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2017 Annual ReportChamplain Community Services

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Champlain Community Services provides essential supports to people with intellectual disabilities and autism, building a community where everyone participates and belongs.

Dear CCS Family,

I came to CCS eleven years ago because I saw that the heart of Champlain Commu-nity Services was its people: the relationships between staff and consumers and families that so enrich all our lives. I’ve stayed because of the creativity and the focus of good people committed to making a better world by bringing our work and vision to the wider community. In challenging times such as these, this work helps keep us grounded – in our humanity and our commitment to service.

During this past year, in addition to the wonderful work we do all the time, we had the added excitement of celebrating our 50th anniversary. On July 3, 1967 a group of strong and smart founding families came together and planted the seeds of what became CCS. Founded as a state-of-the-art Sheltered Workshop, we emerged as Specialized Services Agency offering that same level of support in community-based employment and even self-employment. Our services grew to include individualized community and residential supports, all the while continuing to enhance our locally-delivered, but nationally (and now internationally) recognized vocational supports.

Celebrating our anniversary offered the chance to refl ect: on the positive impacts we’ve had in our community; on robust partnerships with businesses that embrace a diverse workforce; on our families who remind us of unconditional, life-long caring for their adult-children; on our staff who never cease to amaze me with their dedication, work and humor; and, most importantly, the people we support, who guide our work with, and allow us to learn from their experiences. And, we realize that we still have work to do to build a fully inclusive society.

Looking back on 50 years is beautiful. Looking ahead – to deeper engagement with our community and broader participation for people with intellectual disabilities and autism – the view is even better! We’ll be bringing the story of CCS’ mission to more potential partners this year. Please let us know of companies, local agencies or offi cials, or civic or religious groups that might want to meet with a CCS representative just to learn more about what we do. Thanks for taking this journey with CCS. Happy 50th Birthday to all of us! Warmly,

Elizabeth SightlerExecutive Director

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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Looking back on FY2016-17, Executive Director Elizabeth Sightler outlined an extensive list of accomplishments for our Board and CCS community. That full document is available on our website at ccs-vt.org. Here’s a snapshot of highlights, viewed through the lens of the agency goals adopted during CCS’ strategic planning process:

First and foremost, we delivered, sustained, refi ned, and promoted our core programs, includ-ing investment in staff and systems-infrastructure. • We grew: our consumer base expanded by an additional 12 individuals • Agency budget and staff increased to keep pace • Way2Work recognized once again as the top supported employment: 46 employed in FY2017, and 85 percent of program participants are employed • Coordinated a Bridging program experience for 11 high school students • Launched Adult Family Care program • Successful four-year Designation and two-year Quality Service Review • Rolled out a new Website as well as special “50 Years!” logo • Updated Internal Controls Document and Emergency Plan • Executive Director Emergency Succession Plan Completed • Completed successful agency-wide conversion to Electronic Health Records (EHR) • Training to more than 65 staff, including full say in-service and retreat events • Introduced enhanced on-boarding process for new hires • Lowered turnover rates from 42 percent to 30 percent for frontline staff. • Year-long “50th Anniversary” branding for all agency events drew added promotion

We were innovative leaders within Vermont’s develop-mental services system. CCS continued collaboration with the University of Vermont on a proposed National Workshop Conversion Institute, and put forward a pro-posal to address enhanced day supports for consumers during non-work hours. These also served the goal of cre-ating or joining high-impact programs and partnerships to respond to identifi ed community needs.

CCS embraced and built upon its larger role as a leader in its fi eld. In February, Elizabeth Sightler traveled to Vi-enna, Austria as part of a three-person delegation to both

accept a Zero Project award recognizing Vermont’s role as international innovators in the fi eld of employment for people with disabilities, and present on our state’s developmental services system at the United Nations. Sightler offered commentary in support of pay equity for front-line staff in .

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OUR YEAR . . . Accomplishments

CCS maintained a commitment to consumer-driven, person-centered approaches. Our agency is over-seen by a volunteer Board that includes two service consumers and a number of family members of people with intellectual disabilities. We continued to emphasize one-to-one supports, delivered in the community. Consumer self-advocates led an initiative to partner with the Leagues of Women Voters and Town of Colchester to offer CCS as an offi cial voter registration site.

We worked hard on several fronts to increase community under-standing of, and support for, our work, as we also promoted the value of inclusive, diverse workplaces.

• A fi ve-part series showcased CCS’ mission and programs • We launched a revamped, quarterly DIY Newsletter written by our consumers • Our Champlain Voices self-advocates pursued their goal of community engagement • Bridging program students and educators established new partnerships throughout the community • Partnered with The Vermont Family Network, Vermont PBS, Mosaic Learning Center, VSA Vermont, the Howard Center to screen and discuss the fi lm, “Life Animated,” • Maintained vigorous social media outreach and enhanced on-line donation options • Continued to put forward concept of a National Workshop Conversion Institute (NCI) • CCS executive director Elizabeth Sightler and colleague Bryan Dague interviewed on Fox44/ ABC22 News regarding Zero Project Award. • Hosted informational lunches with legislators and civic and business leaders • CCS continued to be an active member of both VBSR and LCRCC.

As an agency, we advocated for social justice and equity, with our Champlain Voices self-advocates leading the way. They engaged local government to offer enhanced voter education and registration op-portunities. CCS consumers, staff, and supporters were active at Statehouse events and major confer-ences, while we partnered on educational events and community trainings related to disabilities, mental health issues, and diversity and cultural competency.

Looking forward, among our current priorities are building on strategic work initiated this year to establish meaningful tools and instruments to evaluate and share results of our work and to focus more deeply on building the CCS Annual Fund.

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Our 50th Year . . . In Review

Our Fiscal Year began July 1, 2016, so only the last six months of the fi scal year were part of our 50th Anniversary year. But those last six months of 2016 were very eventful and really helped set the stage for the celebration to come! Here are some highlight events from FY2016-17:

In July of 2016 Mark Utter teamed with Thomas Caswell and Emily Ander-son to present “Reaching Up Through the Keyboard to a Better Life,” and we Gathered for our annual Family, Staff, and Volunteer Picnic at Airport Park in Colchester.

August found us celebrating 40 years of dedicated service from our be-loved maintenance and security director, Don Kent, as well as launching our CCS Ambassadors project. The next month our staff worked together to build a Community Intentional Garden funded by Vermont Community Foundation

October rocked as Country Music star Jamie Lee Thurston performed a benefi t concert for CCS – Unplugged Awareness – at 14th Star Brewing in St. Albans. Champlain Voices self-advocates partnered with the Town of Colchester and League of Women Voters to make CCS an offi cial Voter Registration site, and held a mock Presidential election.

November was busy! An exhibit at Penny Cluse featured CCS artists, Bridg-ing students made Learning Pod presentations to the CCS community, and Team Way2Work organized a successful United Way campaign. We topped it off with a Benefi t Bake at American Flatbread, while in December, we broke our all-time Holiday Raffl e record by raising over $3,000.

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CCS launched our 50th anniversary in January of 2017, kicked-off by CCS Board vice president (and Ambassador) Sara Vizvarie’s “Dirty Thirty” birthday party fundraiser, followed by CCS hosting a VBSR Get-Together that drew 130 guests. We also unveiled a 50th anniversary logo and launched a new website.

In February, Bridging students and photographer Melanie Webb pre-sented a month-long show at Penny Cluse and CCS executive director Beth Sightler traveled to Vienna, Austria as part of a three-person del-egation accepting an international award. Volunteer Caleb Hoh crafted a compelling 50th Anniversary video for CCS in March, while eSightler Jewelry held a “Fifty (at least) for Fifty” sale to benefi t CCS.

April saw Rose Street Collective perform the “First Thursday” benefi t concert at Shelburne Vineyard, supporting CCS. Two weeks later, CCS teamed with Vermont PBS and four partner agencies to screen and discuss “Life, Animated” at The Sheraton Burlington.

In May CCS celebrated an amazing academic year from UVM interns Ashley Dubois, Emma Simon, and Claire Marton. Soon after, we cele-brated Bridging students completing their academic year with a cer-emony inside CCS and in the Intentional Garden.

We closed the year strong. Champlain Voices organizes an Intentional Garden Party and ribbon cutting ceremony, Bridging students celebrate CCS’ shared 50th anniversaries with Colchester Police Department, and CCS reached $18,000 in sponsorship for its “Fire in the Sky” cruise (July 3, 2017).

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Our Leaders . . . Present & Future

The Four Group Goals for FY 2017: Something to learn: How to access the community in a meaningful way (i.e. Beyond the Mall)Something we want to spread awareness about: Our Talents A community service we’d like to perform: Kick-Off party for the Intentional Garden with Fort Ethan Al-len communitySomething fun we’d like to do: Go to ECHO and have a picnic downtown

CCS coordinates the Bridging program, which assists area high school students with disabilities in connecting with the community as they begin the navigation of their transition into adulthood. Under program coordinator Emily Anderson, Bridging emerged as a multi-layered program that simultaneously addressed the learning units of Independent Living, Community Connections, Career Exploration, and Advocacy. The May 2017 Bridging Gala which served as the graduation of our fi rst group of students at CCS. The group engaged with over 60 community members and organizations over the course of their school year.

Nicole VillemairePRESIDENT

Mark UtterVICE PRESIDENT

Hasan KoSECRETARY

Paul NicholsTREASURER

OUR SELF ADVOCACY GROUP: CHAMPLAIN VOICES

BRIDGING PROGRAM: OUR FUTURE LEADERS

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OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Zoltan SachsPRESIDENT

Sara VizvarieVICE PRESIDENT

Moira MulliganSECRETARY

Dave BogdanTREASURER

Kelly BakerBOARD MEMBER

Jim CaffryBOARD MEMBER

Peggy DayBOARD MEMBER

Peter McDougallBOARD MEMBER

Ken LafoeBOARD MEMBER

Jay LafayetteBOARD MEMBER

OUR SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Elizabeth SightlerEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Brent HeweyPROGRAM DIRECTOR

Michelle PayaDIRECTOR OF SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT

Karen CiechanowiczDIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Mike ReillyDEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

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FINANCIAL SUMMARY

REVENUE

NOTE: Th e fi nancial statement above represents the agency’s unaudited internal fi nancial statement intended soley for the use of management of the agency and should not be use for any other purpose.

EXPENSES

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DONORS & PROGRAM GRANTS

Event Sponsors14th Star Brewing Co.American Flatbread August First Bakery & CafeBluebird BarbecueCaff ry Law Offi cesColchester Knights of ColumbusCommunity Bank, N.A.Kinney Drugs FoundationKinney Pike InsuranceMBF BioscienceNorthCountry Federal Credit UnionNorthfi eld Savings BankPaul Frank + CollinsPhysicians Computer CompanySarah Harrington Real Estate / KW VermontSara VizvarieSheehey Furlong & Behm, LLCSmokin’ Butt’s B-B-Q, LLCSymQuestGiles WilleyVermont Systems

Annual Fund DonorsAmazon Smile FoundationA.M. Peisch & Co.American Flatbread Anonymous (several)Anne & Paul BakemanKeith BantlePaul BlaisBluebird BarbecueCatherine BergeronDana BrewsterLisa CheyetteJennifer ChudnowCOSTCOTim DaubenspeckChristina DaviesLiza deTuro

Randy DraperTh e Felis FamilyDottie FullemAnn GeerSimonne GrattonIBM EmployeesSherry & John KenishBetty LaBelleBetty LewisMain Street Landing Co.Colleen & Paul MatteMentor GraphicsPhil MerrickCharles MiceliNetwork for GoodHerb NoyesTh e O’Brien FamilyRobert OrzellPaint NiteKevin ParadisSimon PedrottyTimothy PedrottyJoyce PigeonMike ReillyKathi & Bob RoeslerElizabeth SightlerSmokin’ Butt’s B-B-Q, LLCPaulette Th ibaultSara VizvarieTh ermal Control ProductsSally WattsClaire & Doug WestonJodi WhalenElise & Woody WidlundJane WilliamsWoodwinds

In Memory of Kirk WilliamsLucille BarrettLisa & Scott CarpenterMary & Jeff rey CroweTh e Felis FamilyDottie FullemMargaret & David Gelinas

Eva SheilMargaret & Kurt StegeJanice & Robert WhitmanJane WilliamsLyn-Anne WilliamsDebra Wood

In-Kind DonorsAmerican Flatbread Burlington AstenJohnsonAugust First Bakery & CafeBeth GiardBluebird BarbecueCap ‘N’ CorkCity MarketCoca Cola of Northern New EnglandColchester Knights of ColumbusCOSTCODanforth Pewter Diva DanglereSightler JewelryFirst Night BurlingtonJay Peak ResortHannafordHomeportHilton BurlingtonKatharine Montstream StudioKeurig Leonardo’s PizzaLeunig’s BistroLucy RogateMcKenzie Country ClassicsMoira MulliganMike Reilly PhotographyPrice ChopperRandy HensonShaw’sShelburne Country StoreShelburne FarmShelburne MuseumSpirit of Ethan AllenTrader Joe’s

TradewindsUniversity Mall

Program GrantsKeyBank FoundationKeyBank National AssociationTh e Gibney Family FoundationUnited Way of Northwest VermontVermont Community Foundation

Th anks to all our donors

Champlain Community Services (CCS), Inc. is a not-for-profi t 501(c)(3) corporation, in its 51st year of service to our community. CCS off ers supports to individuals with intelectual disabilities and autism thoughout northern Vermont.

Champlain Community Services, Inc.512 Troy Avenue • Colchester, VT 05446Phone: 802.655.0511 • Fax: 802.655.5207

ccs-vt.org

CCS is a member of theSpecialized Services Agency Collaborative