Benefit Rummage Sale- Proceeds go to Grant Roberts Area Disability Supports (GRADS). Saturday, June 11, starting at 9 a.m., 902 E. Milbank Avenue, Milbank. Household, vintage items, puzzles, games, plants, clothing, shoes and much more.
GRADS Meeting April 19, 2022
Middlebrook Community Room 6:30 p.m.
Five people attended the Grant Roberts Area Disability Supports meeting.
Fundraiser Report
Rachael Johnson shared pictures and thank-you’s from the Sisseton Courier. We commented on the impressive ad in Tidbits. Thank you to all who helped with the Lucky Leprechaun Secret Treasure Box raffle. A special thanks goes to MaryLou Bullert for all her work in organizing this fundraiser. We totaled $1,243. in sales. The winners were:
Dawn Wright-Summit, Sandra White-Sisseton, Mona Greseth-Sisseton, David Spors-Big Stone City, William Haws-Milbank, Stacy DeBoer-Wilmot.
Website
Rachael noted the pleasing format and the accurate information on gradisabilitysupports.org. Charlotte Athey will request an update on the usage chart from Cheryl Athey. She will also ask her how to include articles on our website. We want to add donation information on our site. We need to include an address to use.
Projects
Boost for Teachers: There will be grants of $100. for selected middle school and high school special ed teachers in Grant and Roberts Counties who submit a proposal for empowering students with disabilities to learn occupational skills. MaryLou Bullert will distribute the grant information to teachers via email. The deadline for proposals to be submitted will be September 9, 2022 with grants being awarded on September 30, 2022. Number of grants awarded is yet to be determined.
Business Cards: VistaPrint now charges for the business cards we discussed at the last meeting. Charlotte Athey will check with Sean Athey about making them and report back at our next meeting.
Rummage Sale Fundraiser
The GRADS rummage sale is scheduled for Saturday, June 11 starting at 9 a.m. at the Middlebrook Community Room, 902 Milbank Avenue, Milbank. If you have items to donate, we will be setting up on Friday, June 10 starting at 5 p.m. You can also reply to this message or call Rachael at 605-698-7445. Cheryl Athey will post rummage sale info. on the website. Rachael will put ads in the Valley Shopper, The Grant County Review and Tidbits. Brenda will post the info. on Facebook. Charlotte has big signs to use outdoors. Rachael will update pricing signs ($1.00 for clothes, $.50 for books, etc.) The use of posters around town is yet to be determined.
1.
Historian
Rather than making a scrapbook, Rachael Johnson will purchase an accordion file for past articles, pictures, etc. to be safely kept.
NDEAM/Sisseton
The NDEAM (National Disability Employment Awareness Month) event will be held in early October at the Family Life Center, 404 West Hickory Street, Sisseton. The catered supper will be followed by guest speaker, Robert Anthony. Charlotte Athey will check with Sean Athey about making the invitations.
Financial Report
The GRADS checking account balance in First Bank and Trust/Milbank as of April 18, 2022, was $3,105.42. We thank Lillian Bajari for her recent donation to GRADS.
Next Meeting
The next GRADS meeting will be on June 11, 2022, at the Middlebrook Community Room, 902 East Milbank, Avenue, Milbank at 12:00 noon.
Respectfully submitted,
Rachael Johnson, Secretary
Show your support for people with disabilities!
GRADS will be selling raffle tickets March 7, 8, and 9th from 10am to 1pm at the local Runnings located at 1706 Morningside Drive in Milbank, SD.
GRADS Meeting January 11, 2022
Via ZOOM 5:30 p.m.
Five people joined the Grant Roberts Area Disability Supports meeting via ZOOM.
Meeting Times
We will post meeting times on the website and calendar. Rachael will, as always, send the information to our email distribution list. She will send a separate email to Cheryl Pocklington with specific information to be posted.
NDEAM/Sisseton
GRADS will help sponsor this event by donating $100 toward printing, postage, and purchase of certificate covers. The SPED director’s office in Sisseton will design the invitation and poster. Cindy Kirschnan will design and print the certificates. Rachael Johnson will submit the funding application.
Farm Show Booth
We won’t have one this year. We aren’t aware of any transition fairs to attend.
Fundraisers
MaryLou Bullert will do the Lucky Leprechaun fundraiser this year. She will do it through the schools She will not put an ad in the Grant County Review. Rachael Johnson will check with Sisseton’s SPED director to see if tickets can be sold at our schools.
We’re planning a rummage sale on June 11 (or June 18). Char Athey will check with Middlebrook Community Room for availability on June 10 at 5:00 for set up & for June 11.
Website Usage
Cheryl Pocklington sent a chart that shows website usage. The most used months were Feb./Mar. 32
& 37 and Oct./Nov. 30 & 31 respectively. It was proposed that having feature stories could increase usage. Charlotte Athey will contact Cheryl Pocklington to set up a text box for us to use in posting future stories. Ideas for stories include having Katrina Koeppe from Voc Rehab and Janet Guest from Independent Living Choices write about their programs.
We could also include timely topics such as tax information.
Projects
Banner: Laura Maag will get a high resolution logo to Sean Athey who will then make a banner.
Business Cards: Rachael Johnson suggested having GRADS business cards. She will bring a sample to the March meeting.
Financial Report
The balance in the First Bank & Trust/Milbank checking account was $1,962.60 as of 11/30/2021. Char has some money from jar sales to deposit.
Upcoming Meeting
The next GRADS meeting will be on Tuesday, April 12 at the Middlebrook Community Room, 902 E. Milbank Ave, Milbank.at the usual time of 6:30 p.m.
GRADS Meeting November 9, 2021
Midlebrook Community Room 6:30 p.m.
Six people attended the Grant Roberts Area Disability Supports meeting. Please note that our meeting minutes, scheduled events, and much more will be on the website: www.gradisabilitysupports.org.
Fundraiser
We decorated jars for the Gift in a Jar fundraiser. The 3 kinds are oatmeal chocolate chip bread, chocolate chip cookies, and bean soup. Thanks to Cheryl Sieverson for providing colorful material squares. There will be a bake sale and Gift in a Jar sale on Saturday, November 20 from 9-2 at the Middlebrook Community Room, 902 Milbank Avenue in Milbank. We encourage parents and people with disabilities to help sell or to provide baked goods. Rachael Johnson, Matthew and Charlotte Athey and MaryLou Bullert will work. Jars will sell for $8 each or 2 for $15. Bake sale items will be priced: cookies-$5/dozen or $3/half dozen; quick breads- $3/large loaf or $2.50/small loaf; peanut brittle $5. Please bring the marked items on Saturday morning. We will also serve bean soup for a free will offering. Rachael will bring napkins, spoons, & crackers. She will also bring change. Char will bring bowls and a cash box. MaryLou will make the soup and bring gloves and masks. Lara will make posters and a sign for the soup. Lara will send a poster to Cheryl to include on the website.
Christmas Display
LifeQuest and GRADS would like to assemble a holiday lighted display at Hartford Beach. Lara Maag has large inflatables, lots of lights and a pup tent to use. Lara will contact the park manager regarding this. Char Athey will ask Sean Athey about making a sign for the display and perhaps making a generic one for GRADS to use at our other events.
NDEAM/Sisseton
Rachael Johnson reported on a successful event on October 7 with approx. 40 people in attenance. A big thank you is extended to GRADS and Grant County Arc for helping to sponsor this event. Rachael inquired if Sean Athey would make invitations and a poster for next year’s event. Char Athey will check on this.
Financial Report
The balance in First Bank and Trust checking account in Milbank was $1,718.58 as of 10/29/21.
Next Meeting
The next GRADS meeting will be on Tuesday, January 11 at 7:00 p.m. via ZOOM. Brenda Teske will arrange this. On the agenda will be having a booth at the farm show or a transition fair, quilt project, and NDEAM budget.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:00.
Respectfully submitted,
Rachael Johnson, Secretary
GRADS Meeting June 8, 2021
Middlebrook Community Room 6:30 p.m.
Seven people attended the Grant Roberts Area Disability Supports meeting. Attention: Our meeting minutes, events, and much more will be on the website, www.gradisabilitysupports.org.
ADA/ Americans with Disabilities Act Celebration
The ADA celebration will be at the picnic shelter (by the bathrooms) at Farley Park on Monday, July 26, 2021. Individually wrapped sandwiches from Subway, chips, Little Debbie snacks, and bottled water will be served starting at 6:00 p.m. Charlotte Athey will purchase the food, a case of water, and hand sanitizer and bring ice in a cooler. Rachael Johnson will also bring water.
Advertising will include ads in Tidbits, The Valley Shopper, The Grant County Review and possibly the Sisseton Courier. Rachael will submit ads prior to July 16. Laura Maag will post the event on the weekly LifeQuest calendar and Cheryl Pocklington will put it on the website. Sean Athey and Cheryl will make a poster to be displayed at Runnings, the library, the grocery stores, the banks, the mall, Hardee’s, Casey’s, Pizza Hut, Triple Dip Lodge, Unity Square, and Middlebrook Community Room. Rachael will place some posters in Sisseton. Katrina Koeppe will send out letters and make phone calls.
Char Athey and Laura Maag will bring some outdoor games: washer toss, ladder ball, bean bags, and lawn dice. Laura will do a fish craft. She will get the supplies for it. We will need to bring some scissors. Other ideas are to have sidewalk chalk for hop scotch and have a spoon relay.
MaryLou Bullert has items for door prizes. Rachael Johnson has the guestbook.
A short program will follow the meal before the games begin. Katrina Koeppe will give a short presentation on ADA. Janet Guest will briefly share about Independent Living Choices. Char Athey will speak about GRADS. If other agency representatives are present, they will be introduced and can tell about their programs.
NDEAM Event
Rachael Johnson gave an update on the National Disability Employment Awareness Month dinner event in Sisseton. It will be on Thursday, October 7, 2021 at the Family Life Center, 404 West Hickory Street with a box dinner served at 6:00 p.m. The guest speaker, Marcelle Ciampi M Ed., will speak at approx. 6:45. A recognition of local employers/employees will end the evening.
Projects
Laura Maag will submit pictures of LifeQuest activities to be used on the website quarterly.
Making blankets will be a fall project.
Website
There was a question on blog vs. email communication. There was also a concern about accessing calendar information. Cheryl Pocklington addressed those issues.
Next Meeting
The next GRADS meeting will be on September 14, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. at the Middlebrook Community Room, 902 Milbank Aveuue, Milbank.
Respectfully submitted,
Rachael Johnson, Secretary
The National Center on Education Outcomes is releasing a series of videos on various aspects of learning support for children with significant cognitive disabilities at home. The videos are now available on YouTube.
In addition to parents and educators, other audiences will find the videos useful as they work with parents and families. Each video focuses on three key questions:
Additional videos will be added to the series over the next several months. Future videos will be on supporting the learning of reading, writing and math at home, as well as one on monitoring progress.
