When you hear about activities at LifeScape, what comes to mind? Is it providing new and exciting opportunities for individuals we support? Maybe it’s getting to watch those individuals succeed and thrive with new experiences?
Well, these are those golden moments for LifeScape’s Activities Associate, Jeremy Schaefer. Jeremy has been in that role for 7.5 years but has been a LifeScape employee for 9.5 years.
You don’t usually hear about employees staying at jobs for more than 5 years, but when you look at LifeScape there are numerous employees who hit their 5 year anniversary each year. That could be because of the mission: Empowering people to live their best life.
“The best way I carry out our mission is to show kindness to whomever needs it, whenever they need it”, says Jeremy. Making sure he always extends a helping hand to a fellow staff member or person supported, Jeremy knows you can never show too much kindness.
“My favorite part would be the people we support and the family you gain when you work here… To watch them succeed and thrive, is truly a blessing in my life.”, says Jeremy.
Want to learn something new about Jeremy you maybe didn’t know? In his 20’s, he traveled with FELD Entertainment production on Disney on Ice and went around the world not once, but twice!
Thank you Jeremy for everything you do for LifeScape!
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What started off as a conversation with her son led to the Center for the Arts coming into fruition 12 years ago as a chance to let LifeScape students have more time dedicated to arts and crafts. Before we get much further, let’s not forget the brains behind the program and the ‘her’ I referred to – Jamie Richardson. Jamie has been at Lifescape for almost 21 years and within her time here came into her current two roles as the Project Coordinator for the Specialty School and Artistic Director for the LifeScape Center for the Arts.
Have you ever heard of Center for the Arts? If you haven’t, it’s a unique program here at LifeScape that provides amazing opportunities to the artists we support ranging from children to adults. “Everything we do within the Center for the Arts is to lift up and empower the artists we support”, said Jamie. From embracing natural gifts people are given to creating adaptations to help make art more accessible, this program is nothing short of inclusive!
Center for the Arts program carries out our LifeScape’s mission of empowering people to live their best life. Jamie has helped mold this program into a safe place for people supported to showcase their creativity, share their art with the world, make some new friends, and maybe even perform on stage in a play or go on a weekend art getaway with their peers!
Jamie and the Center for the Arts brought together a professional artist and over 175 adults supported to create murals that are now hanging in the Adult Activity Center at LifeScape.
Thank you Jamie for starting this program and making it what it is today. LifeScape would not be the same without this program and the creative opportunities it has provided.
Meet Robin Mills! She is an Occupational Therapist at our 18th Street Outpatient Rehabilitation Center in Sioux Falls. Robin has been a part of the LifeScape community for over 30 years! 37 years to be exact but when asked how long she has been here she was thinking it was more like 101 years. Talk about a LifeScape Lifer!
As she has been able to see the growth of LifeScape’s outpatient therapy services throughout the years, her opportunities have continued as she has been on a variety of teams and even started programs with the School for the Deaf and Constipation Management Team. “I love working with kids and families. Helping families understand the sensory challenges their child may be dealing with,” said Mills. Robin empowers caregivers by providing education and research to help better work with and care for those with sensory challenges. She also empowers the children she works with by helping each child understand how their “differences” make them unique and amazing individuals.
If you know Robin, you know she is an amazing human-being, but here’s something you might not know about her – she started her family later than others and she has 3 children ranging from 24 years of age to 7 years of age and all have come into her life through adoption and the foster care program.
Thank you Robin for everything you do for LifeScape!
Elizabeth Volzke has worked as the Director of Food & Nutrition Services since April of 2021, but this was not her first nutrition job. In fact, she has worked as a Registered Dietitian for over 5 years in a variety of nutrition settings such as, hosting sampling events & cooking classes, shared her knowledge with .
Starting at LifeScape, her primary focus was the children’s campus and since starting her efforts have not gone unnoticed by the kids. Their positive reactions and feedback about the new program inspired more changes and themed meals throughout each week such as, Brinner on Tuesday, Wing Wednesday and Comfort Foods on the weekends, YUM!
With introducing these themed meals, she has also been able to incorporate more variety of foods the kids have been enjoying These new foods include chili lime refried beans, ginger peach hummus, melon berry salad, sorbets, root blend veggies, enchiladas and so much more!
Let’s give this amazing employee a round-of-applause for her creativity, amazing hard work and endless dedication to provide the children and adults of LifeScape with the best tasting and nutritious meals.
