Dear Friends,
Envision Unlimited is fortunate to be celebrating its 75th year, and we would not be where we are today without our unique, dedicated community of support. There are so many examples, including most recently our very own Reyanna Johnson being named DSP of the Year by The Arc of Illinois. Under her guidance as lead Special Olympics coach, participating members brought home multiple medals in the Spring and Summer Games. More importantly, these members and the staff who support them brought home an understanding of their unlimited potential.
Our special community also extends beyond the Envision Unlimited staff. We receive unwavering support from volunteers, such as Jenny Achuthan, who spends many summer mornings cycling with our members through our Buddy Biking program. We also have a fantastic network of foster parents, whom we recently honored with an appreciation luncheon.
There are plenty of bright lights in our community, with the brightest being the Envision Unlimited members. The opportunity to be in such a close and meaningful relationship with them makes our work worthwhile. And in plenty of situations, they support us too. When we were advocating for state funding so we could provide a much-needed wage increase for our direct support professionals, some of our members joined the fight and made phone calls to state legislators.
Each story in our newsletter illuminates the special community behind Envision Unlimited. I invite you to learn more about these extraordinary people and share the stories, so they may inspire you as they continue to inspire me and so many others.
Sincerely,
Mark McHugh
President and CEO
Envision Unlimited