 | News & Events |
Online Opportunity to Hear Wolfensburger and Thomas 2-Day Lecture on the History of Treatment of People with Disabilities
August 12/2009
The Minnesota Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities has posted online a two day presentation given at Millersville University in 1998 by Wolf Wolfensberger and Susan Thomas. This online presentation is the result of a cooperative agreement with Professor Wolfensberger, Betsy Neuville from Keystone Human Services and Thomas Neuville from Millersville University in Pennsylvania. The link is http://www.mnddc.org/wolfensberger/index.html
"Here is the story of the ancient origin and Odyssey of human services to the present, concentrated, distilled, spun with indelible meaning, unique insights, and withering indictments, that deliver what for most is just the way it is. But, for the self-conscious member of our "polis", the citizen student, the instinctive change agent, the role model aspirant for the humanization of all our lives ? these rare, rare teachings are without equal. Here the truths Wolf presents give us the possibility of genuine choices, freedom from the past tyrannies, to invent, to live into a completely different present and future of our conscious, value based design. Wolf Wolfensberger has no peer in gathering and offering this cultural and historical story and its challenges. This encyclopedic set of timeless lectures and inspired teaching will change your fundamental understanding of how things really are and work in society ... and ... will change your life if you are willing to use the X-ray vision he bestows on us." William Bronston, MD Carmichael, CA November 2008
Tim Dack and Nancy Pollex - Volunteers Par Excellence!
June 2009
Lanark Community Programs nominated Mr. Timothy Dack for an Ontario Volunteer Service Award in recognition of his 20 years of continuous fundraising on behalf of one of our programs, The Lanark County Therapeutic Riding Program. As a rider in the program Tim has progressed from having his horse led and a support person on either side to being the gold medal winner this past summer at the Ontario ParaSport Summer Games in Toronto.
However, Tim's excellence goes beyond his riding. Our Riding Program is entirely dependent on fund raising and it is in this realm that Tim's volunteer efforts go beyond gold! For the first ten years of his involvement Tim sold raffle tickets, assisted in obtaining donations for our auction, helped with fund raisers such as dinners, dances and musical events and with Ride-a-Thons. Ten years ago Tim began to specialize in gathering Ride-a-Thon pledges. In these ten years Tim has raised over $55,000 in funds, each year achieving a higher amount. In 2007 and 2008 these amounts were each well in excess of $8,000. Such an achievement would be outstanding from anyone but in Tim's case these donations are often gathered in $1 or $2 amounts as he canvases his home town of Almonte and surrounding area.
Tim's canvassing is done on an adult tricycle as he suffers from a rare form of hydrocephaly and is legally blind (Tim has only 5% and 3% vision in each of his eyes).
In addition, Tim has severe scoliosis and has during these years endured extensive surgeries. At times Tim has his pledge sheets by his hospital bed-side table and has been known to canvas while attached to a portable IV unit.
Tim's unparalleled efforts to support the Therapeutic Riding Program have inspired the Riding Program to annually present the Tim Dack Fundraising Award to another fellow fundraiser. In 2008 at the Ontario championships Tim was awarded the Shoppers Drug Mart Award of Merit for his ceaseless fundraising efforts.
Tim's parents, Glenn and Phyllis Dack, often say Tim is a miracle because he has survived the many medical surgeries and complications in his life. To us he is a hero because of the inspiration which his giving extends to all in our community.
We would like the province of Ontario to salute his twenty years of exemplary fundraising for the benefit of our riders and our community. We proudly present to you, Mr Timothy Dack - our nominee and winner of the twenty year Ontario Volunteer Service Award.
Lanark Community Programs also nominated Ms. Nancy Pollex for an Ontario Volunteer Service Award in recognition of her 30 continuous years of volunteer work for Lanark Community Programs.
Each year since our beginning in the Spring of 1979 Nancy has gathered and/or made toys or articles of clothing to be quietly distributed at Christmas time to economically vulnerable children and disabled adults we serve. The area served by our agency is Lanark County - a county which has lost its traditional agriculture and manufacturing base. We are rural and so, in addition, isolation, lack of services and poverty affect many of our clients.
Nancy has performed miracles consistently each year in her transformation of second hand dolls and bears into toys of such appeal and beauty. She is a shopper par excellence at spotting drastic price reductions. Much that she donates is brand new merchandise which she will have collected over the preceding year beginning on Boxing Day! She is already well started into 2009 donations. In addition, Nancy sews exquisite items and has her friends knitting, collecting and storing contributions.
If we were to purchase her contributions directly from retail outlets they would total $4,000 - $5,000 dollars each year. This year marked 30 years of such consecutive donations by Nancy for a 30 year total of over $120,000 in merchandise.
Such an incredible contribution would be outstanding from anyone but in Nancy's case it is even more remarkable in that Nancy has to contend with both mental and physical limitations. She suffers from multiple personality disorder and a myriad of physical health conditions which cause constant pain and necessitate her using a walker for mobility. Moreover, Nancy's financial resources come only from the standard Ontario Government Disability Pension.
In 2007 she was awarded Health is a Community Affair award from our local area. We think it is appropriate that in this, our 30th anniversary year our "first and still with us" volunteer be honoured by the province for her magnificent and consistent volunteer contribution.