Judy Vorfeld’s Office Support Services

From mother, Maggie Van Vliet: Our son Riley is the coolest little boy and he deserves to be the free spirit he so desires to be. Riley lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder, GERD, and a bleeding disorder. He is five years old and has a twin sister, Brooke, and a little sister Lindsay. Riley can locate and name any country in the world on a map. He has been reading since he was 2 years old. He plays the piano and loves music. He talks about playing the oboe and is learning the violin. He amazes us everyday with the knowledge and his skills.

He has many wonderful talents but staying safe is not one of them. This dog would not only help him in his quest for independence but it will help to ease the huge amount of worrying and fear we have for his safety. Riley does not understand the dangers everyday life can bring with it.

We live in a very remote community in the northwest corner of Alberta, Canada. We are in the middle of the boreal forest with millions of acres of pure woods. We fear Riley could walk into the woods; this dog would help to track him if this ever happened. Riley loves to ride in mini vans and has jumped right in a strange van before to take a ride with what should have been a stranger to him. The trouble is that to Riley everyone is a friend!

I am from Ohio and my family is still there, so we travel home as much as we can. We also fly once a month to Edmonton, Alberta for medical appointments and therapy for Riley. Busy international airports can be a sensory overload for him and a danger zone also. We believe Riley’s dog would help to make his traveling experience smoother for him. We are thankful for what ever help you can bring to our quest.

From father, Norman Van Vliet: As a father of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I have found it challenging as my son grows up to keep him safe. We have spent, and continue to spend, many hours with flash cards, verbal and written cues, rewards, and pretty much everything you can think of to try to get Riley to understand what is a good choice and what is a bad choice.

He does not understand how his actions may result in a safety related issue. Riley has gone out the back door in minus 20 degree Celsius weather with no coat or boots on, he has run out in the middle of the street many times without knowing if it was safe to do so, and will run away from me if he sees something cool at the mall. He is getting so big now that I can hardly pick him up to carry him anymore when he does these types of things.

He is a big five-year-old boy and is about 75 pounds. Imagine trying to carry a boy like that who is trying to fight you to go some place that he really wants to see! Having a service dog in our family will help Riley so much. The dog will be trained to be not only Riley’s little buddy, but will be able to help keep him calm, track him if he gets away from us, and keep him from getting into an unsafe situation. We can’t wait until the dog comes!

If you can find it in your heart to help us out in raising some funding for his dog, we would be forever grateful. We also appreciate any kind comments and thank you for your support. Please visit Riley’s Blog at www.riley4paws.blogspot.com or email us moosling@telus.net

Note: I highly endorse 4 Paws for Ability as a source for extremely well-trained service dogs. The organization is sound and its goals exceptional. Judy Vorfeld.

Riley O’Neil is an eight-year-old girl with Asperger’s (a form of autism). She is a bright, sweet, lovable child who has a lot of anxiety. She often becomes overwhelmed and melts down, causing social isolation and much self loathing after the fact.

Riley is extremely hard on herself, expecting to automatically know things instead of gradually learning them. She screams and cries and hits herself when she is upset. She sometimes does not understand social nuances and is often afraid to join groups of other children.

Riley’s service dog will be trained to intervene at the first signs of emotional escalation and to help Riley remain calm when she is frustrated. It will also help ease her into social situations, being an instant conversation starter, and providing her positive social recognition.

Asperger’s is largely an invisible disability. Having her dog with her will possibly alert others to the fact that she is trying her best despite behavior that is sometimes disruptive. Riley finds friendships confusing and has thus far never been invited on a play date.

Her dog will be a companion she can trust. Riley loves all animals and is a wonderful sister to her little brother. She is a kind and good person, a blessing to her family and to all those who take the time to really get to know her.

For more information on us, or to donate in Riley’s name,(include “Riley O’Neil” on the check or under “special instructions” if donating online) visit my blog. Thank you so much. Michelle O’Neil.

Note: I highly endorse 4 Paws for Ability as a source for extremely well-trained service dogs. The organization is sound and its goals exceptional. Judy Vorfeld.

This is so cool! Barack Obama has added closed captioning to his videos. Read all about it from a deaf mom who advocated for rest of us with hearing disabilities! She Twittered and it worked.

With Obama leading the way, we can hope that others making videos will follow suit. It would make a huge difference.

Today I went to a group home across town where a dear family friend, Don Gabe, lives with six or so other people who need assisted living. Don is a former neighbor, and he and my husband, Jack, played cribbage once a week for years.

Don is one of those hidden treasures you find now and again. A veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam, he was a colonel when he retired. Years ago he and his wife, Nita, retired in Country Meadows, where Jack and I lived. The two families had many things in common, and had many good times together.

Then Nita was hit with Alzheimer’s. Don cared for her as long as possible, but finally it was necessary for her to live in a group home where she had 24-hour care. And what wonderful care by Bili and John Feeley. Don went to see Nita every day, unless he was ill. For years.

His heart began acting up, and after some thought, he decided to move into the home with Nita. He just couldn’t trust his heart to behave. Nita faded away in a sweet sense…she was always sweet, even with this horrible illness…and she died this past summer. With Don at her side.

I get over to chat with him every few weeks or so, and sometimes we go out for lunch. I have more fun learning about his history. He has a terrific memory. Born and raised in North Dakota, living in a house with no plumbing or central heating. The stories he tells about family night baths (Saturday, of course). And how he and Nita eloped. And the friends they made around the world as the Army moved them around. He was with the Corps of Engineers. And what a wonderful family he has.

I said all that to say that it was a pleasure, the day before Thanksgiving, to join Don and a number of others at Thanksgiving Dinner. The thing that I’ve noticed every time I’ve been in this home is the strong love the owners and staff have for their residents. And respect.

While I was there, he received a package of the most exquisite cookies from son Matt and daughter-in-law Debbie, who live in Hawaii. They sent a beautiful message, which Don read to us.

It meant the world to me to see Don and the other residents just glowing in that wonderful atmosphere. Nothing trumps love and respect. I drove home feeling deeply blessed. Plus, I made several new friends.

By Anne Caldwell

With the holidays approaching, many business owners decide to acknowledge employees with a party of sorts, as a gesture of appreciation and an opportunity to socialize together. What liability might a business owner face by sponsoring an event of this sort?

There are several aspects that need to be considered. From the standpoint of recognition, having a gathering is a nice idea. But if the balance of the year is vacant of expressions of appreciation, an annual event is not going to buy much in the way of loyalty. It should be a culmination of other ways in which you show your employees you value them.

Another issue to think about is the notion of a “Christmas” party. There are many religions other than Christian, and if you are going to address anything religious, it is important that you address other expressions as well. This can be challenging, but the best approach is to announce that you’d like the party to represent the company as a whole and involve the employees in the planning. There’s nothing wrong with having a Christmas tree, but add some references to Chanukah or Kwanzaa, if you have employees who observe them. If they do not step forward with input for the party, they have relinquished their right to complain later.

Finally, consider carefully if alcohol will be served. Aside from the expense and concern for safety, there are issues of liability and professionalism. If you choose not to serve liquor, make sure that employees know they are not to bring alcohol to the party.

To fail to plan for the possibility that some participants may over-imbibe is remiss. Not only could their professional reputation suffer if they act foolish or obnoxious, but your company can be held liable of they leave the party and cause an accident. If you decide to serve alcohol, there is no sure way to avoid liability and to keep your employees safe.

It is important that you have a workplace substance abuse policy that has been adequately communicated. Review it in the weeks prior to the party, via bulletin board listings, paycheck stuffers, or office e-mail. Make it clear that drunkenness is prohibited, and that professional and responsible behavior is not just expected, but required. Make sure there are lots of interesting non-alcoholic choices available, maybe an espresso bar, or a variety of juices.

You can issue drink tickets to employees, thereby limiting their intake, but that doesn’t preclude people from giving their unused tickets to someone else. Whoever is serving should be vigilant and watch for signs of tipsiness or too frequent visitors to the bar. Remind managers that they have responsibility for maintaining the company’s drug and alcohol policy. They should be mingling anyway, and keeping an eye out for any potential problems.

Make sure there is lots to eat, especially starchy or protein-based choices that slow the absorption of alcohol. Avoid greasy or salty foods that tend to make people thirsty. Stop serving alcohol an hour before the party ends, but leave some food and coffee out.

Provide alternative transportation, whether that is a company van with a designated driver, or company-paid cab rides. Talk this up in advance, and emphasize that this is a responsible choice, not a silly one. Encourage anyone who may have had too much to drink to take advantage of these free – and safe – alternatives.

Anne Caldwell is President and Founder of Outsourcing Solutions, a human resource strategy firm that works with small companies, start-ups and organizations in transition. Outsourcing Solutions can be reached at (602) 228-9191, www.azoutsource.com or pres@azoutsource.com

If you and your spouse or partner are in business together, you gotta take time to read Hal Alpiar’s blog on how to make the relationship work. And how not to. Example:

Bedtime in the bedroom is simply not the right time or the right place to talk about sales, distribution, taxes, accounts payable, collections, irate customers, business investments, R&D projects, bank loans, marketing programs, or employee performance.

“When you eat, sleep, and drink the business,” he says, “it’s often difficult to separate personal issues and concerns, to live personal lives, to be preserving your relationships.”

Good stuff here, and hey, it’s free. Click over to Alpiar’s blog and read “Sleeping With The Boss?”

“As America’s newspapers shrink and shed staff,” says the New York Times, “and broadcast news outlets sink in the ratings, a new kind of Web-based news operation has arisen in several cities, forcing the papers to follow the stories they uncover.”

Go check out The Voice of San Diego. Some columnists are saying it could be “the future of Los Angeles journalism: small, independent, online, aggressive and above all smart — content with value trumps attitude, and there are no petty fights or celebrity worship.”

Interesting. Worth watching.

This just in from former Lockheed Martin co-worker Lee Graham:

If you live in Arizona, please read carefully! This new law takes effect Jan 1, 2009. Please understand you can have a license plate frame holder as long as it doesn’t cover the name Arizona on the top your license plate, if the license plate frame holder covers the name Arizona, you’ll receive from the nice police officer a $130.00 ticket!

It is your responsibility as privileged Arizona drivers to know new motor vehicle laws - the state doesn’t send out mailings. For more info on new motor vehicle laws click on the link below. So if you have a frame holder that covers the name Arizona on your license plate remove it before Jan 1, 2009 and replace it with one that doesn’t cover the name Arizona.

http://www.azdot.gov/MVD/WhatsNew/whatsnew_2008.asp

License Plate Holder Law - State law* requires that the state name at the top of Arizona license plates must be visible. Any license plate holder or cover that prevents the license plate from being clearly legible is in violation of this new law.

* A.R.S. 28-2354(B.)

Time for an early morning meeting in Phoenix. Community service organization. I had email directions and my Google map directions.

In Phoenix, there’s a big difference between streets and avenues, and my directions were slightly off. After about five tries, I stopped at an AM PM to find a phone book so I could get the office number and directions.

Gary helped me get the book, and once I had the number, I used my cellphone to call the office. Only problem was that I couldn’t hear the person in the office. Not surprising, given my hearing loss. You can hope the hearing aid and the phone are compatible, and that all people and lines are doing their part, but stuff happens.

Once again: Gary to the rescue. I handed him the phone, he got the directions, and gave them to me. Duck soup.

Thanks, AM PM for having people like Gary on staff. He would have been within his rights not to help, as he was busy, but he took a few moments to give my day a Judy Jump Start.

I found the office building within moments of leaving the AM PM parking lot.

Dozens of volunteers (including me) joined together at Seth Godin’s “Triiibes” website, and collaborated on an e book made up of questions and answers members put before the group.

This is our first collaboration, and, aside from the usual bumps in such a project, we got to the heart of the issue and created a document hundreds of thousands of people can read and consider.

I say “we” and “our,” and yet what I did was miniscule. But that’s not the point.

If you find this eBook valuable, send the URL to others. It’s copyrighted and allowed to go to everyone at no cost, as long as nothing is changed.

All of this goes to show that like-minded people who (in a sense) are strangers can, with similar goals, produce something quite amazing via a website (on ning.com). We are just a small group of people who want to help initiate healthy change and the exchange of ideas in settings where no one is patronized. Or to put it another way, where every idea is respectfully considered.

The times are still changing.