Newsletter for Feb/Mar 2009 The newsletter for those served by Sunflower, their families, staff, and many supporters.

Ladeska Makings
Director of Adult Services/COO
We’ve had numerous requests to begin sending the Community Supports Newsletter on a regular basis again.  We’re pleased that you missed us and this will be the first of our new bi-monthly editions.  We will be experimenting with formats and your input in this process would be most welcome.  Many of you have asked that we rerun the articles I’ve written on independence – we will do so beginning next edition and will expand on the series in the coming months.  For this edition we’ll catch up on events of last year and focus on state-wide advocacy efforts to increase funding to adequate levels and eliminate the waiting list of nearly 4000 Kansans with developmental disabilities that are waiting for funds to receive services.  Sunflower had a good 2008 with personal growth for many of the people we serve.   Here are a few statistics you might find of interest: 

· 156 people received supports through adult services
      &/or case management
· 104 individuals received day supports
· Over 85% of those in our day supports –even those
      with the most serious level of physical &/or intellectual 
      disability – were able to earn by working at least 3
      hours/week
· $193,948  was earned by individuals working part-time
      on contracts through Sunflower’s manufacturing plant
      &/or First Step recycling
· 16 people took advantage of Sunflower’s Community
      Employment Service while 43 individuals worked in the
      community through Community Supports
· 30,596 hours of therapy, community access, adult
      education, and retirement supports were provided in
      addition to work opportunities
· 227 area businesses and industries received recycling
      pick-up services
· 2,910,000 pounds of recyclable materials were
      processed
· 317,183 miles were driven to provide 48,005 rides
      through our General Public Transportation service as
      well as thousands of miles provided by our agency fleet
· 111,153 hours of residential supports were provided in
      58 locations to 69 individuals.
· 83 attendance in evening and weekend community
      access opportunities
· 20 individuals participated in our Kiwanis AKTION Club,
      17 in the Scouting Venture Crew, and 23 in Sunflower’s
      TUFF advocacy group
· 882 medical appointments were facilitated by our
      medical services support
· 124,392 medications were administered
· 175 staff were employed by Sunflower in 2008 with ~
      130 per biweekly payroll
· $2,951,207.21 2008 staff payroll
· 29.5 hours of basic training was provided to all Direct
      Service Professionals by Sunflower’s trainers on an
      annual basis with 37 hours provided to new staff within
      their first month of employment.  In addition, numerous
      hours of training are provided through attendance at
      seminars and conferences.
· 75 employees enrolled in the agency health insurance
      plan
· 44 employees participated in our 403(b) retirement plan

Amanda and Mary Lou have been actively involved in coordinating advocacy efforts here at Sunflower.  We hope that you will contact them and become an active participant in the statewide movement to insure that all Kansans with developmental disabilities receive necessary supports.  Please call them at 620 792-1321 or email aurban@sunflowerdiv.com or mwarren@sunflowerdiv.com for more information.

Our state organization, Interhab, has developed a number of user-friendly methods for contacting legislators in these efforts.  Following you will find a letter from our association president.