The year 2010 went by fast for DHHS! No matter what, each year ends with the same thing – the deaf and hard of hearing community still needs empowerment and services. So I’ll start this post with our usual goals and brand-new ones.
Our usual goals include growing our existing programs – behavioral & mental health supports coordination, job placement, advocacy, interpreter referral, hearing assistance outreach and ASL classes.
Our usual events include Silent Celebration on June 18, annual gala in September, Kids Kamp in July, Euchre Tournament in March and October, and the monthly Interpreter Series Workshops.
(For the fall gala, we will be recognizing two things: our 3rd annual gala and 15 years of DHHS!! So this year will be a special one! Announcements will be forthcoming soon.)
Brand-new goals for 2011 include Parent & Toddler ASL classes, Silent Weekend for deaf mentors, ITPs, graduates, and certified interpreters, youth program, and our capital campaign goals.
More and more people are calling DHHS about interpreters, employment needs, equipments, and ASL classes, among other things. I have seen so many positive outcomes and feedback from people we assisted through this agency.
Among the highlights:
“I want to thank everyone who helped me get my hearing aids. I am so pleased with what I can hear: crickets, birds, TV, and most of all my family and friends. You willnever know how much I appreciate what you have done for me.” - woman we assisted through hearing assistance outreach program
“Kids Kamp helped teach more sign language to my hearing son and gave my deaf son a chance to be around people like him.” - Jessica Miller
“With our assistance, most of our customers improved their job-hunting skills and got jobs.” - Scot Pott, Job Placement Specialist. Since we started the job placement program in 2007, we have seen a 48% success rate, the most being in 2010.
“I have been extremely happy with the process for getting an interpreter. My old methods took way too much time to coordinate everything and Nan Soper has been an absolute joy to work with. I’m really happy you came in to talk to us about your services and feel confident that if there are problems you have the capability of helping figure out where we are and what we need to do next. I also have no reservations about referring your agency as a positive experience to others that either are part of our agency or those I meet in the community with similar characteristics.” - Joshua Pipe, Holland MRS counselor
In closing, we keep our doors open 8 hours a day in Grand Rapids and Muskegon but our hearts and hands are open 24/7. Keep visting our web site for events, news and assistance!
Katie Prins, Executive Director