Real People. Real Challenges. Real Solutions. www.voaky.org

InspireVolunteers of America of Kentucky, Inc.

Winter/Spring 2013

Plus:The Power of 1 - Celebrating Our HeroesNew services for seniors

Hope for the Holidays

Dear Friends,

This issue of Inspire is filled with stories about people we have served who faced extreme setbacks and somehow managed to persevere. Whether it was a struggle with homelessness, addiction, HIV, or a combination of the challenges, our clients were strong enough and brave enough to ask for help. And we were there to provide it. They benefitted from

Lisa DeJacoBoard Chair

Jane W. BurksPresident and CEO

2 Inspire

Our mission and locationsVolunteers of America serving Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Southern Indiana creates positive change in the lives of individuals and communities through aministry of service.

Board of Directors

President and CEO, Jane W. BurksChair, Lisa DeJaco, Wyatt Tarrant & Combs, LLC

Immediate Past Chair, Pamela E. Barry, PNC Wealth Management Treasurer, G. Bradley Smith, Mountjoy Chilton Medley, LLC

Secretary, Sharon Johnson, LG&E and KUSandra Chambers, Jefferson Community and Technical College

Al Cornish, Norton HealthcarePatricia Cummings, Consultant

Karen Dunaway, CPA, PLLCDavid Fennell, Retired, PNC BankBarbara Ford, Barbara J. Ford, LLC

Keeta Fox, Papa John’s InternationalSteve Magre, Magre Outsource

George McMinn, Messer ConstructionKen Middleton, Middleton Consulting, LLC

Mark Mitchen, UPSDickie Oliver, YUM! Brands

Paula Purifoy, Metropolitan Sewer DistrictCindy Read, KentuckianaWorks

Paula F. Sherlock, Commonwealth of KentuckyBreck Thomas-Ross, Humana Inc.

Carl Williams, Bellarmine UniversityKen Wilson, Brown-Forman Wines USA

Legal Counsel

Michael Lannon, Attorney at Law and CPA, Weber & Rose, PSC

President’s Advisory Council

J. David Flanery, Papa John’s International, Inc.Daniel Hall, University of Louisville

Richard Hallman, UPS AirlinesDonald Kelly, Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP

Jack D. Sweeney, PNC Bank

Senior Staff

Jane W. BurksPresident and CEO

Bay BaltesVice President of Human Resources

Rita BondAssociate Vice President of Developmental

Disabilities Services for Tennessee

Tiffany Cole HallAssociate Vice President of Developmental Disabilities Services

for Northern Kentucky and Southern Indiana

Tom GeorgeChief Financial Officer

Jennifer HancockChief Operating Officer

Jonathan KuehlSenior Director, Operations Support and Oversight

Gary PurleeVice President of Clinical and Housing Services

Editorial/creative

Jennifer RecktenwaldSenior Director of Communications

Claire SheehanCommunications Coordinator

message from the president & board chair

Volunteers of America of Kentucky, a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity, meets or exceeds all 20 of the BBB

Standards for Charity Accountability.

the comprehensive services provided by our professional staff, but the hard work of changing their lives came from a deep well of strength within.

Yes, we helped these amazing people along the way. And we always have to remind the community and our supporters that we can’t do this work alone.

During the holiday season, when so many have never been so downhearted, think of Volunteers of America. Go to your own well of strength to volunteer your time at one of our programs or make a financial commitment that will help us maintain and potentially expand our services. Let the stories you read here remind you of the impact you have made or you will make on someone in need. Thank you for being a critical part of the solution!

Sincerely,

4 Hope for the Holidays Support our campaign

5 Serenity Park Dedication Sobriety and success

6 Power of 1 Celebrating our heroes

7 College bound Student seizes the moment

8 Senior Housing Service coordination added

9 In Motion Happenings throughout the region

Volunteers of Americ a of Kentuck y, Inc. 3

Carla Miles, a graduate of our Women’s Substance Abuse Treatment Services, struggled for many years with addiction. She became homeless and sometimes turned to crime to support her habit, losing custody of her children in the process. She desperately wanted to stop using, but her path to recovery took many detours. In 2006 Carla discovered she was HIV positive. Volunteers of America provided her with the intensive addiction treatment she needed as well as medical case coordination for HIV. Our staff also helped Carla regain custody of her children – Destiny, Jada, and Jayden – and provided parenting and life skills classes she says were invaluable in keeping the family together. Today, Carla and her children live independently in stable housing and Carla wants to become a drug and alcohol counselor. She says of her two years in recovery, “It got into my brain that it’s not going to work my way. I realized that I was going to die if I didn’t change. Volunteers of America saved my life.”

“It got into my brain that it’s not going to work my way. I realized that I was going to die if I didn’t change. Volunteers of America saved my life.”

in this issue

Meet Carla

Front and back cover photos and photos on this page by

V O G U E V I S I O N SP H O T O G R A P H Y

Mary Higgins (center), a resident of our Spanish Cove Senior Housing Community in Louisville, who is featured on page 8, shared a favorite book with Tatiana (left), and Natalie (right), whose mothers are clients of our Women’s Substance Abuse Treatment Services.

On the Cover

hopefor the holidaysSpecial thankS to:

Support our campaign in three ways:1. Make a contribution in the enclosed envelope or online at our secure

website, www.voaky.org.

2. Donate new items including toys, games, pajamas for all ages and sizes, and gift cards to budget-friendly stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Meijer. Contact Josh Kornberg at JoshK@voaky.org or(502) 636-4644 for more information.

3. Donate new winter accessories such as gloves, hats, and scarves for all ages at any Heine Brothers Coffee location in the Louisville area. Visit www.heinebroscoffee.com for locations.

scan code to donate now

www.voaky.org/h4h

With the holidays approaching, families experiencing homelessness and other challenges need your help.

4 Inspire

Graduates celebratesobriety and success

The dedication of Serenity Park was an impromptu reunion for three men who were served at our Shelby Street Substance Abuse Treatment Campus and mentored by the late Scott Lux (see sidebar). Rickey Green, David Tarullo, and Michael Kimbler graduated from the program more than six years ago and shared some similarities in their situations: All three had abused alcohol and hard drugs, committed serious crimes to support their habit, and entered treatment at Volunteers of America as a diversion to serious jail time. And all three credit Scott and other Volunteers of America staff with helping them turn their lives around.

The three have remained friends in the years since. They go boating and get together for cookouts. “We’ve grown up together,” says Michael, who is a few years older than David and Rickey.

“They’re like my little brothers. We’ve realized together that you can have fun sober.”

And all three have achieved personal and professional success after recovery. Rickey is the manager of an auto parts store; he and his wife have one child and another on the way. David is a case manager with the St. Vincent DePaul Society in Louisville, where he designed a group intervention program for chronically homeless men. He earned the Capstone Award for this project in May as a part of his baccalaureate thesis in social work at the University of Louisville, where he is now pursuing a master’s degree. Michael is a successful engineer whose wife is due with their first child in January.

David says when you look at the impact of the treatment he, Michael, and Rickey received, it was about more than just getting clean and sober. It was about the lives they are living now.

“They’re fathers, and we’re all homeowners, tax payers, and responsible citizens. The community’s investment in substance abuse treatment is money well spent.”

Clients, program graduates, staff, family members and other support-ers gathered in August for the dedi-cation of Serenity Park at the Shelby Street Substance Abuse Treatment Campus in honor of the late Scott Lux, a former program manager who passed away unexpectedly in 2011. Thanks to hundreds of hours of labor contributed by volunteers and clients, as well as corporate and individual financial contributions and in-kind donations of supplies, a former vacant lot that had turned into an urban junkyard has been transformed into a space for recre-ation, reflection, and recovery.

Volunteers of Americ a of Kentuck y, Inc. 5

Serenity Park complete

Left to right: Rickey Green, David Tarullo, and Michael Kimbler graduated from Volunteers of America’s substance abuse treatment program six years ago,

but have stayed in touch and supported each other ever since.

Scott Lux’s wife, Patrice, and daughter, Ashlyn, planted a tree in his memory at the

dedication of Serenity Park in August.

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More than 600 community members and leaders came together October 4 for our most successful Power of 1 Breakfast to date. The event raised more than $240,000 — including $107,000 in pledges from individuals who joined the Positive Change Society, our multi-year giving circle that supports critical services for the people we serve; and more than $30,000 in new corporate contributions.

Below, left to right: Patricia Cummings, Councilwoman Attica Scott, Larry Michalczyk, Jennifer Hancock, Harry Rothgerber, Kelly Henry, Natalie Reteneller, Alice Baron, Dr. Donna Hargens, Carl Thomas, Chief Steve Conrad. Top right: State Senator Gerald Neal, D’Andrea L. Wilson, and Carl Willams. Middle right: Steve Magre.Bottom right: Sharon Johnson.

Power of 1:Celebrating our heroes

Program graduates George and Katrina Ellis gave a testimonial and introduced their four young sons. “A year and a half ago, we were only thinking about putting a roof over our boys’ heads and getting them fed. They have dreams of being police officers and fire fighters. Now we can dream that future right along with them,” George told attendees. “We thank Volunteers of America for helping us get through that difficult time and on the right path to a brighter and better future for our whole family.”

Volunteers of Americ a of Kentuck y, Inc. 7

Teen seizes the moment and heads to college

Getting through the teen years is challenging in itself, but imagine facing homelessness on top of it. About a year ago, Waggener High School senior Marcus found out first hand what it was like when his family arrived at the Family Emergency Shelter in Louisville.

Marcus, the oldest of four siblings, recalled how he felt. “I had a job to help with the bills, but it wasn’t enough. I felt like I failed my family. I cried when I found out we would have to live in a shelter. I felt responsible.”

As the year went on, Marcus continued as best he could with his many extra-curricular activities, including serving as a student aide and mentor to underclassmen. Playing on the basketball team proved difficult because he was missing practices in order to work or because he lacked transportation. Quite serendipitously, during that time, Marcus’ basketball coach happened to volunteer at

the shelter as part of a graduate-level course at Bellarmine University. His coach saw Marcus and was shocked to learn of Marcus’s situation. Marcus credits this intersection with motivating him to continue playing on the team.

In May, while still living at the shelter, Marcus graduated and was accepted to Western Kentucky University. Through the help of school counselors and staff at the shelter he was able to secure scholarships, grants, and work-study to pay his way.

From a young age, Marcus says he has wanted to help others and be a leader. His career goals are to become a teacher, a principal and eventually a superintendent. He offers this advice to other teens who are facing the challenges of homelessness: “Stay positive. Your family needs you to stay strong. Take every opportunity that comes your way and seize every moment.”

Above, Marcus said goodbye to staff and friends at the Family Emergency Shelter the day before heading off to Western Kentucky University. At left, Marcus proudly shows off his diploma from Waggener High School on graduation day.

The Family Emergency Shelter is funded in part by:

Senior housing a blessing for once homeless womanMary Higgins spent most of her career helping those who couldn’t afford medical care find ways to pay for it. She never expected that she would find herself in a financial and health crisis of her own.

Not long after retiring to South Carolina, Mary’s routine colonoscopy found cancerous cells. She made a quick decision to move back to Louisville to be near family for treatment. Needing to act quickly, she sold or gave away all her furniture and set out for Louisville with her remaining belongings in her car. An arrangement to live with a friend didn’t work out and Mary became homeless.

With nowhere to go, few possessions, and very little money, Mary received the call that she needed. An apartment had become available at Volunteers of America’s Spanish Cove Senior Housing Community —a place

she had enquired about when planning her return to Louisville — and she could move in immediately. Staff at Spanish Cove helped Mary find temporary financial assistance to help with rent and groceries. She even got help furnishing her apartment.

Mary has joined the Spanish Cove Residents’ Association and has helped planned activities including movie and game nights for her fellow residents. And Mary received great news about her health: Her cancerous polyps could be removed through a minimally invasive procedure. Today Mary is happy, healthy, and enjoying life at Spanish Cove.

“This is a safe place to live and I know I have truly been blessed. It’s a permanent home with rent I can afford and everything I need nearby,” Mary says. “If it had not been for Volunteers of America’s help, I don’t know where I would be.”

Residents like Mary are benefitting from the addition of service coordinators at all of our senior housing communities. Candleridge Plaza in Powell, Tennessee has offered service coordination for several years, and these roles have been added at Spanish Cove, South Oaks, and Woodgreen in Louisville; Maud Booth Gardens in Knoxville; and Casa Grace in Memphis. Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, service coordinators help connect residents with transportation, housekeeping assistance, meal delivery, legal advocacy, access to benefits, wellness and preventive health care, and other services to help them maintain their independence. In Louisville, the service coordinators have partnered with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program to provide nearly 5,000 pounds of groceries to our residents each month.

Service Coordinators help residents maintain independence

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“If it had not been for Volunteers of America’s help, I don’t know where I would be.”

- Mary Higgins

Volunteers of Americ a of Kentuck y, Inc. 9

In M

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Murals come courtesy of Yum! volunteers More than 200 volunteers from Yum! Brands – headed by Director of HR & IT Projects at Yum! Brands Micki Thomas and HUB Coordinator Julie Gravatte — are transforming spaces in our Shelby Street Substance Abuse Treatment Campus and Family Emergency Shelter with inspirational murals and other improvements. Yum! employees have contributed hundreds of hours to the project. Micki, a renowned artist and member of our Positive Change Society with her husband Don, began the mural project well over a year ago and continues to engage her personal and professional contacts in our mission.

Due to an increase in the number of individuals testing positive for HIV, the federal government and the Kentucky Department of Public Health have partnered with our HIV Services team to add seven new medical case managers, two new prevention case managers, and a therapist to the staff. A pharmacist from Walgreens who specializes in the treatment of HIV is holding weekly office hours to discuss medicine and care-related issues with clients. In addition, a new satellite location on West Broadway will offer testing and outreach services, and a quarterly newsletter, Positive Pathways, has been introduced for the more than 1,100 people served by our HIV Care Coordinator Program. Together we are addressing an urgent public health issue and creating real solutions.

HIV Services team grows, adds new offerings

Ralph “Cooper” Coopersmith, right, a client of Volunteers of America’s HIV Care Coordinator Program who also helps raise money and awareness for the organization, is among the many individuals who will benefit from program enhancements within our HIV Services.

10 Inspire

In Motion

Culinary Skills Program launchedA generous grant from the Humana Foundation has allowed us to create a Culinary Skills Program for clients at our Shelby Street Substance Abuse Treatment Campus. The 10-week course, taught by trained chef Ann Stainback, arms clients with marketable skills for a job in the food industry and techniques for preparing healthy, low-cost meals at home. Additional public support is needed, including donations of food or supplies, training from professionals at our campus or in a working kitchen, and help connecting program graduates with job opportunities. To learn more, contact Ann Stainback at (502) 636-2549 or AnnS@voaky.org.

New Supportive Living homes for Southern Indiana residents Kaiser Home Support has provided two new Supportive Living Homes in Jeffersonville, Indiana for our residents with developmental disabilities. At an August open house, residents of the new homes played host to dozens of guests, including family members, city officials, staff, and friends. A third home for three male residents of our programs is under construction on the same street.

KaiserHome Support

Services

Indian Professional Council Golf Classic benefits Family Emergency ShelterThe Indian Professional Council Golf Classic in August raised more than $2,000 for the Family Emergency Shelter. Members of IPC have also volunteered their time at the shelter and become engaged with Volunteers of America in a variety of ways.

(Left to right) Jai Bokey and Dinar Gupte with the Indian Professional Council

and Tandee Ogburn, Volunteers of America Director of Community Engagement.

our Real³ Journey is a one-hour interactive tour that demonstrates how we help real people facing real challenges to find real and lasting solutions. Real³ Journeys take place at our Family emergency Shelter at 1321 S. preston Street, louisville 40208 (enter on ormsby avenue). light refreshments will be served.

Please give us one hour

Tuesday, December 11, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Wednesday, January 9, 9 - 10 a.m. Thursday, January 17, 4 - 5 p.m.Tuesday, February 19, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.Thursday, March 14, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

to RSVp, contact Robyn przybylek at (502) 636-4660 or Robynp@voaky.org.

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Civic Rush picks Volunteers of America for pilot social networking program

CirrusMio, a Lexington-based tech firm, has launched Civic Rush — an online concept that matches individuals with causes and organizations based on their interests. Volunteers of America was selected as a pilot organization when Civic Rush was launched in October 2012. The developers even contributed “Civs” — credits that can be cashed out by agencies for actual cash value when a user makes a contribution — to Volunteers of America as thanks for our participation. Visit civicrush.com to learn more or create a personal profile.

Program addressing veteran homelessness in East TennesseeThe U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has chosen Volunteers of America to operate its Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program in East Tennessee with offices in both Morristown and Knoxville. The program serves very low-income veterans and their family members who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. The $550,000 grant will allow Volunteers of America to provide comprehensive in-home case management; assistance in obtaining VA benefits and other public benefits; and temporary financial assistance for rent payments, utility payments, security deposits, and moving costs. This is the second SSVF project for Volunteers of America as we were awarded a SSVF grant for the Louisville, Lexington, and the Ashland areas in Kentucky in 2011.

Tuesday, April 16, 4 - 5 p.m.Tuesday, April 30, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Wednesday, May 22, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.Thursday, June 6, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.Thursday, June 20, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Volunteers of America of Kentucky, Inc. 11

Kentuckylouisville (502) 636-0771lexington (859) 254-3469Florence (859) 372-5600

www.voaky.org

Southern Indiananew albany (812) 944-5213

West Virginiaceredo (304) 453-2900

Tennesseeknoxville (865) 546-4813nashville (615) 885-2552 Memphis (901) 937-0100

It’s their first holiday season. Help fill it with hope.Three of our youngest clients — Aubrey, Liam, and Journee — were born recently to mothers in our

substance abuse treatment program. With help from Volunteers of America, these babies have entered the world healthy and drug-free. With your help, their families can celebrate the joy of the season with warm

clothing, toys, and other gifts. Please share your joy for the holidays with families who need it most.

Contact Josh Kornberg at JoshK@voaky.org or (502) 636-4644 for more information.

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