On Wed, November 24th, 2021, members and staff enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving luncheon prepared by staff and members.

Roasted Turkey, Stuffing,

Mashed Potatoes

w/ Gravy

Mixed Vegetables

Dinner Roll w/ Butter

Dessert

Beverage

THANKSGIVING ACTIVITY SCHEDULE

8:00 am Greetings, Put away belongings,
*Member Personal Needs Assessment/Changes
In-house Exercise (Nerf-ball toss, circle kickball, dance, etc.)

9:00 am Music, Group Activities (Socially Distanced) / Games,
Helpers to Kitchen for Last Menu Item Food Prep,
Start Food Warm Up / Set-Up Food & Beverage Tables

9:30 am Morning Refreshments / ISP programs as appropriate

10:00 am Movies (member vote and appropriate for DTA viewing)
Popcorn, Holiday Arts & Crafts

11:30 am (Staff to begin setting up for lunch in program areas – Arrange
Seating and Holiday Deco, etc.)

11:45 am Wash Hands, Be Seated at program area tables,
DSP IIs to collect food/drinks & take to assigned program areas

12:05 pm Thanksgiving Message from David B.

12:10 pm Enjoy Sit-down Meal in Program Areas.

1:00 pm Oral Hygiene, *MPNA’s, continue In-house Movie
Available staff begin clean-up, package/put away leftovers.

2:00 pm ISP programs, Arts & Crafts, Member Vote Activities / Games

2:30 pm Afternoon Refreshments, member choice of activities

3:00 pm MPNAs, continue ISP Programs, games, activities, etc.

3:30 pm Begin cleanup, final MPNAs, gather belongings, prepare for departure

• MPNA’s hourly and / or as needed throughout the program day. *
  ISP programs continue as required per individual plan.

Christmas Holiday was Celebrated on Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Our center was closed from Thursday through Sunday so members and staff could enjoy time off with their families.

Our Executive Director, David Brieno, got to be Santa for the day!

Christmas Holiday Activity Schedule

8:00 am Greetings! Put away belongings. In house Exercise (Nerf-ball toss, Circle kickball, ROM)

9:00 am Music, Sing-Along Songs, Group Activities (remember to socially distance!)

10:00 am Holiday Arts & Crafts- Let your creativity shine!

10:45 am Put away projects. Clean Tables, Staff to begin setting up for lunch

11:15 am Wash hands, be seated at program area tables.

11:30 am Holiday Message from Executive Director

11:45 am Enjoy Sit-down Meal & Holiday Music in Assigned Program Areas

12:30 pm Clear Tables, Choice of In-house Movie & Individual Activities

1:15 pm Oral Hygiene, *MPNA’s continue in-house movie

2:15 pm Afternoon Refreshments, Music, Elves to give out member gifts

2:45 pm MPNAs Finish ISP programs, Member Choice of Group Activities/Games

3:30 pm Begin cleanup, Gather belongings, Prepare for departure

Our winning streak continues at our annual local state fair. 4 program areas entered and ALL 4 took FIRST PLACE! Congratulations to all the members and staff for creating and submitting such wonderful entries. All of the entries were placed into various categories of Home Arts.

2021 was another great year for Halloween fun and festivities at Independence Plus! Wonderful activities and menu planned. Members assisted whenever possible. Various arts crafts including decorating pumpkins and making skeleton cut outs.

IPI HALLOWEEN SCHEDULE!

8:00 am – 9:00 am      Greetings!  Member Personal Needs Assessment (hourly),

Put away belongings, begin routine morning activities, Exercise, and ISP programs as usual        

9:00 am – 10:00 am    Music, Arts & Crafts, Decorate Pumpkins (each program area)

10:00 am – 11:00 am  Offer Water / ISP Programs / Individual Activity

11:00 am – 11:15 am  Member Costume Contest – DSPs to vote

11:15 am – 11:30 am  Clean Tables, Wash Hands, Setup for Lunch 

11:30 am – 1:00 pm    Lunch in Program Areas – DSP IIs gather meals in order:

  1) Sahuaro, 2) Ocotillo, 3) Cholla, 4) Juniper/Yucca

                       Member vote for appropriate movie or educational video

1:00 pm – 1:15 pm      Clean-up, begin Oral Hygiene, continue movie;

                                   Staff Costume Contest – Admin to vote

1:15 pm – 2:30 pm      Member vote for appropriate activities/games in program areas (Virtual Haunted House Tour, Monster Dance, Bingo, Checkers, Ring Toss, In-house Bowling, Connect Four, etc.)

*** Reminder for Social Distancing ***        

2:30 pm – 3:15 pm      Offer Water / Continue ISP Programs / Individual Activity

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm      Sweep, clean, wash any dishes or containers used

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm      Last-minute MPNAs, Gather Belongings,

Prepare for Van Departures

*Note:  This is a regular program day – MPNAs are done hourly,

member ISP programs continue throughout the day as appropriate*

PROGRAM LUNCH MENU FOR TODAY!

Sloppy Joe Sand-Witches

Frightful French Fries

Creepy Side Salad w/

Choice of Mummy Dressing

Green Goblin Punch

Cemetery Worm Cake

Today’s festivities included delicious Hawaiian food, crafts, and games! Many members helped with the set up of either food or games. It was a fun day for everybody!

Crafts consisted of coloring as well as creating paper pineapples and making hulu skirts out of streamers. Delicious food enjoyed by everybody! Game seen here is bean bag toss.

Here is the bulletin boards done by staff and members in Juniper! Independence Plus celebrated Easter this past Friday on April 2, 2021.

Here were the day’s events for Juniper program area.

Hoping your Easter was a ‘hoppy’ one too!

Wed March 17th was a great day to celebrate St Patrick’s day at Independence Plus.  Decorated bulletin boards, delicious food, and art & crafts kept everyone busy and having fun.

Click here to see today’s activity schedule!   St Patrick’s Day 2021 Activity Schedule

Today we celebrate G.O.’s birthday.  She wanted a birthday cake that was an elephant and purple.  And here it is!!

On February 13 members got to participate in celebrating Valentine’s Day.  Members  helped tidy up the kitchen and get food ready.  In the afternoon various arts and crafts were completed in each of our program areas.  Later in the afternoon interested members participated in a Valentine card exchange.  As usual bulletin boards were beautifully decorated in the program areas.

Click here to see the Valentine Activity Schedule

What an enjoyable day our members had this wonderful Friday at Independence Plus!    They got to enjoy food from the following cultures:  Italy, Mexico, and France.  Food such as lasagna, salad and croissants, and Tres Leches cake.  For Arts and Crafts they created artwork of dragons and made fans.  Several rooms also participated in the Mexican Lottery (same as American Bingo).  Prizes consisted of small Mexican horse pinata and a rose that lights up in multi-colors.  Thanks so much to our staff that helped create and organize this activity.

For list of activities please click here: 2021CultureDiversityActivitySchedule

 Independence Plus  

 “Serving the Special Needs of Arizona

  3150 N 35th Avenue, Ste 2  Phoenix, AZ  85017  www.indplus.org  (602) 484-7610

      A Message from the Executive Director

Greetings friends of Independence Plus!

Some things are supposed to be funny and some things are not.  Such is the vandalism cloud that has been casting shadows on our agency.  While vandalism has occurred off and on for many years, these past 8 months have been off the charts.  Stealing gas, puncture of the gas tank itself, cut fuel lines, stolen batteries, and removing catalytic converters are the main damage that has been done to us.  Cameras do catch some images but no clear facial shots.  Police reports are submitted on a timely basis to hopefully beef up patrol during the night.

However, I am the eternal optimist.  I try to see the good in everything.  Independence Plus is looking for a nearby warehouse or fenced yard to park our vans.  If anyone knows of space available, please call me and I will look into the location.

Our 7th Annual Bowl-a-thon will be on May 16th 2020.  You do NOT need to attend or bowl to be involved.  You can collect pledges or donations for our cause. Highest donor wins a large award winning/signed fine art canvas print.  You gain the satisfaction of knowing the support you have provided Independence Plus! Enrollment sheet is included with this newsletter.  If you do attend, it is great exercise and so much fun.  Just ask anybody who has attended one of our previous bowl-a-thons!

VALENTINES DAY 2020

10:00 – 11:00 am      Volunteer Cupids to Kitchen:  Food Prep   11:30 – 12:30 PM:  Member Valentine Lunch in Program Areas:  In-house Movie chosen by vote- popcorn and dessert served during the movie  2:00 – 2:30PM:  Finish projects, Cleanup, Set up for next activity  2:30 – 3:30 PM:  Valentine Dance in Jupiter, Photo Booth in Yucca, Volley Balloon Toss in Ocotillo, Bean Bag Tic-Tac-Toe in Cholla, Karaoke in Sahuaro  3:30-4:30PM:  Member Valentine card exchange (if desired)

Arizona Gives Day returns on April 7, 2020.  24 hours of giving benefits our local nonprofits and strengthens our community.  The event will inspire people to give generously.  PLEASE MAKE INDEPENDENCE PLUS ONE OF YOUR PRIORITIES.  Do not forget:  receive up to $400 Arizona state dollar for dollar tax credit per individual or $800 for married couple (filing jointly) when you donate by tax time.  Donate $400 by April 15, 2020 and you can still receive $400 dollar for dollar tax credit on AZ State taxes for 2019 (or apply it towards your 2020 tax return).  Go to ‘azgives.org’, enter ‘Independence Plus, Inc’ in box next to ‘Find Your Cause’ and then you can make your donation.  You can also donate directly to our agency by going to ‘indplus.org’ and paying via Paypal.  Just click on ‘Donate’ button.  Thanks!

Welcome to Our New Members!*

Deandre

Jesus

*Only Members with Photo Release can be included in our newsletters

Recently we received grant money from the Allstate Foundation in the amount of $500.  This will help pay our portion of the Section 5310 grant by the federal government for a new 2020 Ford Transit van with wheelchair lift.  THANK YOU ALLSTATE FOUNDATION!!

Our 7th Annual Bowl-a-thon will be on Saturday, May 16th.  Every year the bowl-a-thon grows and brings in more money for our organization.  Come jon the fun and help Independence Plus to continue its great programs!  Participant who brings in the most pledge money gets an original signed large fine art photo canvas print.  You do not need to physically bowl to win this grand prize.  Just go out and ask family members and friends to donate to our cause.  On the day of the event, you turn in your pledge sheet and monies collected or have someone else turn it in for you.  Or turn it in the day before at the center to Dr. Greg.  Plenty of door prizes will be handed out during the bowl-a-thon.  When everyone is finished bowling their 2 games, $75 cash prize will be awarded to erson with the highest score.  $25 cash prize goes to person bowling second highest score.  Winner for 50-50 raffle will also be picked.  You do not need to participate or be in attendance at the bowl-a-thon to participate in the 50-50 raffle.  Good luck everybody!

Unfortunately due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Bowl-a-thon was cancelled.  As soon as we can set a new date, we will let everyone know!

Some of our beautiful holiday bulletin boards created by members and staff.