The Mill House Matters

Mill House computer class

2011-05-04T11:12:00.000-07:00

We had a computer class where some people came over from college and taught us how to use computers on the Internet. We looked up some things on the Internet like some jobs, places to eat at, and some other fun stuff that we would like to do.
We had a great time with them and we had a party on the last day that they came here and we ate some candy.

Computer class

2011-04-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

We had a computer class that meets every Tuesday at about 1:30 pm, and we had a good amount of people in there. They had a few people in there and there was Mason, Meg, and some other people in there. They all came from VCU and they were doing it for their class and it helped us to get to know the computers a lot more. Then they had a party for us on the last day they were coming to show us how much we had accomplished on the computers. It was fun and great that they had done this with us all.

The Commoner's Speech

2011-02-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

by Claire D.
I knew a wonderful lady who was a musician & was studying to become a speech therapist as well. She was the choir director & organist at my church parish. Outisde of church hours she tuaght elementary school. When she decided she wanted to study speech pathology she enrolled at UVA to get her graduate degree.
She nver made it. She died tragically young at the age of 52.
I think she was very smart, doing so well in two totally unrelated fields, music & speech therapy. She was also a wonderful person & very funny.
I'm glad I knew her. Of course I miss her a lot. She would have enjoyed The King's Speech movie very much. I saw The King's Speech last week when we went to the Mill House social program. I loved it. It was a smashing, jolly good movie. If my friend were still around I would definitely have told her about my love of Cambridge. I think she had some English ancestry, because she imitated the English accent so flawlessly, & enjoyed the TV commercials & programs that had English performers in them. I would have asked her to take pictures of King's College Chapel & Choir for me.
Of course I miss her a lot. I'm glad I knew her.

Tom's Birthday

2011-01-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

by Claire D.

Today is Tom's birthday! Happy Birthday, Tom! Thank you for making me laugh! I hope you have a dazzling birthday.
Claire a.k.a. Clairequat

Happy Birthday to Frank C.

2011-01-25T11:45:00.000-08:00

Sunday was Frank C.'s birthday! Happy Birthday, Frank C.! Thank you for making me laugh! I hope you had a dazzling birthday.
Claire a.k.a. Clairequat

VCU OT students were here on a visit

2010-12-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

VCU occupational therapy students were writing an article for their class on brain injury and how it affects us. They came to the millhouse to observe and see how the millhouse works. After they write this article, they plan to have it published in a professional occupational therapy journal. They were very polite and asked very interesting questions. We wish them much luck in the future!

Richmond Flying Squirrels Fundraiser

2010-12-07T07:43:00.000-08:00

RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS presents Holiday Gift Ideas by the Community Futures Foundation(CFF). On Thursday, December 16th, give the gift of giving this holiday season as you purchase your loved one's gifts. The store hours are from 9am to 8pm at the Diamond. The Diamond is located at 3001 N. Boulevard Richmond, VA. 23230. You can also call the Flying Squirrels at (804) 359-FUNN. For one day only, the Richmond Flying Squirrels will donate 10% of the total daily retail sales to the Community Futures Foundation.

The Community Futures Foundation provides long-term community based support services to individuals with brain injury in the Metro Richmond and Hampton Roads areas. At CFF, individuals with brain injury are offered the opportunity to regain self confidence, refine work skills, and regain independence.

Positive Vibes Cafe

2010-11-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

by Claire D.
I had a great time at Positive Vibe Cafe! I learned measuring, knife skills, kitchen sanitation, bussing tables, & a couple of simple recipes such as ice cream in a bag. I really enjoyed it. The people are very nice. I am sorry it ended on December 10. I wish it were at least a semester long. I graduated on December 10. I am so going to miss it, especially Amy Wells, Garth Larcen, & Max Larcen. I am not thinking of applying for a job there because it is so far from where I live, & CARE is unreliable; if I could afford it, I could use taxis for transportation & be able to work at Positive Vibe without a "tour of Richmond" (CARE) for transportation. The sanitizer we cleaned with is quaternary ammonium compound, a.k.a. Quats. I love the words quaternary & quats.

Chick-Fil-A Fundraiser

2010-11-09T08:41:00.000-08:00

by Claire D.
On Thursday, November 18, 2010, The Mill House wants you to "Eat Mor Chikin"! The Chick-Fil-A fundraiser will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Chick-Fil-A at Tuckernuck Plaza located at 9100 W. Broad St. 20% of all proceeds go directly to The Mill House. If you have any questions, call (804)261-7050.
EAT MOR CHIKIN!

Happy Birthday

2010-11-02T07:21:00.001-07:00

by Claire D.
Today is Doug Girard's birthday.
Happy Birthday, Dug!
I forgot how to spell.
(Of course, that's a joke.) :)

Scary Lunch

2010-10-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Today we had Halloween lunch. It was dazzling good. We had Mummies (chicken enchiladas), Eyeballs (deviled eggs with food coloring & olive slices), Mouths (apple slices with peanut butter & marshmallows), & Dirt (chocolate mousse with crushed Oreos). It was delicious, especially the Eyeballs. I suggested that for next year they have Raised Eyebrows to go with the Eyeballs (the eyebrow can be made with a slice of green pepper or the peel from an apple slice).

BBQ Fundraiser

2010-10-20T07:10:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 29 we will have a pork BBQ fundraiser here at The Mill House (7812 Shrader Rd.; Richmond, VA 23294) from 11am-2pm or until all the BBQ is sold. Chef Elliot Buckner will prepare the BBQ in the parking lot the night before. Then it will be sold both inside & outside on Friday. Prices are: $8 for a BBQ sandwich, cole slaw & baked beans. Cornbread, soft drinks & bottled water are $1 each. All proceeds will benefit The Mill House, a clubhouse for brain-injured adults; we are a non-profit organization. It is sponsored by the law firms of: Cantor, Stoneburner, Ford, Grana & Buckner and Bucci & Dix, & Injured Workers Lawfirm.

2010-10-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

Reading Is Dazzling, Part II
Reading is still dazzling, of course! My specific favorite books are Katie's Dream & Till Morning Is Nigh, both by Leisha Kelly. They are about the Wortham & Hammond families. Samuel & Julia Wortham have three children & George Hammond has ten children. In Katie's Dream, a long-lost relative of Katie's brought her to the Worthams after her biological mother abandoned her, & she was dazzlingly happy to be a part of the Wortham family. In Till Morning Is Nigh several of the Hammond children had the stomach flu & made nativity figures out of paper to entertain themselves since they were not well enough to be outside playing in the snow. George Hammond had gone missing & the children were afraid he had died like their mother had a year earlier, & they were so happy when he finally came back home. The Hammond & Wortham children had a lot of fun with their paper nativity scene, & it cheered George up too.

tom's advocacy opportunity

2010-09-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

This morning I went to CFC ( Combined Federal campaign with Martha ( Mill House employee). We showed up in between 10am and 10:30am. We met ( Mill House employee) there.
We went into a large room. This is where they had the CFC. We sat down for a few minutes and heard a couple of speakers. They were telling about some past experiences in theire life. It was how the CFC got started.
Most of the volunteers were seated in a big U in the auditoriom. The people that were attending the CFC event walked around the U. This gave them a chance to talk to many of the people that were at each taBLE.
OUR tABLE was for the Mill House and the site in Norfolk that serves the people who have brain-injury. Claire, martha and i talked to some of the people. Claire or Martha brought some chocolate candy. We passed this candy out.
Either our talk on brain injury rehabilitation or chocolate cady really attracted a lot of people!! We left around 12:30 pm.

Reading Is Dazzling!

2010-09-14T11:29:00.001-07:00

by Claire D.
Reading is dazzling!I love to read. I learned to read when I was four, & have been an avid reader ever since. I love to read fiction about families, especially families with children), female best friends, & nonfiction about classical music, English culture, & the Latin, French, & Italian languages. I believe that reading is good exercise for the brain. My favorite words are demulcent, mellifluous, resplendent, scintilla, (from Latin) & mesclun (from French). I just learned the word mesclun recently.

Farewell to interns

2010-08-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

The interns left today, for good. All of them worked hard and they should've gotten a farewell party. They assisted in all three areas, the kitchen, communication, and maintenence units. In all the days I've been blessed to work with them, on Thursday and Fridays, they always had a great big smile on their faces.
The Mill House members were sad when they left. Some of them asked why they had to leave. They responded that it was the end of their internship. Then the members understood and they went back to working with their unit coordinators.
In all, they, the members, had been priviledged to welcome new interns in their units.

social, 7-20-10

2010-07-30T10:54:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, July 29th, the Mill House went out bowling, close by,. and ate at Applebees. We had a great time. Everyone, assumably, had fun. There were three bowling lanes for us to choose our teams. We were joined by other groups of people at the bowling alley. After we bowled, we went to Applebees. The menu had a selection of multiple choices to choose from. We were planning to go eat at a close restaurant, but we were forced to relocate, due to a power outage. Unfortunately, there was a bad storm with power outages throughout Henrico and the Richmond area, although the night was refreshing. Laughter was in the air, when we bowled and while we had dinner.

The Mill House's social

2010-07-30T10:34:00.000-07:00

Robbie's Birthday

2010-07-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

Today is Robert Priest's birthday. He was one of the very first members of The Mill House. He makes me laugh so hard with his sarcastic sense of humor.
News flash: Claire Dixon died...
...laughing at Robert!

2010-06-22T11:56:00.000-07:00

Any new comments,please give.

We want more strawberries!

2010-06-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

What's been going on...Our first townhall meeting

2010-06-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

all of our family came..even my husband!
Go Nelson! He did a great job with his presentation.

Our Tommy Toes....

2010-06-08T09:01:00.001-07:00

.. are producing in gallons!

We've got a bumper crop coming in !
Since our crop was planted and fertilized,weve had peppers and lettace coming in also.
The yummy produce has been enjoyed daily by our members in our lunches. "Yummy!"

2010-06-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

See the amazing progress we've made! Look at what the garden looked like a few months ago (see the post below) and compare it to how it looks now. Turns out our Maintenance Unit has plenty of green thumbs!

Squirrely Fries!

2010-05-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

Play ball!

2010-05-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

On May 20th the Mill House members went to the Diamond to watch our home baseball team play. The Squirrels played the Sea Wolves from Lake Erie and won, 5 to 1.
While they played we had some ballpark food. We preordered our food, to ease the process of ordering for 25 people all at once from a concession stand. Our food selection consisted of hot dogs, pretzels, hamburgers, and of course "squirrely fries"! Also we ordered a drink, soda drink or water, bottled.
It started at 10:35 and ended at 2:00. We were sitting safely, behind the catcher and referee, so we scarcely didn't have to catch anything. Although, they hit a foul ball that came close to us. We were sitted great!

The Mill House Garden

2010-05-04T10:43:00.001-07:00

The Mill House has a garden! We are growing vegetables & flowers. We will not have to buy our vegetables at the supermarket anymore now that we are growing our own fresh vegetables. We are also composting biodegradable items such as fruit & vegetable peels & coffee grounds.

It's a Girl!

2010-04-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

By Claire D.

We are all so thrilled for Crystal, the long-term case manager at The Mill House, about the newest member of her family. Olivia Skye Lloyd-Bowens was born on February 16, 2010. She weighed 5 pounds & 15 ounces. Her big brother, Isaiah, loves grapes & bananas so I made a joke asking Crystal if he is going to mash grapes & bananas to feed his baby sister.

Funny picture of Joe

2010-04-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is a funny picture of Joe Craig.
Over time, our fax machine has driven Joe so crazy, yesterday we said that Joe wasn't working here anymore for a while. April Fool's!

Mill House's garden

2010-04-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and we are crossing our fingers that we have seen the last frost. Virginia is, however, notorious for suprising us with odd weather. After many months of planning, preparation, and germination, the members and staff at the Mill House will begin planting a garden that will consist of many types of herbs and produce. Today, members will put the little seedlings into the Earth, cultivated and tilled over the last few weeks.To name a few, we will be growing tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, cucumbers, spinach and lettuce. We are planning ahead until our crops produce. After it is produced, we will start cooking those items in our soups, lunches, and whatever we are cooking. This is a stepping stone for the Mill House.
All of your green thumbs, we need your thoughts and advice, so please send it our way!

Foreign Languages

2010-03-02T08:14:00.000-08:00

by Claire D.

I memorized the Pledge of Allegiance in Latin.I have my own well-worn copy of Latin for Dummies.
Fidem meam obligo
Vexillo civitatium Americae.
Foederatum et rei publicae
Pro qua stat.
Uni nationi, non dividendae,
Deo ducente,
Cum libertate et justitiaque pro omnibus.
Learning foreign languages is good for memory. So everybody should memorize the Pledge of Allegiance in Latin. By the way, I love the word "vexillo". It means flag. It is a pretty word. I also love the word "demulcent" which means soothing, or something that soothes.

Social

2010-02-26T11:00:00.001-08:00

The social program consisted with dinner and games until about 6:30p.m. I wanted to leave for their dinner at Casa Grande, but I had to quit their games in the middle to go to my speech therapy. Unfortunately, they only went out to dinner, and not to a movie, so I didn’t totally miss out in we hadn’t implemented our fun to the maximum. Although, we played all sort of games, like Uno, Connect Four, and chess. I, personally, enjoyed associating with the other members.

Claire's Volunteer Position

2010-01-26T07:30:00.001-08:00

I am volunteering at AARP. Actually, I am doing it from home but they e-mail me the work & I do it at home then I e-mail it to them. I proofread the "Impact" quarterly newsletter for the AARP headquarters in Virginia. I enjoy it very much. I love to proofread; that would be my dream job. I have been looking for a proofreading job for many years now. I am also very interested in medical terminology & medical issues.

The Millhose on 01/21/2010

2010-01-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

Hello world, what is up out there? It is a rainy, wet day here at The Mill house in Richmond Va. To a lot ppl. that is not so nice but I am one of those ppl who just loves the rain. So it is very nice to me.
The Mill House got a new intern. Here name is Kim. She goes to one of the best colledges in the world called VCU. Kim seems like a very nice lady. Take care everyone.
Franky C
The Mill House member

The Joys (and perils) of Direct Mailing

2009-12-22T05:37:00.001-08:00

In true non-profit form, Community Futures Foundation sends out a few direct mailings every year. The services our members and clients receive depend on a growing partnership with our community, and direct mailings are just one of the ways that we connect with current and potential supporters. Since the Mill House shares a building with CFF, the grunt work of printing, folding, stuffing, sealing, labeling, and stamping usually falls on the very willing members of the Communications Unit. Unfortunately, such a massive mailing (of up to 1000 recipients at times), comes at a hight cost to the helping hands of the Mill House members and staff. Our most recent mailing resulted in a record 3 bandaid-&-neosporin-worthy paper cuts, which consequently lead to the 3 very pouty faces you see above. But CFF must continue to engage with its community, and the Mill House will therefore undauntedly brave the perils of handling so much paper. So next time you receive a letter from CFF, recall these faces, reflect on your own tragic experiences with paper cuts, and show your gratitude for the pains that our fearless members endure to stay connected with their community. That's just how much we love you!

The Mill House

2009-12-17T08:28:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas, and a happy New Year. The Mill House wishes only the best for you and your family. We all thank you for sending your love with your gracious donations. We also have a donation box at Target, this year.

The Mill House Does Matter

2009-12-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

I had a car accident in 87.joined The Mill in 2009. Since then they've tried to get me back into the community.They have helped me with the computer, kitchen skills and being a janitor.

2009-12-15T07:27:00.000-08:00

The communications unit here at The Mill House has finished typing the articles for its upcoming newsletter. Now it just needs to put them together and print the pages.

Claire's Volunteer Position

2009-12-15T07:12:00.000-08:00

I am volunteering once a week at Prevent Child Abuse Virginia. I help assemble necklaces with the Prevent Child Abuse logo, a pinwheel. It is a lot of fun. I volunteer there on Thursdays, once a month. It is not hard even though I have butterfingers, ha ha ha. I volunteered at PCAV in the past & made several friends there. I usually do clerical work but jumped at the chance to help assemble the necklaces because I was so glad to be working with my old friends again. They were as exultantly, fervently happy to welcome me back as I was to see them again.

Get your Flying Squirrels gear and support CFF!

2009-12-03T05:58:00.001-08:00

Richmond's recently unveiled baseball team, the Flying Squirrels, has chosen Community Futures Foundation to benefit from 10% of all team paraphanalia sales made today! That's Thursday December 3rd. So come out to the Diamond between 10 and 6 and support CFF by stocking up on all your Flying Squirrels gear! Many thanks to the Richmond Flying Squirrels for giving our community a fun and innovative opportunity to show our support of a great cause, as well as our emegerging local baseball team. We look forward to seeing you!

2009-12-01T09:55:00.000-08:00

Turkey Day at the Mill House!

2009-11-25T10:25:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to our Mill House Friends and Family! Thanks to all of you who joined us for our annual Mill House Thanksgiving Lunch. Even though we had about 40 people show up to help us eat the bountiful feast Members and staff had fixed up, we still had a counter and refreigerator full of leftovers (see Lise and jazz hands for visual). We are so grateful for everyone's participation. Mill House members did a phenomenal job preparing for this event, engaging our guests, enjoying the food, AND, instead of taking turns passing out on our solitary couch like we all wanted to do, we jumped right in after the meal to do dishes, sweep, and mop, albeit a little more slowly than usual. Take that, triptophan!

"Mellifluous Verbiage" (Fancy Vocabulary)

2009-11-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

Paul G. wrote a lovely article. He uses a lot of mellifluous verbiage that I like. (Mellifluous verbiage = fancy vocabulary)
The Mill House had a pleasurable extravaganza on November 12. We saw a movie at Short Pump’s theater. Then we ate dinner at Fuddruckers. We spent the evening laughing ebulliently. The staff gave us an option to see four movies. We decided on three movies: “This Is It”, “Astroboy”, and “Men Who Stare at Goats”. I saw “Men Who Stare at Goats”. It was an Army movie starring George Clooney and Jeff Bridges. They did more talking than fighting throughout the movie, but they didn’t jibber-jabber. The movie lasted about two hours. Then we went to eat at Fuddrucker’s. It was a stylish restaurant which served burgers. We had about an hour to chat about silly things like “superpowers”. Afterwards we ate burgers and chicken tenders. As we were waiting for our rides, we played board games at The Mill House. We played Connect Four and chess.

Lunch time Diversions!

2009-11-13T08:50:00.000-08:00

Chess & Connect Four

We are playing chess during our eating hours. It is really great there to play it. Joshua and Paul play it; and sometimes Joshua and R. J. play it also. Sometimes Raymond plays it with Joshua. Paul wins, Joshua wins, and R. J. wins most of the time.

We are also playing Connect Four during our eating hours and it is really fun to play it. Frank plays it with a bunch of people and he wins most of the time. Sometimes, Joshua wins and Anna wins while we are playing Frank. A bunch of people play it with Frank and he wins most of the time, but sometimes he doesn’t win all that much.

We have a great time playing these games.

Halloween at The Mill House

2009-11-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

We ate "bloody rats" for lunch on Halloween. We also ate "slime" & "brains". It was delicious even though it was funny-looking. Paul dressed up as a pimp. I forgot to wear my jester's hat, OOOOOPS! We had a good time.

The Mill House Has Two New Members!

2009-11-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

Mill House Blog: New Members
Presently The Mill House has 39 members. Two people just joined The Mill House. Their names are Beth Morgan & Kelan Uzzle. Beth graduated from John Tyler Community College. She is a good listener & very caring. She taught preschool & worked at Bank of America. Kelan is from Richmond. He graduated from Virginia Tech. He is 24 years old. He is very interested in informing people about his accident (he was injured in a bus accident 12 years ago). Kelan did not work before his injury. He likes to play video games, watch the TV show “Hunting”, & listen to country music.

Fun with the Mill House Camera

2009-07-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

We were taking pictures of members and staff working in The Mill House... this is our favorite.

Camp Bruce McCoy 2009

2009-06-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

Camp Bruce McCoy 2009
Well we went to the Camp and they had changed our cabins around to new places than they were last year.
We had the eating in the morning around about 8:15 am then we did our two activities before lunch. We then did our last activity before we had dinner around about 6:15 pm and we did some other things like we had a person come over once a week to talk about brains and our heart before dinner. We had two dances each week that we went there and we sang on the second dance every Thursday. I sang the second week the song was something I cannot remember but it was great.
Then at night I played some poker games, a game called Spit, and a game called BS. I think I played War once too. Then I went to bed around 1:15 am and I had to get up about 7:05 to get ready for the day. On Saturday we went to go see a movie that was called, the riddle of the Sphinx, and I can’t remember what the first part was but it was great and a good movie. Then we came to a store to eat and it was great and good. On Sunday we had some Papa John’s pizza for lunch I think.
Then the last day my sister came to get me and my dad had had an accident at work on Friday and he is still in the hospital and I am worried about him.

The Mill House and Support Groups in Richmond, VA

2009-05-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

My name is Frank. I am a member of The Mill House of Richmond, VA. The Mill House is a clubhouse for survivors of brain injury. Even though I very much do not like my injury, I really enjoy The Mill House.

Reasons I like The Mill House:

Reason #1: It’s like the job I had most of my life, it fits my style. The Mill House stops me from just sitting around the house with nothing to do day by day. I like to be busy.

Reason #2: I see all people with different backgrounds and personalities which is like the life I was accustomed to before my injury.

Reason #3: The Mill House set me up with support groups. The name of the support group is the Supportive Survivors Support Group. It meets every Tuesday at Regency Square Mall in the food court. A group of us, injury survivors and sometimes families, talk about our experiences during the week and have dinner with each other. I also attend a brain injury support group at the Children’s Hospital in Richmond, VA. It is held by the Brain Injury Association of Virginia every third Monday of the month. I try to attend the group as much as possible. I have been to this support group meeting over years so much that I consider most of who come as family. BIAV (Brain Injury Association of Virginia) will hold an ice cream and game party in August for the support group meeting. I love it.

I feel The Mill House is an outstanding clubhouse. I also think the support groups are great. The Mill House and both support groups are great ideas for survivors of brain injury and their families.

Frank C.
Member, The Mill House

Jermaine's Job

2009-05-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

I reacquired my job at Target on S. Labernum. I'm a Cashier again and now have more reaponsibilities this time. This time on the job I now also work in the store with pricing merchandise and restocking. I have the same co-coworkers as I did before so it is a familiar environment. I get along with all my co-workers. We talk joke, laugh, and have fun, and at the same time we still do our job. Recently on the job I've been seeing some old friends from high school. My supervisor told me and my Job Coach that I am improving each time I work.

Fishing

2009-05-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

By Claire

On May 25th we went fishing at Deep Run Park. It was very nice. I don't fish but I walked on several of the paths through the woods. Erin & her brother & sister caught fish & several of the Mill House members caught fish too. I took a lot of pictures & a movie. I enjoyed the trip very much.

Partners in Policymaking: Graduation Weekend!

2009-05-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

By G. Michael B.
On Friday, May 15, 2009 I began the final weekend of the 8-month, 8-weekend ‘Partners in Policymaking’ advocacy class for people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities which began back in September. On Friday I presented my final project: Traumatic Brain Injuries & on Saturday we were give our certificates of graduation. There were 28 of us in the class, all ` from somewhere in VA. We stayed at the Sheraton Hotel at I-64 & Broad St.

We learned a lot in our class about advocating for ourselves & to stop using negative words like “disabled”, “handicapped”, “special needs”, “suffers from”, “afflicted with” and DON’T APOLOGIZE!

Ukrop's Golden Gift Program

2009-05-18T10:10:00.000-07:00

The Mill House partcipates in the Ukrop's Golden Gift program. Customers of Ukrops
should have received a yellow card in the mail with their total points for 2009. To read about the program visit the Ukrop's site:

http://www.ukrops.com/org/login.asp

Please mail your Ukrop's Golden Gift Points to The Mill House by June 10th:
7812 Shrader Road
Richmond, VA 23294

Messages for the Old Building

2009-04-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

* It was nice being here. See you!

* Adios!

* Off to bigger and better things!

* I enjoyed the time I was here.

* Nice knowing you.

* Goodbye!

* Sorry for your loss.

* I'll miss all your creaks and cracks.

* Bon Voyage! Thanks for the memories.

* Thanks.

* Bye, peace, good riddance and I'll see you when I see you!

* Ditto.

* Goodbye and thanks for the memories.

The last day at Staples Mill Road...

2009-04-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

The final day at 5711 Staples Mill Road, Richmond, VA has arrived! We have spent the last few days packing and have left out only the stuff (furniture) needed for the program for today.

Funny stuff found while packing:
- Chocolate Donut underneath all the computer programs.
- Microwaveable Egg Cooker that cooks your eggs in the shape of eggs.
- 17 million pots and pan lids... Where are all the pots?
- 1ft by 6in ice block in the drink fridge of the snack bar.
- Hidden trash (plastic bags... nothing perishable) in our dried flower pots.
- Thousands of unidentifiable bits of plastic.
- over 15 unusable computers... YAY for computer recycling.

Our new address will be: 7812 Shrader Road, Richmond, VA 23294.

2009-04-07T07:54:00.000-07:00

A Day at The General Assembly
by a Mill House Member

On Friday, April 3, I and 27 other members began our seventh once-a-month weekend of an 8-session “Partners in Policymaking” class at the Sheraton Hotel on Broad St. at I-64. We’ve been taking this class since September and graduate on May 16. After breakfast on Saturday the 4th, all 28 of us plus the 2 staff in charge rode down to the General Assembly where we spoke about various disabilities which most of us have. Some were parents of children with disabilities and a couple of them had disabilities themselves. After lunch we walked to the Capitol and into the House of Delegates room where we did a “mock vote”.

After giving them a brief story line on my life history, I mentioned the fact that VA spends $20 per year for services for people with brain injuries, but over $1,000 per year for the same services for people with mental retardation. There is also a long waiting list for members at each of our clubhouses. As a result, brain injury survivors cannot access appropriate services in their community. So I asked them “Why can’t the state fund the same amount toward brain injury and its survivors as it does other similar things?”

Some of the General Assembly members recognized me and remember not only me but others as well from The Mill House as we have spoken to them for our clubhouse a few times before – me, 3 times. Everyone truly enjoyed themselves this weekend; a fun time was had by all.

We are now the OWNERS of the new building!

2009-03-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know, we closed on our new building for The Mill House today, so we are now the owners! Construction permits were approved by the Henrico County this week and we hope to begin our new building next week, with a planned moving date towards the end of April. Our new address will be: 7812 Shrader Road, Richmond, VA 23294.

Partners in Policymaking

2009-03-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

“Partners in Policymaking”: People Learning History, Attitudes & Perceptions About Disabilities & People with Them

· Minds are like parachutes- they only function when open.
· Disabilities are a natural part of life; 1 in 5 Americans have one, making people with disabilities the largest minority group in the country.
· A disability is, first & foremost, a medical diagnosis. It simply represents a body part that works differently. Stop using the words “wrong”, “disabled”, “special needs” and DON’T apologize!
· VA is the 6th Richest state, but it ranks 48th. In Medicaid money given to people to support community programs. Instead, most is going to institutions.
· Words like “handicapped”, “suffers from”, “afflicted with”, victim of”, “low/high functioning” or “special needs” are archaic terms (no longer used in federal legislation) that evokes negative images of pity, fear & more. “Handicapped” is often used to describe modified parking spaces, hotel rooms, restrooms, etc. But these usually provide access for people with physical or mobility needs & no benefit to visual or hearing impaired. This is one example of the misuse of the “H”-word as a generic descriptor. “Disabled” is used to describe vehicles. Sports reporters say “the disabled list”; they once said “injured reserve”. Other uses today are “broken/non-functioning”. People with disabilities are NOT broken! If a new toaster doesn’t work, we say it’s “defective” or “damaged” & return it. Shall we return babies with “birth defects” or adults with “brain damage”? The accurate & respectful descriptors are “congenital disability” or “brain injury”.
· 75% of all people with disabilities are unemployed because employers doubt they can have valuable job skills. If merchants saw us as customers with money to spend, we wouldn’t have so many inaccessible stores, theaters, restrooms, and more.

Meals on Wheels

2009-03-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

When we go to Meals On Wheels, we get in a van, and drive up to the office where the Meals On Wheels site is at. We get all of the meals and we go to the Fairmont house to deliver them. When we are done we come back to the Mill, because we have the bags that are ours so we do not need to give them back to the Meals On Wheels station. We help out about 12 people every week. :)

Check out the Meals on Wheels Website and consider volunteering with this great organization: http://www.mowdelivers.com/

Interview with a Communications Unit Member.

2009-03-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

I have been in The Mill House since September 2005. I am in the Communications Unit. When we move I am going to go to the Kitchen Unit because I want to do something different. I was born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain). I am “29 again” (41). I have a friend at The Mill House from way back. I have known her since I was 14. I enjoy typing & photocopying. The photocopier has lately been amusing me because of the “Read-End” message that I do not know the meaning of. I love to read (especially fiction & the “…For Dummies” books), listen to ancient classical music (especially the King’s College Choir of Cambridge, England), play the piano & organ, & walk in the park. Twitter is a sound that birds make. Cute word, isn’t it?

Feelings towards the move.

2009-03-24T07:58:00.000-07:00

We asked several people at The Mill House how they felt about moving and here are the responses:
1. I’m excited, can’t wait!
2. I think its going to be roomy.
3. EXCITED!
4. Good I’ll be able to help people.
5. Good. Fantastico!
6. Looking forward to it.
7. Positive.
8. Overwhelming.
9. I don’t know.
10. I don’t have a choice.
11. I’m so impatient that I’m fidgeting!
12. Great.
13. Great. We’ll finally have a bigger place.

Our New Building!

2009-03-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Mill House will move to a different location sometime at the end of April. Below you can view a video of our new building:

Background of the Mill House

2009-03-20T07:45:00.000-07:00

The Mill House, operated by the nonprofit organization, Community Futures Foundation, is an innovative vocational rehabilitation program for individuals with brain injury who live in the Metro Richmond area. The program seeks to help survivors of brain injury achieve greater levels of independence and productivity.

http://www.communityfuturesva.org

Our first blog!

2009-03-20T07:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Mill House's blog.