Celebrate with Innovative Services NW.
Each year Innovative Services presents Caring Heart Awards to individuals, groups, organizations, or businesses that embody the spirit of serving the needs of children, adults, and families with disabilities or other disadvantages in our community. This year’s Caring Heart Award recipients will be recognized at Innovative Services NW’s new spring event, the Fiesta of Caring Hearts Celebration. The event will be held on Friday, May 4, 2012, 5:30 PM at the Red Lion Inn at the Quay in Vancouver (100 Columbia Street).
The Fiesta of Caring Hearts event is a celebration of Cinco de Mayo weekend, with festive music and entertainment, appetizers, dinner, silent auction, and Salsa dance lessons. Rod Hill, KGW Meteorologist will be M.C. for the event and the program will include: the Caring Heart Awards presentation, inspirational stories from program participants, and the opportunity to support Innovative Services NW’s life-changing programs. Casual festive attire is recommended, and the event is open to the public.
The 2012 Caring Heart Awards will be presented in three categories: Carol Springer to be honored with the 2012 EveAnn Classen Caring Heart Award. The EveAnn Classen Caring Heart Award is presented to a recipient who makes a difference in the lives of local children who are disabled/disadvantaged or who defines service to local families as an example for others to follow. This award is in memory of former Innovative Services NW Board Chair, EveAnn Classen. Carol Springer has been a foster parent to 653 foster children here in Southwest Washington over the past 37 years. Carol also has three biological children and three children that she adopted. Some of the foster children were with her for a brief time, while others have stayed in her care for several years. Many of the children Carol fosters are medically fragile, have developmental disabilities, and/or other special needs. Carol has frequently utilized many of the services offered by Innovative’s Pediatric Therapy and the Supervised Visitation Programs. It’s not uncommon for Carol to drive over 100 miles a day to get the children to all of their special needs appointments and visitation with their biological parents. She has cared for many newborns, picking them up from the hospital when parents were unable to take them home and care for them. She has also been instrumental in connecting stable families in her acquaintance with “adoptable” children, resulting in several successful adoptions. Carol is 69 years young, and she says she wants to continue to provide foster care, especially for medically fragile children. Carol is a remarkable, yet very humble woman and says that she can’t imagine not caring for children; “It’s never boring and so many foster kids need a place where they feel safe and cared for.”
C-Tran to be honored with the 2012 Employment Caring Heart Award. The Employment Caring Heart Award is presented to a recipient who provides jobs, overcomes employment barriers, or is an outstanding example of an exceptional employee. C-Tran has employed a total of four participants from Innovative Services NW’s Employment Services Program, over the last 18 years. They not only provide jobs, fair wages and benefits for individuals with disabilities, but they provide support to help individuals overcome any difficulties they may be having on the job. They have a designated employee who is in charge of the C-Tran’s supported employees, who works closely with each participant and their job coach from Innovative. Each disabled adult deserves the opportunity to have meaningful employment. Many adults with disabilities and disadvantages may be considered unemployable, without the opportunity to work in jobs with supported employment, such as those at C-Tran. Working individuals with disabilities also pay taxes, and they are less of an economic drain on the system. In addition, the quality of life for all citizens is increased when the community embraces diversity by including individuals with all ability levels in the workplace. In addition, many individuals with disabilities in our community rely on C-Tran for their transportation needs.
Andrus Family Fund to be honored with the 2012 Community Advocacy Caring Heart Award. The Community Advocacy Caring Heart Award is presented to a recipient who advocates for, or provides comprehensive support and resources to, vulnerable youth. The Andrus Family Fund, an endeavor of the Surdna Foundation of New York, NY has provided funding, coaching and support to Innovative Services NW’s Transitions Program since 2006. Innovative’s Transitions program currently serves youth, 15 to 24 years of age, who have been or who are currently in foster care. Andrus has given $600,000 over the last six years so that the Transitions program could provide social emotional skill building, life planning, and self-advocacy training to more than 375 foster youth here in Clark County. The program also assists youth in accessing resources in the areas of employment, education and housing support. Not only has the Andrus Family Fund provided financial support for the Transitions Program, they have provided training, coaching and mentoring to program staff. This year the Andrus Family Fund grant provided funds to build a model of collaborative partnerships for a Foster Youth Continuum of Care, in order to continue enhancing services that encourage and promote independence and self-sufficiency for foster youth in Clark County. The overall goal is to provide improved coordination of services and a shared network of information between foster youth continuum providers, and to track the network’s success with agreed upon measurement tools. The Andrus Family Fund was established in 2000 to give fifth generation Andrus family members between the ages of 25 and 45 an opportunity to learn about and participate in organized philanthropy. Specifically, they aspire to advance efforts leading to community reconciliation and improving outcomes for youth.
Cost to attend the event is $55.00 per person. To make reservations, or for more information visit the Fiesta of Caring Hearts event at Innovative Services NW. Innovative Services NW is a Vancouver-based nonprofit that provides a variety of programs and services for the community. The organization’s mission is to provide quality services for all children, adults with disabilities/disadvantages and families. We are dedicated to providing opportunities to maximize each individual’s highest potential while promoting respect and acceptance of human diversity; sensitivity to individual and family needs; and inclusion in a nurturing, community supported environment.
