CCHS Receives Grant to Create AcessABLE Community Garden
Thanks to generous funding from the City of Columbus and Franklin County Community Garden Grant Program CCHS will be turning last year's vegetable patch into an accessible community garden!
Led by CCHS Inclusion Specialist, Teresa Waits, and Career, Activity, & Community's Dirt Devils gardening group, the AccessABLE Community Garden is designed to bring together individuals from our programs and members of the greater community through a shared love of gardening. We hope that this approach will be mutually beneficial for those who participate; highlighting abilities rather than disabilities, learning from one another, and building an accepting and welcoming community space that everyone can enjoy.
Garden Features:
- Vegetable Garden: 476 sq.ft. vegetable garden, bordered by a 201 sq.ft. raised bed, will enable those with limited mobility the chance to fully participate and get their hands dirty!
- Sensory Garden: Six new raised beds adjacent to a wheelchair accessible and covered path will be planted with bright, fragrant, textured, and tasty plants that stimulate the senses.
- Sustainability: New gutters and rain barrels will help us conserve a precious resource, water! A composting bin will recycle waste into valuable nutrients for the garden.
In addition to the funds received for materials, Scotts Miracle-Gro has also donated a large amount of soil, mulch, humus, and plant food to ensure the garden has a great start.
Over the coming months, we will be looking for community gardeners to help with construction, planting, maintenance, and skill sharing. If you are interested, please visit our volunteer page to learn more!
Artists Take Part in VSA Ohio's Accessible Expressions Exhibition
Many CCHS artists, along with family and friends attended the opening reception and award ceremony for VSA Ohio’s Accessible Expressions Exhibition.
Congratulations to Open Door Art Studio & Gallery's Mark Henderson for being awarded 3rd place in the Professional Artist category for his painting The Last Supper! Further congratulations to all of the artists who were selected to participate this year: Rachael Armstrong, Tina Dieble, Kieran Donovan, Brooklyn Gary, Ian Howard, Karia Karia, David Lombardi (posthumously), Charles Poe, Chad Rose, John Smith, and Tommy Tyler!
Started in 1996, Accessible Expressions Ohio is an adjudicated, statewide exhibition and tour of visual art for artists of all ages with disabilities. This professional development opportunity helps raise awareness about art and disability by presenting the art in inclusive settings, where viewers can pARTicipate and artwork is for sale.
CCHS Program Coordinator, Jane Muoki, Awarded Scholarship
We would like to congratulate CCHS Program Coordinator, Jane Muoki, on being awarded the Patrick M. Pozderac Scholarship through the Educational Foundation of Ohio Health Care Association!
This $2,000 scholarship will enable Jane to further her educational and professional goals, ultimately impacting the lives of the individuals she helps to support here at CCHS.
Jane will be honored during a Scholarship Celebration Luncheon held during the OHCA Annual Convention Tuesday, May 1, 2018, at 12 pm.
Caring A Tune Brings Lots of Smiles to CCHS
Caring A Tune was a bit hit with the individuals living at Park West Court Apartments!
From the Beatles, to Hang on Sloopy, to Puff the Magic Dragon – everyone got the chance to pick their favorite tunes. There was dancing, laughter, and joy among all in attendance.
Special thanks to James Martin for volunteering his time and talent! Thanks also to Becky Miller, CCHS’ Speech Therapist for coordinating this wonderful event.
Open Door Art Studio & Gallery Creative Mentor Attends National Ceramics Conference
Open Door Art Studio & Gallery Creative Mentor Tim Cook recently had the opportunity to attend The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) National Conference this year in Pittsburgh, PA thanks to funding received through the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities – Building Innovative Service Model Grant. Speaking of the conference, Tim said:
“It was definitely an experience that I will never forget! I had the opportunity to network, meet some of the top artists in the ceramic arts, and attend great lectures and demonstrations where I gained valuable knowledge to bring back to the ceramic artists of Open Door.”
There were over 50 ceramic exhibitions going on in conjunction with NCECA and Tim was able to see some great artwork and brought back photos to inspire the artists of Open Door.
Other News & Upcoming Events:
Congratulations to Margot Nayuki
Margot, CCHS Career Coordinator, has successfully completed the Work Incentive Practitioner training through Cornell University's Institute on Employment and Disability and passed her preliminary credentialing exam! Way to go!
April Employees of the Month
Nicole Childs - Career, Activity, & Community: "Nicole's positive attitude and vibe is great to have at CAC!" - Amy Yerian, CAC Program Manager
Chuck Hager - Park West Court Apartments: "Thank you for making the floor in the therapy room look amazing and for helping to clean out the garage yesterday!!" - Gretchen VanNatta, Residential Services Director
This Inspired That Opening Reception
Saturday, May 12th, 2018 from 5 pm - 7pm - Open Door Art Studio & Gallery, 1050 Goodale Blvd., Columbus, OH 43212
We have opened our doors to creative collaboration! This Inspired That invites selected community artists to hand-pick an Open Door artwork that sparks creative vision. They then use that spark to create a response piece, relating to the original through content, stylization, or subject matter. The two works are displayed side-by-side in an exhibition of artistic admiration.
This year's invited community artists are Eric Gellen, Rob Green, Cassie Koehler, Hollie Klem, Alissa Head, Eric Mullins, Jay Mueller, Alison Nocera, Nick Nocera, Brittni Stump, Carolyn Slebodnik, Melia Wolf, Catherine Bell Smith, Sue Sundry, and Melissa Vogley Woods.
CCHS Annual Spring Formal
Thursday, June 7th, 2018 from 6 - 8 pm @ Career, Activity, & Community Multipurpose Room
Join us at the CCHS Spring Formal for music, dancing, refreshments, photos, and fun!
CCHS 35th Anniversary Celebration
Monday, May 28th, 2018 from 10a - 2p
CCHS will be celebrating our 35th Anniversary with a celebration honoring the hard work and dedication of our longest serving employees. More details will be announced soon!
Dogs for a Cause
Mondays in May @ Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace - 248 S. 4th Street, Cols., OH 43215
Dirty Frank's will be donating 10% of all dine-in sales to Open Door Art Studio & Gallery to help benefit the artists we serve, hot dog!
Training: Dual Diagnosis in IDD
CCHS staff will be taking part in the webinar, Dual Diagnosis in IDD: Simplifying the Complexities. Anyone who is interested is welcome to attend as well!
A Poem to Her Mother
Park West Court Apartments individual Danielle Williams wanted to share this special poem written to her mother in honor of Mother's Day:
Mother's Day is very special to everyone. It's like having they're having a birthday party all over again. I appreciate you for loving me so endlessly. Its so good to re-unite mother's and daughters peacefully. You surprise me with your tender love every second, every hour, of every day.
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