Executive Director, Jo Beth Collier

Letter from the Executive Director

2011 -- what a year! I look forward to 2012. I look forward to the opportunity to start fresh. I want to change the way I do some things so, that in this new year, the outcome will be different and hopefully better. I figure, if I want change, it starts with me.

I am always hesitant to share my goals for fear of not only failing, but failing in front of people who are important to me. However, by not sharing, I inadvertently take away the support many would, or could, have provided to help me achieve my goals.

So here are a few of my 2012 goals:

I will not let stressful events stop me from eating healthily and exercising regularly.

I will organize my office and create a filing system so I can keep it neat!

I will do something fun with my family at least once every week.

I will ask for what I need!

Of that list, the one thing I'd really like to see change this year is to ask for what I need. Many times, I feel bad asking; I think to myself, "Don't ask, they are so busy...money is tight...they are stretched so thin," etc. Other times, I just assumed they knew my needs. This last year at Mosaic, I learned I should never feel bad for asking and that people didn't know I needed help from them. I learned that many people wanted to invest in the lives of people receiving services from Mosaic. I am so happy that the people receiving supports provided you that opportunity and, in turn, you provided them the opportunity for a quality life, a life of possibilities.

So today I start by asking you for some of the things I can use your help with:

I need each of you to attend a Moments with Mosaic held the 1st Tuesday and Thursday of each month to hear the stories of Mosaic.

I need each of you to invite someone you know to a Moments with Mosaic.

I need you to keep Mosaic (the people receiving supports, the employees, and its many friends and partners) in your thoughts and prayers.

I need each of you to donate time, money, special skills, and/or connect us to others you know who can help us as a volunteer, advocate or donor.

Thank you so much for investing in the lives of people Mosaic supports. Thank you for supporting our goals while meeting our needs. Thank you also for giving us the opportunity to support you in achieving your goals.

Wishing you a wonderful, safe and healthy 2012 so you, too, have a life of possibilities.

2012 Heart & Soul Gala

Partners in Possibilities luncheon a tremendous success

On Nov. 3, Mosaic in Dallas hosted our first annual Partners in Possibilities event. More than 100 people gathered together for this free, one-hour event. At the luncheon, guests saw first-hand the mission of Mosaic come to life through powerful personal testimonies and an unforgettable video that shared stories of parents and people Mosaic serves. One highlight of the luncheon was a poem written by Donna and her son, John, who have been a part of our Mosaic family for more than 24 years. We share the poem below.

The luncheon raised more than $100,000 in gifts and multi-year pledges to benefit the people and programs of Mosaic in Dallas. Special thanks to our luncheon sponsors: King of Glory Lutheran Church, Dallas, for the use of their activity center; Preston Meadow Lutheran Church, Plano; the Rev. Phil Heinze/Tres Chef Catering; BBJ Linen; C's Florist, Carrollton; Crescent City Beads, LLC; C. Ray Pictures; and The Hall Agency.

Yes, You are John

by Donna Thompson

When you make those funny sounds
and people stare at both of us,
I sometimes cringe, and then I remember,
You are John.

You did not walk on time, talk on time,
Nor any of the normal acts
That growing children do, then I remember,
You are John

"You and Me Against the World"
You listened but did not understand
why tears were sliding down my face as I sang, because
You are John

When you speak, most do not understand,
but I do
When you smile and reach for my hand
I know
You are John

At long last, and older in years only,
You are valuable
You are needed
You have friends of your own
Yes, You are John
and finally, that is good.

Caring through crochet: A story of giving back

Elizabeth has been a resident of a Mosaic group home since 2002. She is a dedicated employee, faithful church member, and a community volunteer. Elizabeth says that Mosaic helped her learn to help herself and others. With the use of only one hand, Elizabeth is making the world a better place by using her crochet skills to benefit the lives of others. This past year, she made 75 scarves for orphans in Peru as part of an outreach project through her church, Prince of Peace Lutheran in Carrollton. The scarves were given to the children on a recent mission trip. Elizabeth plans to continue to use her crochet skills to give back to her community and beyond.

Pat proudly displays her award

Vocational Center hosts awards ceremony

The staff of the Vocational Center hosted an awards ceremony and luncheon to honor the people that Mosaic employs through our document destruction, assembly and packaging business. In order to recognize the individuals' hard work and skill development, the staff of the Vocational Center gave an achievement certificate to all 52 current employees.

HEARTFELT THANKS TO OUR 2011 HOLIDAY HELPING HANDS

Vocational Center Thanksgiving

We saw the true meaning of Thanksgiving during a Farmers Branch Chamber "Branch Out" meeting. When told that Mosaic needed donations to provide a Thanksgiving meal to all the people we serve through our Vocational Center, many attendees generously gave toward the meal. We collected enough for all the turkey, sides and dessert too! Thank you to Anne Acuna, Jack Viveros, Charles Cole, Mark Sadowski, Floyd Prather, Ted Hindes, Richard Fleming, Sonja Dodds, and Bro. Eddy Ketchersid for your contributions. Special thanks to Barbara Glass at Lakeview Josey Ranch for kicking off the donations and inspiring everyone to help. We also received a generous donation for the food from Wilda McColley, a parent of one of the people we serve.

Thanksgiving Day meal by King of Glory Lutheran Church

A group of volunteers from King of Glory Lutheran Church in Dallas hosted a wonderful Thanksgiving meal for all the Mosaic group home residents and their staff who did not have a place to go on Thanksgiving Day. Great food, fun, and fellowship were provided by these volunteers who contributed time and resources into making a memorable day for all the attendees! Thank you Mary and Bill Warrick for coordinating this great Thanksgiving celebration.

Christmas Thanks

This year's Christmas was filled with many wonderful gifts for the people we serve thanks to the church and community partners who adopted homes or individuals for our Holiday Helping Hands program. Thank you Christ Lutheran Church, Dallas M&M Group; Rejoice Lutheran, Coppell; Resurrection Lutheran, Plano; DFW Church; Ascension Lutheran, Garland; King of Glory Lutheran, Dallas; Preston Meadow Lutheran, Plano; and Trinity Lutheran, Sherman, for making the holidays special for the people we serve!

Community members also joined in our program and made the holidays special. Thanks to Bank of America Plano Loan Modifications and Sales Team for adopting more than a dozen people (this is the company's 10th year of partnering with Mosaic and many of the same employees have come year after year); The Woodson Family; Peggie and Dave Schmidt; Carla Springer; Sandra Coslton; Karen Nelson; Susan and Tim Schildt; the Junior Chamber Ambassadors of CFBISD; Selections Promotional Products, and Sally O'Quinn.

	photo courtesy of John Hudson Photography

Christmas Celebrations!

DFW Church hosted their annual Mosaic Christmas Party at Plano Senior Center, inviting all the people Mosaic serves as well as their families and staff. Attendees enjoyed dancing, food, and fellowship. Thank you to the many wonderful volunteers from DFW Church who made this celebration possible.

Another Christmas party was thrown for the people who work in our Vocational Center. Kris Schuster and the Greyhound Rescue volunteers brought Santa, cookies, punch, and goody bags for each individual that works in our Vocational Center. Everyone had a great time getting to take a break from work and get their picture taken with Santa.

Sixteen Mosaic ladies enjoyed more holiday fun when they attended Rejoice Lutheran Women's annual Holiday Tea party. The delicious finger foods, desserts and holiday tea were appreciated by all. Thank you to the women of Rejoice Lutheran in Coppell for inviting us to share in this holiday celebration with you.

Thanks to the Holiday Inn Select, North Dallas, Mosaic's hard working staff was treated to their own Christmas party this year. The Holiday Inn provided a beautifully decorated banquet room, wonderful food and courteous staff to make the night special. Thank you to John of John Hudson Photography and his team for taking and donating the beautiful pictures at this party. Also, thank you to disc jockey Tom Pollard for donating his time and talents to give everyone a chance to dance to great music.

VOLUNTEERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE AT MOSAIC

Impact Dallas

King of Glory Lutheran Church in Dallas made a big impact at Mosaic in November during their Impact Dallas project. More than 30 volunteers worked together to host a worship service, birthday bash and lunch for all the people we serve at our Vocational Center. Not only did everyone get a delicious meal, but they all went home with goody bags too.

Two Mosaic Group Homes get Yard Makeovers

The PIF (Partners in Faith) group from King of Glory Lutheran Church in Dallas spent a cold December Saturday raking leaves, trimming hedges and trees, and planting flowers at the Northland group home. Thanks to all their effort, the yard looks beautiful and the pansies they planted will add a little sunshine for the home's residents throughout the winter!

Greenmeadow also received a yard makeover when volunteers from Holy Covenant Methodist Church in Carrollton. Thirteen church members came to weed, mulch, trim, hedge, and remove bushes. Thank you for keeping our group home yards looking great!

Mosaic offers resources for your church volunteers

Children's educational materials are available for free to churches from Mosaic. There is a four-week lesson plan along with a 20-Day Awareness activity guide that features Duncan the Duck and would be a great platform for children's programming.

Materials include coloring books, coin banks, an animated story on DVD and Bible study lesson plans, all of which feature Mosaic's children's mascot, Duncan. Learn how you can receive these educational materials for free. Please contact Mosaic when looking for temple talks, guest speakers or children's
programs, as well as further information about admissions, volunteering and giving opportunities.

	Mazie Petree, November 2011 Volunteer Spotlight Winner

Volunteer Spotlight

This month's volunteer spotlight is on Mazie Petree.

What type of volunteer work do you do for Mosaic?
I come two days a week, about 3 hours each day. While I am there, I work on life skills and social skills with about 12 people. I'm giving the individuals positive attention while reinforcing skills.

What do you personally get out of volunteering for Mosaic?
It gives me great pleasure to get to know the people at Mosaic. By giving to them I receive more than I can ever give.

What have you enjoyed most about being a Mosaic volunteer?
How the Mosaic staff have helped me feel welcomed and needed. They have been informative and given support when it was needed.

Describe a positive interaction that you have had while volunteering for Mosaic.
There has been many, one is what I do with them after lunch. I like to get them up and moving by walking with our ribbons or we have a parachute that we exercise with. These two activities do several things. They bring smiles, interaction with each other, and helps digest lunch before going back to work.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us about your time at Mosaic?
I am so glad I found Mosaic. It is filling a void in my life. I used to work with this population and I needed this more then Mosaic needed my volunteering. I want to thank you!

December Birthday Bash

During the December Birthday Bash, hosted by St. Luke's Lutheran Church in Richardson, the attendees were delighted when a group of Christmas carolers from the Christ Lutheran Church in Dallas youth group. Cookies, punch, and other treats were provided to ensure that the birthday celebrants and attendees had a wonderful time. Thank you St. Luke's and Christ Lutheran for making this Birthday Bash extra special!

BUSINESS PARTNERS CREATING POSSIBILITIES

Recognizing our Newest Document Destruction Customers

• Redhawk Transportation
• Padeia Dallas Education
• Riverchase Animal Hospital
• Sunbelt
• Accion Texas
• Fred T. Badyna, CLU, ChFC
• Marathon Technologies
• State Farm, Agent Ruth Shannon
• HBR Technologies

For additional information on Mosaic's Document Destruction program, please visit www.mosaicdocumentdestruction.org or call 972.866.9989.

We appreciate your business!

Upcoming Events

January

Jan. 29: Resurrection Lutheran Church in Plano is hosting a Mosaic Sunday to build awareness of Mosaic. During the 11 a.m. service, speakers from Mosaic will talk about the services we provide, and the Bell Choir will perform a song. There will also be a Mosaic booth set up where people can learn more information.

February

Moments with Mosaic
Join us at an upcoming Moments with Mosaic for an exciting one-hour session where you will hear personal stories from people Mosaic serves and their families, tour Mosaic's Vocational Center and leave feeling informed and motivated to share Mosaic with your family and friends. Lunch is provided. Due to limited seating, please RSVP to Beth Sabella at beth.sabella@mosaicinfo.org before attending.

Upcoming Dates:

• Thursday, Feb. 2, 12 -- 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, Feb. 7, 12 -- 1 p.m.
  

Can't attend in February but want to learn more? Please call Beth at 972.866.9989 x321 for additional times and opportunities to learn more about Mosaic.

Feb. 12: Join us at Calvary Lutheran Church in N. Richland Hills as we share Mosaic's mission and ministry.

March

March is National Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (NIDDA). Help us celebrate the month by hosting a HUGS drive or participating in a volunteer activity to benefit the people we serve. Invite us to your church or civic group to learn more about Mosaic.

Volunteer needs include groups to provide Spring Cleaning at our group homes (one in Carrollton and one in Richardson) as we prepare for our May state surveys.

Help make Easter Special by providing an Easter basket for a person Mosaic serves or one of our group homes.

Mark your calendars for the annual March for Respect on Saturday, March 31 and volunteer to join Mosaic's group for the march! Register for Mosaic's team at www.marchforrespect.org.

Please contact Sarah Boyea for additional information at
972.866.9989 x322 or sarah.boyea@mosaicinfo.org.

ONGOING WAYS YOU CAN HELP

Mosaic is the largest faith-based agency serving people with intellectual disabilities in the country. Your support through prayer, time, talent and treasure helps Mosaic in our mission to provide a life of possibilities for those we support and advocate for.

Thrivent Members -- You can also support Mosaic with your Choice Dollars!

The new Thrivent Choice program makes it easy to support Mosaic with added gifts. If you have received a letter from Thrivent saying you are eligible to give through the program, simply visit www.thrivent.com/choice and follow the instructions or call Thrivent at 1.800.847.4836 to make Mosaic your choice! You can choose from The Mosaic Foundation (that supports all of our programs) or designate a local Mosaic agency. Your gifts will support a life of possibilities for people with intellectual disabilities. Thank you for your support.

Grocery program update

• Kroger Grocery Program: Just a reminder to our friends who shop atKroger -- this program is on hold from April through the end of June.You must re-register in July. Please visit www.krogerneighbortoneighbor.com to connect your card.
  
  
• Tom Thumb Shoppers: Rememberto link your card to Mosaic charity number 7835.
  
  
• Albertson's: Shopping at Albertson's? Remember to use your Mosaic card each time you shop.Don't have a card? Let us know and we will send one your way.

For more information, please contact Sarah Boyea at 972.866.9989 x322 or sarah.boyea@mosaicinfo.org.

Mosaic MAVs giving a voice for those Mosaic serves

Thank you to our Mosaic Allied Voices (MAV) volunteers who have taken the time to contact legislators in Texas about the recent proposed funding cuts. As you may have heard, the only proposed cuts throughout the Department of Aging and disabilities Services are to programs that assist children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Your support as a MAV volunteer is critical to having the voices of these children and adults heard. Being their voice today changes their lives for many tomorrows to come. Not a member of Mosaic Allied Voices? Please visit www.mosaicalliedvoices.org.

For more information, please contact Sarah Boyea at  972.866.9989 x322 or sarah.boyea@mosaicinfo.org.