Vanguard, Spring 1999

Arc Celebrates 40th Year!

Lyn O'Neill-Burton, President

As your new President, I have the pleasure of serving in a time of historic happenings. I would like the support of all members to ensure that The Arc South Bay remains focused, not only on the goals and dreams that were foremost in the minds of the founding members, but also on the goals and dreams of our newest members.

We have reached a milestone this year as we approach our 40th Anniversary. Much has happened over the years and many people are to be thanked!

As a parent of a son with developmental disabilities, I salute those parents who went before me and had the courage to fight for a dream they knew could become a reality. As a board member, I applaud the unending efforts of the countless people who have worked so hard to make The Arc-South Bay a solid, viable resource for the individuals it was founded to serve.

The theme for our 40th Anniversary Year is "Keeping the Promises We Made 40 Years Ago." It is the goal of this Board to make sure that any barriers that may remain are torn down, and that our program is one that serves people with all degrees of disability. I ask each of you to think how The Arc-South Bay can be THE program that really meets the needs of your child, family member or friend, then I challenge you to become involved again and help keep the dream of 40 years ago alive!

Together we can enter this new millennium with continued hope, opportunities realized, and dreams fulfilled.

Before You Sell, Consider a Charitable Trust

Are you thinking of selling your home, a vacation place, a vacant lot or some other piece of real estate? Do you want to liquidate some appreciated stocks or bonds? Whether real estate or securities, if you've owned the asset for more than a year and the value is higher than your cost, you may want to consider placing the property in a charitable reminder trust.

Here's why: the trustee (it could be you) can sell the appreciated property without incurring tax on the capital gains. The entire proceeds, less selling costs, can then be invested to provide a flow of income to you as an income beneficiary of the trust. At the end of the trust, normally upon the death of the income recipient, whatever is left will be distributed to one or more charities.

Because the trust is irrevocable (you can't undo it) and the remainder eventually goes to charity, you receive an immediate tax deduction. In fact, if you can't use all of the deduction the first year, the government allows you five additional years.

The beautiful thing about a charitable remainder trust is that it allows you to make a deferred gift now to your favorite nonprofit organization, such as The Arc-South Bay, and yet retain a lifetime flow of income to help you through your retirement years.

Consult your own attorney or estate planning advisor for information on charitable remainder trusts and their benefits. (courtesy of LOVARC)

Industries on Parade

It was the Cinco De Mayo parade in Gardena on a fine Saturday not too long ago where two consumers from Southwest Industries got a taste of fame. Robert Perez and Leticia Naranjo rode in the back of a convertible driven by Executive Director Richard Pierce with Board President Lyn O'Neill-Burton in the passenger seat.

Arrayed in festive costumes complete with green and orange sashes, which were crafted by Perez' brother Mike, Robert and Leticia practiced the fine art of waving and smiling while balancing on the seat top. The smiling part came easy, though, as the two were very excited about participating in the mile-long parade.

Thanks to photographer Gary Kohatsu of the Gardena Valley News.

HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY TO

THE ARC-SOUTH BAY

Save the Date!

Friday, October 15th, 1999, is the date to reserve for the big event of the year -- actually the big event of the last 40 years! On that day, we will pull out all the stops and celebrate our 40th anniversary with a gala dinner dance at the beautiful Carson Community Center. Plan on a delicious buffet dinner, an exciting and memorable program and dancing to the live sounds of Jane Rice and band.

Join the Committee!

The 40th Anniversary Committee is looking for people to help with decorations planning, set-up and display/program help. If you are interested, please contact either Judy Senter at 310-532-6333, ext. 226, or Lyn O'Neill-Burton at 310-832-8064.

 Find an Old Friend!

 Do you know of an old "Arc-ster" who has lost touch with us??? More importantly, do you know where that "Arc-ster" is? We want to invite everyone to our big party and if you can add a special name to our list, we would be grateful. We especially want to include ALL past presidents and founding members. If you have a name for us, please contact Michele at 310-532-6333, ext. 221.

Never Shake a Baby!

Prevention Tip

Did you know that shaking or hitting a baby could cause brain damage, mental retardation, blindness, bleeding, or even death? Children under age two are at the greatest risk because their heads and necks are very weak.

Even seemingly innocent play such as bouncing or tossing a baby or swinging it by the arms or legs can cause the type of damage mentioned above.

Remember, shaking a baby just once can hurt him or her for life.

Honor a Wonderful Caregiver

Do you know a wonderful caregiver you'd like to honor? The Rosalynn Carter Institute of Georgia Southwestern State University sponsors an annual Caregiving Award named in honor of the former First Lady. A brochure describes the nomination and selection process, criteria and other aspects of the Rosalynn Carter Caregiving Award. You can obtain the brochure from the Institute at 912-928-1234 or from Liz Moore at The Arc's National Headquarters, ext. 142; lizmoore@metronet.com. Deadline is June 30th.

Nuwordz…"Telecrastination: the act of always letting the phone ring at least twice before you pick it up, even when you're only six inches away."

The Arc Wish List

• Combination TV/VCR for training
• Forklift
• Computer software training
• Pentium computers with consumer-friendly software
• Air-conditioning units for ADC-Gardena
• 3 Pentium computers for SWI Counseling
• 1 Pentium computer for SWI Production
• Teaching supplies for the ADC's
• Art supplies for the ADC's

Pool Visits Make a Splash for ADC-Gardena

Every Wednesday, eight consumers from our Adult Development Center-Gardena board the van to go to Long Beach Pool of Hope. There they swim and splash in the heated pool for an hour and a half. The pool is fitted with a ramp for wheelchairs, so people in the chairs are just wheeled into the pool where they can step into the water. ADC Program Manager Edie Crawford says that the consumers really look forward to this activity and it's hard to get them out of the water when the time's up!

ADC-Hermosa Gears Up For Memorial Day

On May 28th, the consumers and staff at ADC-Hermosa Beach are going to celebrate the holiday with an outing to a local park. Fun, games and treats will be the order of the day. According to Program Manager Mary Leuci, "now that the weather is nice, we are spending more time outdoors."