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LADD Awards Honored People Who Take Flight
Through my public relations work, I love spending time with everyone who is involved with LADD (Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled) and its mission. If you are unfamiliar, LADD is a Cincinnati nonprofit organization that works side-by-side adults who have developmental disabilities to assist them in experiencing independence through a variety of supported housing, employment and community engagement programs. Its a cause about humanity, and about people who deserve to have equal opportunities for living their lives abundantly and with purpose, being able to do that in their own ways.
Last week they had their annual Taking Flight Awards Event to honor individuals who are achieving their goals, and those within LADD and the community who are part of that journey. It was a wonderful night. To see the entire photo album, please click here.
Honorees include:
Spirit of Independence Award: Dale Jackson
Recognizes a person receiving services from LADD who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in realizing their independence.
At LADD, when they talk about supporting people, enabling and empowering them to experience independence, their goal is for them to enjoy in life the gratification that comes from achi
eving the goals they want for themselves.
Dale is most certainly walking his own path. “He is a really good example of what a working artist should be, someone that is able to be a part of the real world and have a real job and do what it is creatively that he needs to do. I think he serves as a role model for a lot of people with and without disabilities in that respect,” Bill Ross, co-founder of Visionaries & Voices and Thunder-Sky Inc. said.
For many years Dale has been dividing his time between his job at Kroger, and his studio time at Visionaries & Voices and Thundersky. He is a painter and a writer, sharing his innermost thoughts on paper. His art has been published and included in multiple shows including the ’30 Americans Plus’ exhibition at the Art Academy.
When creating, he is easy to spot. He is the one wearing glittery shoes and a baseball cap, and when he laughs, you can’t help but laugh with him…which happens often. Dale definitely enjoys life. He loves to dance, travel, visit art shows, and spend time with his family.
“Getting to know Dale has taught me that I too should be out there doing what I love,” said Neil Ferencak, LADD Find A Way Apartments program coordinator.
Courage to Fly Award: The Ryan Family (Family of Patrick Ryan)
Recognizes a family member or family that is served that has shown exceptional courage and support as their family member works towards independence.
When she thinks about the meaning of this Award, Diane Gaither-Thompson, LADD Supported Employment coordinator, said she thinks, “The words courage to fly mean to me that you can assist an individual but once they get there that you take that risk and let them go.”
And, in the more than four years that Diane has worked alongside the Ryan family, she has seen this definition with clarity as mother Jean and her daughters Colleen, Bonnie, Maureen, Kelly and Shawna, have participated in and welcomed the journey of independence for their youngest sibling, 62 year old Patrick.
An employee of Mercy Health Systems for over 12 years, the Ryans reached out to LADD when Patrick began feeling overwhelmed with the long hours of a full time job. The solution Diane recommended was cutting Patrick’s hours, a change that the family fully supported and one that gave Patrick wings to grow as that lessened stress meant gave him better ability to work through other life challenges.
“Solidarity, dedication and affirmation are the virtues practiced within this family,” said Diane. “With the Ryans encouragement and confidence in Patrick, together we are seeing Patrick continue to flourish at Mercy. And giving him the opportunity to be a productive community member has always been their goal.”
So Others May Fly Award: Jennifer Crowe
Recognizes a person receiving services from LADD who has demonstrated outstanding service and commitment to a cause or organization other than LADD that benefits the community.
Phyllis Thomas, Timberlane coordinator, one of numerous nominators, said, “Jennifer helps people to fly when she is educating children in the grade schools. She says, ‘I am a person just like you, but I am a person labeled with a disability. Yet I have a tremendous amount of time and talent to offer to others so concentrate on all the attributes I have to offer the world.’
One of LADD’s go-getters who lives at the nonprofit’s Timberlane residence, Jennifer is a tireless and passionate volunteer, artist, leader, advocate and role model. Her list of accomplishments could extend pages. She is a published writer and an artist who sold her first work in 2008. As a volunteer, she gives of her time to the Krohn Conservatory and other community causes. As an instructor, she has traveled to California to share her talents; and inspires creative expression through classes at 21C, Visionaries & Voices, and Lindon Grove. Since 2011, Jenny has been an art teacher for students on the autism spectrum at Linden Grove School. Additionally, Jennifer is a Cincinnati presenter for Everybody Counts, a program that reaches out to young children to foster understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities. Jennifer’s interest in wellness led her to becoming a certified trainer for the Healthy Lifestyles, a 12-week program which educates adults with developmental disabilities on leading healthier lives. Her leadership shown through in another way when, in 2009, she was one of the first two adults with developmental disabilities in Ohio to have completed the Southwest Ohio Professional Advancement through Training and Education in Human Services (PATH) credentialing program. To earn that credential, Jennifer attended 60 hours of classes and completed a portfolio demonstrating her knowledge in three essential direct support professional skill areas. For all that she has accomplished, she was honored with an award from the Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services (HCDDS) in 2010; and in 2009, a proclamation was issued from the City of Cincinnati her advocacy work.
In Jennifer’s words, “Teaching is a Calling. The legacy that I hope to leave behind is that every child should do the best they can and the best they can is good enough for me.”
Employer Excellence Award: (George H Rohde & Son Funeral Home)
Recognizes an individual or business that has been a leader in providing employment opportunities to the people LADD assists.
John Roach will proudly tell you he has been working with a lot of ‘great people’ since 1981, when he stopped spending his days in a workshop and began his employment at the family-owned George H. Rohde & Son Funeral Home. LADD’s Faith Maynard got to know John when she was community supportive living coordinator and assisted him with his housing needs. She has been a part of John’s life since and has seen him thrive as a result of being part of the Rohde’s business. As employers, they have gone far above their management role. In addition to providing John with steady work, Steve Rohde and his staff consider him a valued part of their lives. They include John in social functions, take care to remind him of his medical appointments, and even assisted John financially in times of challenge. Over the years, as Faith has seen John lose many stakeholders in his life, Steve and his staff have stepped up as advocates. They have played a key role in educating the entire Mt. Lookout community about John’s strengths, and, as a result, other businesses have hired John for temporary needs as well.
“I am like a brother for him and Steve is like a brother for me,” John said. “I won’t quit my job for nothing. I like where I am now.”
Above and Beyond Award: (Shannice Clark)
Recognizes a LADD staff person that has performed selflessly and tirelessly to effectively achieve LADD’s mission in the past year.
When Shannice first joined LADD in 2010, she was wavering between a career in education or social work. Since then, she has earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree, and come to realize LADD’s Find A Way Apartments is where she belongs. As a direct support professional, people’s lives, their experiences and perspectives have become so interwoven into her own. She knows no 9 to 5 hours. Shannice makes herself available for anything that could come up whether that is a phone conversation, taking someone on an errand, teaching classes or assisting with daily living tasks. And more than that, Shannice has been the driving force behind Find A Way residents realizing a dream many never had considered a possibility…going on a vacation. “It really bothered me to see these people I care about being stigmatized. They have been told what they cannot do or where they cannot go. If I can go on a vacation, I thought, then why can’t they?,” she said. And with that determination, she has organized numerous trips – to Columbus, Myrtle Beach and even Puerto Rico. Staff coordinate and oversee but Find A Way residents choose their destination, create the budget and even raise money. Barbara Taylor told us she had always wanted to go to Myrtle Beach. “I was not sure how I would get there, but Shannice made it happen. Going to Myrtle Beach makes me feel like ‘if I can go there, I can go anywhere’,” Barbara said, before turning to her friend. “Shannice, you are an awesome person. You have been a blessing to me.”
Shannice gets teary eyed when she reminisces those experiences. “One of the greatest rewards is seeing people who have never left the state, never flown or been near the water, never budgeted, hit those milestones,” she said.
Legacy Award: (Kroger Co.)
Recognizes an individual or business that have been a leader in integration of people with disabilities into the Cincinnati community.
Please join us in celebrating The Kroger Company, our Legacy Award recipient, for stepping forward in the 1990s to forge new ground when it comes to hiring people who have disabilities. Margo Wayne, a Kroger associate, spoke for so many when she told us for this video that at Kroger, “they don’t treat you like you have a disability. They treat you with respect.”
Reuben Shaffer, chief diversity officer for The Kroger Company, said they began with one store, testing the idea. “Soon word spread within the organization. Other store managers heard about it and were looking for associates. Store managers began to step forward and ask, ‘When are you going to do the next pilot? If you are going to do it, I am interested.”
Some 15 plus years later, over 1000 people who have disabilities have been employed by Kroger. “The Kroger Co.’s leadership has shifted the conversation relative to hiring people with disabilities. In many ways, this is not just about giving the Legacy Award, but also about moving the conversation forward on setting policies, protocols and procedures that facilitate inclusive workplace environments,” LADD Executive Director Susan Brownknight said.
Ian Inspires Passion In Schools
It was after attending Holmes High School in Covington, graduating from Northern Kentucky University with a bachelor’s degree in radio and television, and working at ESPN that Ian Smith, founder and CEO of Skool Aid, realized he wasn’t following his passion. So, he took a part time job substitute teaching and began pursuing a master’s degree in special education. But, it turned out that wasn’t his thing either. Music (and fun), now THAT was Ian’s THING!
Ian developed a program he called Movement in Music, a class that incorporates the rhythmic sounds of Ian’s drum with physical fitness games to teach kids about good sportsmanship, teamwork, and other life skills. It was an idea that caught on. Soon he was being hired by schools from Pleasant Ridge to Kenton County. “Then I began thinking, if I am building relationships with all these districts, why not help other teaching artists have an opportunity too to pass along their passions to students?,” Ian told me.
Some five years later, his organization that he named Skool Aid includes 25 teachers presenting 28 different programs to area schools, mostly for afterschool programming. Skool-Aid is also contracted by LADD, Inc.’s Cincinnati ReelAbilities Film Festival to present ReelEducation in area schools, teaching children about appreciating and understanding differences.
Along the way Ian reconnected with a childhood friend, Jake Counts, who recently retired from professional wheelchair basketball. Together they began talking to classes and entire schools about disabilities and adaptive sports. Then they began incorporating a fun game of Jake’s sport into their program.They gathered parts to build wheelchairs so they could teach kids about wheelchair basketball, and then realized, Cincinnati offered no opportunities for young people who use wheelchairs to actually play and compete in the sport.
Ian and Jake began working with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission to create a team for adults called the Cincinnati Royals, and organized the Cincinnati Dragons team for children 14 and under(under the umbrella of the Greater Cincinnati Adaptive Sports Club). They are in the process of expanding to also have a junior varsity team.
In Ian’s Words
“One reason I am really passionate about this work because it is an opportunity to empower other teachers to work with kids, develop a class teaching what they are good at, and do that they are on earth to do. If I can supplement their income by their teaching kids their passion, then these educators are also influencing kids to identify their passion
Jake and my presentations open the eyes of kids who might not have anyone in their lives who has a disability. By seeing and getting to know Jake and how he is just like them in many ways, they come to realize that they can have commonalities with anyone who is different from themselves.”
This Doc Gets Hugs For Treatment
It has been more than a dozen years since I first found myself in Dr. Michael Bertram’s office. I honestly don’t know what would have happened to me had that visit not have occurred. For five or six years prior, I was living with daily and constant, chronic pain from a sacroiliac joint injury (the largest joint in your body at the base of your spine, connecting to your pelvis). Traditional orthopeodic medicine was not helping. Physical therapy did not help. Ultimately it was suggested that I explore a non-traditional, interventional treatment called prolotherapy. Also known as regenerative injection therapy, prolotherapy involves injecting an irritant (a dextrose solution) into damaged joints to stimulate an inflammatory or healing response which encourages tissue growth, ultimately strengthening the affected area.
I feel compelled to write about it because so many people are unfamiliar with the treatment, and people need to know. Thanks to Dr. Bertram and prolotherapy, I have been able to get back to normal living again…which for me is working and leading an active lifestyle with lots of exercise. He treated my knees three years ago when they began bothering me, and I had been pain free in my knees since. I did just recently go back for an additional treatment for some minor discomfort (when I overexert myself mostly in exercise), but more for maintaining my health.
With my blog being about sharing diverse people’s passion and pursuits, I wanted to learn more of the driving force behind this doctor for whom I am so grateful.
Dr. Bertram’s story, in his own words:
I am always trying to find better treatments because I know what it is like to experience life changing pain and the resulting depression as a result of a trauma. I was 19 when I had a back injury. I used to play sports every night and do physical labor, and had to quit all of that. I would hide when my friends were moving because I could not help them. The MRI showed I had three herniated discs, among other things. I could have been on high level narcotics and still be struggling but today I am building retaining walls, doing yard work and basically leading a normal life. I want to help other people get back to doing what they want to do too. That’s really what drives me.
I was studying engineering in college before this and then decided that being a physician was what I wanted to do.
I learned about prolotherapy by accident. Like so many others, I had done lots of therapies and was referred to multiple doctors. I was even referred to a psychiatrist when it was thought my pain was mental. It was while I was doing a pain fellowship after medical school and my residency training that I just happened to be there when a patient came in and requested of another doctor an alternative treatment because traditional treatments were not working. It was something I had never heard of until then, prolotherapy. I asked if I could watch.
I went online that same day to learn what I could and found a conference/workshop occurring within that month. Of course I wanted to go. It was at that conference where doctors did prolotherapy on my back, and several months later, I was without any pain. I tried to stir things up but activities didn’t bother it. I was shocked and determined. I went back to take another course a year later and got a second treatment. I have had a couple spells since then but they go away.
I went on a medical mission trip to Honduras to learn from well respected doctors who have been practicing prolotherapy for a long time. We treated hundreds of patients, all free to them. That kind of learning would not be possible in the United States. People in Honduras who do heavy labor work would travel from far distances, from the mountains and the deserts, knowing they would be coming to get painful injections because those injections allowed them to get back to what they wanted to do. They were bringing their friends and families to get better.
I learned so much from that mission trip, not just about improving my techniques but also about how to be a better doctor. Those doctors who were our instructors spent two weeks without pay away from their clinics to help me and others be better. They are my role models.
For me, my greatest satisfaction from doing prolotherapy is the smiles I see on people’s faces. With other treatments, I may get people feeling better but I don’t see the kinds of life changing improvement that I do with prolotherapy. It is the only time that I get hugs from patients. When someone has been in pain for ten years and they suddenly get such a significant part of their life back, that is how they express themselves sometimes. I smile back. I’ve got to be honest, there are times when I am shocked by how well it works.
Dr. Bertram is with St. Elizabeth Physicians, temporarily located in Kenwood. His specialty is physiatry, subspecializing in nonsurgical orthopedic regenerative and intervention medicine. You can reach him at 513-370-5140.
Her Job Helps Kids Be Just Kids
Lily Raphael is program manager for a nonprofit organization that has a soft spot in my heart, UpSpring. If you are unfamiliar, each year UpSpring removes barriers in the way of classroom and life success for more than 3,000 Greater Cincinnati youth experiencing homelessness. The 
organization recently wrapped up a very successful school supply drive. Being a part of it, getting to see firsthand the impact of so many generous volunteers and donors on young people, and just working everyday around students showing such fortitude in the face of truly difficult circumstances has been life changing for Lily. She shares some of her thoughts below.
“Working with young people is so inspiring and energizing. I love that my work challenges me to create, think quick, and problem solve, and that each day is different. I also love working for an organization that creates environments and experiences for kids to just be kids. Due to the trauma and challenges that children experiencing homelessness face, their living situation often asks of them to act more like adults, causing their childhood to be accelerated in some ways but then unlived in other ways. For me, this work has taught me the importance of consistency and stability, and how easily it is taken for granted by people who have it.”
About the School Supply Campaign
“One of the highlights of our campaign regarding our donors and volunteers is how many people got their children involved in supporting this effort. All in all, around 25 kids assisted with filling backpacks at donor and volunteer backpack stuffing events. When kids learn about the work we are doing and the effects of being homeless as a child, it is so powerful to see their willingness and enthusiasm to help out. After all, some of the kids we serve could very well be their peers, and we feel that is really impactful for kids to realize this.
Since the need was much higher than we anticipated this year, I was initially concerned about being able to fulfill all the requests we had. But we did it, and we certainly have many people to thank for that. Through amazing individuals and groups coming together to lend their support, we were able to make sure that every request we had was met, ultimately serving more than 1,100 children experiencing homelessness this season. It feels really good knowing that we didn’t have to turn anyone away. Delivering the resources was a great opportunity to connect with our partners. I was so happy to hear from them how helpful all these resources are for the families and children they serve. I even had the opportunity to deliver directly to one of the families whose children were in our Summer 360° program. Since we don’t typically meet the families we provide resources to, I appreciated being able to connect personally with the grandmother who shared some of what her family’s experienced with me. As she discussed how important education was to her family, I admired her determination and selflessness in ensuring that her grandchildren could continue to go to school in spite of their living situation being in flux.
For the recipients of these resources, this effort is a huge help. Back-to-school season involves so many expenses, none of which can really be cut out. With extra support for uniforms, transportation, and school supplies, parents are able to meet the requirements for their kids’ schools. And ultimately, this ensures that the children we serve do not have to miss out on (or be singled out during) those critical first days of school because they didn’t have what they needed.”
Lisa Hillenbrand Is A Change Agent
Long before I learned about Lisa Hillenbrand’s professional career, I knew her as a fun loving mother of a beautiful son and daughter and two dogs. When I think about her, I think about how she has this great way of making me laugh and smile. I also remember going to her house for the first time and seeing a snake on her stairway leading upstairs. (That is the school’s pet that Lisa sometimes watches over the summer.) It is an experience you don’t soon forget.
But I learned some time later that there is a whole different side to Lisa that I never knew. For 27 years she was director, Global Marketing at Procter & Gamble, leading the team that “re-engineered” P&G’s company-wide brand building approach, creating the Brand Building Framework that has become the foundation for how the global consumer goods giant approaches marketing. In 2004 she was elected the prestigious Harley Procter Marketer by the company’s top managed for exemplifying the highest standards of P&G marketing.
These days Lisa is a brand building and organizational change consultant with her company, Hillenbrand & Associations; and is co-author of a Stragility: Excelling at Strategic Changes (2016) that Forbes called “a vital and practical guide to taking action, adapting systems, and empowering people.”
I wanted to introduce you to Lisa, as she is most definitely someone I look up to with CINspiration.
Lisa D: Please tell us something about yourself that we may not know.
Lisa H: Before a long career as Director Global Marketing at P&G, I worked in book publishing as a publicist. I wrote press releases, booked authors on tours and coached them on interview skills.
Lisa D: You have talked about the need to weed out the less significant projects in favor of the more critical ones in business. That also seems like pretty solid words of wisdom going beyond business, to life. How does this relate to life? How does it relate to your life?
Lisa H: I keep learning, and relearning, to prioritize the big stuff and let some of the small stuff go. When I do that, I can make time for the important but non-urgent stuff like staying in touch with friends and family.
Lisa D: How did the name Stragility evolve and what is its meaning and significance?
Lisa H: Stragility starting with my co-author typing too fast in Google search. She intended to type Strategic Agility. We both liked the new word because our work is about strategic, agile, people-powered change. In Stragility, we aim to help any leader learn the skills to create successful change again and again in their organizations and in their lives.
Lisa D: Tell us about a personal challenge you have overcome. What are some of your lessons learned from the experience?
Lisa H: I had breast cancer about 5 years ago. It forced me to live more in the present and to not take anything for granted. I’ve had more good than bad impacts from the experience. I really do savor each day more than ever and try not to sweat the small stuff.
Lisa D: Who is someone, a role model or mentor, who has positively influenced your life; and how did that person impact you?
Lisa H: There are so many role models. I am in awe of Nelson Mandela and how much positive change he was able to accomplish.
Lisa D: What is something you now know that you wish you had known when you were 20?
Lisa H: I worried so much when I was 20 about everything. I think my 20 year old self would be pleased to see that life turned out fine. But she’d probably be horrified to see me in spandex yoga attire.
Lisa D: What is some advice you would give others on living and experiencing life?
Lisa H: I suppose I’d give them the same advice I give myself – to lean into the chaos, take risks and enjoy the ride.
