Paige and Steffan Tatum are having a great time in our Supported Community Living program! They recently sat down to discuss where they came from, their achievements, and how their staff Kiki has inspired their life journeys.

Paige: Steffan and I are twins and have been close our entire lives. In July 2019, we moved in with our Aunt Marla who helped us through a difficult time; she supported us and ensured that we graduated high school. After graduation, she helped us to get motivated about getting our own apartment and we moved in to our very first apartment on March 21, 2021.

I was nervous about moving, but I knew that I needed my own space to grow. Steffan was nervous too, but he wanted to live on his own and gain independence.

There was a lot of planning that had to take place—a lot of responsibility that we hadn’t thought of. We had to find an apartment, set up all our utilities, and furnish the place. It was a lot of fun getting to pick out what we wanted!

A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined how great my life would be.

I recently started working a part-time job at At Home. I like working here, the pay is good, and I like earning my own money. The staff at Open Door helped me to open a STABLE account and now I can save up money without it affecting my benefits. They helped me to link it to my checking account and I even got a debit card that I can use.

On March 2, 2022, I passed my driver’s test and got my license! Kiki helped support me all through the process including studying for the exam. Plus, now that I have my STABLE account, I’m going to start saving money to buy my own car.

Recently I really got out of my comfort zone by taking a trip to New York with my cousin. We went to see one of my favorite bands, The Rose. Kiki helped me to mentally prepare to take this trip by boosting my confidence and suggesting new outfits to take on the trip. I also bought a guitar, and I am currently learning how to play chords.

Steffan: Yes, like Paige said we are twins, and we are very close. We’ve learned a lot over the last year about how to live together. We have sibling arguments occasionally, but we always make up! I work part time at TJ Maxx; I really like the job and I am always learning new tasks.

Over the last year, Kiki has helped me learn to cook. My favorite dishes to make are pizza casserole and roasted sweet potatoes. Even Paige says I am a good cook and likes eating what I make!

Kiki is also helping me overcome my fear of dogs. She has introduced me to her dog, Roscoe, and we have become pals. Paige and I are even thinking about getting our own dog someday.

I like staying home playing video games and have purchased two gaming systems over the last year. Kiki and I go shopping and I love to shop at Game Stop. I like going out with Kiki—she’s helped me to become more social. Recently we took a day trip to Cedar Point. I rode the cable car (I was scared at first) but it was a nice experience. We walked around a lot that day and got to see the whole park. 

Kiki: All I do is guide them; I am teaching them to be independent. Both Steffan and Paige are coming out of their shells, and it is an honor to help them on their journey.

Steffan: Kiki is more than staff to us. She makes us feel confident because she is supportive and shares her own experiences as a way for us to learn from her. She gives us advice on cleaning, shopping, and budgeting. She always tells us that we can call her anytime with any questions that we have.

Open Door and Kiki are helping us to live our best lives. We don’t know what the next year will bring, but we know that we will have many new experiences thanks to Open Door.

Click here to learn more about our Supported Community Living program!

Mark your calendars—our annual DSP Day is coming soon! Monday, September 5th from 11am-3pm will be a day of FUN as we celebrate the amazing work of our Direct Support Professionals (DSPs)!

DSPs are the very reason we’re able to inspire life journeys. They are the foundation of the services we provide, helping individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities live their very best lives.

By working with each person’s unique strengths, DSPs give physical, educational, and emotional support wherever it’s needed, helping individuals with disabilities find success at work, at home, and within their chosen communities.

Formally, this will be the 10th year that we’re joining forces with National Direct Support Professionals Week to recognize our DSPs in this way.

We believe that every single day should be DSP Day—but we really go BIG on DSP Day! This year’s theme of “Level Up” goes along with the idea of valuing the work of our DSPs and elevating them in every way by recognizing them and their importance to the individuals we support, their importance to the overall structure of our field, empowering their growth.

Check out our slideshow below from last year’s DSP Day!

Our event this year will include great raffle prizes for DSPs with a combined value of $10,000! There will also be:

• Inflatables
• Water slides
• Bungee trampolines
• Mechanical bulls and pigs
• Dunk tanks
• Music
• Food and drinks

We invite all members of the community to attend this FREE event, including all our DSPs and their families!

Come celebrate with us!

Winnie is busy making patterns; small ones at first, then scaling them up to use for dresses.

“I couldn’t have done this,” said Cary Johnston, Program Director of Open Door Stage & Screen, gesturing towards Winnie’s work.

Winne Xiao, an international student from China, will be a senior this year at Worthington Christian High School. She’s been in the United States for four years and wants to stay here for college, where she plans to major in fashion design or computer science.

“I work here as a volunteer because I love using my talents and gifts to help others and bring joy to them,” she said.

She enjoys working with Cary at Open Door Stage & Screen where she can use her fashion knowledge and sewing abilities to help our performers with making their costumes.

Winnie wanted to contribute earlier, but COVID restrictions made it difficult to help. She appreciates the opportunity to make a difference and Cary is thrilled to have her.

Currently, she’s making life-sized patterns for dresses to be used in the upcoming Open Door Stage & Screen Fashion Show on September 30th. The show will have an insect and butterfly-theme that folks are excited about, but Cary doesn’t want to give away too much info so audiences can be wowed when they see the performance in the Fall.

Open Door Stage & Screen received a donation of some beautiful fabric that will be used to make costumes. There will be a wedding dress at the end—as is tradition in many fashion shows. They’re embroidering the wings for the wedding dress. Individuals in the program will choose a unique fabric for their own butterfly-inspired costume.

Winnie measures, traces, and cuts. Cary beams. “She’s using math to figure it all out. It’s amazing to me!” Cary says.

The program is also planning a small country music-themed performance for individuals we support and their families. Two of the actresses wanted to portray Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire, with others playing eccentric cowboys and other fun western-themed characters who pop in and out during the show.

The group is also preparing for the Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival, where they will be performing on August 5th at 2pm during the sensory-friendly time.

All this excitement comes on the heels of our successful DisWay show, where cast members shared their love of Disney and Broadway songs with audiences during several fabulous performances.

Check out our DisWay highlight video below!

Much to Cary’s chagrin, Winnie won’t be able to volunteer at the program forever. The plan is that Winnie can make something that our performers, with Cary’s support, can reproduce themselves. It’s hard to make something that’s really well-built without all the tools, so this is a big help.

Cary’s hope is that she can get an additional volunteer with a sewing machine to help with stitching. She believes there are more folks just like Winnie who have a passion for helping others and the skills to make a positive impact on our Open Door Stage & Screen theatre program. 

There are always volunteer opportunities for folks interested in helping. Click here to learn more and become a volunteer with Open Door Stage & Screen!

At Open Door, we start each year with new goals and objectives that align with our mission of inspiring life journeys and our vision of cultivating valued roles for all people. Now that we’re (already!) halfway through 2022, we’d like to give everyone an update on some of the fun and exciting ways we’ve been working towards achieving our strategic goals for the year.

In each edition of our newsletter, we’ll have a conversation with Becky Sharp, Chief Executive Director of Open Door, who will share her thoughts on the progress our organization is making in a variety of areas.

In this edition, she talks with Andrew Stinson, Marketing Coordinator at Open Door, about the many ways we’re achieving our strategic goals, including new Open Door vehicles, Park West kitchen remodeling, our electronic filing system, and updates to staff compensation and bonuses.

Andrew: We have a whole long list of awesome things we’ve been doing lately to support our strategic goals! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on these. Let’s start by talking about the new kitchens in Park West.

Becky: Park West was built in the late 1970s and opened in the early 1980s…so the buildings needed some refreshing! Some of the updates staff wanted to have done in the apartments were the kitchen cabinets, countertops, and new appliances. We’ve prioritized those things that this year. It’s been a little bit of a challenge getting all the parts in, but we’ve now ordered everything and have completed apartment C3! The company that did the work is willing to do our other apartments back-to-back; we’re hoping by the end of the year all the kitchens will be renovated at Park West—and by ‘renovated’ we mean new sinks, new cabinets, beautiful new countertops, and backsplashes.

Andrew: Our board has new committees now, which was a goal for 2022; can you talk a little about what that means?

Becky: One of our goals was to create leadership infrastructure for the future. The board bylaws were reviewed, and part of that process was to have committees that oversee different areas of governance such as finance, outreach, development, fundraising, and personnel. So, we have board members that have an interest in chairing those committees and are stepping up to lead their direction. We’re hoping that staff, individuals, and families will also connect with them to provide direct input for our governance.

(If you’d like to connect with our board committee chairs to provide feedback, email us here.)

Andrew: We’ve also had some exciting news about our transportation?

Becky: We applied for the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) grant two years ago and have now received three new vehicles which will allow us to increase our community presence in both residential settings and our community on-the-go groups. In addition, we have also secured contracts through Enterprise to put us as a priority for new vehicles so we can receive up-to-date minivans and other smaller vehicles which will allow us to replace vehicles with significant repair needs and increase the accessibility for those that require wheelchair lifts. We’ve also continued to focus on safety by updating the GPS systems and backup cameras in all vehicles.

Andrew: Something that affects nearly everyone in the organization is paperwork. We now have a new electronic personnel filing system—which has been a long time coming!

Becky: Yes, that goal has been on our plan for like three years! We’ve successfully created an electronic personnel filing system that meets all survey and regulatory standards. Right now, we have high school volunteers assisting us with scanning the files and creating the electronic personnel files so that HR will be able to get rid of a whole lot of paper! This will increase efficiency in orientation and the annual training process.

Also, one of our goals was to create more efficient onboarding for new employees. Through JotForm, we’ve created a “one-stop shop.” Historically, a new employee would have to click a bunch of different links to complete their onboarding, but now everything is done with just one link. It stores all of their data and then seamlessly moves it into our electronic personnel files. It also emails the staff with copies of all their paperwork instead of them having to come to the corporate office to get physical copies of all their training documents.

Andrew: I heard we have new On the Go (OTG) group at CAC related to sports?

Becky: Yes, CAC has launched new on the go opportunities, which are small groups that go into the community and are out of the building 100% of the time. Some of the folks at CAC wanted to have a group focused on sports so that’s been their focus recently—including basketball, swimming, and going to car shows—they’ve been enjoying it!

(Folks interested in our OTG groups can learn more here.)

Andrew: There have been some new additions to the website, particularly surrounding the artists we support.

Becky: One of the goals for our artists at Open Door Art Studio is to be able to highlight their own individual artwork efforts through their profile updates on the website. Thanks to the support of staff at the art studio, they’ve been able to create individual artist profiles on our website including a bio, a brief exhibition history, and photos of some of their artwork. We continue to promote the artists’ work on social media as well. We love to see this translate to sales at the art studio because that means income for the artists.

(Check out our artist profiles here.)

Andrew: It’s also been an exciting time for our new theater group, Open Door Stage & Screen!

Becky: Yes, they had their first public performance recently! And thinking about the big picture, one of the things we knew we needed as we host community events was to have our acoustics updated in the gym for the dances and future Open Door Stage & Screen theater performances. Those have been installed and tested during our Beach Dance Party in June and they work very well! This was part of our strategic goal to open up and inspire the life journeys of folks in the community as well.

Andrew: How are we addressing staff compensation given the workforce challenges that exist throughout not only the industry but the entire country?

Becky: DSP wages are our #1 priority at this time. During the pandemic, bonuses were provided to staff based on funding provided by federal, state, and local government sources. It was clear in our staff survey that these bonuses were very important. In order to feel valued, DSPs need their position to be compensated at a level that meets their skills, talents, and expectations.

We have been able to provide two bonuses so far in 2022 related to staff performance and their service to the individuals we support. In addition to that, we’re looking at other ways for employees to be rewarded for going above and beyond and inspiring life journeys. We’re also sponsoring an upcoming Ohio Alliance of Direct Support Professionals (OADSP) Direct Support Professional Recognition Event and are participating in the OADSP Jamming for DSPs at Scene 75, which provides fundraising support.

Andrew: How are we approaching advocacy efforts regarding the state budget?

Becky: Every survey from our stakeholders—whether it’s individuals we support, families, the county, our staff—has made one thing clear: the priority is to advocate for the individuals we support to be valued and our field to be valued. In order to do that, our DSPs need to receive value in their compensation and benefits.

Open Door has participated in multiple work groups and state initiatives to strategize what is important for inclusion in the upcoming budget discussions for the state of Ohio, as well as federally and locally. It’s clear that we have to look at the reimbursement rate for the services we provide and how we can then, in turn, use that rate to evaluate and elevate our DSP compensation and benefits.

In addition to that, we’ve put a focus on supporting individual self-advocacy not just at Open Door, but throughout the state with legislators and with national objectives. We’ve participated in some of the American Network of Community Options and Resources (ANCOR) objectives with #AllInForHCBS. We believe that advocacy is something everyone can do, and we’ll continue to be strong advocates for our staff and the individuals we support.

Madge George, a self-described “go-getter,” has a heart for helping others.

She attended both Ohio University and Columbus State Community College and received a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. Madge described her college experience as challenging and empowering.

She got her degree because she wanted to help people. “I believe crime always starts little and then gets bigger. If we can catch it while it’s little, maybe the big stuff won’t happen.” She’s long been interested in criminal justice reform and advocating for LGBTQ rights. Now, she wants to use her talents and education to develop programs for youth.

We welcomed Madge into our Supported Community Living (SCL) program in 2009. Prior to that, she had experienced homelessness and made multiple attempts to fit in with different agencies.

But for her, Open Door was different. She had glowing words to say about many of our staff she interacts with. “Teather is awesome because she’ll help me with anything she can, and I really appreciate that,” said Madge. She added that Jamie and Jessica were “instrumental in trying to help me reach my goals.”

More than anything, Madge values independence and privacy in her home, which led her to consider the new remote supports we offer in SCL homes.

Madge uses a wheelchair and still wanted her staff to be there for meals, personal care, medication administration, and community engagement. But other than that, she wanted to build in times in her schedule where she was alone.

Individuals have, at times, had difficulty receiving remote supports if they had some type of physical need. In Madge’s case, she’s someone who had staff around the clock, and in some ways that limited her ability to think independently.

She told her staff, “I think it would be really cool if I could do remote supports.” When they laid out her routine, there were times where she did not need physical assistance and did not need the staff to be physically present.

A camera was installed in her home last summer. “I really like it because it gives me a sense of independence,” she said.

Remote supports enable individuals to contact staff at any time if assistance is needed. How the camera can be used in the home is addressed on a case-by-case basis; for Madge, she utilizes a single camera at night when staff presence in her home wasn’t necessary.

The camera is placed in her living room, which also sees into her bedroom. In addition, her home has multiple sensors which can detect motion or sounds, so remote staff is always aware of what’s going on and if assistance is needed by appropriately responding to any situation using a phone or tablet.

It’s worked very well, with no incidents, and she’s been happy with it. It also helps maximize efficiency in the I/DD system, allowing us to place resources, like in-person staff, where they’re needed most.

Madge is confident this type of remote support could be helpful for other individuals.

For more information on other kinds of remote supports available, including medication machines and smart home technology, visit dodd.ohio.gov.

Recently, we set a strategic goal to find new, diverse, qualified individuals to serve on our Board of Directors. We are excited to officially announce our two newest board members, Kylea Davis and Michael Hurtt!

Kylea Davis

As a young professional, Kylea has worked within the local, state and federal government in a variety of roles, including her most recent role as a Field Representative in a Congressional Office. In addition to her professional experience, Kylea is completing her Master’s in Public Health at The Ohio State University with a focus on population health leadership and management.

Kylea was first introduced to us during a recent open house at Open Door Art Studio & Gallery. She saw joining the board as an opportunity to use her professional experience and personal passion to have an impact on the community.

Kylea has first-hand experience watching families, friends, and individuals navigate residential and adult day services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“I hope to increase community support, awareness, and integration through cultivating community relationships and opportunities to support our individuals,” said Kylea.

She lives in Central Ohio with her fiancé, Nazar, and their two cats.

Welcome, Kylea!

Michael Hurtt

Previously, we had only been seeking members from external sources to join our board. But three years ago, we added a family member of an individual we support to the board. 

Individuals from our Advocacy Committee said, “It’s cool that you have somebody that’s a family member but sometimes our voices differ from our family in what we really feel is important.” And that really hit us: Why do we not have somebody on the board that receives services?

We’re proud to announce that Michael Hurtt, an individual we support in our SCL program, has officially joined our board!

He will be an active voting member—his voice equal to any other—and that’s something that was very important to us.

“Michael is a great fit for our board because he has experience working in a team; he used to be on the Human Rights Committee at the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities (FCBDD),” said Gretchen VanNatta, Social Services Director. “He is not afraid to speak his mind and he is a good listener. He will ensure that the ideas from our advocacy group are passed over to the board.”

Michael attended his first board meeting in May and is excited to work as a liaison between our Advocacy Committee and the board.

Welcome, Michael!

Open Door Art Studio & Gallery is coming off of a very successful June exhibition, Love is a Rainbow, that illustrated why our studio is an inclusive space that promotes love. “It was important to our artists to have an exhibition that celebrated Pride Month and sent a message of overarching love and acceptance,” said Sean Moore, the studio’s Program Director.

Many artists we support—including Sara Barton, Zach Hitch, Ian Howard, and Samantha Perry—all dove right into the concept and created amazing pieces that included every color in the rainbow! Take a look at some photos from the event!

Check out our photo slideshow below!

Now, the studio turns its attention to another creative idea – artists and staff swapping roles.

Opening August 13th, Role Reversal will be curated entirely by Open Door artists and will feature artwork created by Open Door staff.

“We love the concept of this exhibition because it offers an opportunity for our artists to immerse themselves in the behind-the-scenes world of the arts,” said Sean.

Creating is very important as an artist, but just as important is understanding curation and marketing. Having that added knowledge instills confidence and increases marketability for future works.

We initially soft-launched the idea of “Role Reversal” in 2020. However, as pandemic restrictions were still very high, the exhibition was held virtually, and few artists were able to participate in the curation process.

Curation can be a different process for everyone that completes it! Ultimately, the main goal is to conceptualize and achieve an exhibition that is visually balanced. The collection of works featured should complement and flow into one another, without distracting from one another.

Sean is typically in charge of curating exhibitions at Open Door Art Studio & Gallery.

“Generally, I will start grouping pieces by either similar or complimentary colors,” he said. “Then, I will consider pattern, size, and texture. It can be a challenging and fun process – almost like a puzzle.”

Sometimes a curator thinks they’ve “cracked the code,” but then once they start hanging pieces on the wall it doesn’t seem to work visually. Then you have to go back to the drawing board and reformulate your plan.

Eventually, though, the puzzle pieces always come together. “We are very excited to let the artists take the reins on this,” said Sean. “We completely trust their judgement and creative visions!”

But can our staff put their money where their mouth is and create an exhibition worth of artwork?

It will take a group effort. Staff members Sean, Claire, Kat, Alex, and Cristina will submit works—including brand new pieces and others that were featured in previous exhibitions—for the upcoming Role Reversal exhibition, which opens August 13th from 5pm-7pm. Works will then be on display until September 2nd.

Click here to register for FREE tickets to Role Reversal!

This exhibition has been generously sponsored by Nate & Linda Griffin in honor of Amber and the fabulous people who work with her, including Vivian Roberts, Bimpe Adegboyo, Genabou Kaba, Margaret Fonyam, and Leticia Fosua.

Our Fishing with Friends event is really “catching on!”

Put up the “Gone Fishing” sign, grab your pole and join us for another day of fishing fun on July 20th from 10am – 1pm at Homestead Metro Park!

Bait and tackle will be provided, and a limited number of fishing poles will be available for use. Volunteers and staff will be there to assist with any needs and provide companionship during the event.

This event is open to all individuals supported by Open Door! If you’d like to participate, please sign-up here!

We hope to see you there!

An Ode to the Times

You’ve read all the way to the end! Thanks for that 😊

So, how’d we do? Send us your comments at information@opendoorcolumbus.org

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