EBI Community Newsletter
Fall 2007
Union - (X)Yes ( ) No
The card check was performed by the Reverend Clinton L. Stancil of the Brookins African Methodist Episcopal Church and San Leandro City Council member Jim Prola. Also attending was representatives of State Senator Ellen Corbett, EBI staff and management, consumers, SEIU staff from Local 1021 and Carol Zabin from the Consumer Directed Services Network.
Capitol Watch
AB 1427 — Statewide Training Bill Goes to the Governor Desk
Assembly Bill 1427 (Krekorian) sponsored by the Consumer Directed Services Network (CDSN) and authored by Los Angelese area Assemblymember Paul Krekorian has been approved by both the State Assembly and the Senate. The bill calls for a pilot project in which agencies that provide community based services like Employment Services, supported living and independent living services, can develop a comprehensive 200-hour staff training curriculum. If the curriculum is approved by the State and the agency has 50% of their staff complete the curriculum, the agency will qualify for a funding increase the majority of which goes to agency staff for wage increases.
EBI actively supports the bill as an important step in developing a
statewide training infrastructure for workers in our field and in creating a living wage for workers.
CDSN’s President Dion Aroner and SEIU lobbyist Alan Davenport worked tirelessly to garner support from legislators. Workforce Development experts and State administrators of services to people with developmental disabilities have expressed interest in replicating to bill in other States.
Please Note: On October 14 at 9pm the Governor vetoed AB1427. We will try again!
Member Spotlight
Usually we highlight staff under EBI Member Spotlight. However, this time we will highlight our other partners — the people we serve. Here are just a few folks, each of whom has received EBI services for a long time, giving you a glimpse into their lives.
Sherry Nelson has lived on her own since 1992 and was one of the first people to receive supported living services in the State. She just got a new job in a café that is run by a human service organization named Hope Community Services.
SHERRY NELSON: Oh maybe since 2005.
CN: The complex is very ecofriendly. Isn't it made from hay bales?
SN: It is. It's great, so well insulated. You don't need too much A/C or the heater.
CN: You just got a new job.
SN: Yes. I love it. It's called the Community Café on East Ave. in Livermore. I get tips and a salary.
CN: You like this job the best?
SN: Oh yes I know my boss.
CN: He's your neighbor?
SN: Yes, he's the nighttime manager at my apartment complex. I like all my neighbors. I have a new neighbor who is a computer guru. She plays computer games like me.
CN: What is your dream?
SN: Well, I hope to find someone and settle down. If it doesn't happen, I still have my cat Misty. Misty doesn't talk back and that is a plus!
Virginia Stafford: Recently moved to Hayward to a cottage after living with a roommate Oakland for the last 8 years. Virginia is very devoted to her faith and is a terrific singer.
VIRGINIA STAFFORD: I moved into my own place when I was 36. I am 45 years old now. I first had a roommate, but we ended up not getting along. First I moved next door and then I got this place in Hayward.
CN: How do you like Hayward?
VS: It's nice and everything but it’s a little too far from my church. It’s the Church of God and Christ in Oakland with Pastor Robert L Jackson. All the members call him “Pastor Bob”.
CN: Do you have a lot of friends at church?
VS: I have a lot of nice friends and the Pastor’s wife is very friendly and sweet and all that.
CN: How did you find your church?
VS: My cousin went there and she witnessed to me.
CN: What is “witnessed”?
VS: When you witness, you bring them to church and you let the Lord Jesus save them.
CN: Your new place looks great.
VS: My friend Barbara, she’s a decorator. She and her sister-in-law painted my place and cleaned the carpets.
CN: My friends won’t even help me move a couch! How did you get her to do it?
VS: She was my neighbor at my old place and we just hit it off, you know.
CN: I remember you as a great singer. You gave a few mini-concerts at the EBI office. Why haven’t you sung at the office lately?
VS: Nobody ask me! My cousin produces music and said she will help me make my first CD. I haven’t told anyone I am going to make a CD.
CN: Why haven’t you told anyone?
VS: So I could announce it in the EBI Newsletter. My family is into music. My mom Ruth Dansby worked with Tina Turner and my cousins Jessica, Dominique, Tamika and Brittany made their own group and have a CD too.
Diane Rhodes lives on her own with her cat Phoenix in Berkeley since 1994. Diane is an abstract artist (paint medium) and self-advocate extraordinaire.
COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER: Dee you have been on your own for 13 years. Is it what you hoped for?
DIANE RHODES: For the most part, but I ran into the same problem in hiring staff as they did when I lived in the group home in Antioch. But it is better living on my own because I never liked living in a group. And not being able to pick my roommates was really hard.
CN: Was Berkeley the right choice for you?
DR: Yes, I can get to places pretty easily and there is a lot going on. I can' really do the demonstrations where people ride bikes, but I can do the protest marches. There are lots of interesting people.
CN: Your hair looks great who helps you with it?
DR: My staff person Meika does it. She's a hairdresser.
CN: Do you only hire attendants that can do hair?
DR: No, I hire the least crazy person.
CN: What's your big dream now?
DR: Getting my own van. I took a van trip in April to San Luis Obispo. It was cool!
CN: What do you do in your spare time?
DR: I paint, I have a recycling business on the side. I also go to a business class at Berkeley City College. I have an assignment to make a speech in class. The teacher makes everyone stand in front of the class when they do their speech. I get to sit.
CN: Any advice to people who are thinking about living on their own?
DR: Be open to just about anything that happens and you should be able to make it.
Karl
Mueller has been a mentor to youth with disabilities through EBI's
Youth Empowerment Project. Karl has worked at Border's Books since
1999 with support services through EBI's
Employment Services.
KARL MUELLER: Yes I still work at Border's as a cashier, in charge of Japanese and A m e r i c a n comics and graphic novels. My new second job is with Target as a cashier.
CN: Which job do you like more?
KM: Border's is slower and morerelaxed. Target is incredibly fast paced. Its funny but Target evaluates how fast the cashier is as well as how fast the customer is! I try to get the customer to pay by credit card, its faster. Road Runner, beep, beep! They grade you by color. Green is the fastest, Yellow is O.K. and Red is too slow. I am between green and yellow.
CN: You mean you are sort of“lime green”?
KM: Pretty much.
CN: Who has better uniforms?
KM: Target is more formal and I look good in red, but Borders is more casual and I like that.
CN: You are in charge of Japanese Comics?
KM: Yes. It is called Manga.
CN: Do people think that is some sort of Italian cookbook?
KM: I don't think so.
CN: What is your dream for the future?
KM: I used to want to be a graphic artist. My specialty is making collages or montages out of fictional characters. I do this on the computer using photoshop software.
Livermore Townhomes For Sale to People with Developmental Disabilities
The City of Livermore is planning to set-aside to new townhomes for sale at reduced prices to people with developmental disabilities.
The new downtown project is called Downtown Core Project and will be comprised of 10 units. Two of these units, a one bedroom/one and a half bath (800 total square feet) and a two bedroom/1 bath (1,219 total square feet) will be set-aside for people with developmental disabilities to buy. Sale prices will range from $160,000 to $200,000.
Livermore residents with income not to exceed $46,000 who have a good credit record will be considered to have priority in the selection process. In order to facilitate more people with developmental disabilities to be able to afford this opportunity, the Livermore Housing Authority will apply to the Federal Government to allow the Section 8 affordable housing voucher program to be used to pay a mortgage payment.
The application process for these units is estimated to begin in Spring of 2008. If you want more information about the project, please contact Tom Heinz at theinz@eastbayinnovations.org.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to See Mickey...
A couple weeks ago, Hans Hatlen-Shore, Karen and I were on a trip in Southern California. The day before I was supposed to take Hans to Disneyland, my feet (both of them) got run over by a car (my Dad, actually.) The next day I was in too much pain to walk, so Hans and I rented a wheelchair at Disneyland and he supported me that day. Hans really enjoyed being my helper for the day.
The BIG ONE —Helpful hints to survive a disaster
Emergency Supply of Prescription Medications
As part of your Go-Kit (a backpack with essentials that you grab and go in an emergency), keep an emergency supply of any prescription medications you rely on.
How To?
Request a prescription refill from your doctor ten days in advance. When you receive the medications, put 10 days supply in your go kit and then rotate this supply every time you get a refill.
Important: make copies of all your prescriptions and keep these copies in your Go-Kit so that if you are displaced from your home in a disaster you can still get your medications.
Communicating with Your Family
It is very possible that in the aftermath of a major earthquake cell phones and local landline telephone service will be down making it difficult for you to contact your family that lives locally. There is a good chance that long distance service may be operational according to disaster response experts.
How To?
Ask a friend or relative who lives out of the area to be you contact point. Make it part of your family disaster plan that everyone in your household knows to call “Aunt Mary” in Kalamazoo and leave a message regarding where they are and that they are O.K.