INCA INFORMER

INCA COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC

April-June 2011

On April 14th, super cells appeared

all over Oklahoma sprouting as

many as 31 tornados. With very lit-

tle warning, a multi vortex EF3 tor-

nado caught Atoka County off guard.

Over 237 homes and business were

affected 149 being completely de-

stroyed. Two people were killed and

three were injured in the initial im-

pact. Seventy-three were further

injured in the recovery efforts.

In May, the Disaster Relief Committee decided that INCA would be the lead agency in the long-

term recovery process and be the fiscal agent for the donations. On May 17th, the Atoka

County Tornado Organization for Relief was officially formed.

THE

TORNADO

Reba McEntire and

Blake Shelton concert

was May 25th and 26th,

sold out. They raised a

total of $500,000.00 for

the Atoka County Tor-

nado Organization for

HEAD START RECEIVES THREE GRANTS TO

ENHANCE OUTDOOR PLAY BY MELISSA MANNING

We are excited to announce that Head Start received 3 grants totaling $14,976.36 to im-

prove the playgrounds in Caney, Davis, and Tishomingo. We applied for funding through

Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play. This

was a very competitive process. There were 436 grant recipients out of over 1,000 grant ap-

plications. The maximum grant amount for each grant was $5,000 and each of these three

centers will receive $4,992.12 in equipment for their playgrounds. I submitted grants for

each of the playgrounds and will resubmit the applications for those playgrounds who did

not receive a grant this time around.

We appreciate Head Start Body Start for helping us evaluate our play spaces and educate

our children and their families about the value of physical activity and playing outdoors, in

particular. This grant will enable our Head Start Center to purchase much needed equip-

ment that will allow the children more variety in their outdoor play and will greatly en-

hance their movement opportunities.

“Outdoor play is associated with greater amounts of physical activity in children, and re-

search has shown that opportunities for whole body exercise has a long lasting influence as

preschool physical activity tracks throughout childhood,” and Head Start Body Start Direc-

tor Kwame M. Brown, Ph.D. “Unfortunately children today spend less time playing out-

doors than any previous generation,” added Brown. “We want to help the Head Start staff

discover the benefits of generation,” added Brown. “We want to help the Head Start Staff

discover the benefits of outdoor play across developmental domains and learn about the fea-

tures of high quality outdoor play spaces that promote movement opportunities for children

of all ability levels.”

Tips for outdoor play with pool noodles, hoola hoops, and beach balls: (Taken from the

HSBS Website http://www.aahperd.org/headstartbodystart/

Row, Row, Row Your Boat Children sit in pairs facing each other and hold onto the same

noodle. Children pretend to “row the boat” by pulling back and forth. Increase the chal-

lenge of this activity by sitting on big balls. This will challenge stability and engage more

core (trunk) muscle strength.

Hope Toss Create a big target such as a milk jug or soda bottle (filled with some sand to

weigh it down) and toss the hoop to land around the target. Start close and slowly increase

the distance.

Musical Beach Ball: March around as the music plays. When the music stops have children

sit on their beach ball. Once the music starts again call out a different locomotor skill such

as walk, run, skip, gallop or slide, as children move to the music. Change tempo of music to

travel to different speeds. When music stops, sit on top of ball until music starts again.

HEAD START

FUN IN THE SUN

Hats Off To Our RSVP Volunteers

Johnston County RSVP luncheon and Recognition By Mary Jo Massey

The annual RSVP Recognition luncheon was held in the MSC ballroom on May

20, 2011. The morning began with severe rainstorms in the area. About 9:00

a.m. the bottom fell out and we had a torrential down pour the entire time. The

attendance was low this year because of this, but the 30 who did brave the

weather had a super time. We were honored to have our three Johnston County

Commissioners and Kathy Ross in attendance. The Johnston County Commis-

sioners are the only commissioners from the three counties who donate to the

luncheon every year, and without them and our donation from OG&E, we would-

n’t be able to have this important function.

The theme this year was “Hats off to our Volunteers” and everyone wore a hat,

good, bad, or otherwise. The lunch consisted of a sub sandwich, chips, fruit,

cookies and a drink. The tables were decorated with hats and ants, not the live

kind, fortunately.

Don Nichols received a certificate for the most hours, 2075. Plans had been

made to recognize the oldest volunteer, who would have been Bea Herron age

95. Unfortunately, Bea passed away the week before. She made the rolls for the

Ravia Senior Center for many years and was still active, up to the Thursday be-

fore she died on Monday.

CARTER COUNTY RSVP BY Patsy Knappage

The Carter County RSVP held their 26th annual recognition luncheon on June 17th 2011 at the

Ken Chaffin lunch room donated by the Southern Oklahoma Technology Center in Ardmore.

106 Volunteers attended the event, lunch was prepared by Rhonda Adams catering.

Among those attending were Advisory Council members Joan Kendall, Jo Broughton, and

Jeanetta Hooks from Carter County, James and Nina Bauman from Johnston County, and from

Murray County Norman Wallace and Helen Miller. The Carter County volunteers contributed

over 100,000 volunteer hours through out the past year.

Jo Broughton handled the sign-in duties and the distribution of the hourly certificates was han-

dled by Francis Milmoe and Joyce Morgan both volunteers and Mary Ann Evans, the office as-

sistant at the RSVP Ardmore office.

The set-up of the event on the afternoon before was assisted by volunteers Marilyn Neubauer,

Barbara Stoer, Joan Tucker, Jim and Linda Winchester, Mary Lee Mitchell, Lynette Blevins

from the Southern Oklahoma Blood Institute, Mary Jo Massey, Johnston County Coordinator

and Patsy Knappage Carter County Coordinator. Also a big thank you to Shelley at the Tisho-

mingo INCA office for preparing all the Hourly certificates and to Mary Jo Massey again for be-

ing the official photographer during the event. I am sure we got many great photos. Patsy

Knappage the Carter County Coordinator acted as MC for the event.

Our event was supported by the community with donations of gift items and checks. Every Vol-

unteer attending received a gift and enjoyed a delicious meal and entertainment. After the

luncheon many of the volunteers dropped by to say it was a great party.

To begin the party the music was performed by LJ Copeland and his band, they play for us al-

most every year so we are very lucky to have them with their classis country tunes. Mike

McComber helped kick-off the festivities with leading us in singing “When we all get to to-

gether.” Lynette Blevins the Volunteer Coordinator for the SOBI made a special presentation of

recognition to Mary Lee Mitchell for volunteering “above and beyond” with so many blood

drives, etc. We had two special songs performed by Joyce Myles. Joyce is very talented and was

kind enough to treat us to this special event. Nancy Maher led us all in a sing-along with “This

land is your Land” and “You are my Sunshine.” Right before lunch we presented Rhonda Ad-

ams, our hard working caterer, with a large gift basket, provided by Dodson Floral, for always

doing such a great job for our luncheon. Thank you to Wendell Hall who said grace for our

meal.

J.A.M.M. Transit would like to

welcome its newest addition to

the Transit Vehicle Fleet. This

2011 Dodge ADA Minivan was

purchased through outstanding

2008 Discretionary 5309 funding.

Once the minivan receives all of

the inspections and is lettered it

will be placed in one of the four

counties. We are very proud to

announce its arrival.

NEWEST ADDITION

STAMP OUT HUNGER

The Atoka County Post Office held

their Annual Stamp Out Hunger

Food Drive in May, they donated

approximately 2,500 pounds of food

items to the food bank in Atoka.

INCA Career Op-

portunities work-

ers went to the

post office with a

JAMM Driver to

pick up all of the

food; they brought

it back to the

INCA office and

unloaded all of

the items. JAMM

Transit employees

sorted, counted,

and placed all of

the items in the

Food Pantry.

INCA and the

community

greatly appreci-

ate all of the

time, hard work,

and effort the

Post Office puts

in to this event.

HEAD START YEARS OF SERVICE

Less than 1 year: Tiffany Carter, Brittany Carter, Charles Coulter, Heather Folger, Chelsea Frazier,

Destiny Goodwin, Emerald Hall, Tiffany Henry, Nancy Hicks, Mandi Lansdale, Tammy Lester, Bev-

erly Lowe, Jessica Nanney, Rebecca Singer, Ramona Smith, Angie Snow, Samantha Stephens, and

Wanda Townsend

1 Year less than 2: Nikki Dyer, Kandee Ensley, Peggy Gilbreath, Sharina Gray, Tina Jackson, Staci

Luke, Ashley Mahan, Lisa McClendon, Heather Rogers and Katrina Williams

2 Years less than 3: Dawn Brown, Sharron Caldwell, Rebecca Ehle, Bianey Jacovo, Hilda Lopez, Var-

lerie Tisdale and Carla Tomlinson

3 Years less than 4:

Crystal Ellet, Pam Springer,

Elizabeth Torres and Gaylon

Wadsworth

4 Years less than 5:

Darinda Lemons and Sherri

Sanders

5 Years Less than 6:

Regina Smith

6 Years less than 7: Leann Carroll, Mono Hopson and Lindsay Jackson

8 Years less than 9: Mi-

chelle Fore, Melissa Man-

ning, Lynda Sliger and Jua-

nita Williams

9 Years less than 10:

Cheryl Bixler, Edith Lewis,

and Sandra Trevino

10 Years less than 11:

Patsy Beasley and Christi

Whiten

13 Years Less than 14:

Amanda Brewer, Kathy

Castleberry and Shirley

Maxey

15 Years less than 17: Carolyn Walker 16 Years less than 17: Sandy Bonham and Deb Hook

17 Years less than 18: Sherri Carter Vineyard

18 Years less than 19: Sue Ishmael and Sherri Ogle

20 Years less than 21: Latoy Eldred

21 Years less than 22: Elaine Hogue and Teresa

Workman

23 Years less than 24: Mary Hillard

27 Years less than 28: Sherrie Adams

37 Years less than 38: Sharon Garrison and Mary

Spence

Above and Beyond

INCA COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC

LaQuita Thornley

Executive Director

202 South Capitol

Tishomingo, OK 73460

Phone: 580-371-2352

Fax: 580-371-0277

Board of Directors

Atoka County

Phillip Culbreath

Alice Foran

Sarilea Combs

Johnston County

Roy Wayne Blevins

Charolette Northcutt

Maren Turner

Marshall County

Royce Bartee

Sallianne Milford

Patricia Fields

Murray County

Betty Stephens

Alan Frazier

James Wallace

We’re on the Web

http://incacaa.org