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In This Issue:
From the CEO Gratitude and thankfulness
Development Corner It is that time of the year again
Good News that is Good to Know Tidbits of recent good news
News and Announcements Stories in the media and announcements
Upcoming Events Wrangler fun… ’tis the season
Fundraising Factoid Can you help with the Holiday Party?
Live Meet Maisy
Learn Wranglers learn about identity protection
Work Texas Mutual grant benefits JOBS program
Grow Rob grows in and with work
Wrangler’s Tale Aaron is going places
Guest Voices Keeping busy in retirement raises important questions
Live, Learn, Work, Grow Photo review
Important Links For more info and details
From the CEO
Eva Aguirre
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace
for today, and creates a vision for
tomorrow.” Melody Beattie
In the coming months, you will be hearing more about our Vision 2025, celebrating the 20th anniversary of New Danville. Our vision will focus on the needs of our Wranglers and other adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is for them that we plan, it is for them that we dream, and it is because of them that we serve.
Thank you for believing in, and supporting, New Danville! Whether you financially supported us, served as a volunteer at a special event or Wrangler activity, funded a grant request, or simply complimented the work we do, your support is sincerely appreciated and reaffirms our belief in our mission. Your support helps us to continue focusing on what is truly important; that is, the joy that comes from seeing our work make a true and lasting difference in the lives of others. Likewise, we are keenly aware that our successes in the past few years are due in large measure to the loyalty, helpfulness and encouragement we have received from others. It is with this knowledge and gratitude that we are able to move forward with a clear “vision for tomorrow.”
Wilfred Peterson, an American author, said it best “Gratitude spurs us on to prove ourselves worthy of what others have done for us. The spirit of gratitude is a powerful energizer.”
In the coming months, you will be hearing more about our Vision 2025, celebrating the 20th anniversary of New Danville. Our vision will focus on the needs of our Wranglers and other adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is for them that we plan, it is for them that we dream, and it is because of them that we serve.
Please accept our gratitude as conveyed in this short video. We never take for granted all those in our lives.
Development Corner – It’s That Time of Year
Development Director
Yes, it is that time of year when your mailbox (real and electronic) fills with requests and appeals for support. Ours has likely found its way to either, or both, of your inboxes. I hope that you will consider New Danville in your end-of-the-year giving plans. We approach you with gratitude and a bold vision implemented by people with servants’ hearts. Thank you, in advance, for whatever support you can provide.
Selecting monthly contributions through the annual campaign is a great way to provide a steady stream of support to New Danville. Simply go to give.newdanville.org and choose what level of support and whether it is monthly or one-time.
Additional ways to help, such as Amazon Smiles and Wishlist, and Kroger can be found here.
Feel free to reach out if you’d like to learn more about how you can empower Wranglers to live, learn, work and grow to their potential at 936-253-5757 or Dion.McInnis@NewDanville.org
Good News that’s Good to Know
Thank you to the City of Conroe for their recent contribution through a 5310 Transportation grant that will enable New Danville to buy a new 14-passenger, handicap accessible van and a new accessible 4-passenger van. Read the news story here. Thank you to Entergy for contributing $1,000 so we can acquire apps for to help our non-verbal Wrangler 2s. With these tools, our clients will be able to share their thoughts and feelings in ways that they have not been able to. You will hear much more about this in 2023, but we are excited about a new virtual flyover video that represents New Danville’s vision for the future. We call it Vision 2025 and the campaign to fund it is called Growing…for Living: A Collaborative Campaign to Grow Life Experiences for Adults with IDD. Find the video and the campaign storybook at www.NewDanville.org/Vision2025. The year 2025 is New Danville’s 20th anniversary
News and Announcements
Thank you to the Empower Ministry of The Woodlands Methodist Church, including Kendra and Allison, for support so we can buy fitness equipment for our mobility-challenged clients who participate in the Sit and Get Fit Class.
New Danville is upping its social media game in a big way! Check out the latest at these New Danville pages: Linked In, Instagram, and Facebook. PLEASE like and share as we continue to spread the word of New Danville’s Wranglers as they live, learn, work and grow. Engage in conversation; we love the interaction! We will soon be offering some more fun prizes to help increase the size of our online family.
Crane Charitable Fund has once again selected New Danville to receive a contribution. Thank you! (L-R): Dion McInnis, Development Director; Eva Aguirre, President and CEO; and, Irene Fiand, Crane HR Manager.
The sister of one of New Danville’s Wranglers (clients) recently started a new job. As soon as an opportunity came up for her to suggest a nonprofit for The GLD Shop to support, she spoke up for New Danville. The company’s contribution will be directed to field trips for the Wranglers. The GLD Shop team members, from left to right: Mark, CEO; Christian, COO and Founder; Peter, Controller; Jocelyn, SVP Merchandising; Alicia (whose sister attends New Danville) Production Assistant; James – PR Specialist; Courtney – Merchant. Thank you!
Upcoming Events
The holiday season is busy for everyone, including our Wranglers.
Wrangler Party: The Wranglers have been abuzz since Halloween about the annual Holiday Party. As always, a good time of fun and friendship is in store.
LARA Christmas Market: The Legally Authorized Representative Association (LARA) will again host its annual Christmas Market for the Wranglers who will be able to shop for free for Christmas gifts for family and friends. You can help by shopping their Amazon Wishlist.
SHOWTIME: Wrangler Wreview: Starting a new tradition this year, New Danville will wrap up the year with a family-style review of the year with photos from throughout 2022. Imagine an old-fashioned slide show, but way cooler! Complete with snacks and beverages, the event will celebrate all the fun of live, learn, work and grow our Wranglers experience during the year.
Fundraising Factoid
There are a million ways that we can say thank you to all of those who make contributions, volunteer for projects, serve in the classes, work at Jazzy Junque...and more. But none of the ways are quite as fun as the Wranglers saying THANK YOU as they do in this video.
Our Wranglers sure love parties and one of the biggest of the year is coming up…the Holiday Party!
Please click here if you can make a contribution to help us provide the best party possible. Thank you!
Please remember our Amazon Wishlist next time you are shopping online. We have a variety of items that represent all aspects of New Danville’s programs and services.
DID YOU KNOW? 9: The number of vehicles that New Danville owns, which includes four buses and two vans. The vans are used primarily for backup. 14: The maximum number of passengers one of our vehicles holds. 35: The percentage of each day that there are some Wranglers off-site and in the community with field trips, excursions, etc 101,400: The number of miles driven annually by buses and vans.
LIVE – The Animal Kingdom Family Grows at New Danville
One of the most popular and enjoyed aspects of New Danville, according to many of the Wranglers (clients), is the animals. Home to miniature horses, miniature donkeys, goats and chickens, New Danville’s animal kingdom has recently grown with a donation of a horse from one of our nearby neighbors.
In a recent conversation, the new addition, named Maisy, shared her first impressions of her new home.
New Danville: Welcome to New Danville. A few months ago we interviewed one of our donkeys. It was well-received and thought it would be good to visit with you since you just recently arrived.
Maisy: Thank you…hang on, I have a piece of hay caught in my teeth…ok. I didn’t know I was coming here and I had no idea where I was going when I got loaded up into that big red trailer. It probably would have helped if I could read and I would have seen New Danville’s name on the trailer, but…what’s a horse to do? I have horse sense though, so as soon as that tall guy – I think he goes by John – walked me out of the trailer, I knew I was in a special place.
ND: So this was a surprise? What a great surprise to come to a place like New Danville. Our clients say that, too, when they first start attending our programs.
M: I shouldn’t have been completely surprised because that guy who does horse manicures took care of me recently. I figured I wasn’t going to the Pony Prom, but I didn’t know about coming here. My owner is so sweet and she wanted me to have a home where people would love me as much as she did. And here I am!
ND: You got to meet a few Wranglers on the day you arrived and a few days later, after you got familiar with the place, you got to meet more of the people here. What do you think?
M: I love this place. The horses who were here accepted me quickly and showed me around the pasture. For a few days I saw a bunch of people walking by, but they didn’t act like visitors or tourists. They were like two-legged family. Once I got to meet them, I found out how much they all like the animals here and like to brush them. I sure do love that they like to do that!
M: Thank you for taking the time to visit with me!
ND: You’ll fall in love with the Wranglers. Everyone does. Welcome to the family!
LEARN – Awareness about Cybersecurity and Identity Protection
Two of the challenges in this modern, technology-driven world, are cybersecurity and identity protection. The challenges are increased dramatically when the potential victim is highly trusting; special needs adults tend to be very trusting. Trouble can begin there.
Bryan Gill, Program Manager, reached out to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department for guidance and assistance. Deputy Richard Stein recently provided a workshop for New Danville’s Wranglers and staff. Bryan said, “It seems like there are new ways to be scammed every day. As part of our goal to empower every client to live independently, to the extent possible, we also want to help them protect themselves and their identities.”
“If someone calls me and asks for my birthdate or address, I will say ‘NO, NO, NO’ and will politely hang up.”
Deputy Stein said, “Every one of us is susceptible to potentially being taken advantage of, whether online or in daily life; our IDD population potentially presents easier targets to predators, so, if it seems wrong, or feels wrong…ASK..ASK..ASK for assistance, you do not have to figure these things out alone, and do not feel embarrassed.”
Wrangler Ivan felt emboldened after the class. “If someone calls me and asks for my birthdate or address, I will say ‘NO, NO, NO’ and will politely hang up.”
Bryan said that the workshop is the beginning of a variety of projects and programs that New Danville is undertaking to enhance security in many ways, at organizational and personal levels.
WORK – Texas Mutual Boosts New Danville’s Jobs Program
Texas Mutual recently awarded New Danville a $60,000 grant to boost our Job Readiness and Support Program. The funding will go a long way in helping us increase the number of on-site jobs for Wranglers (clients), several of which are revenue generating which will help the program maintain momentum.
“It has long been our vision to provide as many job opportunities for our clients as possible,” according to President and CEO Eva Aguirre. “A key aspect of independence for special needs adults is appropriate employment. Whether our clients work on-site or off, we want to help with finding opportunities and preparing our clients to be successful.”
New Danville was one of 48 nonprofits chosen as grant partners with Texas Mutual’s workforce development and safety training grant cycle focused on fortifying businesses and strengthening the Texas economy. “We are inspired by the dedication these nonprofits have for strengthening the Texas workforce,” said Jackie Sekiguchi, Texas Mutual community affairs manager. “This funding helps organizations that are delivering critical programs in workforce development and safety training, and we’re proud to support them.”
“We are thankful for Texas Mutual’s generous support. With this grant we will be able to accelerate our plans that include increasing the number of production jobs for the items available in our online store and at Jazzy Junque, as well as a variety of on-site jobs. We will be able to advertise in local publications to encourage sales that will then provide more hours for the Wranglers working in those product areas. We could not be more excited or more appreciative of their support.”
If you are interested in supporting our Job Readiness Support Program or learning how your company can benefit from hiring New Danville clients, please contact Eva Aguirre at 936-344-0077.
GROW – Update: Rob Grows in His New Job
You may remember Rob. Early this year he shared that he had a story that he wished others understood, and that sharing led to a profile about him in the January issue of The Wrangler Gazette. Great things have happened since then, including growth.
Rob now maintains the refrigerated coolers at the Love’s truck stop, not far from New Danville. He has been on the job for about six months and is more than happy to share with anyone who asks that he loves his job. He has grown into the role, taking his responsibilities seriously. “It is nice to have a job again,” he said.
Kevin Peterson hired him. He explained that there were some gaps in the work schedule that would benefit from a part-time employee. Rob turned out to be approaching Love’s at the right time.
Kevin has previous experience hiring adults with special needs, including his previous career in the fast-food industry.
Rob explains that he has grown in his work role, as well as personally. He said his outlook on life and his responses to situations have become better, too. “I’m proud of my job and how well I am doing. I feel better all the way around,” he said.
Kevin encourages other businesspeople to consider adults with special needs to fill appropriate roles. “In any business, you are looking for great people who care. These (special needs) adults fill the bill. It might take a bit more patience, but the return is worth it. Customers enjoy seeing them as part of the team.”
Wrangler’s Tale: Aaron is going places
A popular line from the movie Forrest Gump is when Forrest says that his momma said you can tell a lot about a person from their shoes, where they are going and where they’ve been. Aaron wears shoes that are comfortable and easy to walk in; they say a lot about him.
He’s on the move, in many ways. In fact, his favorite thing about New Danville, where he has been for 11 years, is all the places that the classes get to go.
Some of the trips into the community are regular components of classes. He likes the shopping field trips on Mondays where the Wranglers each get to purchase two items; he also likes the Tuesday trips to Kroger to buy things for the cooking class, which he loves. And bowling…he can’t forget bowling that he loves to participate in on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Special field trips make for highlights in Aaron’s days at New Danville. Listing a long list of trips he enjoyed – NASA, zoo, Seven Acres Woods, Bucee’s, the mall, and more – Aaron admits that he likes going places.
Aaron cited a family trip to Utah, too. He smiled when citing each destination, whether local or distant, that he recalled.
Even when he is not a field trip, he’s on the move. Aaron said that he gets 10,000 steps every day “to lose weight.” His dedication seems to be paying off. If he is not taking steps to get his count, he seems to be taking them for a New Danville trip. Aaron is always going places.
Guest Voices – Keeping Busy in Retirement Raises an Important Question…How to Stay Active and Help Others?
John Broussard is an on-the-go kind of guy. When he saw retirement from the energy industry on the horizon, he grew concerned that he might get bored. Leaving a career of long hours and international travel could be difficult and he couldn’t imagine a future of boredom and sitting around. That simply would not work. As luck would have it, a neighbor of his served as a volunteer in the woodshop at New Danville; the neighbor suggested that John volunteer in the woodshop, too, and he has served ever since. He began in early 2016.
I got involved with the woodshop at New Danville because that is where my neighbor helped out. He didn’t reach out to me because I have spent a life doing woodwork because I haven’t. He just knew that I wanted things to do once I had retired. I enjoy making things with my hands and serving at New Danville seemed like a good way to spend time to the benefit of others, while making things that would help the Wranglers and the organization.
My wife was involved in the special education for years. In a way, I guess that I am carrying on the tradition. I didn’t come to New Danville because of her experiences, but they help me stay here. There are a lot of reasons to stay involved. I volunteer on Mondays, and I’m always greeted by “hellos” and waves from the Wranglers. It is a great way to be greeted. Everyone here is welcoming.
I’ve been asked if there were any surprises for me in my role here. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the woodshop and the equipment they have, but, otherwise, there were no surprises, maybe because I did not come in with any specific expectations. I think that minimizing expectations is a good thing when volunteering; it helps to be able to best fit in to the needs of the organization.
In the seven years here, I see a lot of opportunities for more volunteers. I strongly recommend to those seeking to serve and support others that they look at New Danville. I believe there are a lot of folks of my generation who would gain so much by volunteering, and the Wranglers would benefit, too. I appreciate feeling that I make a contribution to help the Wranglers and to help the organization since what I help produce in the woodshop is sold at the online store and at Jazzy Junque (resale store in Outlets at Conroe center). I understand that things might be getting busier in my area, and I look forward to it.
New Danville, like all nonprofits, rely heavily on the skills, insights and wisdom of volunteers in order to function. Volunteer opportunities here can range from serving at Jazzy Junque (upscale home décor resale store in Outlets at Conroe shopping center), helping with classes in the day program, assisting with special projects that benefit the looks and maintenance of the New Danville campus, helping with special events (Spring Thing or Play a Round for the Wranglers golf event) and more. In order to convey your interest in helping, please fill out the requested information at this page.
Live, Learn, Work, and Grow – Life and Times at New Danville
Sterling Construction volunteers again came out to help, this time painting a temporary building that was recently donated to New Danville to help alleviate space issues.
Thank you very much for all you do!
Important Links
Wranglers’ Ballad: The original music video that shares what happens at New Danville and the heart with which all is done.
Make a donation: You are what makes all these stories possible.
Volunteer: Bring your talents to the service of Wranglers.
Request a tour: Learn about New Danville by seeing.
Jazzy Junque resale store: A great place to shop that benefits New Danville Inventory changes almost every day.
Vision 2025 and the campaign to fund it is called Growing…for Living: A Collaborative Campaign to Grow Life Experiences for Adults with IDD are our future. Find a virtual flyover and the campaign storybook by clicking the link. The year 2025 is our 20th anniversary.
We are pleased to introduce Live, Learn, Work and Grow: Wisdom from Under the Windmill, an inspiring, motivational, immediately usable presentation by Dion McInnis, development director. Bring this to your organization, association, business or group; everyone’s life can be better with the 15 nuggets of wisdom for living discovered at New Danville. Contact Dion at Dion.McInnis@NewDanville.org to book the presentation for your event.
New Danville is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit rural community in Willis, TX for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. New Danville provides our clients an opportunity to live enriched and purposeful lives; we proudly call them Wranglers.