Skip to content

Menu

Press Releases

  • Apr 02, 2008

    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 .

  • Apr 01, 2008

    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!

  • Mar 28, 2008

    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

  • Mar 27, 2008

    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.

  • Mar 26, 2008

    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.

  • Mar 25, 2008

    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!

  • Mar 24, 2008

    People Inc's Senior Housing keeps growing

    Cleaning, mowing the lawn, paying the bills, and shoveling the endless snow... do you have a family member that has found of all of this too much? Help is available. People Inc. offers safe, affordable housing for seniors throughout Western New York. The best part is those overwhelming tasks of living in a large house and having to maintain it are a thing of the past! Your loved one's income goes farther with rental assistance, allowing seniors to better afford the things they enjoy. People Inc.'s Senior Housing program offers rental assistance for independent people over the age of 62, who meet the federally mandated income guidelines. Rent, which includes gas, heat, and water, is based upon 30 percent of their adjusted annual income. The individual apartments are unique as each tenant adds their own personal charm and decor to their living space. There is on-site management and maintenance, on-site laundry facilities, emergency pull cords and response systems, group transportation for grocery shopping and social activities, and a community room with a full kitchen. There are also opportunities to develop new friendships! Locations include a furnished community room and kitchen for social events and a calendar of enjoyable activities. Your loved one will feel safe with the 24-hour on-call emergency services available when you need them! As you walk down the hallways of each senior housing complex, the sense of home is felt as you see wreaths on doors and welcome mats with flowers on them. We are known in the senior services field locally as 'the agency that does the extras,' and People Inc. has won a U.S. Department of HUD National Best Practices Award for the quality of this program. There are many locations to choose from - currently accepting applications for sites in Cheektowaga, Clarence, Lackawanna, Blasdell, and South Buffalo. Future Senior Housing buildings are scheduled for Hamburg, Lockport, and Wheatfield. For more information for your self, relative, or friend, call People Inc. at 716.634.8132.

  • Mar 23, 2008

    Kids on the Block educating the community

    Kids can learn about people with differences in a fun setting! The Museum of disABILITY History, a project of People Inc., is offering free performances of the educational puppet program, Kids on the Block. Puppeteers travel to elementary schools, colleges/universities, and other local venues across Western New York to promote awareness, education, and acceptance of individuals with disabilities through the use of large and life-like puppets. The performances are designed for third and fourth graders. Each performance includes a question and answer period during which members of the audience ask questions directly to the puppet characters about disabilities. Kids on the Block relays the message that being different is a universal condition that should be celebrated! There are two ways you could become involved! You could recommend that Kids on the Block perform at schools, your community center, or even for a scout troop. The other way to become involved is to become a puppeteer. No prior puppeteering/acting experience is necessary. Qualified applicants will have a willingness to learn puppeteering techniques, be enthusiastic, and dedicated to the future development of the Kids on the Block program! Hours are flexible but commitment to training and learning puppetry skills and scripts is a must. If you are interested in scheduling a performance or becoming a puppeteer, contact 716.629.3626. Learn more about Kids on the block, by visiting www.kidsontheblockwny.org

  • Mar 23, 2008

    The Incredible Years Program

    Because these should be incredible years for your child People Inc. is offering a free training program, The Incredible Years, to help improve your child's self-image and decrease negative behaviors. This free 12-week program begins soon! Help your child to develop: Improved self-esteem Improved self-concept Decreased negative behaviors at home Decreased peer aggression and disruptive behaviors in the classroom The Incredible Years Program offers research-based, proven effective programs for reducing children's aggression and behavior problems and increasing social competence at home and at school. The Incredible Years Program will teach you how to cope with the stresses of parenthood, avoid power struggles, determine appropriate consequences and develop creative and imaginative play with your child. The 12-week training will begin soon at People Inc.'s Elmwood Health Center, 2128 Elmwood Ave. in Buffalo. For more information or to register, call Joann Fall at 716.874-4500, ext. 212. This free training is made possible through a grant by The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation.

Pages