Community Options, Inc. 442 State Street

PO Box 1352

Belchertown, MA 01007

413/323-9681

413/323-5341 fax

Board of Directors Gail Oberly, President Cara Berneck Lillian Fuller Teresa Abbate Jan Doody Dr. Bernard Graney, Secretary Traccie Hillion, Clerk/Treasurer Human Rights Committee Tobey Tkacz, Chair Jean Bleecker, R.N. Jacqueline Dupre Steve Ferrarone, Esq. Greg Shumway Steve Wittbrodt

INS ID E TH IS I S SUE :

Sharpshooter Katie! 2 Natural Supports 3

Announcements 2 New-Look Lawn Care Crew! 4

Gordon & Barbara Freed 3

Community Options has recently taken over the space next to Rannsaka at 115 N. Main Street in Belchertown. We are in the process of renovating to expand Rannsaka’s sales floor and create a separate area for job development classes, community-based day activities, and individual employment work space. Stephen Sapowsky of Sapowsky Construction & Fine Carpentry is the general contractor for the project. In addition to the interior renovation, Stephen is rebuilding the back staircase for better access into the classroom area. Thank you Stephen for the great job. Thanks also to Antonio Archilla, Justin Morales, the lawn care crew, Jean Russell, Tom Lavoie, Connor Dooley, and all the others who are working on interior painting to help brighten up the walls. Work is progressing quickly and we are very excited about the completion of this project. You are invited to stop in when the construction is complete to see the expansion!

Fall 2015

Community Options, Inc.

Our newsletter provides Information about programs, people, and events. It contains news about you, our programs, the people who make them possible, and information for consumers, family members, staff, and volunteers. We want this to be your newsletter, so please send your Ideas, news, and any information you’d like included in future editions to: Newsletter PO Box 1352, Belchertown, MA 01007.

Gerry Lamothe, thanks so much for the

beautiful walkway! And Alicia Hanscom,

you make a great supervisor!

Remember to shop

at Rannsaka, 115

N. Main St. in

Belchertown, this

holiday season for Christmas

wreaths, hand-made

decorations, and unique gifts! Emma Jamieson, the newest artist, will be

selling her greeting cards at DDS’ Artists in

our Midst show!

Community Options, Inc. Page 2

**** This past summer Community Options, Inc. was asked to support the Holyoke/ Chicopee

MRC Student Summer Internship program. Eight high school students from Holyoke were

placed in local businesses for a summer internship. Thanks to Yasha Sharma, a temporary

part-time job developer for Community Options, all eight students had a successful experi-

ence……with one student being offered a permanent position.

****The DDS Art Show will be held again this year at 88 Front St., Holyoke. The opening

will be Thursday, November 19, 2015. The time has not been scheduled but generally it

runs from 4-7pm. A number of people served by Community Options will be displaying and

selling some of their work.

****The Community Options Holiday Party is scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, 2015 with a

snow date set for December 15th. Mark it in your calendars as it is expected to be the usual

fun & more!!! The Knights of Columbus have generously offered to host us again. Many,

many thanks!!

****Community Options, Inc. awarded Dr.Barbara & Dr. Gordon Freed the Second Annual Cer-

tificate of Appreciation. The Freeds have been our landlord at 115 No. Main St, where

Rannsaka is located, for over twenty years. Their support of Rannsaka and the work of the

Agency has been very much appreciated.

****This past summer we hosted visitors from Australia. Three employees from the Glad-

stone Community Linking Agency spent a day with C.O. employees hearing about each other’s

services. We also shared some of the ways we attempt to support people individually or in

small groups when obtaining employment or leisure activities and the rationale behind this.

It was a good day of learning and exchanging ideas.

Ms. Katie Turner is a woman

with many talents and

hobbies. Her latest hobby is

Archery. Katie was

introduced to archery in July

of 2014 when Jean Russell

brought a set of SAFE Archery

bows and arrows to the CBDS

office. A number of people at

PACE participated in the

archery demonstration. PACE

is the Community Based Day

Program run by the Agency.

Katie proved to be a natural

at the sport. She needed

little instruction to master

the bow and arrows safely.

When her Dad, Chris, was

made aware of her interest

and ability in archery, he

purchased a bow (pink, of

course) and SAFE arrows and

a target for Katie to use at

home. Katie now pursues

this hobby at her leisure.

Sharpshooter Katie!

Announcements

Page 2 Community Options, Inc.

Gordon & Barbara Freed

Page 3 Issue 5

“Far and away the

best prize that life

offers is the

chance to work

hard at work worth

doing”

- Theodore Roosevelt

Dr. Barbara & Dr. Gordon Freed,

recipients of the Second Annual

Certification of Appreciation

Award presented by Betsy Grim

(Director of Community Options)

and Gail Holt (supervisor of

Rannsaka) on behalf of the

Board of Directors and

employees. Many thanks go to

the Freeds for the many years of

support to our work and

business, Rannsaka.

In the Spring 2014 edition of the Community Options newsletter, Paul Yandoli wrote an article about

“Natural Supports” in the workplace. If you were to Google this topic, you would see that it was being dis-

cussed, written about, and researched as far back as the 90’s. In an article produced by the Training & Re-

search Institute for People with disabilities in April of 1993, it stated: “The importance of accessing and using

support networks which are inherent in the environment is that they hold promise of providing a more efficient

and ongoing basis for enabling a person with disabilities to experience a higher quality of life through increased

productivity, community integration, and job satisfaction.” We could not have said it more eloquently. And it

still remains a goal for most Agencies assisting individuals in obtaining employment.

In this edition we’d like to share a prime example of Natural Supports. It began over ten years ago. A young

man, Mr. Jason Roberge was approaching the completion of high school. He had little work experience, alt-

hough he did some volunteering at the high school during the summers. So when he got out of school, he contin-

ued volunteering once per week because he liked the type of work, his co-workers, and his supervisors as well.

He found work at an apple orchard and then, when the season ended, at a Dunkin Donuts. But all the while, he

continued to volunteer. About a year later, when a part-time position opened up at the School, Jason applied

and was offered the position.

As with anyone starting a new position, there were job duties that Jason could do right from the start and there

were others that he needed to learn. Through the guidance and support of Ms. Janet Officer, her staff, and the

other Swift River employees, Jason has become a valuable employee there. From the start, Janet set the tone

for Jason’s employment, and has been the role model and teacher for the other employees. She shows him re-

spect and dignity. She speaks with him like she speaks to others. She gives him the time to learn those tasks.

She includes him in conversations and group lunch outings. He feels like a part of the team…..what more can

anyone ask for from a job?

And now, ten years later, Jason has a reason to get up in the morning, has confidence in his work, is described

as a great co-worker, a productive taxpayer, and represents a vision for parents with children with disabilities.

So thank you Janet Officer and all the “Janet’s” in our communities!!

Natural Supports

Issue 5 Page 3

The new look of the C.O. Lawn Care Crew!

Pictured from left to right: Antonio Archilla (supervisor), David Kimball, David Bennett, Justin Morales, Eugene Prorok, and Carl

Dahlquist. Thanks to all of our faithful customers. It’s been

another great year.

442 State Street

PO Box 1352

Belchertown, MA 01007

Phone: 413/323-9681

Fax: 413/323-5341

Providing Opportunity, Building Community

Community Options, Inc.

Mailing Address Line 1

Mailing Address Line 2

Mailing Address Line 3

Mailing Address Line 4

Mailing Address Line 5

If you need your walkway

shoveled or your mailbox

dug out, give us a call!

(413) 323-9681

WINTER IS COMING!