At Work. At Home. We’re Part of the Community.

The Friends Aware “Building Independence” Capital Expansion Project will provide: • Positive and sustainable economic impact to Allegany County. • Increased number of full and part time jobs to residents of Allegany County. • Greater capacity to serve the vocational, residential, and support needs of individuals with developmental disabilities.

Our Mission…Building on a tradition ofexcellence, FRIENDS AWAREoffers social, occupational, andresidential opportunities in a caringatmosphere to individuals withdevelopmental disabilities.

Our Vision…To be an agency where ALLINDIVIDUALS are challenged torealize their full potential.

Our Values…EMPOWERMENT

Equipping people with the tools, skills, and opportunities neededto maximize their full potential.

LEADERSHIPEncouraging innovative thinkingand responsibility for continuedgrowth and development.

COMMUNITYWorking with others to achievethe best possible outcomesfor all involved and recognizingthe contribution each personhas to make.

RESPECTValuing the unique and diversequalities of each person andtreating them with equality.

INTEGRITYUpholding the highest standardsof conduct and accountability inour interactions with each otherand the community; reflectingon performance and learningfrom that reflection; acting in anethical and responsible manner.

COMMUNICATIONSharing informationeffectively and efficiently.

Building IndependenceCapital Campaign

Providing an array ofindividualized supports topersons with developmentaldisabilities since 1954.

Join us as we continue our Journey of Awareness… with a contribution to the Friends Aware Capital Campaign!

A Message from the Chairman…Dear Friends,

Today marks another step in the story of Friends Aware that began with a small group of concerned parents in February 1954.

Friends Aware, Inc. has provided quality services to the developmentally disabled of Allegany County for nearly 60 years. Throughout those years, our programs and facilities have grown to meet the changing needs of our individuals and the changing dynamics of our community. With each step of growth, our desire has been to remain true to our mission statement and to maintain our focus on our individuals.

Today, Friends Aware finds itself with aging facilities in need of updates and upgrades. While our services and opportunities reflect our commitment to our individuals, our facilities do not. Lack of handicap accessible bathrooms, narrow hallways, inadequate ventilation and steep inclines tell a different story. It is this story we seek to rewrite so that we may align our quality services with quality facilities.

Our renovated facility will improve the continuum of services provided by Friends Aware, as individuals enter our program, receive improved vocational training, and are able to progress on to employment in the community. Improved work areas will provide space of further development of vocational and employment skills. Added and upgraded equipment improves the overall efficiency of work done onsite and provides the individuals with experiences that can be marketed to potential community employers.

We hope you will take a moment to reflect on the great work that Friends Aware has accomplished, not only in the lives of our individuals, but in the social, economic, cultural, religious, and educational life of our area.

Please join with us as we create a space that will enable our individuals to continue their journey of building their lives for independence.

Thank you,

Chris Howell, ChairmanFriends Aware Capital Campaign

• CAPITAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE •

Christopher Howell, ChairmanLee Anne Santiago, Board PresidentRobert Godfrey, Executive Director

Angelique AmanJuanita Andrews

Ray BittnerDebbie Boggs

Kathleen BreighnerLinda Buckel

Rebecca RuppertDottie Turner

• BOARD OF DIRECTORS •

OfficersLee Anne Santiago, PresidentDottie Turner, Vice-President

John F. Billard, SecretaryMirjhana A. Buck, Treasurer

MembersRay A. Bittner

Deborah A. BoggsMary Bond

Bill BrotemarkleAnita CollinsSarah Cowan

Shawn M. Golden-LlewellynLori Pfeiffer

Susan Lloyd LattimoreMike A. Llewellyn, Esq.

Pat PanuskaRebecca L. RuppertWilliam M. Wilhelm

Dottie Winner

• STAFF •Robert Godfrey, Executive Director

Carol Prentiss, Finance Director

Michele ThomasHuman Resources Director

Jane EatonLife Enrichment Center Director

Libi Williams-ZilerResidential Director

Kathleen BreighnerCommunity Relations & Resource

Development Director

Holly Pierce, Nursing Director

Christina ShermanExecutive Assistant

At Work. At Home. We’re Part of the Community.

GroundbreakingOctober 15, 2012

At Work. At Home. We’re Part of the Community.

Contribute to the “Building Independence”

Capital Campaign and help Friends Aware meet its Campaign Goal of $2,000,000 over the

next 3 years.

• YOU •could be a Dream Builder

for Friends Aware,

• YOU •could be a Hero

in your Community,

• YOU •could be a Champion

to local Individuals with Developmental Disabilities,

• And YOU •could be a true Friend

to their Families.

Right now in Western Maryland there are 154 individuals on the Waiting List for services through the Developmental Disabilities Administration.

“…in Allegany County, we are fortunate to have FAI to provide much needed direct support for those with developmental disabilities and their families.” County Commissioners of Allegany County Maryland

Building IndependenceCapital Campaign…As we celebrate Friends Aware’s 60th year of service, we proudly reflect on our accomplishments… the array of supports we’ve provided… the needs we’ve fulfilled… the lives we’ve enriched. As we look to the future, we see the impending need for renovation and expansion so Friends Aware can continue to provide exceptional services to local individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as to our business partners and our communities. Join us as we continue our Journey of Awareness… with a contribution to the Friends Aware Capital Campaign!

Did You Know… • Friends Aware Serves 140 Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

• Friends Aware Employs over 200 Full & Part-time Staff

• Friends Aware Offers Onsite Employment Contracts

• Friends Aware Partners with More than 30 Businesses

• Friends Aware Provides Job Training & Support Services

• Friends Aware Supports Employment Opportunities at 25 Businesses in the Region

Your Tax-Deductible Contribution will help… • Expand the Current Structure by 10,266 Square Feet

• Renovate the Existing 22,000 Square Feet

• Build an ADA Accessible Facility

• Increase Vocational & Training Areas for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

• Improve Economic Development through Additional Job Opportunities

Renovation and Expansion will… • Address Significant Age-related Building Deterioration

• Improve Building Access & Safety Standards

• Update Building Compliance with ADA & Fire Codes

• Improve Safety & Security for Individuals & Staff

• Increase Access to Job Training Opportunities, Employability & Community Inclusion

• Add Direct Care & Support Staffing Opportunities

Building IndependenceCapital Campaign Pledge Card…

At Work. At Home. We’re Part of the Community.

Why Contribute? Because every individual has the right to reach his or her highest potential.

• NAMING OPPORTUNITIES •ARE AVAILABLE

For more information, contact FAI Executive Director Robert Godfrey

at 301-722-7268.

• MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO •Friends Aware - Capital Campaign

• MAIL TO •Friends Aware, Inc.1601 Holland Street

Cumberland, MD 21502

Friends Aware, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Contributions are tax deductible as prescribed by law.

YES! I would like to make a difference in the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities with a contribution to the Friends Aware Capital Campaign.

Tiers of Giving: Dream Builders… $50,000+ Champions… $1,500-$9,999 Friends… $10,000-$49,999 Heroes… $50-$1,499

I hereby pledge to contribute the sum of:

$________ Total Pledge

$________ Payment Enclosed

$________ Balance to be paid over a period of ____ years.

Payments on my pledge will be made beginning: ____ /____ /____

Therefore, payments on my pledge will be made:

❏ One Time ❏ Monthly ❏ Quarterly ❏ Semi-Annually ❏ Annually

❏ Other (Dates): ____________________________________________

Please charge my gift to my credit card:

❏ MasterCard ❏ Visa ❏ Discover ❏ American Express

Account Number: ____________________________________________

CVV/CVC Code: __ __ __ Expiration Date: ____ /____

Name as it appears on card: _____________________________________ (Signature required at bottom of this form)

Contributor Information:

Name(s): __________________________________________________

Company: _________________________________________________

Street Address: ______________________________________________

City: __________________________ State: __________ Zip: __________

Email: ____________________________________________________

Phone(s): _________________________________________________

❏ I wish to remain anonymous

❏ I wish my name to be listed among the campaign donors as follows:

_________________________________________________________

❏ This gesture of support for Friends Aware is being made

In Honor of: ________________________________________________

In Memory of: ______________________________________________

Signature: _______________________________ Date: ____ /____ /____

Contributions may be made online at www.friendsaware.org

Contribute to the “Building Independence”

Capital Campaign and help Friends Aware

launch its next phase of providing exceptional

services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Our Programs & Services…DAY & VOCATIONAL SERVICESThe Life Enrichment Center at Friends Aware provides a wide variety of work opportunities to help enable every job seeker maximize his or her career potential. Our dedicated staff provide daily training and work opportunities to assist individuals in achieving their employment goals.

In the Community we provide… Customized Job Development, Supported Employment, and Volunteer Work Experiences.

On-Site we provide… a Sheltered Workshop, Full-Service Woodshop, Daily Skills Training, and Day Habilitation.

30 BUSINESS LOCATIONS FOR COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENTAllegany Arts Council – custodialAmerican Red Cross – custodialBureau of Mines – custodialCentral Assembly of God –

custodial/filingChick-Fil-A – greeterCity of Frostburg –

custodial at 3 locationsCME Engineering – custodialCountry Club Mall – custodialDept. of Juvenile Services – custodialH&S Development – custodialHumpty Dumpty Learning Center –

custodialHunter Douglas – shreddingMartins – baggerMcDonald’s – custodial at 2 locationsPharmaCare – custodial at 6 locations; filing and shredding at 1 locationSchroeder Industries, LLC – custodialUnitarian Universalist Fellowship –

custodialUnited Cerebral Palsy – custodialWal-Mart – greeterWestern Maryland Health System –

custodial at 3 locations

20 BUSINESSES PROVIDE CONTRACT WORK ON-SITEAircon – shreddingArchway – bulk mailingATK – quality controlBennett Brewer Assoc. –

wooden stakesBraddock Construction –

wooden stakesCarl Belt – wooden stakesCaron East – bulk mailingCounty United Way – mailingCounty Utilities (City of Cumberland)

– wooden stakesExcavating Assoc. – wooden stakesFSU Foundation – bulk mailingHunter Douglas – palletsMaryland State Roads Dept –

snow guide stakesPleasant Valley Tree Farm –

bulk mailingRK&K Engineering – wooden stakesSouthern States – wooden stakesState Farm – shreddingBerry Plastics – packaging

“It is truly a pleasure to offer employment to those individuals seeking to improve their lives through a caring organization like Friends Aware.”John H. Balch, PharmaCare

At Work. At Home. We’re Part of the Community.

TRANSPORTATION SERVICESFriends Aware provides door-to-door transportation for all those receiving supports in programs at Friends Aware, Inc. Our specially-equipped vans and buses are maintained to meet various physical needs. In addition to trained drivers, aides also accompany all vehicles to ensure the safety and well-being of the passengers.

RESIDENTIAL SERVICESThe Friends Aware Residential Program serves individuals in Alternate Living Units and Group Homes located in apartments or homes in the Allegany County area. Each home is designed to focus around the needs, interests and desires of the individuals living in the home.

The Supported Living Program provides creative, individualized, and self-directed community living services to people with intellectual disabilities. The majority of the services provided are Community Supported Living Arrangements and Individual Support Services.

PRSRT STDNONPROFIT

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

CUMBERLAND, MDPERMIT NO. 963

1601 Holland StreetCumberland, MD 21502Phone: 301-722-7268 • Fax: 301-724-8965www.friendsaware.org

The Friends Aware Story…Friends Aware, Inc. is a non-profit organization in Allegany County, Maryland. We are dedicated to providing an array of individualized supports to persons with developmental disabilities in such areas as Vocational, Residential and Respite Services. Our goal is to enhance quality of life by promoting choice and full participation within the community.

Friends Aware was founded in 1954 by a group of parents living in the Cumberland area who could not accept the lack of educational opportunities for their children with mental retardation. Therefore, in a borrowed space, they called their vision Friends Aware of Handicapped Children of Potomac Valley.

That community-based program operated on the simple belief that each individual had the right to reach his or her highest possible level of functioning. Today, more than half a century later, that simple belief still stands.

Friends Aware has become a multi-service organization with highly skilled staff that serves and supports hundreds of adults with developmental disabilities. Although our programs and management systems change to meet the needs of the people we serve, two constants remain — the refusal to accept conventional wisdom about a person’s limitations and the insistence of an individual’s right to a full life.

Friends Aware is a community-based organization and receives no direct state funding. Operation is based on the individuals who receive funding through the Developmental Disabilities Administration and have chosen Friends Aware as their service provider. Funding is limited and based on the individual’s needs and limitations.

My name is Jennie and I have been attending Friends Aware 7 years and my friend Adam for 12 years. Since I

started at Friends Aware I have gotten my drivers license and moved out on my own with lots of help. Adam and I like Friends Aware because we have made lots of new friends with staff and fellow co-workers. We enjoy working on all the contract work, earning paychecks, and going on

outings. Friends Aware has taught us skills to help us work with others.

They help us to volunteer at lots of places in our Community. Friends

Aware helps us with getting prepared to work jobs in the Community with the help of the great staff.

We love what we have learned and really enjoy being at

Friends Aware and wouldn’t want to be any where else.

Jennie and Adam

At Work. At Home. We’re Part of the Community.

In the Beginning...