unspot ews VALLEYLIFE Another exciting Casino Night comes and goes.. Do you have your state tax credit yet?

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1 VALLEYLIFE unspot ews Another exciting Casino Night comes and goes.. Do you have your state tax credit yet? Vocational Training Center renovations continue. Check out our progress! Check out the new events coming soon to VALLEYLIFE! Summer 2013 What is trending now? Volunteerism at VALLEYLIFE, that s what! Summer 2013 Newsletter Final.indd 1 9/19/2013 3:54:01 PM

2 A Message from the President Greetings! Our Board of Directors: Peter Connolly Chair Cliiford Mattice Vice Chair Steve McKamey Secretary Cindy Hallman Treasurer Directors: Heather Winters-Bull Karen Neilson Phillip Nelson Stephen Noll Katy White As summer passes and fall begins, we end another fiscal year. and I am pleased to report that once again, VALLEYLIFE has had a great one. Even in these difficult economic times, we have proven that a deep commitment to safety and strong fiscal responsibility are keys to success. Not only have we continued to improve our excellent safety record but we have finished the year just above break-even. Our Bernice Kussell Society has seen great success this year as well. The generosity of our society donors has allowed us to provide $10,000 worth of dental services to Members that without these funds, would have no services available to them. Our partnership with AT Still University has furthered our goal of providing needed dental care to each and every one of our Members by allowing us to be a part of their Day of Special Smiles Program in November, and we look forward to participating again this October. In other news, the Vocational Training Center renovations have progressed nicely and we are excited to be heading into the next phase of construction. Check out the story in this issue for more details. And finally, I would like to personally welcome the newest member to our Board of Directors, Heather Winters-Bull. Heather is a great addition to an already very strong team. Keep an eye out for more about Heather in our next edition. As always, thank you for your continued support of our Members! Linda Miller, CFO Cletus Thiebeau, CEO ON OUR COVER Cletus Thiebeau, President/CEO Nathaniel V. is a Member of the VALLEYLIFE Campus Janitorial team. Nathaniel has been participating in the program since January of Over the course of his training, Nathaniel has grown in his ability to focus on any assigned task. He is developing the confidence to do the very best job possible and together he and his teammates provide quality service. Nathaniel is a friendly and personable young man with a bright future. Over the past year, he has shown a willingness to learn new skills and with the guidance of his Employment Specialist, Nathaniel has been accepting challenges and program change with a greater sense of patience and thought. Both his peers and staff enjoy having Nathaniel as a member of the vocational training program. He continues to show improvement on his vocational goals and clearly has a desire to continue to progress towards reaching his fullest potential in employment and in life. Newsletter design and editing by Jennifer Outlaw, Communications / (602) x170 Printed by Williams Express Document and Print Services, a division of VALLEYLIFE / (480) Summer 2013 Newsletter Final.indd 2 9/19/2013 3:54:02 PM

3 Another Great Casino Night! June 1st marked our second Casino Night event, and what fun it was! With exciting casino games that included craps, texas hold em and roulette, or donors had a great time winning. All winnings were converted to raffle tickets which could be used to win a variety of great prizes like a Krups coffeemaker, fine wines, dinner gift certificates and even an overnight stay at a local casino! Thank you to all of our friends who came out to join us! Your continued support is greatly appreciated! We Love Our Volunteers! VALLEYLIFE is fortunate to have a wonderful team of terrific volunteers. Our volunteers give 110% to every assignment and provide our Members with guidance, support and friendship. Volunteerism is an important part of what makes VALLEYLIFE a success. Without volunteers our Members would be without the majority of our art program, Special Olympics coaches, mentors and financial literacy programs and more. Without our volunteers we would be without event committees, a robust bib sewing program, readers, or even a Board of Directors! Our volunteers make VALLEYLIFE work, and we could not do it without them. Volunteer opportunities are always available at VALLEYLIFE. We are always looking for volunteers to help out on field trips, read a book, do a craft project, help in the garden, paint a room (or a house!), or just come by and hang out with our Members. Corporate groups are always welcome as well. Groups like Crickett Communications, American Express and Thunderbirds School of Global Management have been a part of the VALLEYLIFE family for years, and we love having them. If you are interested in learning more about volunteerism at VALLEYLIFE, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Ann Polunsky, at (602) x171, or via emai at apolunsky@valleylifeaz.org. We look foward to seeing you at VALLEYLIFE. Summer 2013 Newsletter Final.indd 3 9/19/2013 3:54:08 PM

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5 We're renovating! Thanks to the generosity of The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation, we are excited to announce the second phase of our Vocational Training Center renovation is finished. Our new offices are complete and filled with staff. When all phases are complete, our training center will be able to serve a larger number of Members, and will have the look and feel of an authentic work site, making the transition from training to employment easier for the people we serve. The first phase of renovations included our restroom facilities, funded by Thunderbirds Charities. With the Diamondbacks grant, we have not only added new offices and a training room, but with the help of additional funds from the Don Nierling Memorial Foundation, we will be resurfacing floors, painting interior spaces and making several other updates to the facility. We are very proud the results thus far, and would like to thank the Diamondbacks and Don Nierling Memorial Foundations as well as Thunderbirds Charities for their support of our Members. Before & during construction: At completion: Diamondbacks Game On Saturday, June 8 th, the Diamondbacks took on the San Fransisco Giants, and VALLEYLIFE was there. Manning the Community Corner Booth, VALLEYLIFE handed out maracas and held a drawing for super cool baseball sunglasses. Thank you to all of the Dback fans who came over to see us, to the Diamondbacks for your support of our Members, and to Top Banana Promotions for the donated sunglasses! We had a great time at the game, and cannot wait to do it again. Summer 2013 Newsletter Final.indd 5 9/19/2013 3:54:24 PM

6 Nancy Ball In Memoriam November June 2013 Nancy Ball, also known as Nan, a 32 year Member in our Frier Group Home, passed away on Tuesday, June 11, Nan entered VALLEYLIFE May 18, 1981, where she spent many hours working in Vocational Services. Nan retired from the vocational program in the mid 90 s. She was one of the first Members to move into the very first retirement home for developmental disabled adults in Arizona. Nan remained active throughout her years at VALLEYLIFE. She was always energetic, free spirited and a pure joy to be around. She lit up the room when she entered and had a unique way of always assuring anyone entering the home that she was head of the household. She could calm the strongest storms or create a storm of her own with just one special look. Nan was a very talented musician and had a sincere passion for the piano. Shortly after moving into the Frier Group Home, a piano was donated and Nan immediately began her many hours of providing entertainment for her friends, family and neighbors. She enjoyed playing for others and would often hold music recitals in the home. While Nan was eventually forced to give up playing the piano due to her health, she continued to love the instrument. Nan s piano can now be found at a Daytime Activity Center at VALLEYLIFE where her legacy and love for playing will live on with many Members whose love and passion for music can now be expressed. Nan, you will be missed by all of us. Summer 2013 Newsletter Final.indd 6 9/19/2013 3:54:28 PM

7 There are many ways to support VALLEYLIFE! You can volunteer your time, attend one of our events, make a donation of goods or services, or make a financial contribution. Volunteer at VALLEYLIFE Volunteers are a big part of VALLEYLIFE. Volunteer projects include beautification projects, reading, baking cookies, helping at special events, and working on special office projects. Sharing your time, talents, and resources enables us to further our goals plus our Members and staff really love visitors! Financial Contributions Your tax-deductible donation to VALLEYLIFE will help us continue to support our disabled community. With a low 7% overhead, 93 cents of every dollar you donate goes directly into our programs and services. How to Help! Donations can be made in person, over the phone or online. VALLEYLIFE accepts cash, checks, all major credit cards, and stock and bond gifts. Additionally, VALLEYLIFE qualifies for the Arizona Working Poor Tax Credit as a charitable organization helping the working poor. Financial contributions can also be made in the form of tribute or memorial gifts. Make a gift of $10 or more to VALLEYLIFE in the honor of someone special and VALLEYLIFE will send a beautiful personalized card to the recipient on your behalf. To make a tribute or memorial gift, please contact Margaret Stephens-Reed at (602) x107, or via at mreed@valleylifeaz.org. Make a gift in memory of your loved ones. Pay tribute to a loved one or special person who has passed away by honoring their memory with a donation to VALLEYLIFE. This is a wonderful way to remember someone while supporting the disabled members of our community. Contact us at (602) x107 to make a memorial donation. We are always grateful for your generosity in helping us support the disabled members of our community. If you are not sure how you would like to help, come take a tour of our main campus. We are located at 1142 West Hatcher Road, Phoenix Arizona and are open Mon-Fri from 8 am to 4 pm. We do not prepare for tours - you are welcome to stop by anytime you are in the area. If you have any questions about how you can get involved at VALLEYLIFE, please contact Margaret Stephens-Reed, Development Director, at (602) x107, or via at mreed@valleylifeaz.org. You may also visit our website at Summer 2013 Newsletter Final.indd 7 9/19/2013 3:54:28 PM

8 1142 West Hatcher Road Phoenix, AZ (602) Our Mission: To enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities. Check us out on Facebook: Summer 2013 Newsletter Final.indd 8 9/19/2013 3:54:29 PM