David Bulkowski, Executive Director, Opening Letter
Dear Friends,
The new fiscal year is about to pass its midway point and one task remains to complete before 2005 is placed completely into the history book. All reports have been completed and the financial audit is done. What remains is this annual report.
Yes, let me take a moment to reflect back on the past (which really launches us into the future). 2005 was an exciting year for DAKC and the highlights were many. Allow me to point out just a few.
ZeroStep—DAKC’s housing and universal design project set sail on July 1. Check out www.zerostep.org for a really useful and informative view into the house of the future—one with full adaptability for persons of all ability levels—including you!
Independent Living Review Services—DAKC’s partnership with Michigan Rehab Services (MRS) made a great advance in 2005. We now have five staff members working full time at MRS offices and the Michigan Works sites assisting persons with disabilities to get and keep jobs! We used to work with 50 or so persons with disabilities a year on employment issues. This year we will work with over 700!
Transit Summit 2005—on October 3, over 220 area citizens came together to prioritize the next steps in the Grand Valley’s transit renaissance. DAKC provided the organizing support for this event—highlighted by Robert Grow of Envision Utah and our own Congressman Vern Ehlers calling on our state legislators to do more for transit. The Citizen Agenda, Getting There Together, is really cool, if I do say so myself. Contact trisha.a@dakc.us to mail you a copy.
As the numbers state, we have been privileged to be part of providing IL supports to 3,353 persons and worked on numerous community-wide efforts, like the Transit Summit. 2006 has brought a growing number of opportunities. With your continued support, we will be able to continue to meet them as we work for a truly barrier-free community for all.
ZeroStep officially launched with an open house in July 2005 held at the Home and Building Association’s new banquet room. The HBA was very generous in donating the room for the catered event. Our community partners, local service providers, builders and contractors were invited. Through the efforts of the ZeroStep team, 284 units in the Greater Grand Rapids area will be constructed with Universal Design features this year. ZeroStep assisted Eastbrook Builders in launching the Palmer Hills development open house, the first universally designed homes Eastbrook has ever built. The ZeroStep team consulted with the designer of the units and was invited to tour and assess the homes before the open house.
After the sudden passing of Susan Borgman, we held the Susan Borgman Memorial Concert a fund raising event for ZeroStep in her honor. Nine thousand dollars was raised. At this event, ZeroStep gave it’s very first Visionary Awards to Rich and Cindy Kogelschatz of Heartland Builders, and Fred and Don Cheslek of Cheslek Construction for successfully incorporating Universal Design into their building practices. One Visionary Award went to Pat Shellenbarger of the Grand Rapids Press in recognition of his work in writing informative and insightful articles about Universal Design. J.W. Messner, a Grand Rapids based marketing firm, also received an award for their committment to marketing the Universal Design concept.
ZeroStep displayed its new marketing materials at the HBA’s Fall Home Show and at the Home Expo 2005. www. zerostep.org - was launched in August. The site contains Universal Design information and resources for community education. In a partnership with Wells Fargo, the first Aging-in-Place event was held at the Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park. This was a free event that featured a panel of many of our community partners and gave resources and information to the community.
ZeroStep also participated in The Disability Network’s first housing conference in Flint this event featured visitability and Universal Design. To date, ZeroStep has received $152,500.01 in grants and donations. Joanne Feutz, OTR, Renee Thompson, COTA and Judith Williams became Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists.
Most of us come and go from our homes without giving it a second thought or encountering any barriers. Sure, occasionally the weather may influence whether or not you venture outside, especially here in Michigan. There is a big difference between choosing to stay inside and being forced to stay inside. What if you suddenly could not go down (or up) steps? What would you do? How would you get in and out of your house?
The logical answer would simply be to build a ramp. But ramps can be very costly and require the expertise of a licensed builder. There are some assistance programs, but those are often only available for persons of low income. Health insurance companies do not pay for a ramp, even if it means you cannot get out of the house to go to medical appointments. So what do you do? There are persons with disabilities in Kent County that face this situation everyday. Jane was one of them.
Joanne Feutz, DAKC’s Occupational Therapist (OT) had done an in-home assessment for Jane who had started using a wheelchair due to Multiple Sclerosis. Joanne’s recommendation was that Jane get a ramp for their house. Jane contacted a long-time DAKC community partner, Home Repair Services (HRS) to see if any assistance was available for building a ramp. Because of income guidelines, Jane and her husband earned too much to receive assistance from HRS. Joanne checked into every program that she knew of and Jane did not qualify for any of them. With making too much to qualify for low-income assistance programs, but not making enough to pay for the ramp herself, Jane was stuck. Stuck inside her house for nearly a year!
A donor responded to a Needs Alert with a $700 contribution toward the ramp that would cost $1,700 to build. This was now October 2005, if the ramp was not built before the snow started, Jane would have to wait at least until Spring 2006. Thanks to a contribution from the MS Society and the Grandville Home Depot store, materials for the ramp were able to be purchased! With the permits filed with the city and the materials in hand, HRS dug and set the posts for the ramp. In the first week of December, some volunteers from the Home Depot and from a local service club provided the labor to build the ramp. Before the snow flew in 2005 Jane had a ramp.
Dear Joanne,
Something happened to me which I consider just short of miraculous; I left the house for the first time in almost a year! I got in my wheelchair, went out the front door, across the porch to the new door and out on my new ramp. It felt wonderful! I thank you and the wonderful people who gave me their precious time and money. Everybody has made such a difference in my life, and it has made coping with a stressful disease much easier. I can now go to the doctor and dentist. As soon as I find a way to get a van, I’ll be able to go anywhere my heart desires. (Okay, within reason) I can’t thank everybody enough, but I want you to know I’m so grateful for what everyone has done for me. Please mail me the names and addresses you have, so I can thank them personally.
Best regards,
Jane
Revenues $1,058,894
Federal $ Admin by State-$150,588
State-$122,576
Contributions-other-$200,156
Local Governments-$34,146
Local Foundations-$172,311
Federal-$211,156
Fee for Service-$64,866
Miscellaneous-$3,095
Expenditures $1,036,986
Independent Living Services-$318,875
Fundraising-$51,326
Management, general-$183,661
Peer Support-$59,964
Information & Referral-$154,808
Disability Rights & Advocacy-$268,352
Hours Designated
Total Number of Individuals-Served: 3,353
Total Number of Hours-Provided to Individuals: 6,585
Accessibility 847
Assistive Technology 510
Education 366
Employment 1763
Health Care 200
Housing 233
Community Supports 1047
Transportation 968
Other 651
Gender
Male-41%
Female-59%
Age
Under 17-1%
18-22-4%
23-64-60%
65-older-22%
Unknown-13%
Ethnicity
Black-13%
White-43%
Hispanic/Latino-2%
Unknown-42%
Community Service Hours Total Hours: 15,995
Community & Systems Advocacy-2644
Community Education-1807
Outreach-4696
Collaboration & Networking-3991
Other-2857
Volunteers
Stacy Addis
Trisha Ancel
Joel Anderson
Phyllis Anderson
Renee Baird
Gabrielle Belbot
Susan Borgman
Rae Bower
Jenni Byle
Rick Canen
Sandi Canen
Bonnie Crawford
Karen DeLoof
Duane DeRochey
Lynn DeRochey
Sharon Dewey
Chris Dietrich
Jerry Dietrich
Laurie Dietrich
Casey Dutmer
Andrea English
Mark Etienne
Carolyn Fowler
Charles Frost
Clark Goodrich
Gary Goosman
Ira Hart
Elaine Hillary
Lou Hillary
Yen Hoang
Ron Irvine
Michelle Kaha
Kline Kauramaki
AJ Keller
Nicole Keller
Jeff Kissinger
Ann Kremer
Wayne Lewis
Steve Marshall
Chris McEnvoy
Gordy Mouw
Karen Mouw
Desmon Munsell
Richard Munsell
Laurie Murphy
Mike Murphy
Sara Mary Napiewocki
Tom Nelis
Jim O’Connor
Miranda Pelikan
Chuck Pierson
Jonathan Potter
Steve Project
Manmohan Randhawa
Bekah Sage
Mike Salinas
Robyn Saylor
Tracy Schondelmayer
Jenny Shangraw
Heather Simons
Barb Stoops
Linda Sutliffe
Veronica Tarrien
Paula Thompson
Cyndy Viars
Michelle Visscher
Linda Vos
Kati Walls
Matt Vande Vort
Elizabeth Weber
Jennifier Weber
Ken Weber
Lisa Weber
Dick Wendt
Chris Wheeler
Christy Witte
GRCC O.T. Students
GVSU Nursing Students
Local Businesses
Airway Oxygen
Albent Woodworks
Alpine Family Dentistry, P.C.
American Builders
Cheslek Construction
Civic Theatre
Clock Conversions
Comcast
Concept Industries
Consolata Sisters
Consumers Energy
Cragwall & Assoc., PC
Crux Move Consulting, Inc.
D & D Building
Darcy’s Details
Dilley, Dilley, Murkowski & Goller
DP Fox
Edwin Kremer PhD, PC
Embroidery House
Family Denistry of Lowell
Ferris State University
First Wok
Frederik Meijer Gardens
Genesis Project
GGRHIA
Golden Wok
Grand Rapids Art Museum
Grand Rapids C.H.A.D.D.
Grand Villa Dungeon
Heartland Builders, LLC
Hunan Chinese Restaurant
Iroquois Middle School
Jamaican Dave’s
J.W. Messner
Kent Beverage Company
Kinesic Therapies, LLC
Lily Products of Michigan
Maly’s
Marie Catribs
Max & Erma’s
Metron
Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cumminskey
MMPC
NAPH
Norseman Games
Noto’s Old World Italian Dining
One Stop
Peppermill Grill
Pita House
Rapid Fire Protection
Rapidparts,Inc.
Rhoades McKee
Ropes & Gray
Russ’ Restaurant
San Chez
Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge
Sons of the American Legion
Spectrum Health Continuing Care
Star Theatres
Target
TGI Fridays
The BOB
The Griswold Group
The Meadows at GVSU
Thompson Remodeling
Top Care Cleaning Service
Wal-Mart
Wealthy Street Bakery
Wealthy Street Station
Wright & Filippis
Younkers
Source of Funding
AAA of West Michigan
ATEK Medical Manufacturing
Bank One/Chase Morgan
Bob and Cheri Vander Weide Foundation
Dept. of Human Services
Dyer-Ives Foundation
Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Kate & Richard Wolters Foundation
John & Nancy Kennedy Family Foundation
Mary Free Bed Guild
Michigan Disability Rights Coalition
Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund
Samaritan Foundation
SBC Michigan
Sebastian Foundation
Seeds of Justice
Slemons Foundation
Steelcase Foundation
Wege Foundation
Wheeler Family Foundation
Thank you to DAKC 2004-05 Supporters
Mark & Lorrie Aaron
Stacy Addis
Brian & Sue Allen
Phyllis Anderson
Todd & Marilyn Anderson
Joel Anderson
John & Judith Apol
Peter Armstrong
Diane Arnoudse
Charles & Sue Ausberger
Sara Ausberger
Charis Austin
Nancy Ayres
Edith Bajema
Jamie Baker
Cheryl Baldridge-Stokr
June Balish
Shannon Ball
Robert & Juanita Baltierrez
Violet Barber
Steve & Mary Ellen Barnard
Valarie Barnum-Yarger
Dan Bassett
Stefani Bayer
Nancy Beard
Mike Becker
Opal Becker
Clifford & Ruth Bedore
Ronald & Pat Beechem
Cami Beecroft
Bill & Martha Beintema
Sharon Beintema
Jerry Beurkens
Shirley Blaquiere
Stephan Bloom
Jeff Bolthouse
Janet Borgdorff
Susan Borgman
Fran Boss
Jacolyn Boughner
Rae Bower
Ruth Boyd
Fred Braseth
Kim Brenner
Jim & Sharon Breuker
Bruce Briney
Elizabeth Brink
Debbie Brown
Ben Bruinsma
Melissa Budzynski
Dave Bulkowski
Dick & Isabel Bulkowski
Jim & Linda Bulkowski
Carole Bultsma
Janice Burch
Steve Burciaga
Janice Burd
Charmain Burke
Don Burtman
Judith Bussa
Richard Campos
Barb Carlson
Nancy Carlson
Jerry & Julie Carpenter
Cathy Castor
Rick & Willow Chapla
Dawn Cheikh
Aaron Christensen
Fanchon Clark
John & Joan Clark
Charles Clawson
Thomas & Christine Clifford
Jim Collins
Don Collins
Dawn Conto
John & Sylvia Cooper
Caroline Croly
Michelle Crook
Kathy Cross
Kelley Darin
Laura Dawe
Pat DeBoer
David DeBoer
Bill Decker
Jim Decker
Cheryl Deegan
William Dehoek
Linda Denbraber
Gretchen Dennis
Robin Denny
Martha Despres
Jerry & Cindy Dettloff
Ken & Dottie Dettloff
Sharron Dettloff
Jocelyn Dettloff
Barbara Deupree
Marian DeVinney
Mark & Mary Jane DeWaal
Jerry Dietrich
Chris Dietrich
Rachel Dik
Bill & Barb Dirkmaat
David Drake
Joseph Dulin
Sandra Dulyea
Janet Duncan
Casey Dutmer
Greg Dyksterhouse
Dennis & Deborah Dykstra
Wayne & Jan Edwards
Congressman & Mrs. Ehlers
Jamari & Lisa Eiland
Joyce Engelbert
Andrea English
Mark Etienne
Angie Evink
Charles Ezinga
Warren Falicki
Joanne Feutz
Carl Fink
Patricia Forman
Daylynn Foster
Steve Foster
Beverly Fouse
Alvena Franzen
Kenneth Frieswyk
Dave & Shari Fritsma
Charles Frost
Elizabeth Fuhs
Anne Galsterer
Matt Garbacih
Daniel Garcia
Mary Beth Garlitz
Steve Geerling
Rochelle Gibson-Rawlings
Helen Gorman
Sarah Green
Jean Greenhoe
Jennifer Griffith
Steven Grimm
John & Michelle Grypma
Peggy Hall
Tim & Gretchen Halloran
Steven & Kim Handeland
Terri Handlin
Phil Hansen
James & Lisa Harger
Kim Harper
Charles Hart
Kurt Hassberger
Julie Hauri-Foster
Tammy Hayes
George Hazen
Mary Hepper
Dick & Sandi Heyboer
Dick & Pat Higley
Josephine Hikade
Gary Hill
Amanda Hillman
Dr. & Mrs. Sam Ho
Laurie Hoag
Krista Hoekstra
Maria Holzapfel
Jeff and Mary K. Hoodhood
Steven & Nancy Hoort
Henry Hoort
Allard Hoort
Simone Hopp
Ron & Barb Horvath
Frederick Howell
Denis & Laurie Hoyt
Sylvia Hugen
Lynn Huston
Ken & Karen Ignasiak
Win & Kyle Irwin
Heather Jacoby
Margaret Jager
Cheryl James
Don Jandernoa
Jelte & Janine Jansma
Peter & Deborah Jeff
Matthew Jenner
Richard Jeruzal, D.D.S.
R. & Lisa Jo Jewell
Allan & Laura Johns
Nancy Johnson
Yvonne Johnson
Clarence & Grace Joldersma
Sherry Jousma
Meegan Joyce
Jennifer Julian
Joan Jung
Paul Jurek
Peter & Michelle Kaha
Gerrie Kane
Frank & Kathi Kasper
Ann Kassouni
Kline Kauramaki
Jeffrey Keesen
Agnes Kent
John Kessner
Margot Kessner
Nancy Kiel
Mike Kinsella
Birgit Klohs
Rick & Beverly Koebbe
Jim & Vicki Koelsch
Jan & Lavonne Koens
Christopher Koens
Margaret & Cynthia Koens
Jeff Kolenda
David Kolenda
Stacey Korte
Don & Kathy Kowalewski
Gary & Ann Kozak
Constance & Jeffery Kramer
Sara Kremer
Sue Krestakos
Jennie Krumrey
Inga Kuczera
Bruce & Michelle Kuiper
Barry LaFreniere
Jim Lamb
Carla Lambert
John Lange
Dan LaVoie
Marla LeahyChris Lee
Richard Leist
Joe Levan
Albert & Shirley Lewis
James & Lori Livezey
Geoffery & Cynthia Livezey
Angie Locke
Dick & Ruth Locke
Bill Ludlow
Jan Luurtsema
Mike & Sharon Mack
Marureen Makarewicz
Helen Makowski
Daniel Marschall
Selene Marsteiner
Cheryl Matthew-Elzinga
Dallas McDuffee
Bonnie Jean McEndre
Henry & Annie McLaughlin
Maggie McPhee
Bill Meconis
Debra Medina
Mary Ann Mendendorp
Micaela Merryweather
Stephanie Meston
Dave Mezynski
Hank & Diane Milanowski
Christie Miller
Bonnie Miller
Terry Mitchell
Patty Mock
Toni Moore
Judy Morris
Gordy & Karen Mouw
Kris Murdock
Laurie Murphy
Edward & Peggy Myaard
Paolo Navarro
David & Barbara Needham
Tom Nelis
Lee Nelson Weber
Jack Nietling
Jim O’Connor
Tina Ogg
Juan Olivarez
Eleanor Overbeek
Michael Pagniano
Rick & Nancy Pantaleo
Brett Parent
Dick & Barb Parsaca
Nick Pavlovich
Walter Pawelka
Tom Pearce
Mike Pearl
Grace Perkins
Barbara Peters
Diane Pfent
Shirley Pierson
Chuck & Peggy Pierson
Randy Pierson
Jean Pipe
Paul & Mary Lou Pitsch
Bob & Donna Popma
Steve Project
Marie Pulte
Carl & Carol Purdy
Verne & Nancy Purdy
Laura Purdy
Lynda Racey
Gerda Rankin
Barbara Rapaport
Brenda Reber
Garry & Nancy Reenders
William Reeves
Michael & Linda Rexin
Michael Reynders
Bernie Rienks
Lois Roepcke
Chuck & Marian Roetman
Scott Rookus
Esther Ryder
Sylvia & Gale Salinas-Moser
Philip Sarnicola
Jerri Schmidt
Tom & Laura Schmitz
Frances Schrum
Chris Scofield
Steven Seely
Colleen Shangraw
Carl & Jenny Shangraw
Phil Shangraw
Lurae Shangraw-Groh
Lily Sharp
Dan Sheeran
Mike & Holly Shoemaker
Kay Siebelink
Erika Sieting
Mary Simonait
Lawrence Slezak
Scott & Mel Smith
Nettie Smith
Ed & Patricia Smith
Cynthia Smith
Diane Snape
Lee & Dottie Snyder
Charles & Marie Soentgen
Lisa Solomon
Terry Sommerdyke
Ron Sonneveldt
Sandra Spencer
Lisa Spigarelli
Gary & Ann Spoelhof
John & Judith Spoelhof
Kathy Spoelhof
Paul Springer
Ken & Lisa St John
Lisa St. John
Thomas Stellard
Lane Stewart
Don Stinson
Merri Stockwell
Linda Stouten
Paul Sugiyama, D.D.S.
Colin Sullivan
The Honorable & Mrs. Paul Sullivan
Jo Taliaferro
Veronica Tarrien
Timothy & Teresa Thimmesch
TJ & Renee Thompson
Paula Thompson
Mary Beth Tilney
Tina Tilney
Jan Tossava
Eric Treur
Pam Trommater
Jim Troost
Brenda Truskoski
Glenn & Michelyn Van Noord
Anne VanAllsburg
William & Jean VanAllsburg
Kathy VanCofft
Todd & Carole VandeGuchte
Chris & Elizabeth Vandenberg
Sy & Mary Vander Kooy
Tom VanderMolen
Bill VanderWerff
Gayle VanGessel
Benjamin VanHouten
Steve Vanloozenoord
Joy VanRegenmorter
Kelly VanValkenburg
Henry & Linda Joy Vazquez
James Vazquez
Judy Verhulst
Mary Vinlo
Chris & Michelle Visscher
Tyler Viuks
Edward & Irma Vogt
F.W. Vogt
Ann Vos
Haley Vos
Hannah Vos
Craig & Jill Vyn
Mary Waldo
Matthew Wallhout
Brenda Wallin
Larry & Saffron Wanger
Dean & Cindy Watrous
David Watson
Karen Waycaster
Ken & Lisa Weber
Denise Wegrzynowicz
Dick & Diane Wendt
Dave & Judy Westra
Chris Wheeler
Damian Wildfong
Elizabeth Willey
Judith Williams
Deanna Winter
Christy Witte
Raymond Wlodkowski
Karen Wolf
Jackie Yonker
Brett Youker
David Young
Faye Young
Janice Zimmer
Margo Zwald
“We exist to advocate, assist, educate and inform on independent living options for people with disabilities and to create a barrier-free society for all.”
