Stories from

From Carol Grasso:

Hi everyone, May 9th we are having a Birthday Party for the Aunnal Dinner for the Peace Garden.  Former Miss Teen New York State Corin Stellakis will be our guest speaker this year. The dinner is at Terry Hills Restarant 5:00pm cocktails and dinner at 6:00pm. $25.00 per ticket. Please call if you would like to go.585-343-1027. We are honoring Kathy Jasinski, Rob Borroughs, Kelly Rapone,and Potters Lumber Yard,( Mary Dix). Hope to see you there. Mark your calendars!!

Press release:

WNY Independent Living, Inc., wants feedback from youth and young adults 14-24 years of age with mental /behavioral health problems and their parents and educators.

Focus groups are wanted that are comprised of individuals with a “behavioral health” diagnosis, parents of youth/young adults with mental/behavioral health challenges and/or educational service providers/teachers who work with youth/young adults. These focus groups are focused on areas which include disability, developmental/mental health challenges, substance abuse/use, trauma, eating disorders, and environmental disabilities, etc. Focus groups are available to youth/young adults, parents, teachers and service providers.
 
Each focus group is looking to create a report which shows stakeholders (youth/young adults, parents and services providers) feel is needed in Western New York to support youth/young adults with mental health/behavioral health needs, parents/caregivers, and education/service providers. Through the overall outcome of the focus groups, WNY Independent Living's goal is to create programs and services which will close gaps in current behavioral health services, training, and information to provide to youth/young adults, families and educators within the WNY community.
 
The focus groups can be set up at any location or WNY Independent Living, Inc., can provide a location in Lockport, Niagara Falls, Buffalo and Batavia. The focus group takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours to complete. We greatly appreciate input as it will create long term outcomes and goals to assist transition age youth/young adults in need of support while attending and remain in high school, transitioning to college or work in being successful and sustaining employment down the road.

Our goal is also to divert youth in high school from dropping out, based on mental health/behavioral
health challenges and needs.
 
If interested in being part of a focus group to design new and inventive future services please contact Lynnette Torgalski at (716) 836-0822, ext.154, or e-mail at ltorgalski@wnyil.org, or Chris Hoff at (716) 836-0822, ext.103, e-mail at choff@wnyil.org.

GO ART! Workshop -- "Eavesdropping on the Writing Life"

Join author Joe Langen for a look into the magical and mysterious world of writing.

This program will be presented at GO ART! Center Seymour Place, 201 E. Main St., Batavia, at 1 p.m. on Saturday April 18.

He is a retired psychologist and has written for publication since 1990. He started writing a biweekly column which appears in the The Daily News in Batavia on alternate Saturdays. He has published two collections of columns, "Commonsense Wisdom for Everyday Life" and "Navigating Life: Commonsense Reflections for the Voyage."

He has written a memoir of his nine years in a Catholic seminary and monastery, "Young Man of the Cloth," which took place during the turbulent and exciting years of change for the Catholic Church.

He wondered about the many abusive priests who were in the seminary at the same time he was. He explored this topic in "The Pastor’s Inferno," a novel about an abusive priest coming to terms with his abuse. There do not appear to be in print any other books which explore the mind of an abusive priest.

He recently published Release Your Stress and Reclaim Your Life, a self help book which explores the nature of stress, where it comes from, how it affects your body, mind, feelings and soul. He details physical, mental, emotional and spiritual approaches to dealing with stress and also considers the future of stress.

He is currently completing a self help book for teens, "Navigating Your Teen Years: Tips for the Voyage." This book is based on the author’s 35 years of working with teens and their families as well as interviews with teens in Genesee and Monroe counties.

All of his books have been self-published. He will discuss his joys and challenges in seeking publication for his work. He will also share selections from his writings. If you have wondered what it would be like to publish your own work or just want to understand a little more about what it is like to be a writer, please join us for a taste of the writing life.

Read more about Joe Langen’s writing at www.slidingotter.com

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is pleased to announce that David Wolcott, of Batavia, was recently initiated into Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Wolcott was initiated at Ithaca College.

Wolcott is among approximately 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors, having at least 72 semester hours, are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff, and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline honor society. The Society has chapters on more than 300 college and university campuses in North America and the Philippines. Its mission is "To recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others."

More About Phi Kappa Phi

Since its founding, more than 1.25 million members have been initiated. Some of the organization's more notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, novelist David Baldacci and YouTube cofounder Chad Hurley. The Society has awarded approximately $15 million since the inception of its awards program in 1932. Today, more than $1 million is awarded each biennium to qualifying students and members through graduate fellowships, undergraduate study abroad grants, member and chapter awards and grants for local and national literacy initiatives. For more information, visit www.phikappaphi.org

Ascension Parish will host the Fruit of the Vine Wine Tasting Fun Raiser ™ on Sunday, April 25th from 5-8 p.m.

This year the event is open to the general public and for adults 21 years of age and older (proper identification is required). This event will feature premium Finger Lakes wines handcrafted by Eagle Crest and O-Neh-Da Vineyards of Hemlock Lake.

Hors d'oeuvres along with assorted cheeses and crackers will be served. A classical guitar ensemble will accompany the evening’s festivities along with works of art by local artist Carole LaValley. All proceeds benefit Ascension Parish.

The cost of the event is $25 per person or $26.75 online at ascensionrcc.weshareonline.org

Ascension Parish
19 Sumner St.
Batavia, NY 14020
Phone:  585-343-1796
Fax:  585-343-0919
office@ascensionrcc.com

Join the Genesee County Master Gardeners on Wednesday, April 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. to learn about creating a cutting garden. Cut flowers are not difficult to grow and the range of flowers is diverse; from annuals, perennials, bulbs and herbs to shrubs and even ground covers!

Learn the basics to planning, growing, cutting and conditioning fresh flowers for cutting. When planning your gardens why not think about incorporating plants that can be dried and are perfect for arrangements, wreaths and decor!  We will also look at the various plants and flowers you can grow and dry to make simple and beautiful arrangements.

This class will be held at the Genesee County Cornell Cooperative Extension at 420 E. Main St., Batavia. Cost is $10 per person. Pre-registration is requested by April 13 as class size is limited. Contact Brandie at 585-343-3040, ext. 101, or stop by our office to register. Visit our Web site at: http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/events for more information.

Back by popular demand, the Color Me Rad 5K, a nationally recognized human tie-dye spectacle and run/walk, is returning to Darien Lake for a third year. The park expects more than 6,000 color-plastered racers to attend this year’s fun-run.

It will take place from 9 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 6. Participants with early bird registration (until May 8) pay $35 plus a $9.27 service fee. On-site registration is $45 plus a $9.81 service fee. A Kid's Rad Pack is $15 plus a $4.19 service fee. All participants get free admission to the park on race day. Parking is free.

Proceeds from the run will go to Special Olympics of New York, Camp Good Days and Special Times, and Erie County Council for the Prevention of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. There are several new additions to the race this year, including:

DOUBLE THE COLOR STATIONS -- It’s the same 3.1-mile fun run with twice as many color stations. That means every half a mile our volunteer Color Bomb Squads will cover you from head to toe in pink, yellow, green, blue, and violet.

NEW GEL COLOR STATIONS -- Meet the newest member of the family that will RAD you from head to toe, with a cooling sensation and full coverage of spectacular colors.

FREE PHOTOS -- This year, every RAD participant will have access to free photos from our professional action sports photographers so you can brag about your RAD experience without spending a dime.

We’ve stepped up our game this year – offering every participant our best T-shirts yet and a famous RAD tattoo, but you’ll also receive a pair of killer knee-high socks for free!

Registration for the run/walk is now open at www.Colormerad.com

Darien Lake is offering weekend packages for Color Me Rad participants, which include discounts on select lodging options – hotel, cabins, RVs, and campsites, $50 in-park credit, and $12 in “Games Bucks.”

Visit www.DarienLake.com for more information on package options and to book a stay.

Press release:

Are you currently disabled? Have you lost your ability to work full-time based on a new disability? Have you been receiving SSI or SSDI and want to work part-time, but are afraid to lose your benefits?

Many individuals with disabilities fear that work activity will result in an immediate loss of benefits through SSI /SSDI and/or loss of health insurance through Medicaid or Medicare. WNY Independent Living, Inc., as a family of agencies, offers a benefits advisement program to individuals with disabilities throughout Western New York.

This service is designed to assist people with any disability (i.e. physical, learning, intellectual, sight, hearing, mental health and/or co-occurring disabilities) to obtain or maintain government benefits in order to manage their disability through financial and medical support.

If you or a loved one have questions regarding disability benefits, working while on benefits/ social security work incentives, and/or returning to work after being classified and disability, WNY Independent Living’s benefits advisement program can assist with applying for the programs available.

The Benefits Advisement Program provides information to potential beneficiaries regarding the following areas: disability benefits (SSDI, SSI and others); applying and maintaining benefits; finding and continuing employment; working while on benefits; interest in learning about available Social Security work incentives such as, “Trial Work Period, EPE, EXR, IRWEs, etc.” If you are unfamiliar with these terms, they will be discussed at the advisement meeting, if related to the disability or eligibility for benefits.

The Benefits Advisement Program is available to assist in understanding an individual’s disabling condition, determined and apply, if eligible, and explore potential work opportunities through available work incentives and support the applying individuals to overcome fear of employment and explain the opportunities, without negative financial impact to the household. Our agency can keep you informed of all available work incentives, employment options for individuals receiving Social Security disability or Social Security insurance, while developing a plan for long-term supports that may be needed.

For more information, or to sign up for your first benefits advisement program, please call Andrea at (585) 815-8501 (Genesee Region), 716-836-0822 (Erie County), or 716-284-4131 (Niagara County), ext. 412, or e-mail: adevault@wnyil.org

Within the past year, the WNYIL family of agencies has saved New York State taxpayers over $71 million by helping individuals to leave and avoid institutionalization. We have been practicing the principles of education, empowerment and equality for persons with disabilities for over 30 years.