Thanksgiving and Christmas Events are Important TURN Traditions

For many years, TURN has helped the individuals and families we serve gather together at the holidays for delicious meals, music and laughter, and maintaining long-lasting friendships.

On November 22, the Salt Lake Hourly Services Program Coordinators held their annual Thanksgiving dinner for clients who do not go home for the holiday, and those who want to just spend an evening with friends. Together, Peggy Laursen and Shirley Barnes prepared three, 25-pound turkeys with stuffing, potatoes, yams, vegetables, green bean casserole, and five pies. This year, approximately fifty clients attended, along with a great number of TURN employees.

The next day, 25 Wasatch Front area residential clients from Weber, Davis, and Salt Lake, and their support staff, gathered at the West Valley Country Inn and Suites for the 2-day annual Thanksgiving retreat. The first evening, everyone enjoyed turkey sandwiches and left-over side dishes from the previous dinner, and another traditional Thanksgiving meal served by the Cracker Barrel Restaurant.

Throughout December, TURN programs celebrated Christmas with parties from Ogden to St. George. On December 9, TURN held separate parties for Wasatch Front day programs and Salt Lake area residential programs at the historical Organ Loft in South Salt Lake. On December 21, Northern area residential and hourly services clients attended a TURN party at the Ogden Fraternal Order of the Eagles. Entertainment included pipe organ music and Christmas carols led by Lydia Roberts at the Organ Loft, and dance music and videos by DJ, Henry Neville and video and still photographer, Dave Brooke. Baked ham dinners were served at each event.

Twenty individuals participated in the Christmas retreat at the Country Inn and Suites, December 24th and 25th. They had dinner at Chili’s on Christmas Eve (a tradition!), and on Christmas night, Santa came after dinner and gave everyone a gift.

Utah County’s annual Christmas Dinner for our service recipients, their families, and our staff has been a tradition for 25 years. Over 250 people gathered at the Orem Senior Friendship Center on the evening of December 13th, to enjoy a traditional holiday meal, an exciting raffle of donated items, and fine local entertainment. Donna Brayton played a Christmas Carol on her accordion, the PALS group sang and danced through several Christmas numbers, and photos with Santa wrapped up the evening.

TURN holiday retreats are made possible through donations and funds raised each year at the agency’s Annual “Pastabilities Extravaganza” Dinner.

Thanksgiving for clients.	Pass the potatoes.
Homer opening present.	Lydia leads carols.
Phil Shumway and Board members Susie Miner and Jim Witherspoon enjoy entertainment at Orem party.	Donna Brayton performs Christmas songs on her accordion.
The PALS group performs Christmas songs in Orem.

Labor of Love 2011 a Success

Labor of Love 2011 was an amazing success serving 133 low income individuals with developmental disabilities who lack resources and family support over the holidays. It took 70 volunteers to shop, wrap and deliver the bags carefully chosen and beautifully wrapped gifts to each person in need.

When Salt Lake ACT merged with TURN July 1, 2011, the Labor of Love program came to TURN. This season clearly demonstrates that regardless of where the program is located geographically, people will turn out to support it. TURN staff and board were heavily involved in sponsoring, shopping volunteering and delivering.

For the first time, we had the resources to support some very needy individuals in Provo, Ogden, Layton, Cedar City and St. George.

Volunteer Charles Foley prepares Labor of Love donations for delivery.

Results of TURN’s United Way Employee Giving Campaign

The final figures for the 2011-2012 United Way Campaign, marking TURN’s 30th year as a United Way Community Partner, have been compiled. Together, employees from Utah, Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, and Box Elder Counties, pledged an impressive $21,119!

Employees from TURN Utah County conducted their first employee campaign and pledged $3,391, with over 51% of employees participating! What a great start!

Grants and funds that come back to TURN from United Way provide critical funding that our families and individuals depend on. Our thanks to all employees who are able to make contributions this year; you help TURN be a “Community Partner”!

Meet our Board: Ron Burns

When Ron Burns joined the board in May 2011, he was “eager to become a part of an organization that places a true priority on people first.” As the parents of a daughter (Sydney) who has Cerebral Palsy, Ron and his wife, Tara, clearly recognize the critical role TURN Community Services plays in the community.

Ron, who is currently employed by American Express Bank, has been involved with TURN Iron County programs for a number of years, through his work with ADB Bank in Cedar City. In his six month role with the board, Ron has shown exceptional dedication and enthusiasm, and has attended every meeting and participated in a number of TURN events.

As a family, the Burns’ enjoy a variety of arts and crafts, and visiting around the country on family vacations. Ron is retired from the US Air Force, and Tara currently serves at Hill Air Force Base in the Air Force Reserve. They moved into the Salt Lake valley in 2001 and very much enjoy the community and the opportunities provided here.

Passing of Good Friends

Karen Dowdle, age 57, passed away on December 6, 2011 in Bountiful, Utah due to a recent illness. Karen was born August 29, 1954 in Provo, Utah and, at age 18 and a music student at BYU, Karen sustained Traumatic Brain Injury during a car accident. She found great joy in expressing herself through the use of her talking communication board and alphabet chart, and through painting and drawing. She especially loved singing and dancing, and watching her favorite musical, The Sound of Music. Karen’s accomplishments at TURN’s Woods Cross Day Program, where she attended day training for nearly twenty years, included being a TURN Calendar artist, and appearing on stage to share “her story” during Art and Soul 2004.

Our friend, Kurt Wanlass, was 47 when he passed away on December 8, 2011. Kurt’s family described him as “a ray of sunshine” in their lives; they were close to him and loved him dearly. Kurt attended TURN’s 8th North Day Program in Provo and enjoyed the activities and routine it offered him. His favorite activity was bowling, and he loved holidays, especially the Fourth of July and Christmas. Oh, how he loved Christmas! He anticipated it and would talk about it during the year. He loved the trees, the lights, and the music, and he loved to sing Christmas carols – all year long! Kurt is missed by his family and by Scott and all his other TURN friends and staff.

Holiday Message from TURN’s Board

This is a challenging letter to write to each of you, the family members and advocates for the people who have chosen TURN Community Services’ supports. And yet, as the year draws to a close, I believe that it must be done. TURN needs your help to continue the wide array of services it provides. I am asking each of you, who have given so much already to your family member, to give some more.

TURN is recognized throughout Utah for the highly individualized supports it provides to people with intellectual disabilities. Many of these services are paid for through federal and state dollars, so why is the agency asking for more financial support? I do so because personalized supports are staff intensive. To TURN employees, your family member is a multi-faceted individual with personal priorities, preferences, and needs. The time and energy it takes to fulfill these hopes do not always fall in the “fee-for-service” model that governs TURN’s reimbursement.

Your financial gift to TURN will help to ensure that the agency is in a position to go beyond contracted services and provide the highly  individualized supports that bring joy and meaning into the lives of the 615 people who look to TURN. As you celebrate this season of giving, please consider supporting the agency you and your family member have come to depend on.

The Board of TURN Community Services sends its best wishes for joyous holidays and a satisfying new year.

Mary Grace Miner

TURN Board Chair

Meet Our Board: Cynthia Thuy Nguyen

Cynthia Thuy Nguyen’s tenure with the TURN Board “has been a rich source of inspiration.” Having lived a few houses apart from her cousin who has developmental disabilities, she can personally relate to TURN’s clientele, and to the agency’s role in supporting families and individuals with disabilities in the community.

Cynthia began serving TURN in September 2008 as a Board Fellow, and became an elected member in August 2009. Commenting on her service to TURN, she said that she is “awestruck by the people committed to TURN, and humbled by the amazing social relationships that come together from the public sector, private business, and volunteers who make to the agency a success.” Further, she is “most appreciative of the dedicated employees who fulfill TURN’s mission from day to day.”

Cynthia holds a Masters Degree in Finance, and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Statistics. Her interests are mainly intellectual (economics, mathematics, rhetoric, and politics). Cynthia’s focus with the board is to develop a TURN presence in social media, improve donation methods, and draw attention to cash flow statements.

TURN Halloween Bashes Rock the Wasatch Front

Halloween came early this year for Wasatch Front area program clients. On October 26, a Halloween party was held at the Fraternal Order of Eagles in Ogden, and on October 28, a second party was held at the Salt Lake Administrative office.

Each event provided an evening of food, fun, games, prizes, dancing, singing, and costumes of every sort. Henry Neville, TURN’s own DJ, headed up the entertainment for parties, with Dave Brooke, Clearfield Day Program Coordinator, producing video footage that was played throughout the evening in Ogden.

In Provo, all of the Utah County day program participants gathered at TURN’s East Bay Day Program on the afternoon of October 28th, for Utah County’s annual Day Program Halloween Party. Over 100 program participants and their staff wore costumes, danced, played games, and enjoyed marvelous and spooky treats.

TURN extends thanks to the many employees and community volunteers whose efforts made each “Halloween Bash” a party to remember.

Dalio Salas and Brad enjoying nachos (pictured center is Michael Gall)	DJ, Henry Neville hamming it up.
Kenny singing to the oldies.	U of U student volunteers pose with Lynette.
	Phil Shumway “grooving” to the music with Karen.

Featured TURN Program: Day Services

TURN Day Programs, or community centers, provide a 9am to 3pm “home base” for people with developmental disabilities to learn and grow together. The centers offer a variety of activities, such as work skill development, learning and practicing hobbies, holiday celebrations, and community recreation and educational outings.  In some ways, Day Programs follow an “adult day care” model, serving persons in a social/recreational setting and providing opportunities for group activities and community inclusion.

Day Program services began in the early 1980’s as an alternative to the “sheltered workshop” model that evolved a decade earlier.  While sheltered workshops often featured warehouse type facilities with assembly and production projects, day programs began to focus more on social and recreational opportunities.  Day Program recipients may be individuals who are no longer able to work, are learning skills to prepare them for a work setting, or do not desire employment. TURN currently serves 230 persons in 12 Day Program locations throughout the state of Utah.

TURN Wraps up Northern Utah Area United Way Campaigns

This 2011-2012 United Way campaign marked TURN’s 30th year as a United Way Community Partner. This year, with TURN programs from seven Utah counties participating, it promises to be a record-setting campaign.

The United Way of Salt Lake and Davis County campaigns wrapped up in October, with TURN employees pledging $16,000, and achieving a 90% participation rate.

This year, TURN conducted first-time campaigns for the United Way of Utah County, and Northern Utah campaigns for programs located in Weber and Box Elder Counties. To date, those first-time campaigns have brought in more than $4,500 in pledges.

TURN campaigns were also conducted on behalf of United Ways of Iron County and Dixie. TURN extends thanks to all its employees who “give back” through their local United Way campaign drives.

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