A Word from the President
Making Connections
The longer days, warm winds and green landscapes of spring have come to symbolize growth and rebirth – and here at Keystone, they mark the return of the annual Keystone Conference. As Keystone grows in size, strength and geographic reach, the annual all-staff conference is one of the prime occasions to interact with and learn about the work of fellow Keystone employees.
The Keystone Conference is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with friends in the Keystone family and get to know new employees and agencies. For many, this year's conference marked the first opportunity to meet and talk with representatives from IMPACT Systems, Inc., our newest agency. In the course of the three-day conference, 55 IMPACT employees joined over 600 of their new colleagues – almost doubling the attendance of last year's conference! – for a series of engaging workshops and keynote speakers.
I personally look forward to the Keystone Conference as an opportunity not only to learn about new ideas that are emerging both regionally and abroad but also to share some of my own recent experiences and ideas with the entire conference. I recently returned from a compelling trip to South Africa, where as the board chairman of PAR and president of FICE-USA, I had the honor of delivering a keynote address to the National Association of Child Care Workers of South Africa (NACCW), an organization that has recently partnered with PAR in efforts associated with their Isibindi project.
Isibindi is the Zulu word for "courage," and the NACCW developed the Isibindi project as a model of care in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its ravaging effects on the children of South Africa. Through the Isibindi project, social workers train members of communities and villages to become accredited child and youth care workers. Endeavoring to prevent familial fracture in the face of the devastating effects of HIV and poverty, these workers provide care services for vulnerable and orphaned children in the children's own homes. In these child-headed households, children not only are responsible for their own survival and development but also must be responsible for supporting the rest of their family. By sustaining daily household tasks such as meal preparation, health care, life skills training and school assistance, child and youth care workers strengthen families and keep children who otherwise would be relocated to institutional settings in their own homes and communities.
As I visited various Isibindi project sites, getting to know the communities, families and dedicated volunteers and child care workers that are integral to its success, I was greatly encouraged by what I see as the heart of the Isibindi model: using the natural resources of a community to inspire and create change. The project has not only preserved child-headed family units but also has been able to provide social assistance, food security, skills development and job creation in an area that desperately needs these supports.
And as I listened to keynote speaker Ivonne Bucher at the Keystone Conference, I could not help but be struck by the complementary nature of her emphases and the things I had observed in the work of the Isibindi project. In her presentation on the social and societal challenges of aging, Ms. Bucher, the chief of staff for the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, explained that in the next 50 years, the world's population over 65 years of age will be nearly 1.5 billion, indicating that one in five people will be over 65. Clearly, aging – and how to provide care for those who are aging – is one of the great health challenges of the 21st century, in Pennsylvania, the United States and across the globe.
The concluding message of Ms. Bucher's presentation was that as human services providers, our services and programs must be responsive to the needs, tastes and preferences of diverse people and groups. The demographics of our aging community members are constantly in flux, for individuals who have lived and matured in different eras have different priorities, concerns and gifts. We need to be dynamic, prepared to change and modify our services to best promote longer, high-quality, productive and independent lives for all who we endeavor to serve.
Utilizing a community's natural resources to address its challenges, the Isibindi project presents a wonderful model of action for the new obstacles facing the United States as its citizens age. Such support systems preserve communities and families, for they not only allow people to receive support in their own homes but also allow people to serve the individuals that surround them in their daily lives. And this vision of integrative, self-sustaining communities promotes an environment in which all people are valued and contributing members of their society.
Dennis
"Let us go to the community"
Watch a video of Isibindi Child and Youth Care Workers at the King William's Town Child Care Centre, presenting their mission and message through song (4:45)
New Inside
Teeing off for KC&FS
If your favorite sound of summer is the crisp thwack of an arching drive, then the Keystone Golf Tournament will fit you to a tee!
On Monday, June 16th, join members and friends of the Keystone family at Carlisle Country Club for a wonderful opportunity to practice your putt and show off your swing for a great cause. Fellowship, fun and friendly competition[!] are par for the course.
For 26 years, the Keystone Golf Tournament has brought together friends of Keystone and members of the community to raise awareness and support for Keystone's services for children and families. Proceeds from the Keystone Golf Tournament benefit the work of Keystone Children & Family Services, whose programs – such as Capital Area Head Start, Susquehanna Service Dogs and the Keystone Center for Children and Autism – promote active and meaningful life experiences for all members of the community.
Tournament registration begins at 11:30 a.m., with a shot gun start at 1:00 p.m. Tournament cost for individual golfers is $150, or $160 for the tournament and lunch. Spaces will fill quickly, so be sure to sign up with your favorite golf partners as soon as possible! A variety of sponsorship opportunities are also available.
For more information or to sign up for the tournament, click here.
Kick it up a notch!
Outdoor concerts, backyard barbecues and neighborhood block parties: as the days get longer and the nights get warmer, the sights, sounds and tastes of summer are a welcome respite from your weekdays and workdays. If your season is still lacking spice, kick it up a notch at the Hot & Spicy International Festival!
The Steelton Borough has partnered with Keystone Residence to launch the inaugural Hot & Spicy International Festival, a free, block party-style afternoon celebration of summer fun and community in Steelton, PA. On Saturday, June 7, North Front Street in Steelton will come alive with the musical stylings of local favorites and the flavors of world cuisine, to benefit the invaluable work of Keystone Residence. Emphasizing the importance of natural supports, individuality, respect and choice, Keystone Residence supports individuals with intellectual disabilities as they cultivate life skills and develop meaningful relationships in a variety of settings, ranging from individual, private homes to agency-owned homes.
Featuring booths from restaurants, caterers, specialty food merchants and other culinary organizations, as well as offerings from local artisans and original gift vendors, the Hot & Spicy International Festival is a wonderful opportunity to get to know community craftspeople and culinary connoisseurs. Cultivate your own culinary skills at interactive events like the pizza spinning contest, and vote on your favorite spicy dish in the "People's Choice" salsa competition.
The Hot & Spicy International Festival includes activities for the whole family, including a Children's Corner and Children's Parade. A variety of local musical acts will be spicing up the festivities on two stages, culminating with headliner Green Eggs, whose funky setlist of popular covers has made them one of the region's most popular party bands. The Hot & Spicy International Festival will commence on Saturday, June 7 at noon and will end at 4:30pm.
Feature
Cartridges 4 Canines
Reduce your office clutter and turn your trash into treasure by participating in Cartridges 4 Canines, a fundraising initiative to benefit Susquehanna Service Dogs. The Keystone Partnership is partnering with Harrisburg Copiers to launch this used ink and toner cartridge drive, which channels environmental awareness to generate financial support for the significant services provided by Susquehanna Service Dogs. Individuals and companies in Central Pennsylvania can arrange for regular collection of their used inkjet and toner cartridges by Harrisburg Copiers or other Keystone volunteers, and all proceeds from the recycled cartridges will go toward the breeding, training and placement of service, hearing and therapy dogs for children and adults with disabilities.
Good to Know
Dance the Night Away
Whether you listened to the Supremes in your Skylark or Devo in your DeLorean, classic pop music has the undeniable power to define your memories – and, of course, fill the dance floor. Finding yourself nostalgic for the dance hits that can always get your toes tapping? Join KEY Service Systems for Dancing thru the Decades, a fabulous evening of fun, food and live entertainment courtesy of New England's most vivacious dance band, The Glamour Girls.
The Glamour Girls specialize in lively covers of all your favorite dance and pop chart toppers. From toe-tapping ‘60s sock hop to the swinging soul of Motown, this seven-piece band grooves on through in a dance dance evolution to ‘70s disco favorites and ‘80s pop hits. With eye-catching choreography and fun costume changes, the lovely and talented Amber, Vanessa and Racquel lead spirited renditions of classics from artists including Aretha Franklin, ABBA, The Marvelettes, Bananarama, The Bangles, Pat Benatar, Madonna and Tina Turner.
While you dance the night away at Dancing thru the Decades, you will be supporting the work of KEY Service Systems, a KHS subsidiary agency providing a range of community-based support programs for individuals with developmental disabilities in the Connecticut region. KEY's services include group homes, supported living arrangements, specialized nursing and a Birth to Three early intervention program for children at risk of developmental delays.
KEY and The Glamour Girls will be Dancing thru the Decades on Saturday, May 17th from 6 p.m. to midnight at Central Connecticut State University's Alumni Hall in New Britain, CT. Joining in the festivities for a good cause will be 96.5's Damon Scott, and all attendees will enjoy the bounty of a specially selected buffet when they take a break from the dance floor.
Tickets are $35 for general admission, with a selection of patron and sponsorship opportunities also available.
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