TVS & Mountain Sun Community School Partnership Highlighted for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Mar 25, 2024 | News

In honor of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and its annual campaign highlighting how people with and without disabilities come together to form strong communities; Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS) is proudly celebrating our community partnership, “Reading Buddies,” with Mountain Sun Community School.

The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) 2024 theme, “A World of Opportunities” aims to raise awareness about inclusion of people with Developmental Disabilities (DD) in all areas of community life and reminds us to explore the work still needed to remove barriers.

TVS and Mountain Sun Community School have been working together since 2018 with the Reading Buddies program. “This partnership helps the TVS participants learn leaderships skills, along with helping the students and participants to have relationships with others that are not paid service providers,” said TVS DSP Ashleigh Alquiza. “When you look at communities and individuals with DD, there is a critical divide that sometimes separates rather than includes them. Reading Buddies is helping bridge that gap.”

Participants join students every other Friday for reading and literacy activities. Each group ranging from five to six students plus a TVS participant showcase creativity by creating skits, crafts, songs, and dances to accompany the readings.

“Through our adventures with Mountain Sun Community School we have grown, gained confidence, and made some lifelong friendships,” said TVS INTERACT Supervisor Brooke Wilson. “A true partnership is about people listening to one another and working together to accomplish a common goal. Each person contributes in their own unique way and with respect and learning for all.”

This partnership offers TVS participants opportunities to develop leadership skills while encouraging long lasting relationships in an inclusive and mutually benefiting environment.

“Our class reading lessons are far more engaging with our [TVS] Reading Buddies here,” said Brigid Cameron, Mountain Sun Community School Teacher. “Concepts such as literal and figurative, inferring, setting, or plot are the main focus for our morning lessons, but the real learning is about working with diversity.”

The benefits of this community partnership stretch past the immediate benefits of reading and literacy. Each individual and student is developing self-advocacy skills, gaining confidence, and creating problem-solving skills with life-long friendships.

“I have seen children grow more comfortable with diversity, engage more fully with new people and guests, and their creativity and openness expand,” reflected Cameron. “Having a break from our Reading Buddy program during COVID impressed upon me the need we all have to embrace the beautiful friendships we have created with our class and our friends who learn with us every other Friday.”

Mountain Sun Community School holistically nurtures, challenges, and guides each unique child to discover academic skills using Montessori principles, explore the natural world, create through self-expression, and belong to a collaborative, diverse, and peaceful community. We invite you to learn more at: https://mountainsunschool.org/

Read in the Transylvania Times.

TVS Participants ‘Bake for Good’ with King Arthur Baking Company

Nov 1, 2023 | News

Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS) participants from INTERACT spent last Friday morning learning how to bake scones from scratch with the King Arthur Bake for Good program thanks to the recent partnership between TVS and King Arthur Baking Company.

“Baking is a wonderful way to connect with others,” said Bake for Good Program Manager Amy Driscoll. “We were thrilled to have a chance to meet some of our TVS partners and share our love of baking.”

Bake for Good is King Arthur Baking Company’s free outreach program with the main goals to learn, bake, and share. TVS participants practiced math and science skills while making scones from scratch.

They learned to measure dry ingredients, mix in butter, and were able to customize their scones with either blueberry jammy bits or cinnamon.

“Even our participants that don’t like to get their hands dirty were kneading and working the butter and flour mixtures like champs,” said TVS INTERACT Supervisor Brooke Wilson. “Working with King Arthur crew was a wonderful experience – everyone was kind, helpful, and inclusive.”

Each baker made half a dozen scones to enjoy later and share with family and friends. After the event, the INTERACT team was able to keep the extra baking supplies to support their baking club at TVS.

“The Bake for Good event was a great way to show how business and mission can be even more interconnected,” said TVS VP of Business Development and Marketing Beth Rich. “Having King Arthur as a partner is a benefit to TVS and our community in so many different ways, and we could not be happier working with them.”

Looking ahead, King Arthur Baking Company will be in the Greenville area from November 2 – December 22 for their pop-up store and has plans to continue teaching the Bake for Good program in schools across Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.

TVS Programs Receive Highest Mark on 2023 CARF Audit

Jul 18, 2023 | News

TVS recently received a 3-year Accreditation from CARF, International. The accreditation is an indication of TVS’ dedication and commitment to improving the lives of the individuals we serve in our group homes, day programs, and employment services. TVS was reviewed against 1,126 Quality Standards. At that end of the review, there were no recommendations! Now that is something to be proud of! According to CARF, an accreditation report that identifies no recommendations is achieved in only 3 percent of CARF surveys.

“What an accomplishment,” said Program Director Carla Hill. “This achievement by TVS is the result of many caring and dedicated Direct Support Professionals and Supervisors who believe that helping individuals have the lives they choose is good for the individuals and the community.”

At TVS, CARF evaluates our employment supports, job development, group homes, INTERACT, and Life Skills. The CARF accreditation is an acknowledgement of quality and TVS has been proudly accredited since 1984!

Want to know more about our CARF accreditation?
Click here to view our TVS Programs Monthly Newsletter, In The Loop!

Successful Art Showing for TVS No Limits Artists

May 1, 2023 | News

Party Animal - acrylic on wood uses abstract lines and colors to create a fun and colorful cow sticking out its tongue.

During the month of April, the art exhibit “Just Passing Through” was shown at the Transylvania Community Art Council (TCArts) gallery. This annual show promoting the Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS) “No Limits” artists highlights a variety of subject matter, different medias, and lots of color.

“At the Arts Council, we look forward to the “No Limits” artists’ exhibition each year. The quality and variety of the artwork in the exhibition is exceptional, and each artist has his or her own unique style,” said TCArts Executive Director Kathy King. “My favorite part of the show is the opening reception and visiting with the No Limits artists, most of whom really enjoy talking about their artwork – and seeing it exhibited in the Gallery.”

This year the TCArts hosted two separate opening receptions to accommodate all the “No Limits” artists. Both day and evening receptions welcomed community members, family members, and artists as well as snacks and beverages for refreshments. Visitors had a variety of painted animals, geometrically country quilts squares, and other nature themed media to see.

“From the flowers to the feet, to all the funky animals we painted, it was all a lot of fun. Many days we went home covered in paint ourselves,” laughed TVS INTERACT Supervisor Brooke Wilson.

TCArts remits 100% of the sales price to the artists and this year, the gallery did exceptionally well with 75% of the artwork having been sold.

“I feel like after the first few hours of the show being on display it was already a success. In my opinion, success is measured by much more than just monetary value,” reflected Wilson. “Success was looking around the gallery and seeing nothing but smiles and joyful conversations amongst the artists, families, and community members.”

Looking ahead, the TVS “No Limits” artists will be featured at the Transylvania Chamber of Commerce as their featured Artist of the Month in August and is planning an internal holiday themed art sale near the end of the year.

Click here to read the Transylvania Times article about the event.

Highlights from Just Passing Through

Valley of the Moon

Valley of the Moon by Joshua Acrylic on canvas

Ships Ahoy

Ships Ahoy by Peter Acrylic on canvas in frame

Party Animal

Party Animal by Jay Acrylic on wood

Pretty Nice Spring

Pretty Nice Spring by Debbie Acrylic on canvas

Harvest Sun

Harvest Sun by Amber Acrylic on Canvas

Foxy

Foxy by Matthias Acrylic on canvas

Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty by Kathleen Acrylic on canvas

Flowers

Flowers by Wallace Acrylic on wood

Bumble Bee

Bumble Bee by Derrick Acrylic on Wood

Bambi

Bambi by Laura Acrylic on wood

TVS Staff and Artists Recognized at MARC Annual Awards Luncheon

Nov 2, 2022 | News

Each year The Marketing Association of Rehabilitation Centers of North Carolina (MARC) collaborates to host the “Annual Awards Luncheon and Art Exhibit” and celebrates the opportunity for members to gather for meetings, awards, lunch, and overall togetherness. This year it was held at the Highland Lake Inn on October 14th, and nonprofits from across North Carolina traveled to attend.

The event was particularly notable for TVS, as one of its very own staff was recognized and received a remarkable lifetime achievement award. Carla Hill, longtime TVS Program Director, was honored with the “Spirit of MARC Award” for her overall integrity and years of servicing the disability community.

The “Spirit of MARC Award” is given to a person who has compellingly; through work, decisions, and actions demonstrated the selfless, cooperative, and collaborative “Spirit of MARC.” Reflecting back on the event Hill said, “Anyone in that room could have won this award. I was in shock, so surprised, when they said my name.”

This is the highlight of my career,” she said. “It is beyond my words to be honored by this group. I hope it means that I have contributed to being part of the greater good.”

Also recognized at the ceremony were TVS artists Sam Snyder, Mattias Brown, and Kristen Hodsdon. They were celebrated as the winners of “2022 CreateAbilities” for their art piece titled, “George Washington.”

Senator Kevin Corbin, representative for District 50 including Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon, Swain, and Transylvania Counties,

was also presented the “Chairman’s Award” for assuring an array of service options for people with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities across North Carolina remain available to all citizens. “You can always count on me!” Corbin said in response to the award.

MARC is a nonprofit organization and consortium of manufacturing facilities in North Carolina that serves twenty-seven rural counties across the state. MARC’s overall mission is to improve the economic and social quality of life for individuals with barriers to employment. Since 1978 MARC has worked with its members to provide a full array of services and support for people with a disabilities and disadvantages that includes: evaluation, work training, job skills, job coaching and supported employment to build long-term success for both employee and employer. For more information about MARC visit www.marcinc.com.