Marking 50 years of providing exceptional supports in our community, this year's Annual Celebration took on a new format.
The event began with a catered reception, followed by an auditorium-style awards ceremony during which excellence in staff, clients, volunteers and community partners were recognized. In addition to the awards, there were also several surprises throughout the evening.
Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan and United Way Directory Barry Lessow spoke passionately of Stone Belt's impact on the greater community. Stone Belt CEO Leslie Green led the event and reminded attendees of Stone Belt's rich history and future endeavors. Past President of the Stone Belt Board of Directors Phil Meyer and his Dancing with Celebrities partner Mary Alice Powell were also on hand to perform a dance from their award-winning number. The winning team of STone Belt's 50 for 50 Weight Loss Challenge was also recognized. To top it all off, the Stone Belt wrapped City of Bloomington bus also made a special appearance.
Thank you to all who joined us for this wonderful opportunity for our entire Stone Belt community and many other friends, to celebrate our achievements throughout the past year.
Self Determination is an expression of independence, confidence, and a desire to direct one’s own life. It is a core principle for Stone Belt, and our belief in it guides all of the important work that we do. This evening we recognize two individuals – one client and one staff – who embody self-determination.
THE CLIENT SELF-DETERMINATION AWARD
The winner of this award was nominated because he has demonstrated perseverance in seeing that his professional and personal dreams come true. He has worked for the same company, Wal-Mart, for more than one year. There have been times that he has felt as though he should quit his position. However, no matter the challenges, he has made the decision to stick it out and not give up. He goes to work week in and week out, showing a great work ethic. In the last year of this individual’s life, his residential staffing hours have been greatly reduced because of his determination to become more independent. He has been working extremely hard to keep his finances stable and to earn a salary that allows for the greatest amount of independence possible; he is now even able to finish his bank statements with only a small amount of staff support. Through all of the challenges that this amazing individual faces, he has demonstrated great determination, and a vision for what his independent life could and should look like. He is a role model for expressing ever greater levels of self-determination as he moves forward. For all of these reasons, I am honored to present the Client Self-Determination Award to Billy Setser.
THE STAFF SELF-DETERMINATION AWARD
The 2009 staff award for Self-Determination for a staff highlights the good that can come from a simple act. As one of nine agencies participating in Phase One of a statewide training initiative, Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) from Stone Belt have had the opportunity to participate in free classes through Ivy Tech to gain a certification in human services. To obtain this certification, employees had to complete 5 on-line classes.
The recipient of this award is one of Stone Belt’s graduates from the program. Since originally joining Stone Belt in January 2005, this DSP has worked in both our supported living and group home programs. The simple act comes from a story she related during her graduation from the Ivy Tech Program. A client she supports was loading the dishwasher. As the client began to get frustrated that something would not fit, our nominee referred back to something she had learned in one of her courses and simply said, “Try another way.” The client did so and then moved along with the rest of the loading. This was just one of the many small things and big things learned through her coursework that even all of her previous experience had not provided. It is her dedication to the field that has improved the lives and increased the self-determination of everyone she works with.
We are all life-long learners. We learn through traditional models, we learn through experience, and we learn from others and along side others. And we become empowered learners when we actively choose learning to help us grow as individuals, and then use that learning to help others to also reach their fullest potential. Tonight we honor a client and a staff member who exemplify empowered learning.
THE CLIENT EMPOWERED LEARNING AWARD
With encouraging supports, the individual we honor today is capable of almost anything he puts his mind to. He proved this in the last year, a period of time when, more than ever, he needed to educate himself toward changing his life. After a medication change, this individual had the adverse side affect of significant weight increase. Exercise and healthy eating were not a part of his lifestyle, and therefore weight loss seemed an uphill battle; and one we were not sure he would be able to take on. After speaking with his doctor, this award winner recognized the severity of his health, and become committed to the changes that needed to be made. With strict resolution, he changed his diet and started to pay attention to nutrition labels. He focused on a low fat, low sugar diet, walked several miles every day, and quit fast food cold turkey. Gradually, he started to lose about a pound each week, but he didn't stop there because he wanted to get back to the weight that was (incorrectly, mind you!) listed on his state I.D.
After a year and a half of strict dieting and exercising almost daily, this individual lost a grand total of 80 pounds and is now as fit and healthy as any 52 year could be. He feels great, looks great, and has a renewed sense of empowerment that he can truly achieve anything he puts his mind to. His accomplishment may be looked upon as something that had to be done for his health, but this downplays the dedication involved in his achievement. Other people try for decades to do what this inspirational person managed to accomplish in a year and a half, and he would never once mention this to anyone unless they asked first. He did not require any special recognition because he did this for himself, through perseverance and through education. He is an amazing person and a role model to anyone striving toward a goal. He has improved his quality of life and his physical opportunities have never been greater. For these reasons, I am pleased to present Phillip Smith with the empowered learning award.
THE STAFF EMPOWERED LEARNING AWARD
The Empowered Learning Award for staff has several potential avenues for a nomination. It can go to an individual who has supported a client in gaining new knowledge or skills; one who has taken the initiative to gain new knowledge or skills; or one who has supported a staff member to gain new knowledge or skills. It is this last one we feature today!
Our recipient of the Empowered Learning award touches the lives of virtually all of the staff and clients of Stone Belt. Her focus on completing her job is very mission-centric, ensuring that those we serve have the very best staff to prepare, empower, and support them. During this last year, Stone Belt has witnessed a dramatic drop in turnover and an increase in the engagement level of our employees. This points to better hiring upfront, great supervisory support, and having a program to on-board new direct support professionals in the most effective way. Our award winner has also been integral to the coordination of all of our training programs, insuring that all of our new hires – as well as many veteran staff seeking continued learning opportunities – receive the very best educational footing as they begin work in this field. Dedication to learning in our field is truly lived by the 2009 award recipient for Empowered Learning, Stone Belt’s New Hire Coordinator, Megan Folley..
Each one of us has skills, talents, interests, passions and time to contribute to making our community a better place. Stone Belt believes in the power of helping people discover the ways that they can make outstanding contributions. Tonight we honor two individuals - a client and a staff - whose contributions touch people and change lives.
THE CLIENT OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS AWARD
To make a difference in someone’s life is perhaps the best contribution a person can make. This client award winner has been brightening the day of a local citizen in a very meaningful way for many months. She has developed a special relationship with Dorothy, an 89 year old community member who is still able to live in her home of 40 years. One of the supports that Dorothy has to promote her independence is the Meals on Wheels Program operated by Area 10 Agency on Aging. Stone Belt clients have participated in this program as the food deliverers for almost 15 years, bringing hot delicious meals to elderly residents every week-day. Tonight we are honoring one of these clients for the special relationship she has made with Dorothy. Because of this client’s outgoing personality and kind concern for others, Dorothy has come to think of her as almost family. Dorothy was especially touched by receiving a written note from this client that she considers suitable for framing. When this client brings Dorothy her meal, she is always quick to ask how she is doing, to ask about her dog and to give her a friendly pat on the back. Dorothy’s daughter Lila feels that the visits from her friend, and the other clients who assist with the food delivery, is truly one of the highlights of her mother’s day. In addition to this friendship with Dorothy, it is also notable that this client has been one of the most successful artists in the Art and Craft studio. Her famous “scream” adorns many a desk or wall as a whimsical reminder of what it feels like to vocally release our tension on “one of those days.” Because of this person’s kindness, friendship and creativity, the social network of Monroe County is just a little bit stronger. Please join me in congratulating Kelly Tate for this award for outstanding contributions.
THE STAFF OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS AWARD
The staff member we honor for outstanding contributions has only been a clinical therapist in our Milestones Division for about one year; however in that time she has brought to our agency a resurgence in offering Group Therapy services to our adolescent and children clients. Her energy and passion for learning new therapy approaches is contagious to interns and other therapists alike. When called upon to take on projects or new, high-needs clients she can be counted on to step up to the plate. It probably helps that she has non-stop energy and is massively creative in her intervention techniques. Ethical professional practice is always an important component to her therapy treatment and in her interaction with other professionals. In supervision she uses her time well in bringing appropriate topics to be discussed, and she is open to feedback and follows through on suggestions and direction well. This award winner is a true asset to this organization, and for this she has been selected for the staff Outstanding Contributions Award. Congratulations to Milestones Therapist, Deb Mishler!
A happy home – what could be more important at the end of a long day? Home is the place where we each have the opportunity to take control; to create a space that brings us joy, comfort, and security. Tonight we honor a client who has been empowered to direct his home setting, and a staff member who helps make a house a home while supporting clients to do the same.
THE CLIENT HOME LIFE AWARD
This award is given to someone who has taken control, made choices, found his voice, and put himself in the driver’s seat of his own life. Our award recipient lived in a nursing care facility for 10 years prior to picking up the phone and calling Stone Belt, literally daily, to arrange for his move into his own home in October of last year. He told us about his family, his love of birds and flowers, and his desire to attend church. He made us work hard to figure things out for his move.
Moving day came and his things were packed and taken to the home where he now lives. Our award winner was asked if he wanted to go shopping to pick out his sheets, towels and personal items. He was surprised about this and obviously nervous. But with some reassurance and support he headed for Wal-mart. What an exciting day, and the first of many shopping experiences with him in control.
He attends church, works in his yard, feeds the birds, attends closely to his own medical care, oversees his finances, and of course, goes shopping frequently.
He started off with some fear of this new found freedom and control of his life, not sure if he could handle it and not sure he really wanted what he had been seeking. There were times when he expressed that he thought he should move back to the nursing facility. With some encouragement he would take another step forward and soon put those thoughts behind him.
Our award winner knows how much money he has. He knows exactly what his bills are. He is learning to manage his spending and still have the best flower garden and bird sanctuary in the neighborhood! He talks about his past, but is mostly focused on the future. He has dreams that he shares with his team and is insistent that he have the opportunity to try things and go where he wants to go.
Everyone who knows our award recipient - and that number grows daily! – knows that he’s in control of his own life. Congratulations to Archie Herron, our client winner for the Self-Directed Home Life Award.
STAFF HOME LIFE AWARD
Our staff award winner this evening is truly special. Since becoming the manager of one of our group homes a number of months ago, she has gone beyond her job description duties to keep the home not only running as smoothly as possible, but also to create an environment that is welcoming, comfortable and energized with activity. Her greatest gift, but certainly not her only one, is her true dedication to the happiness, welfare and self-expression of the wonderful women she supports. She is always very respectful, encouraging and willing to take all the time necessary to help them make their lives better. If this means coming in earlier or staying later, there is no complaining. She just wants everyone to reach their goals and will go out of her way to help them do so. And she truly wants this residence to be a home, their home, and one they are glad to live in. She keeps a level head when dealing with challenges, and most of the time the crisis is defused or even averted, because of her calmness and ability to understand the feelings of others. Our award winner is an extremely caring individual, and this shows on the faces of all clients, staff and community members who come into contact with her. For all of these reasons and many more, I am honored to present tonight’s Staff Home Life Award to Debra Higham.
Supportive words, unspoken encouragement, a cheerleader behind the scenes and an advocate on the front lines. All of these are expressions of positive supports that enable an individual to reach his or her full potential. Tonight we honor two outstanding women who exemplify the power of positive supports and the impact that they can have on all of our lives.
THE CLIENT POSITIVE SUPPORTS AWARD
The individual selected for this award demonstrates tremendous compassion and support for her peers and classmates. I’d like to read directly from the nomination written about our award winner, because these words so beautifully capture why she has been selected. Our nominator said:
“As an instructor, I am so appreciative that this individual always reminds me to include everyone. When someone is having a rough day, she is usually the first one to point it out and then offers to sit next to that person in order to cheer them up. She will hold their hands, talk gently with them, and often times the upset person will eventually smile. When I thank this individual for being such a good friend, she usually responds "I'm just trying to help you out, buddy!" with a big smile on her face. When there is an art project going on in class, she prefers to help other client artists with their work before she dives in for herself. As she is working on her art, she will talk to her friends she is helping out, letting them know what she is doing with her project as she is doing it. Seeing this individual act this way towards others makes me stop as a staff person and try to do my job better. I really admire her.”
It is because of all of these reasons and more that tonight we award the Client Positive Supports Award to Denise Hillenberg.
THE STAFF POSITIVE SUPPORTS AWARD
This evening we present the staff award for positive supports to an individual who goes above and beyond to make sure the wants and needs of the clients she supports are being met. She insures all of the clients get out of the house every week for an activity of their choice. She's always willing to listen to each client express him or herself, and she keeps all of the clients with whom she works very involved in experiential activities. She recently designed an exercise program, which the clients just love. Our award winner handles situations professionally at all times, modeling best practices for her colleagues. She takes great pride in her job responsibilities and the value system of the agency. She respects those she supervises, and encourages their input and leadership development. Most importantly, our award winner has one of the most positive attitudes around – this rubs off on everyone she comes into contact with. Always with a smile on her face, and never with a complaint, she demonstrates flexibility and a belief in doing what needs to be done to create a warm, welcoming and safe home environment. Her attitude is infectious, as she provides positive supports to both clients and staff. Congratulations to the manager of Wedge Wood group home, Jana Banks, on winning the Positive Supports award.
Employment is a fundamental part of adult life. In our society, our identities are often intimately tied to how we spend our days. We believe that all adults have the right – as well as the skills and talents – to be employed, to earn a wage, and to contribute to the building of the economy.
THE CLIENT EMPLOYMENT AWARD
The client we honor this evening has been working in his place of employment for 8 years now, but very recently he demonstrated his true worth to his company. Starting last year during the holiday season, our award winner was asked to work extended and early hours, which he did without complaint. Oftentimes he would have to be at his job at 5am and stay until noon. Other times, he would be scheduled to come in at 7pm and stay until midnight. To add to this challenging schedule, two of his co-workers had recently left the job, leaving him as the senior housekeeper. Rather than let his co-worker deficit and lack of sleep hinder his work performance, our winner did what few people are capable of doing alone at those early morning and late night hours. He worked harder and put in more effort than he ever had before, and his workplace benefited immensely as a result. The business where he works, Macy’s, had never been as clean, and he had never received a higher work performance score from his employer.
Our award winner is a testament to all those who have grown tired or bored with their job. He found something to work for, a renewed sense of loyalty to the business that had employed him for eight years, and he harnessed that energy and put it to work. Our nominee is an incredibly hard working man, and he deserves recognition for his efforts that have gone well above and beyond the call of duty, literally. Congratulations to Mike Griffth, our client Employment Award winner.
THE STAFF EMPLOYMENT AWARD
Wonderful employees come to Stone Belt, and then sometimes for reasons beyond their control and our control, they have to leave us. This is always a loss for our agency, especially when someone has made a true impact. The staff member we honor tonight is someone who had to leave Stone Belt for a period of time, in order to care for an ailing family member. We were so pleased when she recently rejoined our Stone Belt community. She picked up immediately where she left off, and it’s as though she never left us.
Our award winner is part of our employment staff, and she works with tremendous diligence and care to find the right fit for our clients in community employment positions. The connections she’s made in the community make her a true asset, and we couldn’t ask for a better agency representative to the community. She insures that not only our clients – But Stone Belt itself – are central to the success of the community. We are so happy to have welcomed her back; we know there’s no telling what she will accomplish in the years to come.
Congratulations to Patty Rocco for winning this year’s Staff Employment Award.
So many things go into creating our quality of life – our health, our family and friends, the way we impact others and the impacts that others have on us. Although there is not one way to evaluate the level of quality of life someone experiences, it is definitely possible to recognize when quality experience and quality supports are on display. Tonight I’m pleased to honor two members of our Stone Belt community who exemplify quality of life in practice.
THE CLIENT QUALITY OF LIFE AWARD
The client we honor tonight with the Quality of Life Award has had many struggles and hurdles with her health in the past year. She has improved so much, and this is greatly owed to her positive attitude towards life. She has come a long way – she previously required the assistance of two staff whenever she needed to get out of her wheelchair. Through perseverance and hard work, she now only requires support from one person.
Our award winner has become quite active, going to Bingo every Monday Night, and regularly going to Starbucks. And we should point out that at Starbucks EVERY staff knows her name. She even knows the manager, and that most certainly has its own perks – she receives t-shirts and other free goodies from the staff there; something that we’d ALL love to experience! Our award winner has a goal – she says that she is soon going to be able to dance in her wheel chair. With her incredibly positive attitude, and the great strides she has made in adding to the quality of her own life, I suspect she’ll soon be out dancing us all.
It is my pleasure to present this year’s client Quality of Life award to Betty Jo Terrill.
THE STAFF QUALITY OF LIFE AWARD
It is my pleasure to present some information about the nominee and winner of this year’s staff Quality of Life Award. The nominator of this individual has said, “She always gives 100% to the clients we support. She has an open relationship with all of her team members and she always insures that staff are well informed with regards to the clients. She keeps in contact on her days off, and is always available should an emergency arise.”
Our award winner creates myriad opportunities for the clients she supports to thoroughly enjoy their home life – this often entails trips AWAY from home. On numerous occasions our award winner has shared her entire weekend to take not only the clients she supports but also other clients on getaways to Indianapolis and other fun cities. She meets the needs of the individuals she supports and she beautifully handles unpredictable challenges that arise daily… always with patience and thoughtful solutions.
Our nominator also said, “I know that the clients of our group home would agree 100% with that this nominee has helped turn a house into a home, and a work environment into a pleasurable place to be. She deserves this recognition in honor of all that she does for her teammates, for Stone Belt, and most importantly for the clients that she supports and loves.”
It is our honor to present the staff Quality of Life Award to Patricia Sebree.
Stone Belt’s mission statement is a powerful expression of our vision for exceptional supports for individuals with disabilities. It is not a coincidence or an after thought that our mission very clearly states that we do our work “in partnership with the community.” Were it not for businesses, organizations and individuals in the community who embrace our purpose and join us in promoting our principles, truly we could not be as successful as we are in preparing, empowering and supporting people with disabilities to fully participate in the life of the community. We are honored this evening to recognize four outstanding community partners who have enabled Stone Belt to reach toward excellence:
LENNIE'S RESTAURANT AND BREW PUB
Since 2007, Stone Belt has had an outstanding partner in the Community, Lennie’s Restaurant and Brew Pub in Bloomington. Lennie’s has demonstrated in numerous ways its dedication to supporting Stone Belt in achieving its mission. Twice now Lennie’s has organized exhibits of original art by Stone Belt artists. In addition to displaying the art work and facilitating purchases by restaurant patrons, Lennie’s has also hosted exhibit opening receptions. These exhibits and gatherings have allowed our clients to demonstrate their unique talents. In addition, Lennie’s regularly holds “dining to donate” nights, when patrons are encouraged to eat at the restaurant and donate a portion of their ticket to Stone Belt. And Lennie’s has now partnered with Stone Belt three years in a row to provide event sponsorship for Stone Belt’s 5K fund raiser. Recently, Lennie’s Brew Pub took a giant step in its active partnership with Stone Belt by supporting its Manager, Michael Fox, in becoming a member of Stone Belt’s board of directors. We greatly look forward to a continued relationship with Lennie’s for many years to come, and are happy to present them with this community partner award this evening.
MT. PLEASANT CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Mt. Pleasant Christian Church in Bedford has been selected as a Community Partner because of its members’ support for individuals with disabilities to be included in their congregation. Mt. Pleasant provides fellowship to Stone Belt clients from three Bedford group homes and to other individuals with disabilities, as well. The manner in which church members with disabilities has been embraced by the church community is quite outstanding. This involves many church activities such as offering Sunday School with adaptive materials, including everyone in church socials, arranging field trips to places of interest in the region and most especially an annual Christmas party, complete with gifts for each person. Strong relationships have been developed over the many years that the group homes have participated in the church. Stone Belt truly values the importance of relationships and the need for individuals with disabilities to have a place of belonging in the community. We want to recognize Mt. Pleasant Christian Church for creating this place for so many individuals that we also support.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE PEGGY WELCH
Peggy Welch serves as state representative for the citizens of Indiana House District 60, which encompasses portions of Monroe, Greene, and Brown Counties. Peggy was first elected in 1998. She has continuously served on the House Ways & Means Committee and is currently the Vice Chair of the Budget Subcommittee of the House Ways & Means Committee. Peggy also serves as the Vice Chair of the House Public Health Committee and as a member of the Indiana House Family, Children, & Human Affairs Committee.
Peggy has been honored over the years by numerous organizations for her work on issues impacting safety, senior citizens, military personnel, home health and small businesses. She is a frequent speaker at schools, civic clubs, and associations. This year, Stone Belt has chosen to recognize Peggy for her ongoing commitment to supporting individuals with disabilities. In her key role in the Ways and Means committee, she has been a staunch supporter of legislation that provides and protects funding for developmental disability services. She has been a State leader in advocacy efforts to demand improvements in the Medicaid Eligibility Modernization that has left many citizens confused, frustrated and unable to access their benefits. And in the closing hours of the special session this summer, Peggy helped to champion and restore language in the budget bill that allows developmental disability centers to receive funding from their local counties.
Peggy has long been a friend to Stone Belt, The Arc, and the people we support. We are indeed fortunate to have her representation at the Indiana State House. Thank you, Representative Welch, for the many, many ways you help Hoosiers with disabilities to live successfully in their communities.
RURAL TRANSIT
Rural Transit has been a great community partner to Stone Belt for almost 20 years. The organization provides transportation services for everyone at a reasonable rate, no matter age or ability, across Monroe, Lawrence and Owen Counties. It has been essential to supporting working clients within Stone Belt programs, often providing transportation to and from home and work, both within a county and across county lines.
Rural Transit has also worked with Stone Belt to provide contracted routes to bring clients to and from our facilities every day. For our clients living in rural areas, this transportation is essential for them to access services.
Rural Transit has always worked very cooperatively with Stone Belt, adding clients quickly when they enter services or get a new job, even when this means adjusting or adding routes to its already busy schedule. Most recently, Rural Transit truly showed their cooperation and coordination skills when it quickly added 2 routes as we reorganized our life sciences manufacturing services from Owen County to Monroe County during a brief window of time. We were so grateful for Rural Transit’s flexibility and quick response that led to a smooth transition.
For its long-standing dedication to Stone Belt and the clients we support, we honor Rural Transit as a community partner award winner this year..
Volunteers add a special touch to everything we do at Stone Belt – they bring energy, dedication and social opportunities to our clients in ways that truly touch lives. We are honored tonight to recognize not only ONE volunteer, but a whole HOME of volunteers (and a very big home, at that!), who have come into our Stone Belt family and made a very big difference in the lives of us all.
3 years ago, Stone Belt was approached by the Indiana University chapter of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity with an offer to establish an on-going relationship. They expressed a desire to really get to know Stone Belt and to make Stone Belt the recipient of their local philanthropic and volunteer efforts. They now coordinate and host Stone Belt’s annual Fall-o-Ween gathering. They also provide all of the volunteer effort needed for Stone Belt’s annual RUN WITH ME 5K fundraiser, including pre event publicity and staffing of the event itself.
The men of IU Pi Kappa Phi host dinner-dances each semester at their home for Stone Belt clients. Each semester they welcome dozens of individuals with disabilities into their home for food, games, dancing and general socializing. They also attend client dances held at Stone Belt, keeping people energized and on their feet by providing dance partners and all of the musical entertainment.
The members of Pi Kappa Phi hold fundraisers each year to support Stone Belt, and in addition to holding their own events, their members support Stone Belt fundraising efforts by attending and staffing our fund raisers. Pi Kappa Phi at Indiana University has dedicated itself to remaining involved with Stone Belt programming and Stone Belt clients into the future. The enthusiasm and sincere enjoyment that they bring to their interactions with clients is infectious.
Through their participation in Stone Belt’s events, the gatherings they organize for Stone Belt clients, and the many additional ways that they engage in volunteer efforts with our agency, the men of Pi Kappa Phi have contributed thousands of hours to help Stone Belt advance its mission. At a time in their lives when it would be easy to focus strictly on academic and social pursuits, the men of Pi Kappa Phi have instead demonstrated their commitment to helping individuals with disabilities fully participate in the life of the community. Pi Kappa Phi is a role model for its peers, setting the highest standards of year-round involvement, linking its efforts to public awareness, demonstrating a long-term dedication and sharing their gifts of time, talent and creativity. Thank you, Pi Kappa Phi!
This award is presented to a Stone Belt employee in a supervisory or management position who embodies the spirit of Stone Belt's mission, empowers those around him/her, has made exceptional contributions toward Stone Belt's Leadership agenda, and has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help clients, staff, or the community.
This award is presented to a Stone Belt employee or client who took truly heroic actions that saved somebody’s life. It was named in honor of Steve Warren, a Stone Belt staff member who was responsible for a very expedient decision that ultimately saved a client’s life.
This award is presented to a client who has demonstrated commitment to advocating for him/herself to receive supports needed for success in life. This award was named to honor the memory of Elbert Johns, the second Executive Director of Stone Belt, who believed in the essential value of preparing individuals to advocate for their needs and wants.
This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated a high level of compassion, caring, and volunteerism. This award was named in memory of Thomas Middleton, a physician who gave generously of his time and talent to Stone Belt. People selected for thsi award art truly special. They have donated significant time and talent to Stone Belt and its clients over an extended period.