This party will really be rolling.  And everyone is invited!

The Resource Center is collaborating with other organizations to hold a free community bicycle ride Saturday, September 18.  The event will begin at 1:00 at The Resource Center’s facility at 186 Lake Shore Drive West in Dunkirk.

The ride is called the Dunkirk Pedal Party.  Participants will follow a 10-mile route taking them through various neighborhoods, along the lake front and into Point Gratiot Park.  Along the way, there will be stops in front of The Resource Center’s home on Eagle Street and TRC’s Mary Andrews Center on East Chestnut Street.  At those points, riders will learn about the historical significance of the two properties.

The ride will end at TRC’s Lake Shore Drive property, where an outdoor party will be held.  There will be music, and food will be available for purchase from Foodies Sweets n Eats.

The Pedal Party is patterned after the Slow Roll Buffalo initiative, in which cyclists regularly gather to take bicycle tours of the city.  These rides are not races.  Rather, as the name implies, Slow Roll cyclists take a leisurely ride.  This makes the events doable for people of all ages and abilities.

The Dunkirk Pedal Party is being organized by The Resource Center; its STARS employee wellness program; Filling the Gap, Inc.; the Population Health Collaborative; and Slow Roll Buffalo.  The city of Dunkirk also is supporting the event.

Though the ride is free, organizers encourage those planning to participate to register online at www.slowrollbuffalo.org.  Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.  Each participant is expected to wear a certified helmet.

For more information, phone The Resource Center at 716-483-2344.

Denise Jones has again been listed among the area’s most influential female executives.

Denise, The Resource Center’s Chief Executive Officer, is ranked No. 34 on Buffalo Business First magazine’s list of the 200 most powerful women in Western New York.  This marks the seventh straight year she has been ranked in the top 50 on the annual list of the most powerful businesswomen in the eight-county region.

It also is the second time this year Denise has been recognized by Business First: in February, the magazine ranked her No. 62 on its list of the 250 most influential people in Western New York.

TRC officials were pleased Denise again has been recognized by Business First.

“The Board of Directors congratulates Denise on her recognition by Business First as ranking 34 of the 200 most powerful women executives in Western New York,” said Patricia Perlee, Board President.  “Denise leads TRC in a calm and thoughtful manner through this ever-changing time of COVID -19, decreased state reimbursements and staff shortages, all while recognizing and understanding the needs of staff, clients, residents, and families. This distinction by Business First is well earned, and TRC is very fortunate to have Denise as our Executive Director.”

Denise has been with The Resource Center since 1990.  She served as TRC’s Associate Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for eight years before being named Executive Director and CEO in 2015.

The Resource Center operates three business lines.  TRC’s core mission is to support people with disabilities and their families.  The Resource Center also provides a variety of health-related services that can be utilized by anyone, regardless of whether they have a disability.  TRC also performs subcontracting work for local businesses and the federal government at manufacturing facilities in Jamestown and Dunkirk.

Nominations are being accepted for The Resource Center’s 2021 Ability Awareness and Recognition Awards.

Every year, people with disabilities in Chautauqua County make tremendous strides in their quest to lead productive, meaningful lives. And every day, they are supported in their efforts by a wide segment of the community that appreciates and values the contributions those with disabilities can make, if given a chance.

To recognize the efforts of people with disabilities and those who support them, each year The Resource Center holds a celebration to pay tribute to this deserving group by presenting the Disability Awareness and Recognition Awards. The public is encouraged to nominate people with disabilities whom they know, or people and organizations from the community that have had a positive impact on the lives of those with disabling conditions.

Nominations are being accepted in the following categories:

• Advocate of the Year, recognizing extraordinary efforts in advocating for one’s own rights or the rights of other people with disabilities.
• Bruce Walford Community Service Award, honoring a person who demonstrates the following characteristics: a commitment to the community; selflessness; the initiative and the ingenuity to forge forward and make things happen; and enthusiasm and exuberance that inspire others. This award was established in memory of the late Bruce “Wally” Walford, who was the manager of TRC’s Dunkirk Work Center Program.
• Community Partnership Award, given to a person, service group or business that has provided unique opportunities and experiences to people with disabilities.
• Edwin Roth Mental Health Award, recognizing a person with a behavioral health challenge, an advocate, an agency, a professional, or a community member, that has supported efforts to improve the lives of people with mental illness or substance abuse challenges. This award is named in honor of the late Ed Roth, a New York State Office of Mental Health official who was a strong advocate for people with mental illness.
• Elmer Muench Volunteer of the Year, honoring a person who has donated time, talents and/or expertise toward improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. Volunteer service could include interacting directly with people with disabilities, assisting with special events or serving on a board or committee. This award is named in honor of the late Elmer Muench of Fredonia, a longtime volunteer and advocate for people with disabilities.
• Health Provider of the Year, honoring an entity or professional that has enhanced the lives of people with disabilities by providing outstanding health services.
• Outstanding Achievement, saluting a person with a disability who has made significant advancements in developing personal skills.
• Success of the Year, praising a person with a disability who has achieved his or her goals in the areas of community integration and/or employment.

Nominees do not have to be affiliated with The Resource Center. A selection committee composed of community volunteers will decide which nominees are most deserving of the awards.

Nominations will be accepted until September 15. Each nomination must include a narrative explaining why the nominee is deserving of an award, including examples of how the nominee has positively impacted people with disabilities. Click here to submit a nomination. If you want a nomination form sent to you, phone Victoria Trass Bardo at (716) 661-1477. Nominations can be mailed to the Awards Planning Committee, c/o The Resource Center, 200 Dunham Avenue, Jamestown, NY, 14701. Nominations also can be faxed to (716) 485-4612.

Award recipients will be honored in October at The Resource Center’s 33rd annual Ability Awareness Awards Celebration.

Six area residents have become the first graduates of a program aimed at helping people analyze the impacts of poverty on their lives and develop strategies to build their resources for more prosperous lives and to improve our community.

The six – Jamestown residents Verna Dickinson, Ashley Martin, Raymond L. Pryce, and Joseph Tucker; Dawn Jennings of Mayville; and Marangelly Perez, Fredonia – were honored during a ceremony held at Northwest Arena in Jamestown.  They were recognized as the first local graduates of the “Getting Ahead in a Just-Gettin’-By World” curriculum, a 16-week workshop series that supports people with low incomes to build resources and achieve goals on the path to stability.

Getting Ahead participants are called investigators.  The course calls on them to explore how poverty affects them, then identify and develop resources that will enable them to get ahead in their lives.  The local workshop is called Invest U because, by participating in the curriculum, investigators were investing in a better future for themselves and their families.

Their efforts also will improve their communities.  This is because, as part of their coursework, investigators examined how community institutions measure in areas such as the economy, housing, health care, employment, education, and banking.  Those stark assessments revealed where our community did not perform well, providing an opportunity for local leaders to address the gaps.

Terri Johnson, The Resource Center’s Director of Employment and Community-Based Services, was one of the people who helped bring the Getting Ahead curriculum to Chautauqua County.  Johnson, who also served as a Getting Ahead Facilitator, welcomed people to the graduation ceremony and shared a bit about the hard work the graduates put in.

“Each of the investigators have gone through a step-by-step discovery of themselves, how they got where they are and what it takes to build the life they want,” she said.  “They each have also investigated their own world and have identified societal barriers that could be keeping them in poverty.  They have investigated the realities of conditions in their community and its impact, the hidden rules of the economic classes, how to build resources and make connections, and ways to deal with change and create stability in their lives. They have learned about debt-to-income ratios, building social capital, established smart goals, and so much more.”

The United Way of Southern Chautauqua County provided a grant that made it possible for Getting Ahead to be offered locally.  The United Way’s Executive Director, Amy Rohler, was the keynote speaker at the graduation.  She praised the graduates’ commitment to the program and acknowledged that community institutions and traditions can keep people mired in poverty.

“You have confronted the cold, hard reality of not only your own, personal situation but of this community, too,” Rohler said.  “There’s a reality to why people are in poverty and what systems exist that keep them there, and it’s messy and it’s hard and it’s not always pretty.  But I suspect that in spite of that investigation, you emerged out of this experience with a gritty faith in the possibility of what you can do and what this community cam accomplish.”

Johnson, Rohler and Assemblyman Andy Goodell noted that local leaders decided to bring the Getting Ahead program to Jamestown after hearing a firsthand account of the program’s effectiveness during a 2019 Assembly hearing in Buffalo that addressed poverty.  One of the speakers at that hearing discussed the positive impacts the Getting Ahead program had on his life and, later, on his home community of Watertown as a result of his community involvement.  After hearing the man’s testimony, Rohler and Johnson were determined to bring Getting Ahead to Chautauqua County.

Goodell cited this unexpected positive outcome of that Assembly hearing on his remarks to graduates.

“So often, life gives you opportunities that you weren’t expecting; information that you weren’t expecting; or an ability to help somebody else or move yourself ahead, that you may not be expecting,” he said.  “As you move forward, as you get ahead in life, keep your eyes and ears open.  Listen for opportunities to improve yourself and move forward.  And know that you are on the right path today, and we are so proud of what you’ve accomplished.”

Jacqueline Phelps, Deputy District Director for Congressman Tom Reed, also had words for the graduates.

“Each and every one of us has talents.  Each and every one of us can be amazing.  And as each and every one of us does that, and allows ourselves to be amazing, we give back to our community,” Phelps said. “God bless you for the work that you’ve done.  Thank you for your commitment.  Congratulations on the impact that you’re going to make on our community and for graduating.”

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist called the work they’ve done invaluable.  “These folks are trailblazers.  They’re the first ones in our community to not only graduate from this program, but these are the ones that you are going to see making big changes here in the community.”

Randall Holcomb, who works in Senator George Borrello’s Jamestown office, passed along the senator’s congratulation s to the graduates.  Holcomb, noting that the Getting Ahead curriculum is used in five countries and has seen 80,000 people successfully complete the program, told the six local graduates, “We are the lucky county to welcome all of you to that group.”

Most of the graduates also spoke.  “In the Getting Ahead class, we learned to build relationships that help us succeed and recognize that money is not the only resource that keeps people stuck in poverty,” Jennings said.  Reflecting on what she has had to do in order to survive, Jennings said that by participating in the Getting Ahead curriculum, “Today I can say I’m no longer a survivor, but a warrior.”

She added that the graduates are ready to use their experience and education to improve the community.

“The investigating class of 2021 are all workers,” she said.  “We also have a personal experience to know the impact of poverty on our community.  We also have ideas that can change the impact of poverty in Chautauqua County.  Our research is phenomenal.”

Pryce shared about some of his personal struggles and relayed how his life’s journey led him to pursue his education to become a teacher.  Addressing his Invest U classmates, Pryce said, “This journey with you all has made me realize that there’s so many other things that we can do to build up our community.”

Perez noted that she grew up in poverty and said she believes she and her classmates will use what they learned in Invest U to improve their own lives and the lives of others.

“I’m hoping that from these classes people realize how important being educated in the knowledge that are as simple as, `Don’t buy into poverty’ can help.  And it definitely helped me,” she said.

Tucker said that since he has children and grandchildren, he’s invested in community’s future.  He said he already is active in the community and believes that if area residents work together, issues such as poverty, food insecurity and education can be improved.

Addressing the audience as he stood with his fellow graduates, Tucker said, “I am proud to be here, and I’m proud that all you guys are here to share with all of us.”

Martin said she also grew up in poverty and while a teen-ager promised herself she wouldn’t stay in poverty.  She tried a couple of career paths that didn’t pan out.  The birth of her daughter caused Martin to focus on improving her life for her daughter’s sake.

“I promised that, no matter what it took, no matter how long it took, no matter how I had to do it, no matter how many tears I had to shed or how many times I needed to scream into a pillow, no matter how many toxic relationships I had to let go of, that she was my number one,” Martin said.

Despite that commitment, she encountered a number of challenges as a single parent.  Martin said she learned from the Getting Ahead class that the local community is rich in resources, but not everyone knows about them.  She said spreading the word about those resources is an important step in helping people in poverty overcome barriers.

“Education is power,” she said.

Martin plans to return to college to study human resources and psychology in order to work with people in poverty and assist them in improving their lives.  “I want to show people that if I can do it, you can do it,” she said.

Johnson noted that one of the goals of Getting Ahead is to make community leaders recognize the program’s benefits and appreciate the work the graduates have put in.  Toward that end John Felton, the Chief Executive Officer of the Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union, told the graduates that while some lenders won’t loan money to people with a low credit score or poor debt ratio, that his office will provide them with a personal banker to try to help them financially.  He added that a low credit score reflects decisions people have made in the past, but that a credit report doesn’t take into account a person’s character.

Favorably impressed by the graduates, Felton said, “This is a cool group of people.  This is an amazing group of people.”

In addition to Johnson, two other Resource Center employees – Beth Jermain, Support Option Administrator, and CodyAnne Chambers, Employment Facilitator – served as Getting Ahead Facilitators for the inaugural class.  Both had praise for the graduates.

“I can’t remember ever being so impressed by a group of people before,” said Jermain.  She added that the graduates will continue to meet regularly to support one another.

Chambers, who facilitates curricula for various populations, was overwhelmed by what the six graduates accomplished.

“These folks have made the most significant changes that I’ve ever seen in any facilitated class,” Chambers said.  “To say that we taught you anything is so not true.  You all took the lead and you taught yourselves.”

Wrapping up the event, she told the graduates what others in the room likely were thinking:

“I can’t wait to see what happens in each of your futures.”

 

Organizers plan to hold the next Getting Ahead class in the fall.  For more information, contact Jermain at 483-2344.

Dan and Beth Hocking, Owners of ACME The Appliance Store, recently donated a 55 inch Samsung television that will be used for a drawing to support the 25^th Anniversary TRC Golf Classic.

The TRC Golf Classic is the major annual fund-raising event for Filling the Gap, Inc., a Jamestown-based non-profit organization that works with The Resource Center to support people with disabilities and other socioeconomic challenges in Chautauqua County.

“We are very thankful for The Resource Center and the positive impact they have on our community,” said Dan Hocking.  “ACME The Appliance Store is pleased to help in a small way with this 55-inch, high-definition TV donation to help raise money for the TRC Golf Classic.  We are strong believers in giving back to the community.  The Resource Center makes a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis, and we are happy to continue to support their efforts.”

The drawing for the TV will take place at the end of the TRC Golf Classic on July 26 at Moon Brook Country Club.  For information on how to enter the drawing and purchase tickets, phone 661-1477.

The 2021 TRC Golf Classic is scheduled for July 26 at Moon Brook Country Club in Jamestown.  For more information or to sponsor, please visit www.trcgolfclassic.com.

Picture:  l to r – Lily Constantino, Community Coach; Abby Adam, Special Olympics Athlete; and Dan Hocking, Co-Owner, ACME The Appliance Store

Pictured:  l to r – Daniel Reininga, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lake Shore Savings Bank; Gregg Bender, TRC Golf Classic Chair Emeritus; Chris Anderson, TRC Golf Classic Chair; Kelly Dimitri, The Resource Center Chief Financial Officer; Adam Dimitri, Vice President, Regional Sales Officer, Lake Shore Savings Bank

Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc., the holding company of Lake Shore Savings Bank, announced that its Board of Directors has renewed an agreement to have Lake Shore Savings serve as the presenting sponsor of the TRC Golf Classic for three years.

The TRC Golf Classic is the major annual fund-raising event for Filling the Gap, Inc., a Jamestown-based non-profit organization that works with The Resource Center to support people with disabilities and other socioeconomic challenges in Chautauqua County.

Lake Shore Savings has sponsored the TRC Golf Classic every year since the tournament began in 1997, and since 2012 has been the event’s presenting sponsor.  One of the most successful one-day charity golf tournaments in Southwestern New York, the TRC Golf Classic has netted more than $1.6 million since it began in 1997.

“Lake Shore Savings Bank has been a proud supporter of The Resource Center for the past 25 years,” said Daniel P. Reininga, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Their individualized support services, including residential services, educational and training opportunities, clinical services including primary care, dental, podiatry, physical, speech and occupational therapy, school-based clinic, mental health services, employment services and community habilitation services benefit over 8,000 individuals throughout Chautauqua County and make an impactful difference in the lives of those with disabilities and other challenges. The valuable work of The Resource Center helps to ensure these individuals receive the support they need to achieve maximum independence while contributing to their community and experiencing lifelong growth and quality of life. We are proud to continue to support the ongoing efforts of such a vital organization in our community.”

“Everyone at The Resource Center and Filling the Gap are grateful to Lake Shore Savings for its commitment to continue as the presenting sponsor of the TRC Golf Classic,” said Denise Jones, The Resource Center’s Chief Executive Officer.  “We rely on the generosity of our local business community to make our events successful.  Lake Shore Savings has been one of our most generous corporate partners over the last quarter century.  Their support allows us to fulfill our mission of helping people with disabilities to enjoy meaningful lives.

“On behalf of The Resource Center and the TRC Golf Classic Steering Committee, we applaud Lake Shore Savings Bank for once again agreeing to be the presenting sponsor for the next three TRC Golf Classics.  Lake Shore Savings has been a major sponsor of our event for 25 years.  And, for the last ten years, as presenting sponsor, they have contributed $150,000.  Lake Shore’s motto is ‘Putting People First’ and they have once again lived their mission as a wonderful community partner.  We thank Dan Reininga and the Board at Lake Shore Savings Bank for their generous commitment to the Resource Center and the people we serve,” said Chris Anderson, Chair, and Gregg Bender, Chair Emeritus, TRC Golf Classic.

The 2021 TRC Golf Classic is scheduled for July 26 at Moon Brook Country Club in Jamestown.  For more information or to sponsor, please visit www.trcgolfclassic.com.

The current staffing crisis affecting The Resource Center and other disability service providers across New York State will be the main topic of discussion when The Resource Center holds its annual General Membership Meeting on Monday, June 7.

The event will begin at 6:00 p.m. Due to safety COVID-19, the meeting will be held via telephone and videoconference.

The main presentation will involve the current direct support staffing crisis. The Resource Center and other service providers across the state are experiencing a severe number of vacancies for Direct Support Professional positions in homes and day programs.  These vacancies are negatively affecting people with disabilities, whose lifestyle options have been curtailed due to lack of staff, as well as the existing Direct Support staff, who are having to work long hours in order to ensure the health and safety of the people with disabilities they are entrusted to care for.

At the Annual Meeting, families will learn how TRC and other providers are addressing the situation.  Families will also learn how they can advocate – via social media, phone calls, letters, or in-person visits – to demand New York State leaders fix the problem. Click here to read about a recent rally held in Buffalo regarding this issue, as well as comments from Denise Jones, The Resource Center’s Executive Director.

All Active Members of The Resource Center who are in good standing also are invited to participate in the meeting, and to vote in the election and on any business items that may arise. To be considered in good standing, one must have made a contribution of $10 or more to The Resource Center or Filling the Gap, Inc., since May 8, 2020.

If interested in attending the meeting, click here to register or contact Selina Phillips at 716-661-1412 to obtain the access information for the meeting. All Active Members in good standing who are unable to attend the meeting are encouraged to vote in the election online. Click here to cast your vote.

The meeting agenda is as follows:

1. Approval of the minutes of the 2020 General Membership Meeting
2. President’s Report – Patricia Perlee
3. Treasurer’s Report – Craig Colburn
4. Executive Director’s Report – Denise Jones
5. Presentation – “Direct Support Professional Staffing Crisis: The Challenge, Operational Response and a Call for Advocacy”
6. Election (see nominating slates below)
7. Recognition of outgoing Directors Craig Colburn and Elizabeth Williams

The Nominating Committee — composed of Wayne Hotelling, Chair; June Jacobson; and Julie McCarthy — has proposed the following candidates for Officers and Directors of the Board of The Resource Center, as well as candidates to serve on the Nominating Committee for the 2022 Election:

Officers (one-year term)
President — Patricia Perlee
Vice President — Richard Erickson
Secretary — Dawn Columbare, DNP
Treasurer — Todd Jacobson, MD

Directors (two-year term)
Marie Carrubba, Esq.
R. Michael Goldman, Esq.
Lisa Goodell
Marlene Sirianno, Esq.

Nominating Committee
Wayne Hotelling
June Jacobson
Jennifer Liuzzo
Julie McCarthy

For more information or to indicate you plan to attend the meeting, phone 716-661-1412.

If you have not yet paid your 2021 TRC Membership dues, click here to make a secure, online payment. Your membership demonstrates your commitment to The Resource Center’s mission. In these challenging times, your support of TRC is extremely important.

The Resource Center has a 60-year tradition of supporting people with disabilities to enjoy great lives.  We invite you to help us ensure the continued success of our organization, as well as the people and families we support, by becoming a Member of The Resource Center during our 2021 Membership Drive.

The Resource Center is the Chautauqua County chapter of The Arc New York, a family-led organization that advocates and provides support and services to people with disabilities.  Like all other chapters of The Arc New York, The Resource Center is a membership organization.  And membership is open to anyone who believes in our mission of supporting people with disabilities to have meaningful lives as valued members of their community.

Membership is important!  The more members The Resource Center has, the more powerful our collective voice becomes when we advocate alongside people with disabilities and their families, as well as other chapters of The Arc New York.  Those advocacy efforts were extremely critical this past winter and spring as New York State was drafting its 2021-22 budget.  Members of The Arc NY family state-wide made more than 18,000 connections with legislative leaders, and we persuaded them not to enact proposed funding cuts affecting services for people with disabilities.

For everyone who took part in those advocacy efforts, THANK YOU!

But while we’re grateful for the success of that advocacy campaign, other funding cuts have been proposed by New York State government officials.  Continued advocacy will be needed to make lawmakers aware of the devastating impacts the proposed cuts would have.  As a Member of The Resource Center, you’ll receive regular updates from The Arc New York regarding initiatives requiring advocacy.

That’s because when you become a Member of The Resource Center, you actually become a Member of three organizations – TRC, The Arc NY and The Arc, which advocates at the national level.

 

Membership in The Resource Center is just $10 per year.  As a thank-you for becoming a Member, you’ll receive a Membership Card that entitles you to discounts at dozens of local businesses.  Click here to see the list of current discounts.

Last year, The Resource Center had 1,762 members.  This year, we have set a goal of reaching 2,500 members.  Though that may seem like a big number, we could easily get there if the family members of every TRC service recipient with a disability decided to become a member.

Click here to pay your Membership Dues online.  (On that donation page, you also can sign up adult members of your household as Members of TRC.)  Or, you can send a check to The Resource Center, 200 Dunham Avenue, Jamestown, NY, 14701, and write “membership” on the memo line.

For more information (including learning how your business can become part of TRC’s discount program), or to have a membership form sent to you, phone Steve Waterson, Community Relations Director, at 716-661-4735.

Support.  Advocacy.  Education.  Membership Matters!

The mother-daughter team of Debbie and Courtney Rapp are committed to donating blood at The Resource Center as a gesture of love for a family member.

Several years ago Louise Young, who was Deb’s mom and Courtney’s grandmother, developed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The illness required Louise to undergo blood transfusions every few weeks. Deb, who is the Supervisor at our Senior Adult Day Habilitation Program, said her mother maintained a positive outlook about the treatments and would joke that she was “going in for a refill” when it was time for a transfusion.

“I’d ask if she needed anything, and she’d say, `I have a good book to read, so I’ll be OK. I’ll call you when I’m done.’ Then she’d send me happy emojis on my cell phone while she received her transfusion and shared how thankful she was that this would make her feel better,” Deb said. “She knew once she received this gift that she could breathe better and continue living.”

Louise lost her battle with CLL last September. Following Louise’s death Deb and Courtney, a Licensed Practical Nurse at our Edgewater Day Program, pledged to each other they would donate blood in Louise’s honor every time The Resource Center hosts an American Red Cross blood drive. As part of its commitment to give back to the community, TRC hosts several Red Cross blood drives each year.

For Deb and Courtney, supporting the Red Cross is a tangible way they can express appreciation for the transfusions that extended Louise’s life.

“My mom was the center of our family, and she is missed every day,” Deb said. “My family was blessed that she had this option to receive transfusions to keep her well enough to spend a little more time with her family. Without these transfusions, we would not have had her on this earth with us as long as we did. My family was blessed by this gift of giving blood that helped my mom. ”

Deb and Courtney donated blood at TRC’s most recent blood drive April 23.  Those drives are coordinated by the Red Cross and by members of The Resource Center’s award-winning STARS employee wellness program. Deb appreciates that TRC undertakes the effort to hold these events.

“The Resource Center STARS program does a fantastic job hosting the Red Cross blood drive. This event helps our local community and Chautauqua County,” said Deb, who has donated more than a gallon of blood over the years . “The TRC blood drive is a perfect example on how we try to support our community. Not only do TRC employees donate blood, but they open this up to our community to come to our main office on Dunham Avenue to donate, too. Supporting people is really what The Resource Center is all about, and this includes the Red Cross.”

The April 23 event collected 34 units of blood, enough to potentially save the lives of 100 people. The next blood drive at The Resource Center will take place in the fall, and you can be sure Deb and Courtney will be there, rolling up their sleeves to give the gift of life in honor of Louise.

Deb is grateful to all who donate blood, as she knows from personal experience that blood donations make a positive impact.

“I would like to give a heartfelt thank-you to each person that donates their blood,” she said. “You really do touch so many lives that we all cherish.”

Two Resource Center employees have been recognized for their efforts in supporting people with disabilities to enjoy self-directed lives.

Beth Jermain, Support Option Administrator, and Jessica Smith, Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement Systems Coordinator, were among those honored when Buffalo Business First magazine presented its second annual IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Awareness) Awards last Thursday.  They were among 19 individuals and seven businesses to receive an IDEA Award this year.  Beth and Jessica were honored in the category of “Champion of People with Disabilities.”

They both had had long careers at The Resource Center (Beth joined TRC in 1989, Jessica in 1998) when the organization made the decision several years ago to seek accreditation from The Council on Quality and Leadership.  CQL works with human service providers and governmental agencies to support their efforts to improve the quality of life for people with intellectual, developmental and psychiatric disabilities.  The Resource Center received CQL accreditation in 2016.

“That accreditation basically means that The Resource Center is meeting the criteria for providing person-centered services to people, and in a robust way,” Beth said.

Once TRC became accredited by CQL, Beth and Jessica assumed responsibility for making sure we guarantee people’s health and well-being in everything we do while supporting people to have the lives they want.  They recruit, train and support a team of TRC employees who conduct initial Personal Outcomes Measures (POMs) interviews to determine what people with disabilities want, then perform annual follow-ups to check on progress, identify barriers and chart new directions.

Thanks to the efforts of Beth and Jessica, the POMs interviewers and people with disabilities and their families, individuals have been able to live the lives they want.  Some people who spent years living in group homes have fulfilled their desires to live independently in the community.

Beth and Jessica ensure TRC doesn’t become complacent.  They lead by example, reminding all employees of the importance of taking time to truly listen to what a person is saying, because the desires of the people supported by TRC come first.

“Through our work with the Personal Outcomes Measures, we’re really trying to change the culture at The Resource Center so that we can have people with disabilities have their voice heard, as having them be a part of the community and in control of their lives,” Jessica said.  “That’s really what the Personal Outcomes Measures do.  It’s really a tool for us to be able to ask questions of the people we support and listen to what’s important to them.”

“It’s all about `person first’ and trying to ensure that when we’re providing services to people that we’re being impactful so that people can live their best lives and their fullest lives, and as service providers we’re doing our best to ensure that,” Beth said.

“Continuous quality improvement is what we’re looking for,” Jessica said, “so a lot of work, a lot of effort has been put into the last few years, and it felt very fulfilling to be recognized” with the IDEA Award.

Click here to listen to a radio interview with Beth and Jessica.