Holiday 2014 RAINBOW PROMISE 40 YEARS Quadragenarians Mike and Jeff Half of an octogenarian must be a quadragenarian, right? Gary Wagner decided that the four Ranchers who have lived for 40 years at Rainbow Acres deserve that title! THANK YOU! The Carriage Manor Tennis Club from Mesa, Arizona has provided a fun and exciting Christmas party for Ranchers for 20 years! Ranchers and Staff all look forward to this generous group’s love and spirit of Christmas each year, and so appreciate their faithfulness. Mike Mattingly and Jeff Pitts are the last two to be featured during our 40th Anniversary year. Both arrived in the Fall of 1974. Jeff’s on-Ranch crew is in the Palmer Center kitchen and he also works offsite at Sedona Recycles. He participates in the Rancher Choir and enjoys watching TV and doing craft projects in his spare time. Jeff loves to greet people when they come to visit and has a wonderful memory for faces, if not names. Jeff lives in Dakin House with nine housemates and performs his daily chores cheerfully. Mike works in the Crafts Room, creating beaded hangings that are sold to visitors. They might depict patriotic or seasonal themes, and his recent specialty has been small crosses made from beads that are translucent so that light from behind shines through the beautiful colors. He is passionate about recycling, loves attending Beaver Creek Baptist Church, and he will tell anyone who will listen about his niece and her two children. Mike lives in Baldwin House and likes to watch TV and go to movies. Holiday Greetings from the President Gary Wagner President & CEO We have been emphasizing “excellence” all across the Ranch in everything we do. A highlight of the year has been the visits of the Executive Director of the United Methodist Association EAGLE Accreditation Program. At the 40th Anniversary he said, “Because we represent Christ and the Church, the world looks at us with caution and skepticism. We must give BETTER care than everyone else. EAGLE is all about excellence, and our mission is to promote, inspire, empower and recognize excellence in Christian ministry. Rainbow Acres has been recognized by EAGLE for doing just that. I am proud to say that Rainbow Acres is part of a very select group that has met those standards!” To everyone that has been or will be giving generously to strengthen the ministry of Rainbow Acres and assure our excellent care for Ranchers, Thank You! We wish you a joy-filled Christmas and blessed New Year. For the Ranchers, Gary Mike Mattingly working on a beaded hanging Jeff Pitts shortly after arriving at Rainbow (left) and more recently (above) Did You Know . . . The lovely painting pictured below is just one of many that have been completed by Ranchers in the Fine Arts Painting classes in the last few years. Untapped and unexpected talents are brought forth at Rainbow Acres! 2120 W Reservation Loop Rd Camp Verde AZ 86322-8408 Phone: 928.567.5231 Fax: 928.567.9059 2015 ! www.rainbowacres.com MISSION STATEMENT: Rainbow Acres is a Christian Community with heart that empowers persons with developmental disabilities to live to their fullest potential with dignity and purpose. 40th Anniversary Celebration a Huge Success Every event on October 24 and 25, 2014 was well-attended and exciting. During the Founders Luncheon on Friday, October 24, founder Ralph Showers spoke enthusiastically about some of the challenges of the first few years, including his accident involving a high-voltage power line, resulting in the loss of his lower arms and hands and the struggle of learning to use prosthetic hooks to manage everyday tasks. He signed copies of his book “Reach for a Rainbow” following the luncheon. That evening a sumptuous dinner and Benefit Auction raised over $71,000 for the Rancher Scholarship Fund, allowing help for those who call Rainbow home, but whose income has been unable to keep up with the rising costs of care. On Saturday, an Open House allowed members of the public and Rancher families to participate in tours of the new homes, pet and feed a menagerie of unusual animals, watch a demonstration of equestrian skills and enjoy a Rancher Choir program. All Rancher-made craft items were made available to browse and purchase, a special competition was held in Bocce Ball, Basketball and Track and Field, and a grilled hot dog and ice cream made a fine al fresco lunch. Saturday evening we honored the four Ranchers who have lived at Rainbow Acres since 1974 at the Gala Banquet. Gary Wagner showed a view of the past, celebrated the present, and shared a vision for the future, and everyone enjoyed a performance by Matt Savage, a young savant pianist with Autism. It was a wonderful and successful celebration of 40 fabulous years of providing homes with heart for adults with developmental disabilities! Aria House and Casa Esperança Dedicated Van Dyck family and Board members open Aria House Casa Esperança dining area © Rainbow Acres New, modern homes that provide private bedrooms for ten Ranchers each has been a top priority for President and CEO Gary Wagner almost from the beginning of his leadership in 1996. Friday October 24 saw the blessing of the construction site for Oikos House, which will be the twelfth new home for Ranchers built since 2000. Oikos is being sponsored through the good hearts and hard work of American Baptist Churches of Los Angeles, the Southwest and Hawaii. A dedication ceremony and receptions were also held for newly completed Casa Esperança (House of Hope) and Aria House. Dawn and Jen serve cake at Aria House reception Jussara and Gary Wagner and daughter Abigail cut the ribbon for House of Hope
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