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Goodwill Industries, Inc.Serving Eastern Nebraska

& Southwest IowaGoodwillOmaha.org

July2012

Big Ideas,Little Boxes

YouthBuild students figured out a way to pack all they’ve learned into a tiny, portable model!

page 4

Getting to know AbilityOne

AbilityOne employees, family and friends attended a Meet & Greet potluck at Benson Park Plaza.

page 9

oung people continue to be one of the hardest-hit demographics in the

recession, and Omaha’s youth are no exception. Having any kind of stable work experience on a resume can be crucial to securing employment, yet getting that first foot in the door can be a daunting obstacle.

That’s why each summer, Youth Partnership staff puts together the Summer Youth Employment program (SYE). The SYE program consists of part-time work experience on a worksite combined with a separate educational component.

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the job daysof summerby Kristin Koopman

continued on page 6

Summer Youth Employment program participants dish up lunch at the BBQ potluck that closed out their week of orientation.

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new employeesMay 2012

Teniola Bachirou Hounsou Clothing Proc/Hanger II156th & Maple Tranell Brown Royal Retail Sales Associate IISouthwest

Nicholaus Cousens Donation Door AttendantFremont

Brooke DavisClothing Proc/Hanger ISouthwest Justin Dougherty Workforce Services DirectorBlue Lion

Andrew FosterCustodianOffutt William FranklinGrounds Maintenance WorkerROC

Kerylnn Givens Clothing Proc/Hanger II156th & Maple

Gavin HansonE-Commerce AssociateROC Nicholas HartmanNISH Team LeaderLincoln Ashley HeaveyRetail Sales Associate II Papillion John HurleyWearHouse AssociateROC Abe JessopGrounds Maintenance WorkerGrand Island

Jennifer Lopez Clothing Proc/Hanger IPapillion Dylan MalonePartnership CoordinatorBlue Lion

Molly MilbrandtRetail Sales Associate II156th & Maple

Margaret Mulcahy Clothing Proc/Hanger I180th & Q

Gwenette MurrellCustomer Connect Case ManagerBPP

Garrett Peterson Donation Door Attendant Fremont

Raimund Uhlenkamp CustodianOffutt Brandon Ware CustodianOffutt Nicholas Watson Reserve Rep IReserve Tanya ZollicofferRetail Sales Associate II78th & Dodge

The Clothes Line PUBLISHER: Frank McGreeEDITOR IN CHIEF: Rita Hamele CrumMANAGING EDITOR: Neal ObermeyerSTAFF WRITER: Brent Kosterstaff writer: Erin Burkestaff writer: Kristin KoopmanOMBUDSPERSON: Kris PachunkaFAN CLUB PRESIDENT: Christine Aguilar

The Clothes Line is published monthly and is available at each Town Hall meeting. If you are unable to attend Town Hall, you may also find copies in the Marketing area at BPP, or request to have a copy delivered to you by calling 402.231.1915.

You may also find Clothes Line articles and full-issue digital downloads on the GoodTimes Blog at http://www.goodwillomaha.org/blog.

july 2012

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1 Julie Bell Retail Sales Associate II Bellevue2 Lena Pflanz Retail Store Manager Madison Store2 Jerell Stapleton Donation Door Attendant Benson Park Store3 Carol Keller Custodian Offutt4 Jim Metteer, Sr. Clothing Proc/Hanger I 156th & Maple4 Stanley Callan Database Support Spec Benson Park Plaza5 Marlene Mosher Clothing Proc/Hanger II 156th & Maple6 Kristine Pachunka Community Relations Coord Benson Park Plaza6 Myles Grefe Custodian Lincoln6 Sabrina Sayavong Wearhouse Associate II ROC7 Kerry Johnson Custodian Lincoln7 Benny Marks, IV Custodian Offutt7 Chelsea Malone Business Outreach Spec. Benson Park Plaza9 Robert May, Jr. Equipment Technician Offutt11 Angel Diaz, Jr. Floor Care Specialist Offutt11 Alex Grady Custodian Lincoln11 William Eklund Custodian Offutt11 Josie Crockett Retail Sales Associate II Southwest11 Jasmine Frierson ShopGoodwill Gen. Clerk ROC12 Robert Blake Custodian Offutt12 Conchita Tolles Shop Goodwill Gen. Clerk ROC12 Heather Hilburn Retail Sales Associate II West Center12 Michael Thompson Retail Sales Assoc (Spec) Harris Center12 Robert Nance Donated Goods Proc. II 180th & Q12 Vondre Caldwell Retail Sales Associate II Benson Park Store14 Ricky Moran Donation Door Attendant Southwest15 Gloria Hernandez Clothing Proc/Hanger I Papillion16 Robert Ferguson Custodian Zorinsky16 Matthew Estabrook Custodian Zorinsky17 Quentin McLemore Custodian Offutt18 Samantha Malloy Adult Career Specialist Blue Lion19 Melissa Pagitt Grounds Maintenance Sup VA19 Andre Magness Retail Sales Assoc III Benson Park Store19 Brittney Russo Retail Sales Associate II Madison 19 Eldon Jones Custodian Lincoln22 Kimberly Streit Retail Sales Assoc (Spec) 180th & Q22 John Wilson CDL Driver ROC23 Mary Marion NISH Team Leader Stratcom26 Richard Nava Wearhouse Team Leader ROC27 Elizabeth Donner Community Development Coordinator Benson Park Plaza27 Pearl Wilder Custodial Supervisor Stratcom27 Lisa Ayala Retail Sales Assoc III Benson Park Store27 Kayleigh Butler Retail Sales Associate II Benson Park Store28 Crystal Archer Ld Pressure Washing Tech ROC30 Jonathan Guardado Custodian Offutt31 Jordan Borgaila Grounds Maint Worker ROC

happy birthdayJuly 2012

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hen the participants of YouthBuild Omaha were invited to participate in

the ServeNebraska Symposium “Celebration of Service” last month, they immediately began work on a project that represents their contributions to the community — a scaled down modeled home.

Before you picture a doll-house, this home was very unique! The purpose of this project was to display the knowledge they’ve gained while in the program.

For example, every afternoon for the past 10 months has been spent working on renovation projects. They have assisted Abide Network with homes on 25th & Fowler and have built classrooms and renovated apartments for a church on 25th & Grant. They wanted to capture their experience and educate the audience simultaneously.

With the end in mind, they set about the “project.” The home would be two feet by two feet. The Symposium was held in Seward, Nebraska, so anything larger would have posed transportation

concerns. In order to get a clear view of their work, people would need to be able to see through the house. For this reason it was given only half a roof.

Each side of the house demonstrated different stages of the building process:

Front:• Framed Wall With

Framing Components• Frame Door Entry With A

HeaderLeft Side:• Wall Frame With Window

Frame• InsulationBack:• Wall Frame With InsulationRight Side:• Wall Frame With Window• Insulation• Sob Board• Vinly SidingRoof:• Roof Frame• Sob Board• ShinglesFloor:• Carpeted

Eight students worked on the house for more than 14 hours under the supervision of YouthBuild Construction Trainer Norman Barnes, who restricted his involvement to consultation only.

The group took great pride in the fact that 95% of the house was constructed using only hand tools!

The house was a big hit at the Symposium. The students took turns educating onlookers of the project and the work they do.

The overall success of the project can best be expressed in the words of one of the students, who said “We did good.”

big ideas can fit in tiny boxesby Miriam Blair

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The YouthBuild model home.

may Store of the Month:

Bellevue!Their sales were 15.73% over budget and 21.53% over last year…..that makes them Store of

the Month for May! Way to go Laura Rohwer, Melanie and the Bellevue Staff!

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e’re positive the “terrible twos” won’t apply to the ROC. It’s hard to believe

the Goodwill facility at 72nd and F is already two years old. In that time, the rows of empty shelves have slowly filled. The WearHouse and E-Commerce alternated Store of the Month in 2011, with E-Commerce winning Store of the Year. Computer recycling has grown considerably thanks in part to the extra space at the ROC.

Employees celebrated the birthday in June with a tasty lunch of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese and salad. Diners were even able to get some cake before Kay Hilgenkamp ate all the frosting off of it.

About 20 volunteers working with Don McPherson in Commercial Services, as well as some guests from Benson Park Plaza, joined ROC employees for the celebratory lunch.

The WearHouse and GoodBytes invited customers to join in on the celebration with cookies, popcorn, drawings and balloons.

Congrats to the ROC on two great years! Cheers to many more.

Benson Park DucksIf you’re a reader of The Good Times Blog at goodwillomaha.org/blog, you already know about this — something adorable is about to happen at Goodwill.

We’re getting ducklings! Call me a girly-girl, but if it’s a newborn animal, chances are I’m going to love it. There’s a reason “Baby Animals on the Farm” was my favorite book as an infant.

If you follow us on Instagram (@goodwillomaha), you’ve already seen the nest of eggs in the parking lot at our Benson Park Plaza location.

Employees and customers alike have been keeping a watchful eye on the nest. We’re no duck experts, but we’re guessing the eggs will hatch in about a week.

You may be wondering why the duck decided to lay her eggs in the middle of a concrete field. With the pond at Benson Park just a short flight south of our building, and water features of the Benson Park Golf Course just east and north of us, it seems this mama wanted to leave her options open for a post-hatch home.

We’ll have to see where the ducklings end up! Perhaps they’ll choose to stick close to the building and greet shoppers and donors as they come to the store.

dinner pit crewThe Employee Annual Dinner may have taken place just a couple

months ago, but planning is underway for the 2013 event! In effort to make next year’s event even better, Marketing turned to Angie Montgomery to facilitate a Process Improvement Team (PIT).

PIT crews are made up of employees from across the agency, and operate periodically to provide feedback and suggestions on different topics. Goodwill is always looking at ways to improve operations, and the opinions of employees are valued. Discussion in the Annual Dinner PIT crew included venue, event format, awards, food and employee engagement.

Thank you to the following Goodwill employees for their participation and valuable input in the Annual Dinner PIT crew: Linda Bibeault, Angela Houser, Tina McGaugh, Josh Meyer, Dick Preston, Danielle Schmidt and Holly Schwietz.

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Some day, these round things will be ducks!

roc, ducks and pits: A roundupby Erin Burke

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a summer of employmentby Kristin Koopman

A total of 55 participants, comprising in-school and out-of-school youth, will spend the summer scattered across the metro area at a variety of worksites.

Participants were placed according to their skill level and interests. Worksites include Goodwill stores, Southern Sudan Community Association, Styles of Evolution, Bellevue Family Practice, Big Ink, Charles Drew Health Center, Peter Kiewit, Omaha Community Playhouse, Jenson Tire, Stoltenberg Farms and Lockheed Martin.

To meet the education requirement, participants are taking classes at local community colleges, participating in Goodwill’s READY workshops, college tours and employability workshops contracted with Eastern Nebraska Community Action Partnership (ENCAP).

Prior to SYE beginning, participants attended a week-long orientation that covered aspects of obtaining and maintaining employment this summer and beyond. Students created resumes, improved work readiness skills and completed mock interviews with Goodwill staff feedback.

Another component of the program that is popular among the youth is the college tours. Participants visit local colleges to learn about services they offer, but they also have lunch onsite; this allows youth to interact with staff and students on campus.

Participants often cite the tour at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as their favorite, as they are invited to tour the field at Memorial Stadium. New to the college tour schedule this year is Clarkson College. Participants will learn about the nursing program and other medical programs offered. The tours were arranged with the interests of the SYE participants in mind.

On the final day of orientation, Goodwill hosted a BBQ potluck. Staff throughout the Benson Park location roasted hot dogs and brought side items.

The BBQ gave Goodwill staff and the Partnership students an opportunity to meet one another and celebrate their send off to summer employment.

Partnership staff worked diligently for several months to put together the schedule of events, selecting students, securing worksites, setting up

orientation and managing payroll obligations. Despite transitioning management and being down one staff person, the team pulled it all together.

Congratulations on another successful year, and best of luck to all of our students as they get a summer of work experience under their belts and prepare for their careers!

continued from page 1

Workforce Services Director Justin Dougherty manned the grill at the orientation BBQ potluck.

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oodwill hosted its 14th Annual Golf Classic on June 18 at Shadow Ridge. Nearly

150 golfers braved the gusty winds and high temperatures to hit that little white ball in support of Goodwill.

For the first time in its history, all 37 foursomes supported the event at the Corporate Gold level. That’s a lot of community support for the Goodwill mission.

Each year, the tournament’s proceeds help fund additional positions and resources for Employment and Training programs. Since its inception, the Goodwill Golf Classic has raised nearly $300,000 in support these areas.

Special thanks to this year’s event assistants who braved 90 degree temperatures to make sure all the golfers had a great time.

From running the course

challenges, to providing transportation, to hanging out with celebrity golfer John Knicely, the day couldn’t have happened without them.

Many thanks to all of the sponsors, businesses and employees who helped make this event such a big success!

See you next year!

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Database Manager Jeff Bloes was one of many indispensable Goodwill volunteers, tirelessly driving the course.

golfing aroundby Brent Koster

may 2012* Lynn Clark *

* Jana Marshall ** Patricia Rast * * Megan Sharpe *

To nominate a Goodwill employee for a Star Award, contact Human Resources!

A foursome watches as John Knicely tees off.

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consider myself a pretty lucky guy professionally. I get to apply myself

creatively in a way that supports Goodwill’s mission. So not only is the outcome validating, but the work is too.

But sometimes, circumstances convene in a way that makes my job even more fun than usual.

This year’s annual dinner was a blast to design. Our theme, “Mission to the Future,” allowed for plenty of creativity when thinking about how to present a futuristic world. Part of that world was a pair of cute little robots, literally conceived in the last few days before the dinner, as Marketing Specialist Erin Burke wanted me to design something to make the nametags prettier. I drew a couple robots and the rest was history.

When putting together the agency video, I realized those little guys could play another role, so I animated them and put them in a futuristic control room where they “played” our year-in-review video.

Several months later, our retail operations folks were acquiring some new trailers, and we needed to design new wraps for them. At the Legacy of Hope Hall of Fame / Person of Goodwill event, our Retail Operations Director Shirley Hall approached me and asked if we could use those cute little robots to promote

computer recycling. I was immediately thrilled and got to work.

Over the next month or so, retail and marketing staff worked with Goodwill’s friends at Omaha Neon and ArtFac to get the design finished and produced in time for a donation drive at the Child Saving Institute, where the newly wrapped trailer sat for more than a week along Dodge Street.

And now those trailers are driving around town, spreading the word about our computer and electronics recycling services.

We’ve had such a positive response that these guys and their corresponding message will soon be on billboards around Omaha as well!

So thanks for the idea to recycle those robots, Shirley! We’re glad they’ve been such a good fit for our recycling services!

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This is how the finished art looks on a trailer.

Remember them? If not, did you come to the Annual Dinner?

sometimes i get to draw robotsby Neal Obermeyer

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bilityOne’s very first Meet and Greet Potluck Luncheon was held

Saturday, June 2, 2012. AbilityOne employees and their loved ones gathered together for fun, food and an opportunity to strengthen our AbilityOne family at Goodwill.

Everyone in attendance was able to get to know each other a little better, building that sense of community while also having a little fun!

Employees from all metro area AbilityOne worksites were invited to the event and there was plenty of food. Participants each brought a dish (or other needed items) for everyone, and many brought the recipe to share as well.

It was a delicious spread of all kinds of salads, casseroles, sides, desserts, hamburgers and hot dogs. Thanks to the Peony Park Hy-Vee for their hot dog donation!

After lunch, there was a raffle and an opportunity for AbilityOne employees to express themselves artistically by painting artwork that will be put together soon and displayed in our Benson Park Plaza headquarters. You can see more photos on The Good Times Blog at goodwillomaha.org/blog.

In other AbilityOne news, Chad Kooiker and Ed Driscoll both recently celebrated seven years working on our VA Hospital grounds maintenance crew!

Melissa Pagitt, grounds maintenance supervisor at the

VA, said “They are hard workers, they come to work each day, and they are a wonderful present to this account.”

She added that virtually everyone there knows Chad and

Ed thanks to their hard work.Congratulations, you two, and

thanks for those seven years with Goodwill!

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AbilityOne employees, family and friends enjoy a potluck lunch at Benson Park.

meet and greet ... and eat!by Jennifer Gries

Chad Kooiker (left) and Ed Driscoll celebrate seven years with Goodwill.

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oodwill has several new developments when it comes to employee growth

and engagement! First off, we are pleased to

announce that one of the top 3 employee survey goals has been implemented!

Goodwill found that we needed to engage employees from the start of their employment. Therefore, the Human Resources Department has revamped New Hire Orientation to ensure it is a

quality experience. The orientation now consists

of more interactive dialogue and activities surrounding Goodwill’s mission, values, team work, safety, ethics, engagement, opportunity and diversity.

As we continue to work on the other goals identified from the survey to include career paths and engagement training we will keep you updated.

Also in June, Goodwill hosted an onsite NISH training on June 20th and 21st covering topics on

Managing Service Productivity and Time Study Measurement.

Blaine Robinson, Senior Training Program Manager with NISH facilitated the training for our Federal Contracts managers along with guests from the Grand Island Goodwill and BH Services, a community rehabilitation program. It was a great learning and networking opportunity for all involved.

We look forward to hosting more training opportunities in the future.

goodwill's world of trainingby Angie Montgomery

GWord Search Generator :: Make your own printable word searches @ A to Z Teacher Stuff

http://tools.atozteacherstuff.com/word-search-maker/wordsearch.php[6/25/2012 3:45:49 PM]

Click here to print this page without advertisementIf you have a pop-up blocker, disable it or override it by holding the Ctrl button when you click the above link.

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MAKE YOUR OWN WORKSHEETS ONLINE @ WWW.ATOZTEACHERSTUFF.COM

NAME:_______________________________ DATE:_____________

Q T R P A U L O P P A C H U N K A K R RE T X U B N E U V K T E T A E B V P H ZY T Q T L L O C S I R D K N Z S J Z U JF G D T Y A P H L F I N A V G I J H T JR R E O Y W H N I L S M U C K B M T B NY A B F U G R S K Y E C B S H A R O N RY C X D L O C W G Z D R A W D E T E O SJ E T C G H V O Q U P B R F H H F B T NV F H E B I Z M J R A C H E L M E E X TT A R A M T O H G R B L B M J R W N G ND X C E W B T S M D S T G T T J G I L UF H S D K R E L L E U M R M F S F T U GB G S P H I G L X V Q J E P S W X S P NF T D I S I O S T A P L E T O N G I T ID Q N H E P X O Q L M A N S T R C R A NT Y A W N R Y V K E I S W V A H I K O EE V L I R P D N H X T Y O X A V O T Y OG A B Q A N A U R E S S O L H C S M M HK A U N K I R P M D I K D M B M C L A CX E T X L Q G Q R V A M A S O S S Y A S

SHARONBLANDTHOMASBOYLEEDWARDDRISCOLLPAULFISCHBACHGRACEGREENWOODOSAMAHAZIMCHADKOOIKERROBERTSCHLOSSERRACHELSCHOENINGTIMMUELLER

KRISTINEPACHUNKAJERRELLSTAPLETONROGERZEMANEKALEXGRADYBRETTKARNES

Perfect Attendance Word Search!

These folks all celebrated years of perfect attendance this month! It may be a challenge to find their names in this puzzle, but you can always find them hard at work!

11

happy anniversaryJuly 2012

23 YearsBobbie TvrdikVice President, Admin Svs Benson Park Plaza

19 YearsQuentin McLemoreCustodianOffutt

15 YearsLinda AndersonClothing Proc/Hanger IIIHarris Center

Kay HilgenkampSr. Director of RetailROC

12 YearsEloisa RuckerNISH Team Leader Offutt

Gordon ScheetInformation Tech Director Benson Park Plaza

11 YearsAaron KastlCustodianLincoln

10 YearsHolly SchwietzWork Experience Trainer Madison

9 YearsLena PflanzRetail Store Manager Madison

8 YearsNathaniel AndrewsPOS Support Spec ROC

Gerald SplearNISH Team Leader Lincoln

Rebecca StearnsAssistant Store Manager West Center

6 YearsBrenda HarrisRetail Store Manager Southwest

Sonnie OlsonDonated Goods Proc. II Bellevue

5 YearsPauli BishopSenior Finance Director Benson Park Plaza

Angela HouserRetail Store ManagerFremont

Jacqualyn NordAssistant Store Manager Papillion

4 YearsGarry KernYouth Career Specialist Blue Lion

Anthony PecoraroCustodianZorinsky

Laura SheldonCustodial Supervisor Lincoln

3 YearsKerrilynn BrunoDonated Goods Proc. II West Center

Jennifer DavernEmployment CoordinatorBenson Park Plaza

2 YearsLynn ClarkRetail Prod Worker I72nd & F

Zachary DavisDonation Door Attendant Bellevue

Melanie MoyerAssistant Store Manager Bellevue

Lori SchuClothing Proc/Hanger I West Center

1 YearMikaela BishopDonation Door Attendant Fremont

Gary CampbellGeneral Postal Clerk II Postal

Lora HowardRetail Sales Associate II Fremont

Samantha JanousekRetail Sales Assoc III Benson Park Store

Thomas Moore-Hilgenkamp Retail Sales Associate IIFremont

Marcus NelsonRetail Sales Assoc III Papillion

Israel PommellsBus Sanitation TechnicianROC

Kendrick RansomRecycling Technician I ROC

Justin SmithDonation Door Attendant Madison

Irmgard UhlenkampCustodianStratcom

Diane YagashDonated Goods Proc. II Southwest

12Hanging employment barriers out to dry. 10Hanging employment barriers out to dry. 8

July 2009Multicultural Calendar Highlights

July 1 – Canada Day: Canada Known as Dominion Day until 1982, this day celebrates the confederation of upper and lower Canada into the Dominion of Canada in 1867. Republic Day: Ghana On this day in 1960, Ghana gained independence within the Commonwealth of Great Britain. SAR Establishment Day: Hong Kong Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the United Kingdom on December 19, 1984, the United Kingdom handed sovereignty over Hong Kong back to the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China on July 1, 1997. In this agreement, China promised that, under its “one country, two systems” formula, China’s socialist economic system will not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years. July 4 – Philippine-American Friendship Day: Philippines This celebrates the day in 1946 that the United States granted independence to the Philippines after ruling it since 1905. Independence Day: United States This commemorates the day in 1776 that delegates of the Thirteen Colonies signed the Declaration of Independence announcing their separation from Great Britain and the establishment of the United States of America. July 5 – Independence Day: Algeria Ruled by the Ottoman Turks since the mid-sixteenth century and populated mainly by Arabs who introduced Islam as the country’s predominant religion, Algeria became a colony of France in 1848. A war of independence from France began in 1954, and Algeria became independent in 1962. Independence Day: Venezuela First colonized by Spain in the fifteenth century, Venezuela began a war of independence led by Francisco de Miranda and Simón Bolívar that lasted from 1810 to 1821. It is on this day in 1811 that Venezuela declared its independence from Spain. This day is celebrated in Venezuela as a national holiday. July 6 – Day of Statehood: Lithuania Statehood Day commemorates the coronation of Lithuania’s first and only king, King Mindaugas, in 1253. July 9 – Independence Day: Argentina This day commemorates Argentina’s declaration of independence from Spain in 1816. July 10 – Independence Day: Bahamas This commemorates the Bahamas’ gaining independence within the Commonwealth of Great Britain in 1973. This holiday is observed from July 3 through July 10. July 11 – Flemish Community Holiday: Belgium Celebrated in Flemish communities in Belgium, this day commemorates the battle in 1302 in which the Flemish declared their independence from France. July 13 – Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day) observed: Northern Ireland The Battle of the Boyne was a turning point in the war between the deposed King James II of England and VII of Scotland and his son-in-law and successor, William III, for the English, Scottish, and Irish thrones. The battle took place on July 12, 1690 outside of the town of Drogheda on Ireland’s east coast. Although not militarily decisive, its symbolic importance has made it one of the most infamous battles in British and Irish history. July 14 – Bastille Day (bass-steel): France This celebrates the fall of the Bastille prison, marking the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789 and the eventual end of monarchical rule and the creation of a French Republic. July 17 – Constitution Day: South Korea After the division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea at the end of World War II, South Korea formed a republic with its capital in Seoul and Syngman Rhee as its first president. July 19 – First Special Olympics Games (1968): United States On this date the first Special Olympics, an athletic competition for children and adults with cognitive disabilities, opened at Soldiers Field in Chicago. The first Special Olympics had 1,000 participants from the United States and Canada; by 1995, this competition had expanded to include Winter Special Olympics (added in 1977) and to involve 7,000 participants from all 50 states and 143 countries. The program of events has also grown dramatically, from three at the first Special Olympics to more than twenty. The international competition is held in the year before the regular Olympics. July 20 – Independence Day: Colombia Beginning in the fourteenth century, the region that is now Colombia was the center of the Spanish colony known as New Granada, which included Panama and most of Venezuela. Beginning in 1810, Simón Bolívar led a war of independence from Spain, which ended with his victory over Spanish forces on this day in 1819. This day is celebrated in Colombia as a national holiday. Luis Muñoz Rivera’s Birthday: Puerto Rico This public holiday commemorates the birth of Luis Muñoz Rivera (1859-1916), poet, journalist, and leader of the campaign for autonomy for the Spanish colony. When Spain granted political autonomy to Puerto Rico in 1898, Luis Muñoz Rivera became its leader. Only five months later, however, the United States invaded and took possession of the island, and Muñoz Rivera spent the rest of his life working to regain the independence of his nation. As Resident Commissioner in Washington in 1916, he denounced the proposed Jones Act, which was to give citizenship to Puerto Ricans but retain the island as a U.S. possession. The act was passed shortly after his death. Marine Day (Umi No Hi): Japan This holiday was observed for the first time in 1996. In 1874, the Meiji Government commissioned Robert Napier & Sons, a Scottish shipyard, to build the Meiji-Maru, a lighthouse service steamship. Using the vessel, the Emperor Meiji made an imperial tour of inspection of northeastern Japan in 1876, traveling from Aomori to Hakodate and arriving in Yokohama on July 20. “The Day of the Sea” or Marine Day commemorates the Emperor’s safe voyage. July 21 – National Holiday: Belgium This marks the day in 1831 that Belgium became independent from the Netherlands and Leopold I ascended the throne as Belgium’s first king. July 23 - Revolution Day: Egypt This day marks the beginning of the military coup in 1952 that led to the proclamation of the Egyptian republic. July 24 – Pioneer Day: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints This marks the day in 1847 that Brigham Young led other believers in the teachings of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, into the valley of the Great Salt Lake, where they would establish the center of their church and build Salt Lake City. Simón Bolívar’s Birthday: Ecuador and Venezuela This public holiday honors military and political leader Simón Bolívar (1783-1830). Known as “The Liberator,” Simón Bolívar led the rebellion against Spanish rule that established the independence of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. July 25 – Constitution Day: Puerto Rico The constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico was approved in 1952 on this day, which is now commemorated each year with official government ceremonies. Republic Day: Tunisia This day commemorates the end of the Tunisian monarchy and the establishment of a republic in 1957. July 26 – Americans with Disabilities Act (1990): United States Signed into law on this date, this milestone of U.S. civil rights legislation protects people with disabilities from discrimination in the areas of employment, transportation, and public accommodation. (Earlier legislation had addressed discrimination in housing.) The law requires a wide range of public and private establishments to make new and renovated facilities accessible to people with disabilities and to make “readily achievable” changes to existing facilities in order to increase accessibility. July 27 – José Celso Barbosa’s Birthday: Puerto Rico This public holiday honors José Celso Barbosa (1857-1921), physician, social analyst, and politician, who in 1899 founded the Republican Party of Puerto Rico that advocated statehood for the island. July 28 – Independence Day: Peru This two-day national holiday celebrates José de San Martín’s proclamation of Peru’s independence from Spain on July 28, 1821. July 30 – National Day (Feast of the Throne): Morocco This commemorates the enthronement of the current king of Morocco, King Muhammad VI.

2011 June Diversity Calendar Datesdiversity calendarJuly

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diversity calendarJuly

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