2010 Event Schedule
| April 1, 8, 15 and 22 |
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Discovery Garden: Tom Ford Horticultural Classes |
| May 15 |
| Discovery Garden Plant Sale |
| May 19 |
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Candlelight Vigil Ebensburg Courthouse |
| May 26 |
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Candlelight Vigil Bellefonte Courthouse |
| June 1 |
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Registration Deadline: E.F. Houser Golf Tournament |
| June 17 |
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Skills 50th Anniversary Celebration Penn Stater Conference Center |
| July 12 |
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5th Annual E.F. Houser Golf Tournament Elks Country Club, Boalsburg Registration deadline: June 1, 2010 |
| July 20 |
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Recycling Night with the Spikes Medlar Field, State College |
| September 12 |
| Discovery Garden 10th Anniversary |
| November 13 |
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Tailgate Party & Silent Auction Penn State v. Ohio State |
Skills Celebrates 50 Years of Service
This year marks our 50th as Skills continues its mission to create opportunities and provide support for people who need specialized services. Our employees continue to rise to the occasion of meeting the varied needs of the populations that we provide services for. In addition, our employees are always willing to move in a new or different direction, open to the changing philosophies and new ideas in the human services field.
Our continual growth has not just been from the addition of new programs but more so from the growth in all of our programs and services. For example, we have placed more than 500 people in community jobs through our Employment Services Program in Centre County alone. We offer a wide range of services and programming options in order to fulfill the needs of everyone who we serve or might possibly serve one day.
Roots in Reupholstering
John Norris re-covers a chair at Skills Huntingdon workshop.
Skills furniture reupholstering began in Bellefonte with the very first people who attended Skills 50 years ago. Later the upholstering workshop moved to Huntingdon to increase its work space.
Reupholstering is one of the oldest forms of recycling. The adage “They do not make it like they used to” includes furniture.
Skills is able to continue this work today because of the quality of work put into each piece and the dedication of the staff and individuals who do the work. A team of three men do the work. Ed Campbell, upholstery instructor, brought his expertise to Skills about 10 years ago. Campbell is in charge of quality control, estimates, cutting the fabric, training individuals, and overseeing all projects. Client-workers Ed Stall and John Norris complete the Team. Stall removes the old coverings; Norris recovers all of the pieces.
Ed Stall removes old coverings at Skills Huntingdon workshop.
Skills Reupholstery Team does regular work for the Philadelphia Convention Center and South Mountain Rehabilitation Center. Skills also does reupholstering for VFWs and anyone else who wants their furniture reupholstered. Skills has done work for Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University, Penn State University, and local hospitals.
Skills reupholsters just about anything — from antiques to modern furniture — including sofas, chairs, love seats, and even boat seats. In-home estimates, pick up and delivery available.
Have something that needs reupholstered? Call Ed Campbell to schedule an estimate Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 814-643-2310.
The Journey to Become a Person Centered Organization
There is something to be said about putting yourself into someone else’s shoes.
Skills PCO philosophy enabled Jerry Valimont to move into the country home he desired.Over the last few decades our society began changing its thinking about people with disabilities and the way services are delivered to them. Our society started a transformation from a system dictating lives to one of individuals choosing their own lives.
In 1998, Skills adopted the Person Centered Thinking developed by experts Michael Smull, Bill Allen, and Mary Lou Bourne. Over this past year, all Skills staff in Blair County as well as all executive staff came together for training on becoming a Person Centered Organization (PCO). Skills staff members attended monthly meetings and underwent training to be coaches. Coaches help teams for individuals find out what each individual really likes and wants in their life then help guide teams to make decisions based on the individual’s choices.
Skills goal is to become a PCO, initially in Blair County, and to improve the lives of the people we serve whether in residential or day programs. Skills mission has always been to enhance the lives of the people we serve and give them every opportunity we can. Now Skills is taking it one step further — having the people we serve be the authors of their own lives. This is not an easy step to take; state regulations, doctors, hospitals and other agencies need to be on board with this philosophy.
To accomplish this goal, Skills included training opportunities for county support coordinators and state representatives from the Office of Developmental Programs. Skills is offering this training to other counties. In Novemebr 2009, Skills held a two-day training in State College (Centre County) for Skills employees and county support coordinators about this philosophy. The journey to becoming a person centered organization is underway, thanks to Blair County, and spreading throughout the agency. Skills goal is eventually to become a PCO throughout all of our 17 counties.
Environmentally Friendly Place Mats
Improvements to the placemat cutter by Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) triples productivity.Skills of Central PA, Inc. has been making place mats out of recycled, biodegradable paper for over 10 years. The Deli, a restaurant in downtown State College, has been a loyal supporter of this project by purchasing Skills recycled place mats. Hotel State College also uses Skills recycled place mats in Bill Pickles Tap Room Restaurant & Bar. This project is both good for our environment and supports individuals with disabilities by providing valuable work.
Jay Shawley cuts placemats from recycled paper at Skills.Individuals who attend WOSKOB Vocational Training Services in Centre County earn a paycheck to make the place mats. Until now, client-workers had been using a home-made cutting contraption that could only cut two place mats at a time.
Thanks to Penn State University Students and the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS), Skills now has a newly refurbished place mat cutter that can produce six place mats at a time — tripling production with one cut! Tim Wheeler, research assistant for the Department of Electrical Engineering, is the program coordinator. Matt Cornwell, Penn State mechanical engineering student in the EPICS program, designed and built the new place mat cutter for Skills.
The EPICS program at Penn State gives engineering students the opportunity to use their developing skills for the community. Students put what they have learned into play to help agencies like Skills solve everyday problems, which in our case helped Skills increase production to better serve our customers.
Interested in purchasing Skills recycled placemats for your restaurant or business? If so, please call Gina Montgomery at 814-329-4026 for details.
Green (and Not-So-Green) Thumbs Wanted
Tom Ford will once again offer his free gardening classes for Discovery Garden volunteers.Tom Ford, Master Gardener, offers four free gardening classes during the month of April for people who are willing to commit 18 hours per week to help maintain the Discovery Garden in Hollidaysburg Borough. To sign up for this free course, call Hollidaysburg Borough at 814-695-7543.
The Discovery Garden is a project of The Skills Foundation, which supports Skills of Central Pennsylvania, Inc., a private, nonprofit human service organization committed to creating opportunities and providing support for individuals who need specialized services to acquire the necessary skills and experiences to participate in all aspects of personal and community life with dignity and respect.
