St. Louis Spirit—— FALL 2016——

W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G I N O U R C O M M U N I T Y

David and Sarah Saffer joined Christime Okler and Lee Booth in joyfully ‘breaking ground at the ceremony.

We are witnessing a very special time in the history of St. Louis Center and are certainly entering an exciting new phase. Not only are we undertaking the construction of the new St. Louis Guanella Village, but we have also welcomed three new Guanellian confreres from India to our family. They are Fr. Franklin, Fr. Amal, and Fr. Leo Joseph. They are eager to learn from us and excited about becoming a part of SLC.

The St. Louis Guanella Village construction project has begun with the infrastructure work underway.

Four homes for children will follow.We thank everyone who has made

our dream a reality through their support.

We are excited to announce that we have received a Legacy Campaign Challenge Match of $500,000 from an anonymous donor, and we have

until June 30, 2017 to meet this Challenge. (Details on page 6). We hope you will be willing to support this effort.

Another sign of our growth and vitality is that our Women’s Program at Fr. Guanella Hall is now full.

Finally, I would like to personally thank Joe and Zoja Bojovic of Joe’s Top Dog Coney Island in Dearborn for 20 years of fundraising which ended this year with their last golf outing. These are two wonderful, hard working people who have supported us for many years. We are grateful to them and to all of their team members; they have made a huge difference in the lives of our residents.

16195 W. Old US Hwy. 12, Chelsea MI 48118 phone 734-475-8430 fax 734-475-0310 www.stlouiscenter.org

After years of planning for the St. Louis Guanella Village, St. Louis Center celebrated the Village Goundbreaking Ceremony on Thursday, September 29, 2016. In spite of the rain soaked evening, 275 supporters enjoyed a delicious dinner catered and donated by Food Art, Inc. before hearing speeches from steadfast supporters and local dignitaries. Development Director Peggy Cole was moved that the time had finally arrived to sink shovels into the ground. “We owe this moment to our many supporters who see St. Louis Center as a bright light that is leading the way for others.” Speakers included Howdy Holmes, Norm and Kathi Neuman, Judy Dow Rumelhart, Will Johnson, Judy Greenbaum, John Thorhauer, and Congressman Tim Walberg (R-7th Dist.). Fr. Joseph Rinaldo provided the ceremonial blessing of the grounds on stage and Fr. Enzo Addari introduced the next generation of Guanellian priests who recently arrived at SLC from India and said, “Our theme for tonight is Building and Moving Forward. This represents the continuation of Fr. Guanella’s dream for our religious community.”

Groundbreaking Celebrates New Era

Administrator’s Message

St. Louis Spirit

Toledo Mud Hens Baseball is known as “America’s Pastime,” and this year Temperance Council #8902 from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish purchased 22 Mud Hens tickets for the residents of St. Louis Center. Friday, July 15th was a special night that involved 450 members of the Knights of Columbus and their wives, and SLC residents. Fr. Enzo Addari, SdC, threw out the 1st pitch. After coming back to tie the game in the seventh inning, the Columbus Clippers went on to beat the Mud Hens 5-4 on a wild pitch in the 10th inning.

Detroit Tigers Thanks to the generosity of the Detroit Tigers Foundation, the residents of St. Louis Center received 40 tickets to enjoy a Tigers game against the Minnesota Twins on the night of Tuesday July 19, 2016 at Comerica Park. Sitting in the third deck of the stadium, the fans from SLC enjoyed spectacular panoramic views of the Detroit skyline; unfortunately the Tigers lost to the Twins by a score of 6-2. Most importantly, the residents enjoyed their trip to the big city!

Lansing Lugnuts Each summer the Knights of Columbus of the Lansing Diocese sponsor ‘Vocations Night’ at the ballpark. They even send tickets for the residents and staff of St. Louis Center to enjoy the Lugnuts game and dinner. On August 5th a bus arrived at SLC to transport the group to Lansing. Though the weather was warm, everyone enjoyed the game.

This was the 29th year for the annual Memorial Golf Outing at Pierce Lake Golf Course in Chelsea, MI. The outing took place on Saturday, July 16th. There were 96 golfers who came out to participate on a warm, humid day and saw the winners finish with a score of 17 under par. The winners received 1st place plaques and gift certificates for another 18 holes of golf at Pierce Lake, while everyone else enjoyed

great food, great fun, and the ability to support a great cause. The team of Norm Neuman, Charlie Koenn, John Jarabeck, and Andrew Ballow were the 1st place winners.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Outing Honors Alice D’Adamo

“I don’t use the word ‘milestone’ lightly, but this is a great day for children and adults with I/DD.”

Norm NeumanCo-Chair, Legacy Campaign Committee, Member, Community Advisory Council,

speaking at the St. Louis Guanella Village Groundbreaking

“

“Lisa, Antoine and Nancy enjoying the Mud Hens.

Deanna, SLC staff, and Lori are huge Tigers fans.

Jerome goes ‘Nuts’ for the Lugnuts.

Fall 2O16

St. Louis Center bid a fond farewell to the Joe’s Top Dog Golf Outing on Sunday, July 24, 2016, as owners Joe and Zoja Bojovic, along with their family and friends, closed out the event with a wonderful golf outing that celebrated its 20th year. Twenty-two teams came out to support the event this year, which was held for the last time at Mystic Creek Golf Course in

Milford, MI. SLC is grateful to the Bojovic Family for all they’ve done to support us over the years, raising over $300,000 through their golf outings. May they be blessed in all of their future endeavors. They will remain forever in our hearts.

Receive Newsletter by Email If you would like to help us reduce our postage costs, send your email address to: kellyf@stlouiscenter.org and we will send the newsletter electronically.

Begun as an outing to teach young men the meaning of charity, the Dad & Lad Golf Outing celebrated its 19th year at Twin Lakes Golf Course in Rochester Hills, MI on Wednesday, August 3, 2016. Along with the 144 golfers who filled the course, another 106 patrons came to dinner, as 250 supporters filled the dining room to support the residents of SLC. Fr. Joseph Rinaldo was present to say the blessing for the meal and thanked the supporters for their efforts. Along with the golf outing and dinner, patrons enjoyed a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, and drawing for a “Wheelbarrow of Cheer.” At the end of the evening, SLC resident Sara played God Bless America for the crowd on her recorder and received a standing ovation. Michael Chirco, Joseph Maniaci, and Sam Cottone organized the event.

Tradition is a wonderful thing, especially when events are passed on from one generation to the next. The Tocco Family Picnic, a family tradition, was held at St. Louis Center on Sunday, August 7, 2016 and chaired by Jack Tocco, Jr., son of the late founder, Jack Tocco, Sr. This event is a fun summer activity that all of our residents

look forward to, especially for the company of friends. Approximately 15 members of Jack’s family and circle of friends made the 90 minute drive from north of Detroit to attend this event to put smiles on the faces of our residents. The residents were entertained by “Peek-a-Boo the Clown” who made them balloon animals, along with young lady volunteers who offered face painting to the residents. “It’s all about putting smiles on their faces,” said Jack.

Final Top Dog Outing

Dads & Lads Support St. Louis Center

Toccos Continue Family Tradition of Fun

Jason Crawford is given a prize by Joe Bojovic.

St. Louis Spirit

Fr. Joseph Rinaldo attended the District Awards Night Saturday, July 30, 2016 with PR Director Joe Yekulis, and was invited to address the audience to thank them for their support of St. Louis Center during the annual Tootsie Roll Drives at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Temperance, MI.

On a hot evening Friday, July 22nd, Bishop Zaleski Council #6687 from Michigan Center kept its promise to barbeque for our residents, and a good time was had by all. Deputy Grand Knight Gerald Brown and Grand Knight Bill Roller led the way with help from their favorite SLC Knight, Stanley Butler.

On the afternoon of Thursday, August 18th, Music Therapist Jamie Merritt performed dance and folk music to get everyone onto the dance floor for two hours of exercise, fun and entertainment. Ms. Merritt has been working with the residents in smaller groups for the past year, but on this day, all of the residents were involved. Everyone agreed that Music Therapy is great fun.

Fr. Enzo was accompanied by Antoine, Lenard, and Stephon to the Italian American Delegates Golf Outing Dinner at Twin Lakes Golf Course in Rochester Hills, where he accepted a $5,000 check from delegates Sam Lograsso and Phil Maniaci.

Over one-hundred classic and custom cars and trucks roared into St. Louis Center on Sunday, September 18, 2016 for the 4th Annual Car Show fundraiser to benefit the residents of SLC. Along with many beautiful restored and untouched vehicles, a large number of local residents visited the show to enjoy the weather, the grounds, entertainment and food. Some of the more unique vehicles present included a 1934 General St. Louis Firetruck, a 1939 Ford Business Coupe, a 1964 Porsche

Carrera, and a 1956 Dodge LaFemme (complete with original eyelashes). The Best in Show award went to a local farmer who had restored a 1933 Ford Stake Truck. The show turned out to be a huge success, and the proceeds benefited the residents of SLC.

Fatima Cooks up Fun

Fr. Joe Addresses Temperance Knights

Residents Get in the Groove IAD Supports Residents

4th Annual Car Show

“SLC has not just taken care of my two daughters, but if I count correctly, my family of 14.”

Judy GreenbaumSt. Louis Center parent, speaking at the St.

Louis Guanella Village Groundbreaking

“ “

Jean Jennings, Fr. Enzo Addari, and Brad & Zac George, owners of the ‘34 firetruck .

THE ITALIAN AMERICAN CLUB OF LIVONIA’S—2017 Guardian Angel—

Dinner-DanceTO BENEFIT ST. LOUIS CENTER

St. Louis Center is a caring residential, family living and learning environment providing for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of children and adults

with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

For questions, please call IACL representative Mary Galasso at (248)957-6693 or Joe Yekulis at St. Louis Center (734)475-8430.

RSVP by January 18, 2017

The 22nd annual event features a dinner buffet prepared by the IACL Banquet Center including: chicken piccata, penne pasta, redskin potatoes, green beans, soup, salad, dessert, soft drinks, beer & wine; silent auction, and raffle, all to benefit St. Louis Center.

You Can Be a Guardian Angeljust by attending the event.

Tickets are $60 per person.

Sunday, January 29, 2017 at

m39200 Five Mile Rd., Livonia MI 48154

(743)953-1137

12:00 noon g Mass1:00-3:00pm g Banquet Center Meal 3:00pm g Entertainment: "Amici"1:00-4:00pm g Presentations, Raffles & Silent Auction

Make check payable to :“St. Louis Center” Mail registration and check to:

Lucia Romano/IACL Club Coordinator39200 Five Mile Rd.Livonia, MI 48154

Enclosed please find my check in the amount of $ for tickets

I/We cannot attend, please accept this donation of $

Name:

Address:

City/State/Zip:

Email:

Preliminary Schedule

Tickets are $60 per person.

St. Louis Spirit

Storm clouds hovered over the streets of Chelsea at the start of Run for the Rolls, but our residents started on their trek and finished in a downpour. The rain did not dampen spirits. Joey Baker, Matthias Potsackos and his mother Tatiana finished the race in spite of the weather.

Led by State Special Olympics Director Tom Turek, St. Louis Guanella Council #3092 prepared its annual summer BBQ dinner for the residents of St. Louis Center on September 8th. They also played a game of kickball .

Run for the Rolls

Chelsea KofC Council BBQ

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW!“Securing the Future for Special

Needs Families” - A Seminar

Many families with special needs children or adults have a difficult time planning for the future of their loved ones, and advanced planning can ensure

a positive quality of life for years to come. Our advisors will be present to discuss investment strategies, special needs trusts, and guardianship issues to help parents and family members plan for the future. Please contact Cindy at

SLC at 734-475-8430 or cindyl@stlouiscenter.org to register.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2017 | 7:00 - 9:00 PMSt. Louis Center, Family Welcome & Orientation Center

16195 W. Old US Hwy. 12, Chelsea, MI 48118

“Congratulations at this special time ... for starting a new journey on a path not yet taken.”

Will JohnsonMember, Community Advisory Council and Legacy

Campaign Committee, speaking at the St. Louis Guanella Village Groundbreaking

“ “

Help us meet a $500K Challenge Match & raise $1M in Campaign funds! An anonymous donor has generously offered to match up to $500K in Legacy Campaign gifts of cash or liquid assets. The purpose of this Challenge Match is to raise the remaining $2.8M needed to construct the Village infrastructure, 4 homes for children with I/DD, 5 homes for adults with I/DD, and to plan for the construction of a new Fitness Center.

The Challenge Match, which began on September 1, 2016, will expire on June 30, 2017. Qualifying gifts of $1K up to $25K will be

matched dollar for dollar by the donor as long as the gift is received by June 30, 2017. Gifts greater than $25K will receive a maximum match of $25K as long as the gift is received by June 30, 2017. Pledges up to $25K paid by June 30, 2017 will be matched. Will you please help us meet this match?Please contact Peggy Cole, Development Director, at peggyc@stlouiscenter.org or by phone at (734) 475-8430 if you have questions or would like to request a tour.

DOUBLE Your Gift!

The Clock is Ticking!

Fall 2O16

For many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, large campuses or farmsteads may be better options than small group homes. But new state laws could make it hard for big facilities to survive.

In December 2014, I watched 24-year-old Andrew Parles fit wood shapes into a simple puzzle in the new vocational building at the Bancroft Lakeside Campus, a residential program in New Jersey that serves 47 adults with autism and intellectual disabilities. The task wasn’t challenging for Andrew, but his team was taking it slow: Andrew was still recovering from surgery after detaching his own retinas through years of self-injurious behavior. A staff member stood nearby—not hovering, exactly, but close enough to intervene if Andrew suddenly started to hit himself in the head. His mother, Lisa, was hopeful that he’d soon be able to participate in the programs he had enjoyed before his surgery: working in Lakeside’s greenhouse, painting in the art studio, delivering food for Meals on Wheels.

I toured the campus, admiring the cathedral ceilings and brightly painted exteriors, thinking how perfect a place like this would be for my 16-year-old son Jonah, who is also severely autistic and will require round-the-clock supervision his entire life. Lakeside likely won’t be an option for Jonah, because we don’t live in New Jersey, but soon it may not be an option for Andrew, either. In 2014, the federal government asked each state to define exactly what types of vocational and residential settings would be eligible to receive federal funding. Large group homes, farmsteads, and campuses like Lakeside all face possible exclusion.

Congregate settings for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) have been discouraged for years. During the 1960s, around the time Ken Kesey published One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, patient advocates began rejecting the idea of the mental institution, arguing that people with disabilities should and could live in their communities. Since that time, the institutionalized I/DD population has dropped by more than 80 percent.

It seemed pretty simple: community good, institutions bad. But these two terms have proven extraordinarily difficult to pin down. Is the difference merely one of size? In 2011, the National Council on Disability defined “institutional settings as housing situations in which more than four people with I/DD” live in a single home. Some

people with autism and their families have embraced this definition: The four-person size limit was included in “Keeping the Promise: Self-Advocates Defining the Meaning of Community Living.”

In some states, this guideline is poised to become law, which means such congregate settings may all be excluded from the waiver program. This could prove disastrous for the autism community, which is facing a housing crisis that is only expected to get worse. Right now, 80,000 autistic adults are on waiting lists for residential placements that can be up to 10 years long, and the nonprofit advocacy organization Autism Speaks estimates that half a million children with autism will transition to the adult state-by-state funding system over the next decade. Shortages aside, there are plenty of parents who feel that large facilities like Lakeside are truly the best places for their children and bear no resemblance to the institutions of the mid-20th century.

This sounds like a technical debate, and one limited to a very specific community, which may explain the public’s relative lack of interest. But it touches on a larger question: While many Americans may never need food stamps or unemployment, virtually everyone eventually benefits from Social Security and Medicare. What level of control should the government have over how these subsidies are used? In the case of disabled adults, who should decide what kind of housing best suits their needs? Should it be those individuals and their families, or should it be the state?

Originally published The Atlantic, May 25, 2015. Reprinted with permission of the author. Photo by Neal Santos

Who Decides Where Autistic Adults Live?by Amy S.f. Lutz

16195 Old U.S. 12 Chelsea, MI 48118

Upcoming EventsFall Dinner and Auction

November 12, 2016Chirco Christmas Party

December 3, 2016Residents’ Christmas Play

December 11, 2016Tocco Family Christmas

December 18, 2016Italian American Dinner Dance

January 29, 2017

For more information, please visit our website:

www.stlouiscenter.org

Non Profit OrgUS Postage PaidPermit No. 22Chelsea MI

Andrew A. Shmina, ChairNancy Graebner, Vice-Chair

Larry Doll, Secretary

Julie BallowDaniel Burch Robert Fox

Paul FrisingerDonna Hrozencik, MD

Daniel JohnsonWillard JohnsonGeorge MallisonKathi NeumanNorm NeumanTom Nowatzke

Don WalkerKenneth Unterbrink(MI State Deputy, KofC)

Norma BachLarry Becktel

Charles BurgessCharles DeBoe Jr.

Chris GallasFranziska HilbererGeorge HoffmanThomas Hubbell

Lana SenartMarie VetteseLarry Voight

Andiamo’s Showplace in Warren held a concert featuring Eva Evola and Aaron Caruso on September 30th. Before the show began, Fr. Enzo was called to the stage to accept a $4000 check from owner Joe Vicari for St. Louis Center, with the assistance of Mike Chirco.

In Memory of our Friends

St. Louis Center Community

Advisory Council

Charles Henry Burgess passed away on September 14, 2016 at the age of 90. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, where he enlisted and served overseas during WWII and in the Korean War. He worked at the nearby Chrysler Proving Grounds for 31 years, and retired in 1983. He was a zoning inspector for both Lima and Sylvan Twp. and

served two terms as Sylvan Twp. Supervisor. His wife Mary Ann passed away in 2015. Charlie was very helpful to St. Louis Center over the years, and according to Fr. Joseph Rinaldo, “was a good friend, a good Catholic and a man of faith. He did a lot for St. Louis Center as our Building Inspector to make our facilities safe for our residents, and I appreciated his help over the years.” Charlie’s friendship will be missed. May he rest in peace.