The Voice of Choice

A statement of values: The new MARC facility offers people with disabilities the dignity they deserve Despite a torrential rain, program participants at MARC East were thrilled June 2 to cross the threshold of the new MARC facility at 66 Buttonwood Court in the American Family complex. Smiles were broad as heads turned slowly to take in the wonder of the new center, which at once achieves a gentle sense of inviting warmth and a feeling of clean, well-lit spaciousness. The beauty of this place, said MARCs executive director, Russell King, is that when you walk in, you can immediately feel that its a different kind of place a place where youre safe to dream, encouraged to learn, and inspired to create. At the same time, it says to the world: This is how people with disabilities should be served; this is the level of dignity that each of them deserves.Contents Summer 2014The new MARC East1Raising awareness3Golf Classic4Awards banquet6MARC West9MARC RAC/RES10Mt. Horeb11

The facility was designed by Potter Lawson and built by Stevens Construction with the supreme generosity of the Clack Family Foundation. MARC leases the building from the Clack Family Foundation as a hub for its community-based, integrated supported employment activities, micro-enterprise incubation and development, pre-vocational training, and day services.

Continued on next pageIts humbling to be here on the first day, King said, and stop to think about the years of determined work and unflagging hope that went into its making. The Clack family, of course, has earned our gratitude and admiration, as have MARCs former executive director, Richard Berling, the MARC Board of Directors, the MARC Foundation Board of Directors, the MARC East program director, Debi Webb, and the entire MARC East staff. This is what can be accomplished when a community works together as the MARC community has.Debi Webb said, We are so excited to have moved into our new building! Come see us sometime. You will be amazed, as I am each day I come to work in such an amazing facility. Everyone is settling in slowly to our new routine, and finding their way around. Deliveries of new equipment and furnishings continue as we speak. A huge thank you to everyone that has been helping in this process (You know who you are)! Our new salt water aquarium is being installed in the main gathering area. It is already beautiful, and we dont even have fish yet. I can only imagine how much enjoyment our clients will get from watching this wonderful gift when it is completely finished.Landscapers are hard at work planting in our spacious outdoor area. Clients have enjoyed spending time on the patio after lunch watching it all come together.A ribbon-cutting ceremony and an open house are being planned. Please watch the MARC web site and Facebook page for more information.

MARC seeks to raise awarenessMARC has been selected as a news partner of television channel 57. This will bring MARC, over the course of the next 12 months: monthly appearances on Talk of the Town, airing five times a week; 30-second commercials featuring MARC and airing 50 times a month; wand a weekly scroll ticker on the Madison in the Morning show. Watch for the show here: Direct TV 57, Dish 57, Charter SD 2, Charter HD 616, AT&T SD 57, and AT&T HD 1057. Watch the MARC web site and Facebook page for Youtube links. Gary Johnson (l) and Russell King (c) representing MARC on channel 57s Talk of the Town.

MARC has also been selected as a featured non-profit in the July Charitable Giving edition of In Business magazine. Thanks to the generosity of the Boardman and Clark Law Offices, MARC will benefit from a full-page color ad in the magazine. The intent is to foster greater awareness among local business leaders about MARCs supported employment opportunities.MARC has begun a direct mail and telephone contact campaign targeting Dane Countys largest employers, with the goal of raising awareness of MARCs mission and the opportunities inherent in MARCs supported employment program. As relationships are established with these business leaders, opportunities for employment for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities will be sought, assessed, and cataloged in a computer database, creating a powerful tool in matching available jobs with the needs, interests, and abilities of program participants. This database will also assist other supported employment agencies and school transition coordinators.As part of this awareness campaign, MARC has developed a branded series of brochures featuring supported employment, production, micro-enterprise, day services and the MARC Foundation. MARC has also produced a booklet of frequently asked questions for area employers who are thinking about participating in supported employment.

Everybody wins at the 11th Annual MARC Golf ClassicThe 11th annual MARC Golf Classic was another huge success, with 46 golfers in 12 teams ramped up their friendly competition in a best ball tournament. The outing was held at the Meadows of Six Mile Creek in Waunakee on June 17.The Tricor Insurance team finished in first place, followed by the Oemichen family group team from Mt. Horeb, and the Karklus family team.Golfers competed for eight hole prizes out on the course, as well as four different hole-in-one opportunities. A great box lunch in the carts was followed by an outstanding buffet dinner in the clubhouse. Golfers and supporters had the opportunity to bid on silent auction items that ranged from dinner for eight to Brewers clubhouse tickets, a Bo Ryan-autographed basketball, and a canvass print of the Sports Illustrated Final Four Badger cover.The 11th Annual MARC Golf Classic raised more than $9,250 to support MARC programs. A special thanks to all the volunteers who helped make MARCs 11th Golf Classic happen, and to Jerry and Patti Fellenz and Tim, and Sondra Abraham, for their cash donations to the outing. Thanks, too, to the generous businesses that donated raffle items and silent auction items, or that sponsored holes: Continued on next page

Anchor Bank Angelo's Italian Restaurant Axley Law Offices BMO Harris Bank - Fish HatcheryBurger King RestaurantsChula Vista ResortCircus WorldCountry Inn & Suites by CarlsonCulversThe Egg and IFour Star VideoFoxboro Golf - Oregon, WIGates & BroviHarbor Athletic ClubHawks Landing Golf ClubHilton Garden Inn - Madison WestHoliday Inn Harbor View - Port WashingtonHuHot Mongolian GrillImperial Garden WestKnuckleheads Amusement Park - Wis. DellsLake Veterinary ClinicLiliana's RestaurantLisa Young DDSLittle AmerrickaMagnuson Grand HotelDr. Irving MarcusMatt Kenseth MuseumKaren and Bill MatteuzziS&L HospitalitySun Prairie Athletic Club Taliesin - Spring GreenTargetTen Pin AlleyThrivent FinancialTricor InsuranceThe Ultimate Spa SalonUltrazone Laser TagU.W. AthleticsVon Klaus Winery - BarabooVon Rutenberg Ventures

Milwaukee Admirals HockeyMilwaukee BrewersMilwaukee BucksNevada Bob's GolfPoelpka Trenchard Glass - Door CountyQuivy's Grove RestaurantRiverside Golf Course JanesvilleRS and Company SalonSchuster's Playtime FarmMARCs 2014 awards banquet celebrated a community of compassion

Much of the MARC family gathered for an evening in May to celebrate the community of compassion that enables MARC to meet its mission. Attendees took advantage of the opportunity to buy from MARC micro-enterprises, purchase raffle tickets for attractive prizes, and compete against one another in a silent auction all while enjoying a great dinner and even better company. The main event, of course, was the presentation of awards, and this years winners follow:

One of MARCs greatest strengths is the dedication of its employees. Awards for five years of service went to Carol Glass at Stoughton, Ann Cerne at West, and Kari Peterson, also at West. Awards for 10 years of service were earned by Jean Messan and Rhiannon Wiegel at West, Cathy Loerke and Heidi Krieger at RES, and Ying Zhang at South. Awards for 15 years of service to MARC went to Jamie Gulseth and Scott Thompson at RES, Margo Klassy at West, and Laura Johnson at Stoughton. For 25 years of service, Sandra Braund at Stoughton and Karen Gussert at RES were warmly recognized. Randy Klein at West received an award for his 35 years of dedication to MARC.

MARCs emphasis on supported employment makes our partners in the Dane County business realm vitally important and MARC noted that importance with the following Employer Appreciation Awards: Guy Kitchell Klima; Thor Anderson Doctors Park Dental; Brandon Courts-High Point Church; Super Wal-Mart Personnel Department- Monona; Eileen Ahearn-Project SEARCH Business Liaison-VA Hospital; Tom Wright Wrights Auto; and Premier Coop-Mini Mart. Volunteer and Community Appreciation Awards were presented, with much gratitude, to: Karen Darcy-Madison Metro Paratransit; Brad Bensman Bensman Marketing Group; Karen Lambright DVR; and Michelle Erschen Project SEARCH . The awards presentation culminated with two of MARC three major awards. The Vivian T. Pope Memorial Award was presented by: Mel Pope to Peggy Roth, a MARC employee at Mt. Horeb. The Joan Portal-Foster Award was presented by Joans daughters Kim Anderson and Netha Staff to Kari Peterson, a MARC employee at West.

Fran Bicknell, a member of the MARC Board of Directors, offered a tribute to the memory of State Rep. Mary Lou Munts, a long-time and effective advocate for the disability community.

MARCs executive director, Russell King, opened the ceremony with the following remarks:Thank you for coming. Were here today to acknowledge the contributions of a great many who make the MARC community what it is particularly those who give us the benefit of their labor. To give you a glimpse into who they are, let me share a few of their stories:

There is the story of the MARC employee whose car was an inoperable hunk o junk and her co-worker who traded cars with her, then used the hunk o junk as a trade-in on a new vehicle.

There is the story of the group of MARC employees who, wearing T-shirts that honored MARC consumers, embraced a moment of insanity and lept together into a frozen lake in the dead of winter to raise charitable funds.There is the story of the MARC employee who gave 190 hours of sick time to help out a new co-worker who was going out on maternity leave, and did not have sick time available.There is the story of two MARC employees who spent a weekend on their hands and knees scrubbing a center in preparation for a new program directors arrival.

There is the story of a MARC employee who is going through chemo treatment who recently completed a 5K run to raise money to fight leukemia in others.

Although they are exceptional when we look at them in context of our broader culture, they are almost ordinary in the context of the MARC community. MARCs supply of people who move through our world as a quiet, gentle force of compassion, dignity, and hope is breathtaking.

Its my pleasure to watch as, day after day, MARC employees demonstrate that the satisfactions of being good men and women among we common folk are, indeed, great enough to sustain us.

As you might expect, they dont think of themselves this way which, in a time when humility seems a lost art, only makes them all the more admirable.

So, thank you. Thank you for coming tonight and helping us celebrate the kind of people they are and the kind of values they bring to the task of carrying out MARCs mission. If you are a MARC employee, please, allow yourself at least a moment of pride and know that you are cherished.

If you are one of MARCs many volunteer leaders, business partners, or supporters if you are an active member of the MARC community please do the same. Accept both our gratitude and our respect. You, too, are a big part of the treasure we call MARC.

MARC WestPre-vocational Spotlight: conference name badgesMany of us have attended training seminars. Many of us have received a name badge holder to wear for our name tag. Have you ever wondered where the name tag with the elastic band was assembled? Many of these products are assembled and packaged at MARCs West location on Forward Drive. Through collaboration with a local Middleton business, MARC is able to offer paid work opportunities for many people with disabilities. Over the past decade, people with disabilities have been able to complement their income and work skills. Ultimately, these partnerships lead toward business satisfaction, job skill growth, and individual knowledge on how to succeed in the job market.

MARC West case managersEmail is a very effective form of directly communicating. Here are the email addresses of the case managers for MARC West: Yu Cheung Shum ycshum@marc-inc.org Rhiannon Wiegel rwiegel@marc-inc.org Margo Klassy mklassy@marc-inc.org Kim Gobrecht kgobrecht@marc-inc.org Agnes Meier ameier@marc-inc.org

MARC RAC/RESYoung visitors bring moments of joy and learningOn May 2, Hilary Nguyens kindergarten class from Leopold Elementary School visited MARC-RAC and MARC South. The students are dual-language learners and they entertained us with songs in Spanish. Together, students and clients participated in an art project, designing people like planters with grass seed for hair. The clients are excited to watch the daily progress of hair growth in the planters. The students also amazed us at how much they have learned about two digit numbers this year as they participated in Bingo with clients. Students needed little assistance and were able to help clients find their numbers. The highlight of the bingo game was watching as people received a prize. Everyone had an enjoyable afternoon. MARC thanks the Leopold staff and students for sharing their time with us.

A renewal of life to honor a friend who has passed

This year, the RAC decided to plant the raised flower bed in honor of Eva, a client that passed away in April. She was a warm person, with whom everyone in the RAC enjoyed being. In her honor, the clients planted the flowers in the shape of a heart. The flowers were donations from Wal-Mart and the Sun Prairie High School greenhouse program. The clients are excited for the garden to fill in, but for now they are enjoying watering it.

Find MARC online and learn more about our services. Visit www.marc-inc.org

The Project SEARCH class of 2013-14 enjoyed welcoming the summer with a splash! Organized by Dr. Eileen Ahearn, the business liaison for the VA Hospital, all of the students participated in a water balloon fight on the hospital grounds. It was fun for all. Who knew Eileen had such a good throwing arm?

MARC Mt. Horeb

In Mt. Horeb, we are collecting and recycling galvanized livestock watering troughs to be made into raised bed gardens to allow MARC participants to use their gardening skills in an accessible way. We are growing flowers, vegetables, and herbs in troughs donated by local farmers. They will be painted in fun summer colors and everyone can participate in the growing and harvesting. MARC out and about. American Familys United Way panel (L to R): Gary Jordan, life services manager; Anita Short, MARC board member; Jack Salzwedel , CEO; Cesar Pinzon, life company sales director; Brad Bodden , agentMichael Steinhauer, MARCs director of job and fund development, has been selected by the University of Phoenix as the Outstanding Faculty of Year. Michael teaches health care management for the universityRussell King, MARCs executive director, represented MARC at the American Family United Way awareness event.

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