2 building futures matters - milestone, inc. · llp/carol hartline, and wipfli. network, thus...

Building Lives • Building Futures

Corporate Office: 4060 McFarland Road • Rockford, IL 61111 • 815/654-6100 • www.MILESTONE-INC.org

WINTER 2013C O N T E N T S

A Place of his own

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Golfers help RocVale

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Camp Lowden Retreat

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Special Olympics

Update

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Help with

MILESTONE’S

Ongoing Projects

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Howard Grant

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M A T T E R SNewsletter For The Friends & Supporters of MILESTONE, Inc.

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

good time was had by everyone who attended MILESTONE’s 40th anniversary celebration.Parents, Friends, Individuals and Staff danced the night away after a wonderful dinner atGiovanni’s. Current MILESTONE President and CEO Shawn Way unveiled a portrait of

MILESTONE Founder Jim Hamilton which will be hung at MILESTONE Industries, the MILESTONETraining Center, Elmwood Heights and RocVale Children’s Home.

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The evening’s festivities were made possible thanks to the following sponsors: Major Sponsor: Kelley-Williamson, Benefactors: HMC Products, LaMonica Beverage, Mechanical, Inc.,The Morrissey Family Businesses, Mr. and Mrs. John Whitcher, William-Manny Charitable Trust, Friends of Milestone: Agnew Law Office P.C., Hewins Financial Advisors LLC, RK Dixon, R. NelsonLandscaping, Rockford Sanitary Systems, Inc., Rock River Block, Tyson & Billy, Williams McCarthyLLP/Carol Hartline, and WIPFLI

network, thus ensuring its operation for the benefitof 50 children at risk of further institutionalization.He sought funding to develop the first of its kinddental clinic designed especially to cater to theindividuals we serve. Most recently he has assistedin the development of two integrated apartmentcomplexes housing 16 individuals, dramaticallyenhancing their quality of life.

In forty years, Jim has touched the lives of thousandsof developmentally disabled individuals, whosequality of life took a turn for the better when Jimentered their lives. But, the things that have notchanged are the need for our services and the needfor support from friends like you.

As we celebrate 40 years, we hope you will considera generous donation to MILESTONE, to honor Jimand all he has done.

Blessings to you and your family this holiday season,and thanks for all you do to support the mission ofMILESTONE.

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M I L E S T O N E M A T T E R S WINTER 2013

WINTER 2013

Dear Friends of MILESTONE,

As we celebrate 40 years of service, we look back.Jim Hamilton was hired as the first staff member ofMILESTONE, Inc. Jim was hired as the ExecutiveDirector of an agency with one employee, $500 inthe bank, and an apartment building at 620Kishwaukee Street that was mortgaged to the hilt.His charge, as directed by the MILESTONE, Inc.Board of Directors, was to develop residential andvocational services for a handful ofdevelopmentally disabled adults that otherwisewould have been institutionalized.Institutionalization is how we treated thedevelopmentally disabled in this state andthroughout much of this country in 1973.

Jim has subsequently developed MILESTONE, Inc.into one of the crown jewels in the state of Illinois.He was instrumental in developing and expandingservices through the construction of our ElmwoodHeights campus in 1979. He dramatically changedthe service model through the modernization ofsystems and integration of the individuals weserve through the acquisition and construction ofover 30 group homes in and around Rockford. Hisvision led to the merger and consolidation of theRocvale Children’s Home into the MILESTONE


FROM THE DESK OF SHAWN WAY, MILESTONE PRESIDENT AND CEO

MILESTONE MISSION STATEMENT “Everyone has the right to be treated with respect, to participate in community life, to develop and exercise personal

competence, to have family and friends, and to make decisions in their lives.” MILESTONE, Inc. exists to ensure that

persons with developmental disabilities can exercise these same rights.


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SCOTT WAS READY FOR A PLACE OF HIS OWNWhen Scott was born adoctor painted a verybleak picture of his future,because of hisdevelopmental disability.At that point his parentsvowed that their son wouldhave the sameopportunities as otherchildren. Scott attendedschool through the BooneCounty Center for SpecialEducation and was part of

the SWEP Life SkillsProgram. He lived at homeuntil he was 21, but then hisparents knew it was time tomake a decision. Both hismother and father had beenvery involved in group ofparents and communityleaders who were workingto make sure the long termneeds of people withdevelopmental disabilities were met. One of theprojects this group founded was MILESTONE.But, in the early years of MILESTONE it nevercrossed their minds that Scott someday wouldbe living in a group home. Scott enjoyed schooland had a plan for what path his life would takeafter he graduated. He had seen both of hissisters move out of the house and into their ownplace when they went to college, and he wanted

to do thesame. He toldhis parents hewanted hisown place andhe wanted tolive atMILESTONE.The processfor placementstarted, and

the timing was right as there was an opening at aMILESTONE group home. When Scott went for avisit he realized many of the people he knewfrom Special Olympics and Camp Sunshinewould be his housemates, or were living at other

MILESTONE Homes. In manyways his mother says it waslike old home week for him.His parents say the rest ishistory, they have watchedScott grow into the young manthey always knew he could be.Scott looks forward to going towork at Dasco and earning apaycheck. He enjoys spendingtime with his housemates and

taking part in community outings includinggoing out to eat and seeing movies with hisgirlfriend.He enjoysspendingtime withhis familyand goeson familyvacationswith hisparentsand hissistersand theirfamiles.His familysayscampingis his favorite type of vacation, but he is alwaysready to return to his house when the trip isdone. He is proud of how independent he hasbecome, and on Sunday, if he is with his family

he wants to be sureto get home early sohe can do his laundry,and be ready for thenext work week. Hisfamily knows thatwithout question thestaff is looking afterScott and willcommunicate withthem when the needarises. They know the

work they started years ago when Scott wasborn has benefitted their son and countlessothers.


WINTER 20134

RAISING MONEY TO FIGHT CANCER AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

GOLFERS HELP ROCVALE

Individuals and staff at MILESTONE Industries raisedmoney for the American Cancer Society and theOctober Breast Cancer Walk. Team MILESTONE, led byLenny was well represented at the walk in October.Everyone at MILESTONE was also more than willing tohelp Mario when he was putting together a team forthe annual Alzheimer’s Walk. Both individuals met theirfundraising goals and enjoyed taking part in the events.

THANK YOU KIWANIS CLUBOF ROCKFORD

Joanie Eastman’s son lives at RocVale Children’s Home, and she wanted to do something to helpmake a difference in the lives of all the children at RocVale. For the second year Mrs. Eastmanorganized a golf outing. This year the event raised money for iPads and adult tandem trykes. Theevent at Lost Nation Golf Club in Dixon was a success and a fun time was had by all.

A grant from the KiwanisClub of Rockford providedthe final funding needed fora Pavilion at MILESTONEIndustries. The structurewill be used for outdoorclasses, Special Olympic Training and otheractivities. Grants and donations from severalfamilies and foundations provided the funding forthe project.

SUCCESSFUL CRAFT SHOWEveryone is busy at MILESTONE Industries creatingitems to restock inventory after a very successfularts show. Thank you to everyone who stopped bythe MILESTONE booth at Edgebrook’s Cider andCinnamon show and supported the Artists atMILESTONE Industries

Thank you to our Hole sponsors

DiBenedetto and Associates LTD.Labels + Decals InternationalHMC Products, Inc.Rockford Sanitary Systems Inc.Toledo Screw Machine Products Inc.Rockford Bank and TrustViking Chemical Co.

Duane Morris LLPKelly Quinlan and Jim YagenAlpine BankOlson Funeral Home and Cremation

ServicesMechanical Inc.Arles Hendershott

Joey LovgrenDekalb/Rockford Elks 765Royal PalmsThe StablesSue and Bill Olsen Bonnell IndustriesThe Brierton Group


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RocVale’s Boy Scout Troop 6 alsoenjoyed their time at camp. Thescouts played water basketball,learned about archery andparticipated in paintball targetpractice along with going hiking. The Scouts cooked their meals atthe campsite and enjoyed nightlycamp fires. But the highlight forthe boys was Space Explorationwhen they were able to build andlaunch their own rockets.

Summer is county fair time, andeveryone had fun at the ElmwoodHeights County Fair. The Fair includeda special exhibition of the projects andactivities from the Elmwood HeightsDay Training program. The exhibitswere judged and awards were given ineach category.

COUNTY FAIR FUN

THANKING DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALSMany special activities helped everyone recognize MILESTONE’s Direct Support Professionals and thespecial care they provide to the Individuals MILESTONE serves, during DSP week in September. Some of thespecial events included breakfast or lunch prepared by the supervisory and administrative staff, and at onefacility the supervisors and administrators spent the day washing the DSP’s cars. Many area businesseshelped make the week even more special by donating items that were given to the Direct Service Providersthroughout the week.

A Fire Extinguisher ServiceAnderson Rock River FordAudio EngineeringBoelterCasey’s PubCoventry Health InsuranceDiscovery Center MuseumForest Hills BowlGenoa HealthcareHenry Schein Inc.Interstate BatteriesMcDonaldsMcKesson

Mondelez’ InternationalRK DixonRockford AviatorsRock River Valley Blood CenterTeeJay ServicesUS CellularAmsam/VonachenApplebee’sBMO Bank Center/Ice HogsBrookside ClinicCord ConstructionDandy DonutsEZWay, Inc.

GFS FoodsGraingerInformation ControlsLube Pro’sMedlineMid-City OfficeNelson LandscapingRed MangoRoad RangerSuper SudsUnited HeartlandUNUM Insurance

Members of MILESTONE’sBoy Scout Troop VarsityTeam 360 enjoyed thechanging of the seasons attheir annual Camp LowdenRetreat. The scouts spenttime hiking, doing natureobservations, and playedfootball and soccer. Everyone helped plan themeals and assisted in cooking, setting tables,and cleanup, including the dishes. There alsowas a recognition ceremony for the staff whoassisted Ken, Reggie, and Javon, and specialrecognition was given to Phil Batchelor for his 24years of service. While each has a different favorite moment, theyall agree it is a great experience and look forward to doing it again.

CAMP LOWDEN RETREAT ROCVALE BOY SCOUTS ALSO ATTEND CAMP

Thank you for contributing to DSP week.


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SPECIAL OLYMPICS UPDATE

ROCVALE MUSTANGS SET THE PACE

VOLLEYBALL COMPETITION98 Bowlers took part in the regionalbowling competition in Freeport. 17athletes were awarded gold medals andadvanced to the state competition.

Members of the RocVale Mustangs running teamtook part in the Thin Mint Challenge. The event isa fund raiser for the Girl Scouts and yes, eachrunner received thin mint cookies at the end ofthe race.

MILESTONE BOWLERSFor the first time MILESTONE had a unified team at theVolleyball Tournament in LaSalle/Peru. Three other teams fromMILESTONE also competed. The athletes brought home 3bronze medals and 1 silver. The silver medalists moved on to

the state tournament.

Three athletes competed in the Baseball Skills competition in Deerfield. Three medals were awarded,1Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze. The gold medalist went to the State Competition in Decatur,and won a goldmedal there.

BASEBALL SKILLS


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MILESTONE WISHLISTGames for Wii consoles for all MILESTONE facilities Large Plastic Radio Flyer Wagons for RocValeNewspaper subscriptionsPEOPLE Magazines (new or used)Family friendly DVDsArt Supplies IPADS for the Individuals to useWebcamsMovie passes Local hockey game ticketsRestaurant gift certificates

YOU CAN NOWDONATE A USEDVEHICLE TOMILESTONE, THANKS TO APARTNERSHIP WITH MIDAS.CALL THE RESOURCE DEVELOPMENTDEPARTMENT AT (815) 639-2965 FORDETAILS.

RocVale Children’s HomeSeveral of the homes on theRocVale Campus need newfurniture. The items needed arespecial designed and built tomeet the need of the children living at RocVale. $20,000 is needed to complete this project.

Adult Group HomesThere is an ongoing need forfurniture for the group homes.$20,000 is needed for this project

Elmwood HeightsEach year over 200 slings need to be replaced. These slings are used when individuals need to be moved or lifted. $15,000 isneeded to meet this goal.

Milestone Training CenterThe Behavior ModificationTherapy program at MTCneeds to be expanded. Inorder to complete thisproject $15,000 to $20,000 isneeded to purchase SensoryEquipment.

PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING WITH ONE OF MILESTONE’SONGOING PROJECTS

MILESTONE, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) Illinois not-for-profitorganization. MILESTONE Matters is developed to inform thepublic of the program services we offer to developmentallydisabled citizens from Northern Illinois. To learn more aboutMILESTONE and the individuals we serve, please call (815)654-6100.

President and CEO: M. Shawn Way MILESTONE Matters Editor: Arles HendershottCopyright ©2013 by MILESTONE, inc.

If you would like to help with any of these projects pleaseuse the enclosed envelope, mark restricted donation andfill in which project your donation will help fund. Formore information about these projects or the items listedon the WishList, please call the Resource DevelopmentDepartment at (815) 639-2965.

EMPLOYEE ANNIVERSARIES10 years

Courtney Blackmer October

Candi Brownlee October

Kimberly Knuckles October

Cynthia Garrett December

15 years

Tisha White October

20 years

Millie Bayamon October

Kelly Yankaitis October

Reginald Parham November

25 years

Phillip Batchelor October

Nancy Weaver November

Diane Alexander November

Stanley Posley December

Thank you to The Knitwits of Roscoe UnitedMethodist Church for the hat knits winter hats.

THANK YOU MILESTONE SUPPORTERS



4060 McFarland Road

Rockford, IL 61111

Non-ProfitOrganizationUS Postage

PAIDPermit #640Rockford, IL

Address Service Requested

A grant from the William S. HowardCharitable Trust will continue to providefunding for the Boy Scout program atRocVale Children’s Home. The programprovides many educational and socialopportunities for the boys who enjoy themany activities. This year the trust alsoprovided funding for a new sensory wall forRocVale’s Behavior modification therapyprogram. The William S. Howard CharitableTrust was established in 1982 as thecharitable component of the companies ofWilliam Charles, Ltd., together theycomprise one of the largest, locally ownedcompanies in the region.

GRANT PROVIDES FUNDING FOR ROCVALE’S BOY SCOUTTROOP AND THE SENSORY PROGRAM

2 building futures matters - milestone, inc. · llp/carol hartline, and wipfli. network, thus...

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