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Community News
January 2025
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Making Dreams Come True
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Sarah King, Director of Residential Services
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When Sarah Libby and I met five years ago, she shared with me that as a young woman, she had found joy and passion in therapeutic horseback riding. Since then, Sarah and her team have been working hard to put her “back on the horse!”. Sarah was faced with a big question: Would she enjoy horseback riding the same way she used to when she was younger? Therapeutic riding centers are exceptional resources. We are lucky to have several excellent centers in southern Maine.
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Sarah started working with the staff at Riding to the Top, a riding center in Buxton, to safely start working on her goal of riding again! Navigating lots of medical red tape, funding, and “groundwork” (grooming and walking horses before you actually ride one) for many months, she was ready to ride! Sarah got back on the horse and couldn’t have looked happier. We are so proud of her persistence and hard work!
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Friendsgiving
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Mark Greenstone, Direct Support Professional
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It’s always a good feeling when friends can come together and enjoy a meal, which is precisely what took place this Thanksgiving. John and Donald joined David, Mark, and Wayne for a delicious meal with all the fixings. It was prepared by the Keene office staff, who continued their annual tradition of making these meals this year. After enjoying dinner, they feasted on a variety of pies for dessert. David relaxed in his recliner after this hearty meal while Donald enjoyed seconds! Good food and good friends were all that was needed to make this a wonderful Friendsgiving dinner!
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Breaking the Waves
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Autumn McDonald, Fiscal Intermediary Coordinator
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From a 6-month-old baby to a now16-year-old young man, Logan Murray has often been called a "beach bum." Logan has always been attracted to water, beaches, aquariums, and water parks. Throughout his childhood, Logan has spent numerous years engaging in water-related activities.
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Logan began learning how to swim at 6 months old! In his early years, he was enrolled every spring in swimming lessons at the YMCA. With no fear of the water, he was immediately comfortable getting into the pool for all of his sessions. Logan was doggie paddling around with arm floaties and pool noodles before he could walk! By the end of 3rd grade, he was swimming at the local high school, learning to dive with the older children.
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Logan became a member of the Lake Champlain Waves Swim Team based out of Plattsburgh, NY, and has been actively involved with them for 4 years. He has attended each season, which consists of 3 separate sessions in November, January, and February. Logan is dedicated to attending practices up to three times a week!
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Logan's goal is to become a certified lifeguard and get a job at one of the local beaches as a lifeguard. Logan has completed the American First Aide/CPR and Open Water Course through the YMCA and plans to complete the State Qualifying Test later this year.
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Exploring Boston
Lisa Turner, Associate Director
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Evelyn has been exploring the great city of Boston with her home care provider. They have been to the aquarium, where they saw a bunch of different marine life. It was very exciting.
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Evelyn also enjoyed walking around the harbor to see the beautiful views of the water and surrounding areas. The walk around the harbor has so much to offer and so much to see. When the weather is nice, going to the harbor is very relaxing.
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Evelyn likes eating at new places, too. She loves trying new foods and picking restaurants that spark her interest. Evelyn is always up for a new adventure, wherever it may take her. She likes to go places she has never been and experience new things. She’s been to Boston a few times now and always enjoys her trips there.
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The Music
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Kevin Gardella, Program Manager
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The music scene in Portland has ebbed and flowed, with garage bands playing smaller venues, orchestral events at Merril, and big-name rock shows at the Cross Arena. Although he will listen to a variety of music, Ryan prefers rock. He particularly enjoyed a recent concert at the Cross Arena, which was "awesome."
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In November, Ryan got tickets to see Mercy Me and Toby Mack. Mercy Me is a Christian rock band from Oklahoma that formed in 2001. Ryan described Toby Mack as a Christian rapper. Mack's career has been extremely successful. He was the third Christian artist on the Billboard 200 list.
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Ryan said the music was terrific and "touched his soul." In addition to a truly moving experience, Ryan bought a sweatshirt and album to enjoy after the show. He said he would definitely go again and is also interested in checking out a few other artists including Big Daddy Weave, Jamie Grace, and Merideth Andrews. He loves music and can't wait to attend his next show.
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Getting Ready for the Holidays
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Laurie Truehart, Program Manager
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Chelly was very busy after Thanksgiving and wasted no time putting up her tree and decorating her house the very next day! She enjoyed deciding how the tree would look and where each decoration should be placed.
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Recently, Chelly's father gave her some ornaments that belonged to her mother, which made decorating even more meaningful. And, because she loves crafting, she created a few of her own unique ornaments to hang. The tree is covered with special ornaments!
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Chelly also plans to decorate her home with window stickers and figurines that she will place all around the house to fill every room with extra Christmas cheer. Christmas is one of Chelly’s favorite holidays. She enjoys making everything look festive!
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Shawn
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Kristin Lemire, Program Manager
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Shawn is a quiet guy, but he loves to jam out to good music. Shawn knows a lot of different kinds of music. He often sings or hums to the lyrics of the songs on the radio. Shawn really likes AC/DC and went to their concert back in the day. He listens to music a lot and watches music videos often.
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Shawn likes sports as well. This year, he attended a Fisher Cats game. He enjoyed eating classic game day food, a hot dog and chips. Although the Fisher Cats lost the game, he still had fun watching it. Baseball isn't the only sport that Shawn likes to watch. He watched the Super Bowl, too. Shawn is a Pats fan and wishes they made it to the Super Bowl! There is always hope for next year!
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Please 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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