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Fall 2009 2815 East Tenth Street Bloomington, in Bloomington, in 47408 Permit No NONPROFIT ORG US Postage Stone Belt PAID fall 2009 2815 East Tenth Street Bloomington, IN Bloomington, IN 47408 Permit No. 310 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED touchstoneStone Belt presents news & information for individuals with disabilities, families, friends and our community did you know? Stone Belt now offers an easy and convenient way to support individuals with disabilities and excellence in programs. Donations to our general fund can now be made online using PayPal. Log on to make your gift today. All gifts help individuals reach their full potential. Stone Belt will present Belt Out Laughing, an evening of comedy celebrating Stone Belt’s 50 years in the community. This fundraiser will feature comedian Josh Blue, winner of Last Comic Standing Season 4. Find out more about Josh and the event on Page 1. East Headquarters Move Our Mission Columbus clients and staff move into new offices. page 3 We believe in the uniqueness, worth and right to self-determination of every individual. Therefore, it is our Award Winners mission, in partnership with the Annual Celebration honors outstanding individuals. pages 4-5 community, to prepare, empower make your online gift today @ and support individuals with developmental disabilities and Open for Business their families to participate fully www.stonebelt.org Revamped 10th Street Manufacturing Space opens. page 7 in the life of the community. belt out Laughing featuring Josh Blue, winner of “Last Comic Standing” Season 4 meet josh blue event Perhaps best known as the comedian who puts the cerebral in Cerebral Palsy, Josh Blue exploded onto the national comedy scene by capturing the attention and ! details endearment of the country as the winner of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” Season 4, which aired May through August 2006. Having already established himself as one Belt Out Laughing is an of the most sought after comedians on the college circuit, his weekly appearances on evening of comedy celebrating Stone Belt’s 50 years in the community. “Last Comic” in the summer of 2006 expanded his fan base exponentially. @ 7:30 pm Blue riveted audiences on the fourth season of the NBC reality series, usually Join us . October 15 garnering standing ovations after each brief set. Blue appeared on Last Comic Standing Thursday, Buskirk-Chumley Theater to “make people aware of the fact that people with disabilities can make an impact.” 114 E Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington Possessed with an undeniable likeability and comedic timing that belies his youthfulness, Opening Act by Local Comedy5:30 Favorite, pm Brad Wilhelm Josh continues to break down stereotypes of people with disabilities one laugh at a time. He @ helps listeners laugh at their own stereotypes and corrects misconceptions about individuals A limited seating,October pre-event 15 dinner will be held . Thursday, with disabilities. His stand-up routine is in a constant state of evolution and his off-the-cuff Uptown Cafe improvisational skills guarantee that no two shows are exactly alike. Josh has also become a hit 102 E Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington on the internet with his top two YouTube videos receiving well over 1 million plays. Tickets are $25 for the comedy show and $25 for the “I have the common sense to know that my disability is what makes me stand out,” the 26-year- optional pre-event dinner. Tickets are now on sale old explains. “But I don’t want to be thought of as just ‘the comic with cerebral palsy.’ I want @ the Buskirk-Chumley 114 E Kirkwood Box Office.Avenue, Bloomington people to think I’m funny, and to make them laugh. A lot of my set is about having CP, but it’s not In Person: 812-323-3020 like I can’t address it — plus, most comics do a lot of talking about themselves. If I didn’t talk about By Phone: www.buskirkchumley.org it, it would be uncomfortable and weird for everyone.” Online: Blue got his start in comedy doing open mic sets while attending Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. Audiences reacted enthusiastically to his self-deprecating humor and Blue started making a name for himself on the comedy circuit. what is Josh has appeared as a regular guest star on Comedy Central’s “Mind of Mencia,” and his story has been cerebral palsy featured on Fox, CBS, ABC, and MSNBC. He was the first comedian to perform stand-up on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” and was named Best Winning Reality Show Guest for his appearance on Cerebral palsy is a term used to describe a “Live with Regis and Kelly.” He became the first comic to debut a stand-up special on the big screen when group of chronic conditions affecting body “7 More Days in the Tank” was shown in theatres across the movement and muscle coordination. It is country. Portions of the performance also aired on caused by damage to one or more specific Bravo Network as a half-hour comedy special. areas of the brain, usually occurring during Josh has been featured in numerous print fetal development; before, during, or publications including “People Magazine” shortly after birth; or during infancy. Thus, and “The New York Times.” Josh has also these disorders are not caused by problems performed at the prestigious HBO-Aspen in the muscles or nerves. Instead, faulty Comedy Festival and Comedy Central’s development or damage to motor areas South Beach Comedy Festival. He also in the brain disrupts the brain’s ability to appeared in the 2009 low budget horror adequately control movement and posture. film, “Feast 3: The Happy Finish.” “Cerebral” refers to the brain and “palsy” Outside of comedy, Blue is also known to muscle weakness or poor muscle control. Though cerebral palsy itself is for his skills in soccer, which included not progressive, secondary conditions traveling to Athens in 2004 as part of may get better over time, get worse or the U.S. Paralympics soccer team. He remain the same. Cerebral palsy is also is an artist and has created several not communicable. It is not a disease sculptures and paintings, which he and should not be referred to as currently sells. One particular piece he sells such. Although cerebral palsy is not at an extremely high price, because, as he said Belt Out Laughing is a “curable” in the accepted sense, on his appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres training and therapy can help Show, “I nearly died making it.” Stone Belt improve function. 50th Blue was born in Cameroon, where Cerebral palsy is characterized his father, Walter Blue, a professor of Anniversary by an inability to fully control romance languages from Hamline Signature motor function, particularly University, was teaching in a event. Please muscle control and mission. Blue grew up in coordination. St. Paul, Minnesota and join us for currently resides in Denver this special > To find out more about with his wife, Yuko, and evening. Cerebral Palsy log on to their baby boy, Simon. www.ucp.org or www.cerebral palsy.org. Stone Belt • touchstone • FALL 2009 1 from the CEO of note updates Art Blooms Regional Updates A place where everyone knows your name Stone Belt artists have been busy this Summer spreading their Stone Belt boasts a wide range of creativity across the City of Bloomington. programming across 4 counties in Most people would agree, and numerous studies contributions to their community. As an organization, the contributions of employees with disabilities in their work The first place brightened by art was the new Volunteers in Medicine south central Indiana. This month have shown, that the quality of one’s relationships is more we also seek ways that we can strengthen social networks place or by the outsourced work that client’s produce in our Clinic located at 811 West Second Street. Stone Belt artist Carolyn Touchstone launches a new column important to the quality of life than any other factor, and therefore help the community to work together to life sciences and manufacturing facilities. Abbitt created five original mixed-media mosaics that will hang in to keep readers in sync with the many including wealth. The value of relationships to oneself address common needs while fostering inclusion. It is very Creating social capital is indeed a privilege and a patient examination rooms. The pieces were donated by the Mary happenings throughout the agency. and one’s community creates social capital and it provides exciting work. responsibility that we take to heart. We are immeasurably Morgan Oliver Foundation. Read on to find out what’s new. mutual benefit to all parties. The more relationships one In this issue you will read of several examples of social fortunate that the communities in which we provide services has that are based on trust and reciprocity, the more social capital building. Many of our awards winners at this year’s are strong in so many ways because of the trust, reciprocity, The mission of the foundation is to help make the health care capital is attained. Social capital can be found in friendship 50th Anniversary Annual Awards Celebration have made collective actions and inclusion that is so abundant. Thank community more aesthetically appealing through art, music, gardens networks, neighborhoods, faith communities, schools, positive impacts on the community, including Kelly Tate, you for your support, which enables us to take part in this and other creative installations that enhance health care facilities in book clubs, civic associations, and even bars. The motto who made a great deal of difference in the life of one elderly social wealth creation. Together, we are all stronger. Monroe County. This year’s recipient was Volunteers in Medicine, in Cheers, “where everybody knows your name,” captures resident through simple acts of kindness; and also the which recently opened a new clinic.
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