Find out where the presidential candidates stand on issues!

This Presidential Election is one of the most critical in recent times. Please post the attached flyer at all sites. Come to the first ever webcast of The National Forum on Disability Issues to find out where the presidential candidates stand on issues affecting people with disabilities. When: July 26, 2008, 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm Where: People Inc. Northtown Plaza 3131 Sheridan Drive, Amherst, NY Please click here  for additional locations and ways to view the webcast. Click here  to read more about the "Get Out the Vote" campaign.

7th Annual People Inc. Foundation Drive Fore Disabilities Golf Tournament

The 7th Annual People Inc. Foundation Drive Fore Disabilities Golf Tournament will be Monday, August 25, 2008 at the East Aurora Country Club. Space is still available for golfers and sponsorship opportunities. There will be great prizes, a vacation raffle, and complimentary golfer gifts. In-kind donations are welcome for the silent and live auctions! For more information and to reserve your foursome, call the People Inc. Foundation at 716.817.7461. Click here for the brochure! Click here for sponsorship and registration information!

Culture Change for the Aging

Buffalo, NY, March 19, 2008: By the year 2015, nearly a quarter of the people living in Western New York will be at least 60 years of age and by 2020, 1 in 5 New Yorkers will be a senior citizen. The current model of institutionalized nursing home care for the frail elderly will be a thing of the past. The time has come to utilize a group living model for seniors that allows freedom, individuality, enjoyment and dignity. A culture change for the aging is mobilizing. Many look to the Green House Project as a way to reinvent long term care. The Green House Project creates homes that allow our elderly to live in environments that are designed to look and feel like their own homes. Instead of warehousing individuals in multi-bed unit facilities - these homes typically house six to ten people and blend into their communities. The New York State Office for the Aging is partnering with local providers People Inc. and the Western New York Network in Aging to bring this exciting forum to Erie, Monroe, and Niagara counties. Community leaders and experts in the field of elderly care will share their insights and learn about the Green House project and the culture change movement in nursing homes. Invited program participants are from a cross-section of stakeholders, including nursing homes, senior centers, civic groups, religious groups, skilled nursing, and non-profit providers. This forum will provide the knowledge and tools participants need to further educate others in their communities about the promise of the Green House Project and culture change. Panel will be led and facilitated by Kevin Horrigan, Director of Public Affairs, People Inc. and Anne M. Moretti, President, Moretti Consulting, LLC. Additional Panel members: Robert R. Meiss President and CEO Beechwood Continuing Care Aimee C. Gomlak Vice President, Strategic Redevelopment Catholic Health System Rhonda Frederick Chief Operating Officer People Inc. Rose Marie Fagan Co-Founder Pioneer Network The forum will include a presentation on the Green House Project; an assembled panel of experts on the culture change in elder care; dialogue and Q & A! Forum Dates and Information: Erie County March 20, 2008 - 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. People Inc. 3131 Sheridan Drive/Northtown Plaza Amherst Monroe County March 27, 2008 - 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. St. John's Home 150 Highland Avenue Rochester Niagara County March 28, 2008 - 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. DeGraff Community Center 139 Division Street North Tonawanda

Kids on the Block of WNY launched a brand new website!

This site features information about the Kids on the Block program sponsored by the Museum of disABILITY History at People Inc. It also features interactive games for students to access. The address for the site is: www.kidsontheblockwny.org The games are geared towards 3rd and 4th grade students, the target audience of the Kids on the Block program, and were created in large part by our Museum Education Coordinator, Lindsay Wratny. The games focus on the skill levels typical for 8-10 year old children while addressing disability awareness issues. The Kids on the Block program promotes the education, awareness, and acceptance of individuals with differences and encourages children to "celebrate their differences!" Kids on the Block travels to elementary schools across WNY and has presented to over 50 schools so far this school year for an audience of over 5,000! The troupe is always recruiting new puppeteers and will provide full-training to anyone who is interested in volunteering. For more information on becoming a part of this fun and rewarding opportunity, please contact Brie Hofschneider, Project Coordinator at 716.629.3626 or via e-mail at KOB@people-inc.org .

Family Education and Training Series available June through December 2008

What is Family Education and Training? As defined by the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), Family Education and Training (FET) may be provided to families of individuals enrolled in the Home and Community Based Waiver (HCB Waiver) who are under 18 years of age. The purpose of FET is to enhance the decision making capacity of the family unit, provide orientation regarding the nature and impact of developmental disabilities upon the consumer and his or her family, and inform them about service alternatives. FET is distinct from Service Coordination in that the purpose is to support the family unit in understanding and coping with the developmental disability. For families enrolled in the HCB Waiver who have FET listed as a service, the trainings are funded through OMRDD, up to 2 sessions per year. Each family is expected to attend at least one session per year in order to remain in the program. Some of the trainings are provided on an individual basis to cater to specific needs of the family and others are in group sessions in order to learn from each other as well as the trainer. It is important to call and register for the session that you are interested in attending as space is limited to 8 families. Families interested in learning more about a topic of interest are welcome to attend one of the sessions if they are not enrolled in the program as well. To learn more about Family Education and Training please contact Erica A. Newsom at 880-3831 or Lauren Stone at 880-3842. Click here to learn more about our Family Education and Training Series and their locations!

Museum of disABILITY History Receives Grants from WNYLRC

BUFFALO, N.Y., January 14, 2008: The Museum of disABILITY History is pleased to announce that they recently received two grants totaling $4,500 from the Western New York Library Resources Council. The grants will allow the Museum to complete the cataloging of approximately 200 unique publications and to purchase software to permit the Museum's library catalog records to available to a nationwide audience. "We are so grateful to WNYLRC for their generosity and support," stated Theresa Fraser, Assistant Museum Director. "Once the conversion is completed, our new catalog will allow for greater accessibility to our growing library collection - we are very excited to share our collection with the public!" The Museum of disABILITY History is dedicated to advancing the understanding, acceptance, and independence of people with disabilities. The Museum's exhibits, collections, archives, and educational programs preserve and document the history of people with disabling conditions and serve to create awareness and a platform for dialogue and discovery. The Museum of disABILITY History is a project of People Inc. and is chartered by the New York State Department of Education Board of Regents. People Inc. exists to enable individuals in Western New York with disabling conditions to function in an accepting society, and to decrease the incidence of disabilities. The Western New York Library Resources Council, a not-for-profit consortium of libraries and library systems, is dedicated to enhancing access to information, encouraging resource sharing, and promoting library interests for its members that serve the people of Western New York. For further information, please contact the Museum of disABILITY History at 716.629.3626 or visit our website at www.museumofdisability.org

People Inc. Announces 2008 Board of Directors

BUFFALO, N.Y., January 06, 2008: People Inc. is pleased to announce the agency's Board of Directors for 2008: Robert B. Mayer, retired executive for Fleet/Norstar Bank, will serve as chairperson in his second year of a two year term. He resides in Kenmore. Other officers include: Resident of Amherst, William M. Collins, of Travers Collins and Company, as vice chairperson; Orchard Park resident and retired executive of Marine Midland Bank Patrick F. Reilly will serve as treasurer; and David M. Downing of Orchard Park and Towne Auto Group will serve as secretary. The following board members will also serve throughout 2008 and 2009: David Hall of East Amherst and retired partner of Hodgson Russ; Edwin G. Clausen of Buffalo and Daemen College; Nancy R. Dobson of Clarence and Uniland Development Company; William E. Finn of Amherst and The Center for Hospice and Palliative Care; Georgiana Jungels, of Buffalo and State University of New York at Buffalo; Alfred F. Luhr III, of Snyder and M&T Bank; and Eugene Meeks of Williamsville and Child and Family Services. The following will continue as part of their term that ends 12/31/08: Joseph J. Abdallah of East Amherst and Greater Frontier Niagara Council Boy Scouts of America; and Mary Ann Kedron of Buffalo and the University at Buffalo Department of Neurosurgery. In order to effectively meet the legal and moral obligations of governing an organization as large as People Inc., the Board operates as a policy-making body, using the Policy Governance model. The Board is able to direct and guide the organization to achieve certain results, while operating in a prudent and ethical manner. For more information about People Inc.'s Board of Directors, contact Foundation and Corporate Affairs Director Denise Paszkiewicz at 817-7470. People Inc. is a not-for-profit health and human services agency providing programs and services to more than 12,000 people with special needs, their families, and seniors throughout Western New York. Since 1971, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity.

Museum of disABILITY History Awarded Grant by National Endowment for the Humanities.

Preservation grant will help in the care of rare collections Williamsville, N.Y., December 20, 2007. The Museum of disABILITY, a project of People Inc., has been awarded a grant of $5,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grant will allow the Museum to enhance the care of its important collection thereby ensuring these rare and uncommon documents are never lost. The Museum of disABILITY History was awarded a grant by the NEH in 2004, which enabled the Museum to develop a long term plan to improve archival management. The current grant will allow the Museum to implement recommendations from the 2004 grant. Implementations under this grant include: Developing a disaster response kit that will allow the Museum to quickly respond to a natural emergency to safeguard the collection. Hiring an archival consultant to help inspect, clean and store materials in the collection. Purchasing environmental monitors and specialty storage equipment to ensure that the Museum artifacts are not exposed to conditions that deteriorate their vulnerable condition. A hallmark of quality museum is the proper care of its collections. The Museum of disABILITY History is proud to receive this grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities so it can continue to practice the fundamentals of museum work. People Inc. is a not-for-profit health and human services agency providing programs and services to more than 12,000 people with special needs, their families, and seniors throughout Western New York. Since 1971, People Inc. has assisted individuals to achieve greater degrees of independence and productivity. The Museum of disABILITY History advances the understanding, acceptance and independence of people with disabilities. Its exhibits, collections, archives, and educational programs create awareness and a platform for dialogue and discovery. The Museum, located at 3826 Main Street in Amherst, is open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or by appointment. Admission to the Museum of disABILITY History is free. For more information, call 716.629.3626 or visit www.museumofdisability.org.

Drive Fore Disabilities Golf Tournament

People Inc.'s 6th Annual Drive Fore Disabilities Golf Tournament will be held Monday, August 27, 2007 at the East Aurora Country Club. A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. In-kind donations and auction items are greatly appreciated. To reserve your foursome or to make a donation, contact Foundation Director Denise M. Paszkiewicz at 716.817-7470. Click here for the Golf Tournament brochure Learn more about the People Inc. Foundation!