pride does not just stand as a celebration of rights established and of rights still yet to be established, but also it is a celebration of the fact that humanity is moving further into the realms of accepting people as they are. We are not at the finish line of that race yet, but we are getting there. People are seeing and respecting each other as equals, no matter their race, sex, gender or disability. Pride grants those of us who struggle with our identity to be seen as we are without judgment and to feel accepted just as we are, with love and support, especially within the community of Western New York.
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CAREERS AT PEOPLE INC. Featured Job of the Month: Telemedicine RN
People Inc. is currently hiring a skilled Telemedicine RN to join its team. The ideal candidate will possess acutely honed assessment skills, be an excellent communicator (both written and verbally), skilled in venipuncture, IV medications administration, catheter insertion and have an advanced knowledge of wound care techniques. The nurse will be responsible for providing in-home assessments and communicating with providers remotely to assist in development of a plan of treatment and then carry out that plan. Recent emergency room/critical care experience is preferred. Candidate must have a minimum of three years of experience as a registered nurse. Compensation is per visit and will be appropriate for skill set and experiences. To apply for this employment opportunity or view other available openings, click here.
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Academy Place Senior Apartments Accepting Applications
People Inc. is pleased to be managing Academy Place Senior Apartments in Gowanda, NY. Located at 1 School Street in Gowanda, NY, the complex provides HUD Section 202 Affordable Housing and New York State Tax Credit apartments. If you have a family member or work with an older adult who may be interested in these apartments, please share this information. The apartments provide affordable and safe housing for independent seniors age 62 and up who meet the federally mandated household income guidelines. Apartment applications are currently being accepted. Monthly rent is based on the tenant’s income, which includes some utilities. The building consists of 28 one-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units; some of which have been specifically designed for individuals who are vision/hearing impaired. Apartments include a kitchen with appliances. A community room and laundry facilities are available on each floor. Additionally, storage and a 24-hour on-call emergency service are provided. Tenants may have one small pet.
For more information or an application for Academy Place Senior Apartments or for one of our other People Inc. Senior Living locations, email seniorliving@people-inc.org or call 716.817.9090.
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People First Mobility Available
Year-round
People First Mobility (PFM), an affiliate of People Inc., is available any time of the year as the premier provider of mobility, seating and home medical equipment. These experts in the mobility field are quick, reliable and focused on meeting the needs of their customers. PFM provides complex rehabilitation mobility and seating technology and home medical equipment, so people with disabilities can reach their functional potential in their homes and in the community. Product examples include power wheelchairs, scooters, custom seating, hospital beds and lift chairs.
PFM is a provider for Medicare, Medicaid and most major insurance plans. If you, a family member or someone you assist needs assistance for mobility, call 716.566.5000.
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HOW YOU CAN HELP
Three ways to Support Golf Tournament and Auction
There are many way to support our 17th Annual People Inc. Drive Fore Disabilities Golf Tournament and Auction, which will be held on Monday, August 20, at the Orchard Park Country Club, 4777 South Buffalo Street, Orchard Park, NY. Here’s how you can support the event:
1. Spread the word and see if your company will sponsor a golf team – registration is now open for our morning and afternoon rounds.
2. Not a golfer? A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available, including tee signs to promote your business.
3. Donate items for our silent and live auctions or help solicit businesses. We would love to acquire items like trips with travel accommodations, theater or event tickets, spa packages, wine tours, monthly floral delivery packages and restaurant gift cards.
For more information, click here. To support our event or if you have questions, contact Melanie Brown at mbrown@people-inc.org or call 716.817.7450.
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Shop with AmazonSmile
Help support People Inc. while shopping for your backyard barbecues, pool needs and all of your summer fun essentials for the warmer months ahead! With AmazonSmile, you can support people with developmental disabilities, their families and older adults when 0.5 percent of every purchase is donated to the People Inc. Foundation. To shop at AmazonSmile, go to smile.amazon.com. On your first visit, select People Inc. as the charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Click here for People Inc.’s direct link. Your selection is saved and then every eligible purchase you make on AmazonSmile will result in a donation. Happy shopping!
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Have you Checked
Your Beneficiary Designation?
When was the last time you checked the beneficiary designation on your life insurance? Or your retirement account/pension?
This may be the perfect time to consider naming People Inc. as “part primary” or “contingent” beneficiary. It’s a beneficial way to help support Western New York’s largest health and human service agency. For more information or if you have questions, contact Christine Mathieu, Legacy officer, at cmathieu@people-inc.org or call 716.817.7256.
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NEWS FROM MUSEUM OF disABILITY HISTORY Recognition for One-of-a-Kind Museum
During the Museum of disABILITY History’s Fundraiser and Auction, a video was shown of ABC’s Speechless cast congratulating the Museum for its 20 years. If you’re on social media, you can view the video on the Museum’s Facebook page here. The Museum is thankful to Jeffery Zeplowitz, fundraiser co-chairperson and Museum supporter, for coordinating and acquiring this video! Additionally, the Museum of disABILITY History was recently featured on The Buffalo News Picture Page and a link to the photo gallery is available here
(Photo Credit: John Hickey/Buffalo News).
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NEWS FROM HEADWAY OF WNY
Support Groups Available
Headway of WNY, a not-for-profit agency and an affiliate of People Inc., provides a number of support groups for people with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and for their caregivers. The support groups are available to share resources and information in a confidential setting.
Two of the support groups that are offered are: Peer Support for individuals with TBI, which meets every first and third Tuesday of each month. Another one is Caregiver’s Support, which meets the first Tuesday of each month. Both are free of charge and meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Headway office, 2635 Delaware Avenue, Suite E, Buffalo, NY.
New people are welcome to join the support groups throughout the year. For a full listing of support groups, go to headwayofwny.org or for more information, email support@headwayofwny.org or call 716.408.3100.
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“In addition to the impending nuptials, the upcoming season will see individuals with Down syndrome pursuing driver’s licenses, independent living and entrepreneurship while other romances blossom as well, the network said.”
Forbes: The Benefits of Employing People with Autism
“One of the first big corporates to recruit individuals with ASD was Microsoft which started its ‘Inclusive Hiring for People with Disabilities’ program three years ago in the U.S.”
WBFO 88.7: Recalling treatment at Buffalo’s former mental institution
“The very first psychiatric center in Buffalo was called Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane. The name changed over the years and so did the way patients were handled.”
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