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Congratulations Graduates
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Corrina Charland, Fiscal Intermediary Coordinator
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Going back to school has many challenges for some, and these past years for students, with and without the pandemic, were no exception. These students have put in the time and effort to show their strengths and overcome obstacles many of us take for granted. We would like to celebrate the individuals graduating and enjoy this exciting time with them and their bright future.
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Aiden Mars graduated last year, and we are honoring and celebrating his achievements. Since graduating, Aiden has been enrolled in post-graduate studies at Peru School and will continue to attend for two more years. Aiden loves movies, his iPad, and long car rides. His family has recently secured a bus that they will be working on for his enjoyment as he finishes school. If anyone knows Aiden, the bus ride is his favorite part of his day!
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Shannon Thivierge has always enjoyed school throughout the years. She will be continuing her education in her school district. Shannon lights up everyone around her and has many friends in and out of her community. She excels in art and loves exploring new ways to express herself either through painting, diamond painting, or building Legos of the Disney variety.
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Gregg Works at Wheelock Park
Patrice Aguda-Brown, Home Care Provider
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Gregg has been working at Wheelock Park in Keene for 25+ years. He works with a small crew that cleans, sweeps, weeds, rakes, and picks up fallen branches and trash. Gregg loves to keep areas at the park clean and free of clutter and debris. His favorite task is weeding. He has a sense of accomplishment at his job and takes pride in his work.
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The Friendly Farm
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Joan St. Onge & Melissa Palladino, Home Care Provider
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When the rain stops, even for a day, we must make the most of it. We went to The Friendly Farm in Dublin, NH, on one of the sunny days in June.
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Joan loved petting all the animals there. She got to hold some baby chicks and guinea pigs. The goats were fun to see. Joan was also able to see llamas, ducks, and a piglet. She had so much fun petting and feeding the animals. And of course, there is no trip worth taking that does not include ICE CREAM!! Joan loves her ice cream.
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“We’re going to need a bigger boat.”
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Kevin Gardella. Program Manager
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The Northeast features countless opportunities for fun outdoor activities, especially during the summer. The mountains, rivers, lakes, and streams are great spots to get away. We recently were offered the chance to go fishing for mackerel off the coast of New Hampshire. Scott Dow, NH State Director, started this tradition of gathering friends from Residential Resources to sail about a mile off the shore of New Hampshire. During COVID, this tradition was paused but Scott was thrilled to be able to start this amazing trip once again.
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For the first time, Jeremy Stevens, one of the individuals we support at Highland Avenue in Scarborough, Maine, went fishing. Shortly after he boarded the boat, he dropped a lure in the water. Jeremy seemed like an old pro. The mackerel were biting, and Jeremy caught fish after fish while we bobbed around on a beautiful June day. The beautiful green and blue fish started piling up, Jeremy contributed quite a few to the basket that was to be used later for bait. We plan to go fishing again as soon as possible, probably in a lake or stream.
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All the fisherpeople had a wonderful time. We are very grateful to our friend Scott for making this happen. Because of his tremendous efforts, this wonderful adventure at sea went smoothly. Jeremy is looking forward to going again next year, and maybe catching the big one!
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Birthday Bash
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Cheyenne Bentley, Program Manager
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Isn’t summer just the best time to have a birthday? You get to enjoy the nice weather, have a cookout with friends or family, and eat food! But then there is also the rain. Luckily, that did not put a damper on this birthday bash. The rain held out just long enough for David to enjoy the classic cookout food, such as hamburgers and hot dogs, and he love all of it! One of David’s favorite foods is pasta salad, so of course that had to be at the party in abundance. And we can’t forget David’s love of Oreos; he enjoyed an Oreo ice cream cake. Overall, it was a great time with lots of smiles and lots of full bellies.
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4th of July BBQ
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Madison Levesque, Program Manager
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This year for the Fourth of July we decided why not have a barbecue! Shawn, Mike, and their roommate all got together with their new friend Brenda to celebrate the 4th. Everyone, along with the staff, had a blast decorating the house with balloons, flags, and streamers, and took some amazing pictures. While it has been very rainy and humid out, we were able to spend time outside playing cornhole and listening to some music.
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Luckily by the time we got rained out we were able to go back inside to enjoy some burgers and dogs, and of course lots of holiday sweets! There is nothing better than coming together to celebrate Independence Day with your friends to eat good food and play games!
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Life is for Living
Lisa Pimpare, Program/Office Manager
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Do you have someone in your life who is absolutely living by the mantra “live life to the fullest”? Someone who enjoys both the comfort of time with friends and family and also the excitement of trying something completely new. I do; that person is Doria!
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Doria is a very busy lady! She attends two different day programs, 5 days per week. When not in a day program, you can find her at Bowling League one night per week, church on Sundays, or visiting with great friends like Shirley. If there is a free moment Doria is a “shop till you drop” kind of gal.
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This summer has started off especially exciting for Doria. She attended the Special Olympic/Area Games event in Buxton, Maine and participated in the 50/100 yard dash! In June, she braved it on the high seas by attending the Residential Resources annual deep sea fishing trip for her first time. She enjoyed watching her new and old friends fishing aboard the “Seacoast Lady” while snuggled up warm in a blanket.
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Don’t worry though, it’s not all rush and excitement for Doria. She has also found that one of her favorite ways to slow things down is to get a nice, relaxing pedicure with friends and boy is it my lucky day when I get to join in!
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Freedom of Speech
Summer McCaughan, Quality Assurance Team Leader
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Every citizen of the United States of America has their freedom of speech protected by the first amendment. What does that mean, exactly? It means that you are free to express your thoughts, your opinions, and your feelings without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal action. You are allowed to say “I don’t like this politician!” without worrying about what could happen. In some countries, people can be arrested for saying something like that! This is not limited to verbal speech either. Freedom of speech includes your right not to speak as well.
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But something important to remember about freedom of speech is that it is not freedom of consequence. You are legally protected to be able to say whatever it is you want to say. You are able to protest something you don’t like in public by holding a sign. You can say what you want about whatever opinion you might have on social media. It’s your right to do so and you cannot be legally told otherwise. BUT, other people also have a freedom of speech. You can say your opinion, but that does not mean other people have to agree with you. That is where consequence come into play.
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Here's an example, freedom of speech means you can say I don’t like chocolate. You can even say you HATE chocolate. Chocolate is gross, overrated, and you hate when people add it to their ice cream. It is your right to say that. But your friend might love chocolate and REALLY loves chocolate on their ice cream. So, while you have the right to declare your hatred for chocolate, your friend also has the right to be angry at you for saying that. Or maybe even offended you said that. That is the consequence of expressing your free speech.
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But this is a good chance to learn! You might dislike chocolate and your friend likes chocolate. You are both free to express that! What is important to remember is you are both allowed to have your own opinions and stance on chocolate. That doesn’t mean you can’t be friends! You can have your opinions and disagree with a friend’s opinions, but as long as you both mutually respect each other, then there is no reason to not continue to be friends! Mutual respect and freedom of speech should go hand in hand! It is important to remember that what you say has consequences, but you are allowed to have and express your opinions and viewpoints. That is your right!
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Send us your questions, comments, or suggestions. We'd love to hear from you!
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TRUST - RESPECT - QUALITY - TRUTH / HONESTY - CREATIVITY - EMPOWERMENT - DIVERSITY
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