Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month March 2018 March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and this year's theme in Ohio is "Celebrate Community" to highlight people with and without disabilities working, going to school, playing and participating in their communities together.

Easterseals has a variety of different programs that assist people with Developmental Disabilities and provides them with opportunities to ’celebrate community’ by stepping outside of their comfort zone. We are so thankful for our incredible staff who help make our programs thrive.

Project SEARCH is a school-to-work program that provides entry-level work experiences in business settings for students with disabilities. It is an opportunity for individuals to learn transferrable skills, work independently through three different job rotations, and participate in field trips.

Work and Grow is a partnership with local community centers, in which participants spend their days in the community, splitting time between paid employment and social/recreational activities that promote health.

Neighborhood Hubs take great care to transition individuals from sheltered work centers to community-based experiences and employment. The hubs are a safe place for individuals to meet other people, both with disabilities and without, and to prepare for community-based experiences, employment, and full community integration.

Adult Day Services offers adults and seniors opportunities to live, learn, work, and play as a vital part of their own community or neighborhood by helping them maintain the social and therapeutic relationships they value.

This month, we encourage you to take some time to celebrate all of the individuals we serve and the work that we are doing to become a more community based organization!

We are so thankful for our incredible staff who help make our programs thrive.

Safety Spotlight: Active Shooter Situation Practice safety today and every day with these helpful tips!

In light of the recent school shooting in Florida, a number of staff have inquired about training for active shooter situations. Easterseals will be reviewing its lockdown policy for facility based responses to these situations using the ALICE response system. However, as more and more of our staff are community based, more basic information on appropriate response to active shooter situations is appropriate. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued the following guidelines, later endorsed by the FBI, for best responses in an active shooter situation.

First and foremost, be aware of your environment. Look at a building as you are entering it. Note where fences and gates are, as well as doors into and out of the building. Once you enter a facility take note of the two nearest exits nearest to where you are.

Once you hear shots fired, or are notified of an active shooter, the

best thing to do is EVACUATE the building!

Have an escape route and plan in mind

Evacuate regardless of whether others agree to follow

Leave your belongings behind

Help others escape, if possible

Prevent others from entering an area where the active shooter may be

Keep your hands visible

Follow the instructions of any police officers

Do not attempt to move wounded people

Call 911 when you are safe

HIDEOUT!

If evacuation is not possible, find a place to hide where the active shooter is less likely to find you. Your hiding place should:

Be out of the shooter’s view

Provide protection if shots are fired in your direction (i.e. in an office with a closed, locked or

barricaded door)

Not trap you or restrict your options for movement

To prevent the active shooter from entering your hiding place:

Close the door

Lock the door if possible

Block the door with furniture (the heavier the better)

Silence your cell phone or pager (A vibrating phone can still be heard.)

Turn off any source of noise (radios, televisions, etc.)

Hide behind large items

Remain quiet

Remain calm

Take Action!

As a last resort, and only when your life is in imminent danger, attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by:

Acting as aggressively as possible against him/her

Throwing items and improvising weapons

Yelling

Committing to your actions

When law enforcement arrives:

Remain calm and follow the

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First and foremost, be aware of your environment.

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Safety Spotlight Cont.: Active Shooter Situation Practice safety today and every day with these helpful tips!

officers instructions

Put down any items in your hands immediately

Immediately raise hands and spread fingers

Keep hands visible at all times

Avoid making quick movements, pointing screaming or yelling

Do not stop the officers and ask them for help

Over the course of the next few months look for additional information on Easterseals

response to active shooter situations! If you are interested in more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website at https://www.dhs.gov/publication/active-

shooter-how-to-respond and download the “Active Shooter: How to Respond” booklet.

Senior leadership team members David Dreith, Clark Earick and Pam Green were invited to spend some time with the individuals in the Adult Day Services program at the Harrison location during their “Summer In the Winter” party. They spent the day helping the individuals make necklaces, paint canvases and have a fun productive day. Not only did they assist with activities, but they helped with bus duty, monitoring areas, clocking in individuals with the iPad and feeding individuals their lunch. They were such a help, the Harrison team really appreciated spending time with our individuals, and the individuals loved having visitors.

Senior Leadership participates in “Summer in Winter” Thank you to the Harrison location for having them!

Shop for Easterseals! Did you know that every time you go shopping, you could be helping individuals break down barriers to employment?

Register your Kroger Plus Card for Community Rewards and choose Easterseals Tristate (still our legal name) as your favorite charity. Every time you shop with your Plus Card, a portion of the bill goes to Easterseals. In 2017, we earned nearly $300 in just one quarter, and only 44 households were registered. Imagine how much could be raised if all our friends and families and neighbors signed up!

Amazon also has a program, called Amazon Smile. A portion of all purchases will support Easterseals. Follow this unique link to be taken directly to the sign-up to support Easterseals: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/31-0873433 Then, every time you shop Amazon, make sure you shop through the Amazon Smile portal. Same inventory, same vendors, but a whole new way of supporting your neighbors and community.

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Staff Birthdays Happy Birthday from Easterseals!

Earl Kersting 3/5

William Simpson 3/6

Colleen Lillis 3/9

Diane Howard 3/10

Danielle Gentry-Barth 3/11

Gary Pottebaum 3/11

Elliott Tinch 3/11

Jonathon Sherwood 3/13

Leon Worthen 3/13

David Turner 3/14

Laura Seeley 3/16

Jeffrey Miller 3/17

Jennifer Jones 3/18

Tom Moore 3/18

Chris Schmidt 3/20

Rebecca Mooney 3/23

Milton Cash 3/26

Diane Thomas 3/28

Ed Prophet 3/28

Nathan Cook 3/31

Compliance Corner: Professional Responsibility What is Professional Responsibility?

So far on our journey through the Easterseals Code of Ethics we have discussed both the importance of Confidentiality and how Conflicts of Interest

may affect staff decision making. The third section of our agency Code of Ethics is entitled “Professional Responsibility.” What is Professional Responsibility, you ask? Think of it as the moral, ethical and legal obligations we, as Easterseals staff and volunteers, have when serving the needs of the participants in all of our programs, as well as our funders, without causing any harm. I have seen written interpretations of this section reduced down to “do the right thing”, but I don’t think that is the same thing entirely.

What types of behaviors are considered Professional Responsibility?

Treat all of the individuals we serve fairly, with dignity and respect, based upon their individual needs. Don’t discriminate, and work to identify and eliminate discrimination. Maintain excellent relationships with those around us.

Represent our agency truthfully to individuals, funders, and the community (Note the overlap here with our Action for Excellence of Integrity!)

Maintain professional relationships with those we serve, funders, co-workers, and our community. This specifically includes maintaining professional relationships and

observing professional boundaries related to personal dignity, privacy, control and conduct.

Use the resources provided to us wisely. Avoid participating in any activities that may

constitute fraud or other wrongdoing (We review this area in a lot of detail in your annual Relias Compliance and Ethics Training!).

We will not raise funds for organizations whose goals are contrary to Easterseals’ Values and Beliefs.

Review these areas of Professional Responsibility. Do you have questions? Can you think of examples of when you have struggled with one of these areas of professional responsibility? Would you be willing to share? We can all learn from each other’s experiences! Feel free to send your examples to Compliance@eastersealsgc.org. As always, if you have questions talk to your supervisor or call the Easterseals Compliance Hotline at 347-1587.

Easterseals

COMPLIANCE HOTLINE

513-347-1587

Robin Totsch,

Compliance Officer

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Easterseals Special Events Special Events raise vital funds to support our programs!

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ReUse-apalooza! May 18, 2018 at Building Value Celebrate sustainability and re-purpose at Cincinnati's one-of-a-kind fundraiser featuring one-of-a-kind art. Last year was an ultra-hip event at Building Value's Northside retail store. Featuring an ecclectic mix of live entertainment, local bites and beer, and the ever-popular Designer Challenge auction. ReUse-apalooza! benefits Easterseals and Building Value. Get a glimpse of the fun on Building Value's Facebook page, and invite your friends! Early Bird Admission ends on April 15!

Our Serve: Military Appreciation Day August 13, 2018 at the Western & Southern Tennis Open This is Easterseals' VIP experience at the Western & Southern Open. Inspiring speakers, generous hospitality, and incredible guests help us honor our service men and women and discuss how we can best support veterans as they transition to civilian life. This year's keynote speaker is Colonel Gregory D. Gadson, USA (retired), who persevered through the loss of both legs and the use of his right arm and hand. All proceeds benefit Easterseals programs, including Veteran Services, which connects local veterans to needed resources! Learn more. Brighter Futures Celebration November 14, 2018 at JACK Casino Each fall, Easterseals recognizes three inspiring individuals served who have achieved success, as well as a community member who has made a difference to the people we serve. In 2017, the Brighter Futures Celebration honored Kaivac Cleaning Systems, and three inspiring people served through Easterseals. Watch the amazing stories here.

Do you work with any vendors that would be interested in getting to know Easterseals better? We are looking for new corporate friends to provide volunteer hours, sponsor events, or become job placement sites. Contact Jackie Sulfridge.

Volunteers Many hands make light work—calling all hands on deck!

Easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati has decided to re-energize our volunteer program. We are doing incredible work and we need some help. We have revamped our onboarding process and we are implementing new efforts to target local businesses and organizations.

We already have some wonderful companies coming to volunteer in the coming weeks. On March 13, Paycor will be volunteering at Gilbert on

the Production Line and picking up trash around the exterior. On May 18, Woodhull and Valley Central Bank will be volunteering at ReUse-apalooza. If you see them, thank them for taking time out of their day to volunteer at Easterseals.

If you know any businesses that provide “Give Back Days” or employee service hours, please contact Jackie Sulfridge. Remember: the more people get to know Easterseals, the more they recognize the incredible work YOU are doing.

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Paul and Debbie Heldman have been part of the Easterseals extended family for some time. Paul has been on the board for only a little more than two years, but already his impact has been profound. Read more about the Heldmans' vital role in our program at the Jewish Community Center.

If you know someone who is going above and beyond to support the mission of Easterseals, nominate them to be the next hero! Send a note to Kate Elliott with your recommendation.

A chance meeting brought Ron Hotchkiss to Easterseals, and the Vice President of the Liberty Township branch of Valley Central Bank has since become part of the Easterseals family. He started out teaching finance to individuals in the Neigh-borhood HUBs in Hamilton. He insists he is no hero, but learn how his involvement impacts lives for the better.

Easterseals Heroes Meet the February and March heroes

Staff Anniversaries It must be the Luck of the Irish that you are celebrating your time with us!

Amber Wenzel 03/09/2009 9 years

Cassandra Griffin 03/09/2016 2 years

Chakella Pinkston 03/06/2017 1 year

Chris Schmidt 03/18/2013 5 years

Christopher Govan 03/13/2014 4 years

Francisco Owens 3/23/2016 2 years

James Carpenter 03/21/2011 7 years

John Dell 03/20/2017 1 year

Latasha Makeupson 03/28/1994 24 years

Le’Nikka Howell 03/24/2008 10 years

Lois Drizin 03/31/2008 10 years

Mozella Lawrence 03/22/2017 1 year

Pam Green 03/10/2003 15 years

Stephen Haggard 03/27/2017 1 year

Tammy Sharp 03/06/2017 1 year

New Hires We are so lucky that you joined our team!

Scott Robinson, Director Veteran Services

Neatwood Bell, Workforce Development Specialist, Community Link

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8 Tips for a Healthy Easter Let’s get a grip this Easter with these healthy habits!

1. Portion Control

It’s a given that you will eat chocolate, but just remember that everything is better in moderation. Instead of eating large chocolate bars at hourly intervals, buy individually wrapped mini chocolates. The process of unwrapping them will make you conscious of how much you are eating.

2. Quality Control

Instead of the foil-clad bunny, eat some dark, good quality chocolate. Look for something with 70 percent dark cocoa or more!

3. Feast

Make sure you are eating a healthy, protein packed breakfast to avoid the inevitable chocolate binge later in the day.

4. Think outside the box

Instead of giving a basket of candy, swap it for some fruit or even a pot of herbs.

5. Snack Regularly

Snack on something healthy and fulfilling every 3-4 hours. This will help balance your blood sugar levels, which will help you avoid an energy drop.

6. Plan ahead

Stock the fridge with healthy snacks to save time!

7. Hydrate

Research shows that by increasing water consumption by 1.5 liters a day, you can burn an extra 17,400 calories per year. It also helps

avoid overeating. A study found that people who drank water before a meal consumed an average of 75 fewer calories at that meal.

8. Burn off a bunny!

It is okay to eat chocolate and sweets at Easter, just make sure that you exercise every day during the holiday! It does not matter what exercise you choose to do, as long as you’re moving your body!

Have a fun and healthy and Easter holiday!

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Big thanks to Lauran McHaffie, Jennifer Jones, and Virginia Aylward who will be contributors. Follow us at @eastersealsgc.

Now on Instagram A great new way to keep up with Easterseals happenings!

Healthy Habits: Carrot Cake A healthy twist on a classic cake

Serves: 16

Ingredients

Cake:

1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup nonfat buttermilk

1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups grated carrots (4-6 medium)

1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Frosting

12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar,

sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons coconut chips, or flaked coconut, toasted

Preparation:

1. To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Drain pineapple in a sieve set over a bowl, pressing on the solids. Reserve the drained pineapple and 1/4 of the juice.

3. Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk eggs, sugar, buttermilk , oil, vanilla and the 1/4 cup pineapple juice in a large bowl until blended. Stir in pineapple, carrots, and 1/4 cup coconut. Add the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until blended. Stir in the nuts. Scrape the batter into the

prepared pan, spreading evenly.

4. Bake the cake until the top springs back when touched lightly and a skewer interested in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

5. To prepare frosting and finish cake: Beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

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Welcome Scott Robinson, CMSgt, USAF (Ret). New Director of Veteran Services Scott is an Air Force Veteran who served 30 years on Active Duty. He has been stationed in Italy, Germany, Japan and Iraq, and has traveled to 50 countries during his time in the military. He has a Bachelor's degree in Occupational Education from the Mighty Wayland Baptist University. He is proud to be serving fellow veterans through employment, education, and emergency resource navigation.

Staff Spotlight: Tricia Smith Service Coordinator in the Work and Grow Program

Tricia will be celebrating her seventh year with Easterseals in May. She currently serves as a Service Coordinator in the Work and Grow Program, but will be transitioning to Workforce Development Specialist.

Before she worked at Easterseals, she was a nanny for three children. She moved home after college and a couple

months later, her father was diagnosed with cancer. Her mother had passed away a few years earlier, so she needed to be home to help. After her father passed away and she was ready to find a job, her friend told her about a job opening with Jewish Vocational Services. “The rest,” as she says, “is history!”

She loves the atmosphere of Easterseals. “Everyone is so friendly. We have a great team in the Work and Grow program.”

Her most memorable moment on the job is when she was meeting with an individual who struggled with attendance and punctuality. She told him the meeting started at 9:00 a.m. and he asked if he could be there at 9:30 a.m. She told him it was not a negotiation, and he responded, “Well, Rome wasn't built in a day!” She had to laugh!

Tricia’s favorite Action For Excellence is compassion. She loves what Easterseals does and has always had a heart for helping people. “I really enjoy working with the individuals.”

She has always wanted to visit South Korea. She enjoys hearing about the culture from her aunt and loves Korean food.

Her hobbies include: spending time with family and friends, painting, crocheting, swimming, and canoeing. She also is a Christian and enjoys attending church.

Tricia loves Mexican food! She cooks it at home about once a week. However, if you ask her friends, whenever she tries something new, it is automatically her favorite food. She likes to try new things and enjoys cooking a variety of foods at home.

She enjoys listening to books on tape, but her favorite books are A Painted House and The Shack.

She lived and worked in Alaska for two summers between semesters in college and loved it! She tried living there during the winter to see if she could handle it. She is glad life had other plans for her because she doesn’t think that she could handle the winters anymore. She is ready for summer!

Tricia has been married for three years and has two nieces and a nephew. She is incredibly close with her sister and they talk almost everyday. She has a dog named Zeus and two cats named Love and Lucky!

“I love the atmosphere here at Easterseals. Everyone is so friendly. We have a great team in the Work and Grow program.”

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How do you show Compassion in your work? Compassion is one of our Actions for Excellence: “We support, respect, and understand the needs of others.” Additionally, we demonstrate Compassion when we:

Stand by the golden rule: We treat others the way we want to be treated.

Recognize great effort.

Are sensitive to the feelings, thoughts and attitudes of others.

Are considerate of others and treat all with dignity and kindness.

Actively give positive feedback.

Chances are we agree with these principles when we are having a good day, and when everything is going smoothly with our individuals, with our outside customers, with our coworkers, etc. The real challenge happens when things aren’t going smoothly—when your child had a bad morning and now your mood has suffered; or when a miscommunication occurred and we must try to correct the situation with an upset customer; or when an individual is exhibiting behaviors that create a challenging situation. How do you persevere and

show compassion in difficult situations, when you feel pulled to a different response?

During staff retreat, Dr. Jillian Darwish said, “YOU create the pulse in the network. We are all contagious to each other.” That means demonstrating a positive attitude can have a ripple effect on the people around us.

Have you seen a co-worker demonstrate Compassion in their work? Remember, “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” Show appreciation and nominate a co-worker. Think of how you’ll brighten someone’s day!

Actions for Excellence There is nobility in compassion

“You create the pulse in the network. We are all contagious to each other.”