HSS November Employee Of The Month

Human Support Services named Opal Lang Employee Of The Month for November. Opal, from Waterloo has been with Human Support Services five years. Opal is a Secretary/Receptionist. She was recognized for performing various volunteer projects in support of the Agency. Opal received a gift certificate, a time off with pay, and a lunch certificate from Quizno’s of Waterloo.

Charitable Giving to Those in Need

As a human services agency, our counselors often see people in desperate need of the basic necessities of life. They frequently encounter families without furniture or bedding, families that cannot afford the deposits needed to secure rental housing and certainly families that cannot afford holiday meals and gifts for their children.

It is immensely gratifying that we are often approached by groups in the community that want to help with meeting these needs, groups that want to give to others. These groups, whether they are clubs, businesses, churches or fraternal groups, raise funds and gather donations through hosting fundraising events or staff solicitations. They then search for outlets to get their gifts to people in need. Many times the counselors at Human Support Services are approached to help make the connection between the families in need and the gifts from community groups. It is a joy to help with this charitable effort.

In view of the effort put forth by these groups, we want to acknowledge at least some of the community groups that have approached Human Support Services and made a difference for families in need in our community. For many of these groups this is not a one-time effort; rather, they do this year after year.

The Southern Illinois Jeep Association has given Christmas Baskets of food and household goods and provided gift cards for needy families five years in a row.

The St. Paul United Church of Christ, Waterloo has given Thanksgiving baskets with food and household supplies for several years.

The Monroe Council for the Handicapped has for over twenty years provided gifts to adults with disabilities, has hosted parties for clients of Human Support Services and has provided ongoing support of Special Olympics.

New Hope Church has been a great resource for Human Support Services clients who need emergency food assistance.

The Waterloo Rotary Club for many years has provided gift cards that can help needy clients obtain food and household supplies.

The Concord Presbyterian Church has provided many gifts or other assistance as part of their community outreach.

The VFW, the Lions Club, the Oddfellows, the Optimists and the Waterloo Senior Group have all provided many gifts to HSS that have been used to meet the needs of the clients of the agency.

On behalf of the individuals and families that we serve, we are pleased to offer our sincere appreciation to these groups and others for their charitable gifts.

Foundation Name-Change

Human Support Services first opened its doors in 1973 as a private, non-profit agency serving Monroe County residents with disabilities of many types. In 1981 the Human Support Services Board of Directors and a group of concerned Monroe County leaders recognized that there was an ongoing need for financial support to fund the programs offered by the agency. They then established the Mental Health Endowment Foundation in order to provide a method of receiving donations that would benefit the programs and projects of Human Support Services. The Mental Health Endowment Foundation was founded as a non-profit tax-exempt corporation under IRS code 501(c)(3) and Illinois law. Gifts to it were tax deductible to the full extent of federal and state law.

Since 1981, the foundation has grown slowly but steadily and has provided a stream of regular financial gifts to Human Support Services. Donations from hundreds of community members and area businesses have added to the fund balance from a variety of appeals and fundraising events. All throughout its existence, however, there have been questions from donors about the name, Mental Health Endowment Foundation. Many have asked for assurance that their gifts would support Human Support Services specifically and not go to a general community fund that supported multiple community agencies.

To end the confusion, the Board of Directors of the foundation has recently approved a name-change for the foundation. The appropriate papers have been filed with the Illinois Secretary of State’s office and from November 24, 2009 on the foundation will be renamed the Human Support Services Foundation. All other aspects of the foundation remain unchanged. As before, the mission of the foundation is to provide ongoing financial gifts to Human Support Services.

We hope that the new name, the Human Support Services Foundation, helps cement for donors the direct relationship between Human Support Services and the foundation. We will strive to see continued growth in the foundation and a commensurate increase in the gifts that are made to support Human Support Services programs.

HSS Wins Parade Trophy

Photo from The Republic Times

For the third year in a row, HSS garnered a trophy in the Waterloo Homecoming Parade. This year's parade was held on Saturday August 29, 2009, with a theme of cartoon characters . The HSS float depicting "The Flintstones Meet The Jetsons" took top honors and was picked as the Best Overall Float. HSS participates in this and other local parades as a means of increasing visibility of the agency in the community and to provide a chance for staff and clients to participate in civic activities. Much thanks goes to HSS staffers Deb West, Lynn Lance, Jessica Powel, Tracey Stumpf, Opal Lang, Ben Archer, Rachel May, Kim Pennock. Also, several volunteers helped out including Katie Swope and Chad Lance while Steve Lance deserves a big note of appreciation for building the Flintstone's Car.

HSS Story Featured in United Way Newsletter

The United Way of Greater St. Louis recently featured a story about the accomplishments of a woman in our agency’s residential services program in their on-line newsletter. Linda’s efforts to become more independent were detailed to show that with the help of agencies like HSS and the support of the United Way, people with disabilities can have success and enjoyment in life. Human Support Services receives generous support from the United Way that helps us meet the housing needs of adults with mental health related disabilities. Linda’s story is as follows:



Mental health problems affect people of all ages in this community, and some individuals are unable to find the help they need. With your donations, United Way is able to provide aid to help keep people like Linda Hatch healthy, help them find jobs and become independent.
Linda, 42, has mild developmental disabilities and bipolar disorder. She was placed at a local nursing home due to several suicide attempts. In December 2002, she came to Human Support Services, a United Way-funded agency since 1985.
Her adjustment there was difficult, but in 2005, she transitioned to the supported employment program and began working at a local nursing home. Thanks to this job and her Human Support Services financial case manager, she was able to pay off the thousands of dollars in medical bills which were not covered by Medicaid.
In November 2007, she was able to move into her own apartment with no supervision, but maintains a case manager to ensure that she has the necessary access to meet her medical, social and financial needs.
"Linda is happy to tell anyone that will listen how hard she has worked and how far she has come," says Bobbi Walters, residence site manager. Read more about Linda.
Want to know more about mental health? Here's five quick facts:
1. Some mental disorders are depression, social anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, addiction to drugs and alcohol and personality disorders.
2. Half of all cases of mental disorders begin by age 14, and three-quarters begin by age 24. However, there are often long delays between the onset of symptoms and when people seek help.
3. Almost half of Americans who have been diagnosed for one mental disorder have symptoms that meet criteria for an additional mental disorder.
4. One in five children may have a mental disorder, but fewer than half of these children receive the help or the services they need. One in five elderly Americans are diagnosed with a mental disorder as well, but fewer than 25 percent of these individuals receive mental health attention.
5. About one in four adults suffer from a mental disorder that can be diagnosed, but fewer than one-third receive the help or the services they need.

Dare to Dream

The Human Support Services Day Treatment program has started making dreams come true! Following the "Dare to Dream" workshop held recently at HSS by Krescene Beck from New Visions, the Day Training staff got to work making things happen! Joe S.'s dream was to "go back home." So the Day Treatment seniors’ class took a surprise field trip to the country. They visited the town of St. Libory, the area Joe grew up in. Unfortunately they could not visit his old home because it no longer was there and is now the site of a coal mine. They did however get to visit his 83 year-old sister who still lives on her dairy farm. Joe and his sister got to visit and the seniors’ class had lunch at Chicken's restaurant. He returned that day and stated, "today my dream came true!" It was awesome to see his reaction to this event. Joe was beaming from excitement for days following the trip. It was also equally exciting to see the renewed excitement from staff. This is a perfect example of staff looking outside of the box and individualizing services to meet the needs, desires, and dreams of our clients. It is our mission to continue making the dreams of our clients a reality. After all, THIS is why we are here. Great job DT staff! – E Fuson, Day Training and Work Services Coordinator

Joe & his sister

HSS Hot Catfish and Cool Blues Fund Raiser a Success

The blues music of Jimmy and the Housecats kept over 100 HSS supporters listening at a delightful afternoon fund raising event for HSS. Hot Catfish and Cool Blues featured a down-home catfish dinner and four hours of the best blues music around on Sunday, May 17, 2009 at the Acorn’s Country Club in Waterloo. The event successfully raised funds that will support HSS programs.

There were many volunteers that made this event successful, but special thanks are given to Deb West, Virginia Bersche, Jean Marie Conrad and Mark Altadonna for their efforts.