Knox County Board of DD celebrates community partners, success stories

The Knox County Board of Developmental Disabilities celebrated the best of the best — The best of its volunteers; the best of its supporters; and most of all, the best of itself.

The board handed out several awards and heard from many of the people it helps and supports during a luncheon June 3 at Kenyon College’s Thomas Hall.

“Today is all about being the power of being a good neighbor,” said Steve Oster, superintendent of the Knox County Board of DD.

The Knox County Board of DD’s mission is to empower people and communities to reach their full potential. They serve many roles in that effort, from advocacy, housing, investigative services and family resources.

It starts even before birth with Help Me Grow family support program. Pregnant women or new parents can learn the skills, tools and confidence to nurture the healthy growth of their children.

Tisha King, supervisor for Help Me Grow Home Visiting, said, “When people hear the word home visiting, they often think of a program, a service or scheduled appointment. But those of us who have experienced it, know that it’s much more than that. Home visiting is about relationships. Home visiting parents receive support, encouragement and someone who believes in them.

“The families we serve come from different backgrounds, experiences and circumstances, yet they all share a common desire – a desire to give their children the best possible start in life.”

Early intervention is part of this growth, supporting families with children from birth to age 5. Professionals identify the child’s strengths and needs, and addresses concerns as soon as possible.

Help continues through adulthood with the employment management program. More than 100 work in the community, thanks to this program and the companies that support it.

KCBDD also involves residents through its Special Olympics program. Young athletes from 2 to 7 years old get help through a motor activity training program, then at 8 and older, can join one of the 13 sports teams offered year-round through Special Olympics.

Since 2008, the number of people enrolled and helped by KCBDD has more than doubled, from 324 people to 710.

Four different people helped by KCBDD spoke on the impact the programs have had on them. Addie Cunningham, a parent and board members, spoke on how they helped her and her family after her daughter was born premature and was diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy, which causes stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes. Both of her legs and her right arm were affected.

“We were given a lot of resources, with the most important one being Help Me Grow,” Cunningham said. “What impacted us the most wasn’t just the therapy itself. It was having people who saw our child, listened to us and empowered us as families. They didn’t just work with Olivia, they walked alongside our entire family during a very vulnerable season.”

Zach Depew is a self-advocate that is involved in Special Olympics and Action Club, among many things through KCBDD.

“Action Club is comprised of people with disabilities who want to help the community in any way they can,” Depew said. The club participates in cancer drives, Easter egg hunts, adopting families for Christmas and running a Christmas in July. “The opportunity that I have seized is the opportunity of communication. I used to be such a timid man. I could hardly sit in front of a group like this, let alone speak. Admittedly, it is still tough. But that’s what my thing is about – support. None of you are making fun of me for being up here and I appreciate that. That makes me want to strive to do better. That is what Action Club helps with – to help people get better with who they are and do better for themselves.”

Monica Swank runs the Aspire program at Knox Technical Center.

“I like to say it’s one of the best hidden gems in Knox County, but it makes me sad that it is,” Swank said. “People automatically say it’s GED, which it is. We offer classes for people who have not received their high school diploma. We’ve also built bridge courses to work with nursing students, fire, EMS, whatever programs Knox Technical Center has going on, we can assist students with.”

Will Smith and his father, Peter, were involved in a 2011 automobile accident during a vacation out West. Will was flown by Lifeflight to a local hospital and then spent five weeks in intensive care for a traumatic brain injury and then five months at Nationwide Children’s Hospital going through physical therapy. He has continued physical therapy at Knox Community Hospital and discovered programs that help him enjoy life.

“We found about adaptive skiing and went to Snow Trails one day. While he was participating in therapy, we went up and found out about the adaptive sports program,” said Peter. “That really has transitioned from some of the medical help he’s been getting. You go from this clinical setting into the community setting and you find these wonderful volunteers that work one-on-one. One thing we found out is often these special needs folks will do a lot better when mom and dad aren’t around.”

During the program, the board handed out several awards.

•The Community Partner Award was given to Monica Swank of Knox Technical Center.

•The Inclusive Employer Award went to Knox Community Hospital and Parker Reynolds, director of food and nutrition.

•The Heart of Support Award went to Jessica Martine of Gantt Homes. There were 37 nominees for this special award.

•This year’s Individual Spotlight Award was given to two of the 13 nominees: Anthony Hawk and Hope Beshears.

•The Lasting Legacy Award went to Cathy Mitchell.