<![CDATA[PUZZLE PIECES

<![CDATA[PUZZLE PIECES - News]]>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 12:05:37 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[OPS, Puzzle Pieces partnership reimagining transitions in special education]]>Mon, 08 May 2023 14:19:46 GMThttps://www.puzzle-pieces.org/news/ops-puzzle-pieces-partnership-reimagining-transitions-in-special-education

Madeline Payne is an eleventh grade student at Owensboro Innovation Academy who teachers would have described as shy and reserved, that is until she found her voice thanks to an innovative community partnership with Puzzle Pieces.

Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) prepare students aged 14-21 with an IEP or 504 plan for transition into adulthood, for college enrollment and/or successful employment. This programming focuses on job exploration, work-based learning experiences, counseling on post-secondary education, workplace readiness and self-advocacy. Pre-ETS is funded through Vocational Rehabilitation and can be administered by service providers like Puzzle Pieces.

According to OIA Guidance Counselor Jaime Main, Pre-ETS is making a big difference in the lives of the 11 OIA students in the program, including Madeline.

“Madeline has not always had the tools to advocate for what she wanted,” Main said. “Starting Pre-ETS allowed her to gain the skills and confidence to have a voice to speak up and challenged her to step outside of her comfort zone to learn about careers she had never thought of before.”

Since starting in the program, Madeline started a new club at school, explored several new careers, and even spoke at a meeting in front of 25-30 adults about how much Pre-ETS has helped her excel.
For Madeline’s mom, Heather Payne, Pre-ETS has helped answer a lot of questions.

“My biggest worry is about what will happen to her when I’m not here anymore,” Heather said.

But the Pre-ETS program has opened up a world of possibilities for Madeline, reducing Heather’s worry about her daughter’s future.

“The expectation for more is there,” Heather said. “My daughter will be a contributing citizen. She has interests, talents and skills she would have never discovered otherwise. And she sees that she is going to grow up and doesn’t have to stay at home and let other people live their lives without her.”

Inspired by the success of this partnership, Owensboro Public Schools Special Education Director Carrie Wedding is partnering with Puzzle Pieces to form a “Transition Think Tank” to look at the bigger picture when it comes to student transitions in special education.

“It became clear that we only think of transition as the last phase of a student’s P-12 education,” Wedding said. “The Transition Think Tank is allowing us to re-frame ‘what is transition?’ OPS will be able to begin looking at our students with disabilities not in one year increments, but as contributing members of our community whether they are 3 with an IEP or age 21.”

According to Wedding, if a student qualifies for services at age 3, her team needs to think, “What skills do they need to be college, career or independent living ready?”

Wedding says that OPS students and teachers will benefit from a clear progression of skills that lead them to a productive adulthood.

“This work will allow us to identify clear parameters around what our students need at each grade and then we can designate appropriate resources to make sure teachers are equipped to meet those needs,” she said.

Currently, OPS serves 822 students from preschool to grade 14 in special education, who are taught by 64 certified teachers.

Puzzle Pieces Executive Director Amanda Owen says that all Kentucky schools face the challenge of improving transition for students with disabilities.

“This community partnership with OPS is thinking outside the box in order to ensure students’ success,” Owen said. “The end goal is to champion a model that can be shared and used across multiple districts. We are grateful that OPS is eager to lay the groundwork with this Think Tank and shares our passion for improving the lives of students with disabilities.”

Main, who is a part of the Transition Think Tank, has a vested interest in this program’s outcome. Her son, Skyler, was diagnosed with autism at age 4 and attends Cravens Elementary School. Skyler has been attending Puzzle Pieces since he was 8 and she has seen the impact it has made on his life.

“As a parent, I hope my son is able to reach his full potential,” Main said. “I want him to gain the skills to be a successful worker and contributing citizen. I want him to be able to advocate for his needs independently. I want him to live in a community where he is accepted for his abilities and challenged to grow just like everyone around him.”

According to Main, students with disabilities are missing important transition skills that provide them with the ability to gain and retain independence during school and after graduation.

“This collaboration work can help provide families with knowledge and resources to start the process earlier,” she said. “It can also be a tool kit for educators to teach skills to the students beginning in preschool and align those throughout graduation. This process will empower students to learn about their skills and strengths and be the best version of themselves for career or college.”

]]><![CDATA[From Our Expert: What is a Behavior and What Causes It?]]>Wed, 18 Nov 2020 16:23:43 GMThttps://www.puzzle-pieces.org/news/from-our-expert-what-is-a-behavior-and-what-causes-it

Although 2020 has brought its fair share of negatives, one big positive came out of this year. Our nonprofit was able to hire a Behavior Services Director to better serve our clients and address the growing need we see in our community.

Olivia Hardy, Puzzle Pieces’ Behavior Services Director, has a bachelor's degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences and a master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). She started working at Puzzle Pieces as a direct support professional in the summer of 2013 while she was taking college courses at the University of Kentucky.

“At the time, I was taking a variety of math and science courses as this has always been an area of interest for me, but I was struggling to find purpose and fulfillment in potential career options, until I was introduced to a client at Puzzle Pieces who had participated in ABA therapy for the past several years,” Olivia said. “When I learned about how this treatment had helped him learn to communicate and participate in his community in a safe manner, it piqued my interest and I started looking into courses and training to learn more about this science. I was drawn to the systematic approach to providing students and clients with treatments that are evidence-based for teaching a variety of communication, socialization, and adaptive functioning skills.”

Over the past few years, Olivia has worked in both outpatient ABA clinics providing early intervention services and as a director of an inpatient program for individuals with intellectual disabilities who have lost their residential placement due to extreme maladaptive behavior.

“These positions opened my eyes to how many individuals with disabilities there are in our community who are not able to access behavioral services due to a lack of financial resources or not having a covered diagnosis,” she said. “My goal at Puzzle Pieces is not only to provide behavior support and ABA services to our clients, but also to integrate ABA strategies into our existing programs so that everyone we serve has access to evidence-based strategies.”

Olivia describes what a behavior is, its source, and the role a specialist plays in addressing that behavior.

So, what is behavior?

what we do; our actions
People often inquire about what can be addressed with Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) or positive behavior support services, and my goal is to help people understand that all of our actions are behavior. ABA is not only for people who engage in dangerous or “problematic” behavior--or behavior others may find socially-unacceptable--it's also great for anyone who needs to learn new behaviors, such as how to complete activities of daily living independently or how to communicate with others and make friends.

What causes behavior in those with disabilities?

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder, among other disabilities, experience deficits in Theory of Mind. This means they are not readily able to attribute thoughts and feelings to other people, or "put themselves in someone else's shoes." Because of this, some individuals with disabilities may not attend to or have interest in the critical features of social situations that let us know what types of behavior are expected in that context. They may also not understand how their behavior affects other people.
Many individuals we serve have speech and language deficits that affect their ability to communicate their wants and needs to others. To compensate for these deficits, many individuals use behavior to indicate to others what they want and need. This can range anywhere from gesturing toward items all the way to engaging in aggression or property destruction to get their point across.

What is the role of a specialist?

help create reinforcement systems to motivate individuals to acquire new skills to increase their independence
teach individuals how to communicate effectively with others in a way that maintains everyone's safety
train parents and caregivers to use behavior change strategies with the individual across all settings

With Olivia joining the Puzzle Pieces team as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, we were able to expand our services to offer behavioral support which consists of staff/parent training, one-on-one interventions, person-centered plans, and research-based strategies. For those interested in learning more, contact oliviahardy@puzzle-pieces.org today to see about our waiver and private pay options.

]]><![CDATA[Owen appointed to Kentucky Employment First Council]]>Mon, 09 Nov 2020 16:09:04 GMThttps://www.puzzle-pieces.org/news/owen-appointed-to-kentucky-employment-first-council

Amanda Owen, executive director of Puzzle Pieces, the Owensboro-based nonprofit that serves individuals with intellectual disabilities, has been appointed by Gov. Andy Beshear to the Kentucky Employment First Council. This Council includes people with disabilities, family members, employers, government agencies, and other stakeholders, all with the shared intention of improving competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities in the Commonwealth.

“This appointment is a great honor for me,” Owen said. “I have dedicated my life to serving individuals with intellectual disabilities in my own community. I am excited to make a greater impact for the 10,000 individuals with intellectual disabilities across the state.”

Owen is just one of two from provider agencies appointed to the Council.

“Amanda Owen is in the business of making life better for others,” said Greater Owensboro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Candance Castlen Brake. “In a short time, she and her dedicated team and board of directors have made a tremendous impact on the quality of life in Owensboro. It is only fitting she begin to lead on a state level. Her entrepreneurial approach and her tenacity will be a great asset to the Employment First Council. Amanda sees obstacles and figures out how to make them opportunities.”

Through Puzzle Pieces, which Owen established in 2012, she launched a division serving clients with supported employment. The division, Employment Opportunities, now employs one director and three employment specialists. This team has placed 20 individuals in the local workforce with another 12 in job development.

“I believe that individuals with disabilities should be included in every facet of their community, including the workforce, if that is their desire,” Owen said. “Our team ensures that clients find meaningful employment, while also contributing to the economic development of our community. Employers who have hired our clients have reported a boost in overall morale of their business and found unforeseen value added in hiring someone with a disability.”

It is the experience from win-win scenarios like this that Owen hopes to bring to the Council. She will meet quarterly with council members and will serve through June 2022.

For more information on the Kentucky Employment First Council, visit employmentfirstky.org.

]]><![CDATA[Puzzle Pieces celebrates one year at new campus]]>Tue, 03 Nov 2020 18:02:58 GMThttps://www.puzzle-pieces.org/news/puzzle-pieces-celebrates-one-year-at-new-campus

While 2020 has not been the year anyone expected, it has brought a lot of joys and successes to Puzzle Pieces. November 15 marks one year in our new facility, which has given us the growth and momentum we dreamed of when we decided to make this big move last year.

“What a year it has been,” said Puzzle Pieces Executive Director Amanda Owen. “It seems like yesterday we toured this building and thought it was all just a dream. But we were meant to be here, it was meant for our journey.”

By moving to our 2401 New Hartford Road location, we were able to bring all of our divisions under one roof. This not only brought a synergy we had not seen in our Frederica Street building, but it also gave us the motivation to continue to build and grow. We have launched the Owen Autism Center, which offers the region’s only targeted autism programming and we will soon open our Early Intervention Program for children 18 months and older, with and without a disability.

The new facility has allowed us to reduce our waiting list and serve more clients. We are able to provide all clients with more space for programming and additional sensory rooms, which have proven to reduce client behaviors.

“It’s crazy how a building can project you forward, but that is exactly what this campus has done for us,” Amanda said.

Although COVID-19 has halted some of that progress, Puzzle Pieces Board Co-Chair Amy Jackson said that we would not have been able to sustain our nonprofit without our new facility.

“Without the leap of faith we took in 2019 to secure a larger facility to fit our growth plans, we would not have been prepared for COVID-19 and be able to provide a safe environment for our clients once in-person services resumed,” Amy said. “That leap of faith and vision for future growth ended up being a blessing in a pandemic. We never could have imagined the need for social distancing and more, but our new location afforded us the ability to safely care for our clients and continue to pursue our growth plans with the Owen Autism Center amid a pandemic.”

While today is a day worth celebrating, we are more excited to look toward the future. We are planning multiple fundraisers to help support client care into the next year. We are implementing grant funding that we secured from generous local donors. We will install the nation’s first outdoor sensory museum on our campus, which will help promote the health and well-being of our clients. Year two in our new building will see more growth, more clients served and bigger goals achieved. Thank you to the greater Owensboro community who supported us eight years ago when we opened Puzzle Pieces and who continue to support us today.

]]><![CDATA[Puzzle Pieces celebrates ‘life-changing’ health collaboration]]>Wed, 21 Oct 2020 14:38:45 GMThttps://www.puzzle-pieces.org/news/puzzle-pieces-celebrates-life-changing-health-collaboration

When Amanda Owen launched Puzzle Pieces in 2012, she aimed to bring opportunities and inclusion for Owensboro’s disability population. Inspired by her brother, who has a rare chromosomal disability, Amanda knew what she wanted to offer through Puzzle Pieces -- the programming, socialization and stimulation that her brother did not have. According to Amanda, health and nutrition were and continue to be a top priority.

“I knew we needed to implement health education to our clients and bring awareness to local medical professionals on offering inclusive health opportunities for those with intellectual disabilities, but at the time, I didn’t know how to do that,” Amanda said. “But that changed in 2015 when we began a partnership with the University of Kentucky, which has brought a level of education and professionalism that I never thought was possible for our nonprofit.”

This innovative partnership began in 2015 when Puzzle Pieces participated in the Kentucky state-wide scale up of the HealthMatters nutrition and exercise program, organized by UK’s Human Development Institute (HDI) and the Kentucky Inclusive Health Collaborative (KIHC) within HDI.

“Over the years Puzzle Pieces has evolved from merely implementing the HealthMatters curriculum for participants in the day program to including health as a fundamental part of policy and programming with the organization,” said Lindsey Mullis, HDI Program Director. “Supporting the health of the individuals and families served through Puzzle Pieces has become a critical component of the amazing work scope.”

Lindsey has played a key role in providing technical support and resources to support this evolution. With the help of Lindsey and her team, Owensboro hosted a community conversation event in 2018 that brought together over 50 local health professionals, community stakeholders, and members of the disability community to discuss ways in which Owensboro was successful at promoting inclusive healthy opportunities and ways in which there could be focus and growth.

“Puzzle Pieces was integral to the success of that event and has shaped how the future community conversation events have occurred in other parts of the state,” Lindsey said.

These conversations are important to Lindsey and Amanda because Kentucky has one of the highest rates of disability in the nation. With such startling health outcomes, it is important to recognize the gap and identify the barriers to access for quality health services and programs for people with disabilities in order to properly address these unfortunate disparities.

According to the most recent CDC data, 35 percent of adults in Kentucky have a disability. Of those Kentuckians with a disability, 48.6 percent have high blood pressure, 43.3 percent are obese and 49 percent are inactive. Only 45 percent of Kentuckians with intellectual and developmental disabilities exercise regularly and 44 percent are obese.

Puzzle Pieces is honored to partner with the Human Development Institute (HDI) at UK, whose mission to promote the inclusion, independence, and contributions of people with disabilities and their families throughout the lifespan aligns with our organization’s goal of healthier clients. Their expertise has made an impact on our nonprofit and been life-changing with the health and wellbeing of each of our clients.

To learn more about HDI and their Kentucky Inclusive Health Collaborative, please visit their website for more information.

]]><![CDATA[A Smile is Worth a Thousand Words]]>Wed, 30 Sep 2020 16:08:15 GMThttps://www.puzzle-pieces.org/news/a-smile-is-worth-a-thousand-words

Going to the dentist can be a worrisome, even scary experience for a lot of young people, but for those with intellectual disabilities, a dental exam can be traumatic. But for Puzzle Pieces’ client, Trent, who has autism, going to the dentist is something he looks forward to because of local dentist Dr. Jay Crews at Pediatric Dentistry of Owensboro

Trent’s mom, Gina, said that her son can be difficult, especially when it comes to something as invasive as a dental exam, but he has always loved Dr. Crews because of his kind nature and patience.

“Dr. Crews has tried so hard to help us,” Gina said. “He takes time to talk to Trent and doesn’t care to wait until he’s comfortable.”

Dr. Crews, who sees over 7,000 patients a year, sees at least one child a day with special healthcare needs, which can range from intellectual disabilities to heart or blood issues. Because he is a pediatric dentist, he has been trained to help patients like Trent.

“Every kid is different in some capacity -- everything you do, you try to meet that child’s needs,” Dr. Crews said.

Dr. Crews opened his current office at 1030 Burlew Blvd. in 2018, but has been practicing in Owensboro for 16 years. The state-of-the-art office provides private rooms for special needs patients' privacy.

Gina said it's not so much the office, which is equipped with a video game station and elaborate play areas, that means so much to them, but the kind staff. Trent, who will more than likely not age out of his pediatric dentist like most children, looks forward to visiting the dentist.

“There are just a few days a year that Trent lives for,” Gina said. “One is Christmas, one is the Puzzle Pieces dance, and the other two times are his visits with Dr. Crews. He is right up there with Santa Claus for Trent.”

For more information on Pediatric Dentistry of Owensboro, visit their website.

]]><![CDATA[Puzzle Pieces to install nation’s first inclusive outdoor museum]]>Fri, 21 Aug 2020 00:04:43 GMThttps://www.puzzle-pieces.org/news/puzzle-pieces-to-install-nations-first-inclusive-outdoor-museum

Puzzle Pieces is excited to announce the future installation of a fully inclusive sensory outdoor museum/playground at its campus on New Hartford Road. This playground will be the first of its kind in the nation and a product line of Miracle Recreation Equipment Company.

The addition to Puzzle Pieces is made possible by a $40,000 Owensboro Health Community Health Investment Grant, which will support the first phase of the project. Owensboro Health announced their 2021 grant recipients on social media Thursday. Puzzle Pieces was one of 35 funded projects.

“Owensboro Health has been a vital partner in allowing Puzzle Pieces to make a difference in the lives of those with intellectual disabilities and their emotional and physical health,” said Puzzle Pieces Executive Director Amanda Owen. “Without the support of Owensboro Health in 2012, Puzzle Pieces wouldn’t exist. This new chapter of what they are helping us build will not only benefit our 167 clients, but will also put us on a national map that could impact the greater disability community.”

By December 2020, rod-iron fencing, rubber adaptive ground coverage and the first round of play equipment will be installed on the New Hartford Road side of Puzzle Pieces’ campus. By August 2021, with the support of the Christopher Reeves Foundation and the anticipated support of additional grant funding, an adaptive wheelchair ramp, additional rubber ground surfacing and custom-made adaptive swings will be installed.

Miracle Recreation intends for the outdoor sensory museum/playground at Puzzle Pieces to be a national model for sensory play equipment, allowing the Owensboro nonprofit to give back to the greater disability population.

The Miracle Museum is a sensory activity rich series of independent “stations” that join together to create engaging physical, auditory, visual, tactile and calming experiences designed to meet the wide spectrum of sensory needs of a diverse population of children especially those with intellectual disabilities such as, but not limited to autism. An added benefit of the Miracle Museum is its integration of STEM-based events that are equally as engaging to children who are typical. In simple terms, the Miracle Museum brings a science center and children’s museum activities to the playground.

“We are excited to partner with an organization like Puzzle Pieces in Owensboro, Kentucky to launch our new Miracle Museum product line,” said Miracle Recreation Vice President Global Sales Michael A. Sutton. “The work being done at Puzzle Pieces to bring play to not only their clients, but to the greater community is admirable and represents what is best in our society. The unique play features included in their plan for this playground will surely attract children and their caregivers from all over Owensboro.”

As a Miracle national research site, Miracle Recreation will work with Puzzle Pieces and their own child development expert, Dr. Tina Stanton-Chapman, Ph.D., to study play patterns and share information that will result in continued development of inclusive products worldwide. Dr. Stanton-Chapman is a world-renowned child-development expert. She holds a Ph.D. in Education and Human Development with a concentration in Special Education from Vanderbilt
University.

This collaboration between Miracle and Puzzle Pieces will ultimately serve the greater good across the United States and around the world.

Puzzle Pieces, which serves 167 clients with a variety of intellectual and physical disabilities, plans to use this playground to implement programming to promote healthier lifestyles. Individuals with intellectual disabilities are exponentially more at risk for obesity and physical inactivity due to the side effects of medication, lack of appropriate/skilled programming and lack of interest or knowledge of physical health and weight management.

Lindsey Mullis with the University of Kentucky Human Development Institute said that Kentucky’s 34.6% disability rate makes it one of the highest in the country. Of the adult population with a disability, 69.7% are classified as overweight or obese, 15.6% have or previously had heart disease, 48.6% have or previously had high blood pressure, and 44.1% have or previously had high cholesterol. Kentucky also ranks 45th in the country in relation to physical inactivity with 53.6% of the disability population meeting neither the aerobic nor the muscular strengthening physical activity recommendations (CDC Disability and Health, 2017).

According to the Center for Applied Research & Engagement System out of the University of Missouri that utilizes data from the CDC, Daviess County has a higher rate of physical inactivity of 26.2% compared to the national level at 22.8%. Additionally, the rates of obesity for the local area is 31% compared to 28.8% nationally.

This playground is essential to Puzzle PIeces in order to promote the health and wellbeing of our clients. Appropriate, safe and inclusive equipment will disguise play as exercise for clients with disabilities, promoting a healthier lifestyle for both them and their families. Beyond managing their disabilities with appropriate healthcare and medications, Puzzle Pieces wants to promote a healthy lifestyle so that our clients can be active community members.

]]><![CDATA[Two Employment Opportunities clients find success at Zaxby’s]]>Thu, 30 Jul 2020 17:57:15 GMThttps://www.puzzle-pieces.org/news/two-employment-opportunities-clients-find-success-at-zaxbys

In the two years since Puzzle Pieces launched Employment Opportunities, our team has placed 17 clients in successful employment with 12 more in job development ready to be placed. Two of those recent placements have been at the south Frederica fast food chain Zaxby’s.

Lindsey, 25, has been on the job for nearly a month, enjoying her role as a cashier. Her tasks involve taking customer’s orders both for drive thru and dine-in customers. Lindsey also makes customers’ drinks and gives them their food. Employment Opportunities’ Specialist Bradlen Cobb said Lindsey is doing really well in her position and gets along well with her coworkers.

“I like working here because it keeps me busy,” LIndsey said. “I like interacting with customers and I like the friends I made here.”

Steven, 20, is a cook for Zaxby's, where his tasks involve preparing appetizers and chicken to be cooked as well as the items to be used in their salads and sandwiches.

“I like how everyone is easy going and very helpful,” Steven said of his new job.

Bradlen said Steven is doing really well in his position and is becoming more comfortable with his tasks and is getting along with his team really well.

“It’s been really awesome watching Lindsey and Steven have so much success at Zaxby’s,” Bradlen said. “Being a new Employment Specialist, it gives me great fulfillment in knowing that I played a pivotal part in helping them succeed there. Zaxby’s has been a good fit for them because of the team that they have there they are so understanding and patient when it comes to their needs they are always willing to help both of them out and they really made it a point to include them in their team.”

Zaxby’s General Manager Greg Lewis agrees that Lindsey and Steven have been a good fit for his restaurant.

“At first it’s different, but then they just blend in like everyone else,” Lewis said of hiring two employees with intellectual disabilities. “The main thing is they just want an opportunity to work and they take full advantage of it.”

Lewis has advice for other employers considering hiring someone with an intellectual disability.

“It’s all about intent,” he said. “If they want to work and they fit the needs of your restaurant or business, give them the opportunity. They are just excited to work.”

Lewis also said the help that Bradlen and Employment Opportunities Director Kitty Jones have provided has been crucial in Lindsey and Steven’s success. Because Zaxby’s doesn’t have the resources to train someone with an intellectual disability, Lewis said, Employment Opportunities understanding of their clients has helped in onboarding.

Available for help at any point, Employment Opportunities acts as a liaison between the employer and employee when needed, with the goal of the employee becoming acclimated to his or her new position and eventually self-sufficient.

Other Employment Opportunities partnerships include UniFirst, Hampton Inn, The Miller House, Enterprise, TTMA and Old National Bank.

“Employment Opportunities is not the only resource, but a great resource for our community to help individuals find meaningful employment and provide our clients with a sense of purpose in life,” said Director Kitty jones. “Employers who have hired our clients have reported a boost in overall morale of their business, a greater sense of teamwork and found unforeseen value in hiring someone with an intellectual disability. The more businesses that connect and work with supported employment companies the more opportunities we can provide for so many individuals in our community with different abilities.”

]]><![CDATA[Holding the Pieces Together]]>Fri, 24 Jul 2020 15:59:59 GMThttps://www.puzzle-pieces.org/news/holding-the-pieces-together

In the eight years that Puzzle Pieces has been serving this community, this is by far the most difficult time we have faced. More challenging than launching our nonprofit in 2012 and relocating our campus in 2019, surviving the Covid-19 crisis has proven to be our biggest obstacle. And while we are confident that we will overcome this months-long hurdle, we believe it is important to share with you our struggles as we strive to continue our services for those with intellectual disabilities.

The bottom line: We are open, but we are not OK.

Puzzle Pieces has taken a significant financial hit. Of course once we realized our campus would be closed, we cut as many expenses as possible, which included temporarily laying off employees and reducing costs wherever possible. But with our services primarily funded through Medicaid, our budget largely consists of our clients’ federally-funded health insurance coverage. When social distancing restrictions closed our campus, services essentially ceased, as did our ability to generate that revenue. Since our March closure, Puzzle Pieces saw a 33 percent decrease in monthly revenue. Also, in the four months since Covid-19 hit the U.S., we were forced to cancel five fundraisers that account for more than $60,000 of our operating budget.

We did apply for and receive a Paycheck Protection Program loan through the U.S. Small Business Administration. This forgivable loan amounted to 14 percent of our operating budget. This combined with our fiscal responsibility since opening in 2012 means we had enough reserves to stay afloat during this time of crisis. It took our board and executive director countless hours navigating every decision surrounding our current situation in order to protect our future. They still fear that the true financial effects of Covid-19 on Puzzle Pieces will not be felt until September or October.

During our temporary closure, we continued to serve 27 clients within their homes or in our staffed residential homes. In order to reduce the risk of exposure to them and meet healthy at home guidelines, we saw a 134 percent increase to our residential monthly expenses. The main contributing factor to this increase was employee overtime, which was needed in order to keep our clients safe.

“During this time I have and still carry a lot of stress knowing it’s my responsibility to ensure the safety of our clients and staff, while also remaining fiscally responsible as an organization,” said Puzzle Pieces Executive Director Amanda Owen. “Although I watched our budget closely, I made the decision to do what it takes to care for our clients. Often that meant 72 hour shifts for my employees in order to reduce exposure risk to our at risk clients.”

Now that restrictions are lifting, we are allowed to have a limited number of clients on campus again, although this comes nowhere close to the 167 people we serve in total. In fact, the reduced number of clients under current guidelines still equates to a 28 percent decrease in monthly revenue. And now added to our daily expenses are supplies necessary for the extreme cleaning and sanitation we have to perform on our building every hour. Obviously, safety for our clients is a top concern and we believe these measures are necessary, but they do come with significant financial burden. To date, we have seen a 58% increase each month in cleaning supplies, gloves, and masks. We are extremely fortunate for community partners like Wendell Foster who helped us secure gloves when all other vendors were sold out, and Lowe’s and Empire Supply, who donated masks and Mark One Manufacturing for donating sanitizer. We also had a great number of Puzzle Pieces’ family and friends volunteer time to maintain the yards and landscaping at our residential homes and our campus, which helped us save money.

“We have done everything in our power to ‘right-size’ our organization in expenses while not sacrificing our number one priority - the quality of services to our clients. But, this Covid-19 environment leaves us with increased expenses and decreased revenue opportunities that will continue to force tough decisions,” said Amy Jackson, co-chair of the Puzzle Pieces board of directors.

The bottom line: We are open, but finances are extremely tight.

The next challenge related to Covid-19 is right around the corner -- the back-to-school effect. We have a dedicated staff that truly puts our clients' needs above their own. They love their work, and see our clients more as family than a work responsibility. But with local school districts announcing hybrid plans for students returning to school this year, our staff will continue to be forced to choose between caring for our clients and caring for their own children. We understand the difficulty of that choice, and support our staff 100 percent. But we also have to balance that concern with finding consistent, trained employees to meet the needs of our clients.

And just as our staff is struggling with the school district’s potential hybrid plan, our clients’ families are as well. As a working parent, finding childcare for days that children will not be in school is a major challenge. Now imagine your child has an intellectual disability and requires specific care. We are determined to meet the needs of our clients’ families and remain as flexible as possible, while still following all health guidelines set for us by the state and federal governments.

The bottom line: We are open, but our staffing is limited.

We advocate every day for those with intellectual disabilities in our community, and we believe that by sharing the current reality for Puzzle Pieces, we are still working toward that mission. This is a scary time. We now show up every day to a campus with a fraction of the clients we typically serve and have safety measures in place that we never imagined would be necessary.

But we are making the pieces fit.

We launched the Owen Autism Center earlier this month. Was it the best time? No. But it’s needed for our community. And the look of relief on parents’ faces when they dropped off their child was the only reward we needed. It’s what keeps us going.

And it’s that feeling that keeps us pushing forward and dreaming of what’s next for Puzzle Pieces. Right now, we are brainstorming a new fundraiser -- one that Owensboro will love, be entertained by and meets Covid-19 restrictions. We are determined to make our current circumstances work, think outside the box, and do what it takes to support our clients.

We know that we are not the only nonprofit or business that is suffering during this unprecedented time. Owensboro is blessed with resources that serve a wide variety of causes -- Puzzle Pieces is just one small part of that big network. But we believe that this is the time to be honest and vulnerable -- qualities we ask for in our clients. The decisions we make now and how we survive the Covid-19 pandemic impacts our community, both short-term and long-term. So just as we would share our success, we also want to share our struggle.

The bottom line: Our nonprofit is struggling, but we believe by being transparent and open about those challenges makes us a better organization and one that the community can rally behind.

We thank you for your support - past, present and future - both in financial and non-financial support that has helped us get to where we are today. While we shared this information to educate the public on our current situation, we very much appreciate anyone that feels compelled to donate to Puzzle Pieces. Your financial support directly impacts client services, helping us achieve our mission of serving those with intellectual disabilities. Please click here to donate.

]]><![CDATA[#PuzzlePiecesStrong - Seeing the Silver Linings]]>Thu, 30 Apr 2020 17:17:05 GMThttps://www.puzzle-pieces.org/news/puzzlepiecesstrong-seeing-the-silver-linings

Despite the onset of a global health pandemic, there have been shining examples of people showing up for their neighbors, for their community or even for complete strangers. Locally, social media groups quickly formed, offering help to those in need. Restaurants gave away free meals to the hungry. Sewers, or just those willing to learn to sew, handcrafted masks to protect frontline healthcare workers. And while this positive spirit has been witnessed across the community, we have seen it in our Puzzle Pieces family just as much.

From parades to Zoom calls, Puzzle Pieces staff members are going above and beyond for their clients. Why? First, we love our clients. They are more like family and we miss them. But also because those with intellectual disabilities are one of the most vulnerable populations during Covid-19 and they cannot understand quarantine or staying healthy at home. Puzzle Pieces clients, in particular, are accustomed to getting out in the community, frequenting their favorite stores and restaurants, so this time of isolation is confusing and often leads to additional behaviors.

Drive-by parades have been a huge source of happiness for our clients. Staff have volunteered their time to drive by as many homes as possible, but with clients spread out across multiple counties, we took the parade idea one step further. Executive Director Amanda Owen enlisted friends and local radio DJs Chad Benefield and Angel Welsh to create a #HappyAtHome movement, asking all of Owensboro to come out in their front yard and show what it means to enjoy life despite the quarantine. With film crews ready, we recorded as many families as we could in order to show our clients that they are not the only ones staying home and that we can all be happy despite the circumstances.

Each Puzzle Pieces client is different. Even those with the same diagnosis are affected differently by their disability. It is this reason that Puzzle Pieces has always strived to individualize care and services for each client. For one client during the Covid-19 restrictions, that means a scheduled call with a staff member each hour of every day. Staff, still working and currently laid off, created a phone tree that has given this particular client a sense of normalcy during a time that is anything but normal.

Our staff have cooked meals for clients, delivered flowers and gardening tools, dressed up as the Easter Bunny, had virtual dance parties and games of charades… the list goes on and on. Why are we sharing this with you? Obviously, we want to brag on our staff. Nearly half have been laid off because on-campus services were temporarily suspended through the crisis. But they are still meeting with clients virtually and volunteering their time to offer support. Others still working are going above what is asked, putting our clients health and safety above all else.

But we also share this to show the silver linings during a storm of uncertainty. The Covid-19 crisis is like nothing this generation has ever seen before. Each day, the number of those infected increases as well as the number of deaths. We have no timeline of when life will return to normal. But amid all of that, there are small examples of humanity, of communities supporting one another, that prove we will all get through this... together.

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