Vanguard, Summer 1998

NO BEACH BUMS HERE!

Just because one of our Adult Development Centers is in Hermosa Beach, that doesn’t mean that the consumers just sit around the beach all day! Even in the summer, consumers are given a variety of interesting activities to take part in.

Something new this year is TENNIS! Adam Burt, who teaches tennis at the Hermosa courts, is volunteering his time on Friday mornings to teach two small classes of consumers how to play tennis.

For those who aren’t too wild about swinging a racquet around, there are dance and aerobics classes. Other classes include grooming (hair and nails), P.E., walking, baseball, social studies and cooking.

In addition to classes, many outings keep the schedule interesting. A recent sampling of outings includes the Hermosa and Redondo Piers, Hermosa and Redondo Libraries, movies, Alpine Village, fire station, many local parks and food establishments. Consumers also gain shopping experience at Von’s, Sav-on, and The Wherehouse.

Everyone had a great time for their Fourth of July celebration with individual KFC meals and dessert donated by Von’s.

"No man will ever bring out of the presidency the reputation which carries him into it." - Thomas Jefferson

SUMMER FUN SPLASH

Across town at the Gardena Adult Development Center, consumers had a big "Summer Fun Splash" on June 30th. One thousand, count ‘em folks, one thousand hot dogs were BBQ’d and consumed by consumers, staff, friends, families and guests! Also served in large quantities was mouth-watering chili cooked up by Arc member Pete Hathaway. The Gardena consumers challenged Mid-Cities Arc to a basketball shooting tournament and won 62-47. Congratulations to the Panthers!

After food and the tournament, entertainment was provided by the Hand Bell Choir from Hollywood, a group of adults with developmental disabilities who produced a fantastic concert for us.

Many many thanks to all the ADC parents who donated hot dogs, chips, drinks, buns and to Pete Hathaway for donating the chili ingredients and doing the cooking!

Summer promises to bring many field trips, including a special day at the Gardena Movie Theater.

Gardena Adult School continues to support our Gardena program; this summer they will provide two instructors to assist our staff; and they donated $800 worth of teaching supplies! Wow, Christmas in July!

SHUTTLING FOR DOLLARS

If you will be needing the service of an airport shuttle soon, check this out. When you call XPRESS SHUTTLE to make a reservation, mention that The Arc-South Bay is your favorite charity and they will donate a percentage of their profit (on your reservation) to us on a quarterly basis. For reservations, call XPRESS SHUTTLE at 1-800-4SHUTTLE. Not only can they take you to LAX and back, but they also provide service to theme parks and attractions in the Los Angeles/Orange County area.

BUDGET HOUR DRAWS NEAR

As has been our unfortunate habit the last few years, we watch the budget progress (or lack thereof) in Sacramento anxiously as the deadline for signing passes. We are typically one of the State payees who get lost in the cracks if the budget is not signed on time. This can have drastic consequences. This year, for example, up until July 22nd, when the Governor signed an emergency appropriations bill, we were forced to draw up an agency closure plan, beginning with staff layoffs and program by program closures. Fortunately, these plans did not have to be implemented.

However, that doesn’t mean that we are immune from the executioner’s blow. As of this date when the budget is still not signed, our fate as far as next year’s funding is unknown.

ANNUAL REPORT

Inserted in this issue of the Vanguard is The Arc-South Bay’s Annual Report for the fiscal year ending September 30, 1997.

WHEN JOHNNY MOVES OUT…

Many parents are faced with an enormous decision at one point or another, what to do when it is time to move their disabled child (whether adult or minor) into a residential facility. According to the California Administrative Code, "each person provided services by a residential facility shall have and may exercise the following rights:"

• to visit the facility prior to admission
• to be moved out of the facility only with prior knowledge, except in an emergency, and ordinarily with the consent of the resident and the person or agency responsible for the resident, if any
• to have his family or representatives regularly informed of activities related to his care or services including ongoing evaluations
• to have communications to the facility from his relatives, guardian or conservator, answered promptly and appropriately.

Additional rights of developmentally disabled persons residing in facilities outside their own homes include the right:

• to wear his or her own clothes; to keep and use personal possessions including toilet articles; and to keep and be allowed to spend a reasonable sum of his or her own money for canteen expenses and for small expenses
• to have access to individual storage space for private use
• to see visitors every day
• to have reasonable access to telephones, both to make and receive confidential calls
• to have ready access to letter writing materials, including stamps and to mail and to receive unopened correspondence
• to refuse electroconvulsive therapy
• to refuse behavior modification techniques that cause pain or trauma
• to refuse psychosurgery and other rights as specified by regulations

No right shall be curtailed, abridged or denied unless such action is for "good cause," such as when the exercise of the right would be injurious to the resident, etc.

For more information, contact the Arc Administration office at 532-6333.

ARC ON-LINE

Yahoo, all you computer nerds…The Arc-South Bay now has its own home page.

The site features information on programming, SWI contracts, Value Village, a calendar of events, and current and past issues of the UPDATE newsletter and VANGUARD, membership and fund development information.

To access the website, go to www.lafn.org/community/arcsobay.

ARC GETS PREVENTION GRANT

The Arc-South Bay was awarded a $500 grant from Torrance Memorial; Medical Center to print and distribute FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) booklets.

Four thousand booklets were printed and distributed to WIC (Women, Infants, Children) centers in the South Bay and the South Bay Free Clinic in Gardena.

For a copy of the brochure, available in either English or Spanish, call the administration office at 310-532-6333, ext. 221.

Big thanks to Laura Johnson for her part in qualifying The Arc for this grant; it was available only to organizations for which TMMC employees volunteer; and since Laura is a great Arc volunteer, we were able to qualify!