Six Things You May Not Know About Our New CEO!

Today we congratulate Heather LaTorra on her new position as President and CEO of Marrakech, Inc.! We are so excited that, after being a part of the Marrakech family for 29 years (read more about how this came about below!), Heather now has the opportunity to lead the agency with her vast experience, clear vision and powerful leadership skills!  We are all very lucky to have her, and we are quite sure that she will continue to do all that she does with an amazingly positive attitude and infectious smile!

Since she has been around for awhile, we have come to know her pretty well.  There are some things, however, that we didn't know about her, and bet you didn't either!  So, as we start off a new era of leadership at Marrakech, here are Heather's Six Things!

1. My grandparents and Neil Diamond’s parents were best of friends. My mother and aunt grew up with him and I have seen him in concert and met him many times. I love a good Neil Diamond concert, I just don’t understand how his song is a “Fenway Park” favorite. He is a "New Yorker" to me!

2. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York in Manhattan Beach – near Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay and Coney Island. I worked at the Brooklyn School for Special Children which is where and when I fell in love with working with people with disabilities. Once in a while my Brooklyn accent still comes out to haunt me.

 

3. I came to Marrakech 29 years ago to “intern”.  I was a Special Education student at SCSU and I was unhappy about a “B” that my professor felt that I earned on an essay/paper. When I argued for my “A” she said she would give me the “A” if I joined a special program that would give me a holistic view of people with disabilities, not just the classroom look. I quickly agreed and discovered that the first part of that program was to intern at an agency that provides residential services to people with disabilities. I found Marrakech, and after my internship ended I applied for a part time weekend job here and was hired on October 10, 1986.

4. I have a rescued racing Greyhound named Eleanor. She never sits, she always either stands up or lies down.

 

5. I love all movies; horror, silly, fun, thought provoking, etc. Some of my favorites are Silence of the Lambs, Seven Pounds, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Breakfast at Tiffany's and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

6. My favorite pastime is watching sports and taking pictures. I enjoy watching my kids and the teams they are on playing baseball, basketball, football and lacrosse. I would never have said this 10 years ago, however now I do!

Congratulations, again Heather! Please stay tuned for more "Six Things" blogs coming soon about other members of our Marrakech family! 

Dr. Katey: The New 90’s and Why Fitness is So Important!

On Friday, June 13, 2014, Dr. Katey Houser came to speak to employees about why fitness is so important and how engaging in even a little bit of fitness activity can not only prolong our lives, but make those years into our 90’s much more enjoyable!

Dr. Katey said we all have a choice: Growth or Decay. She asked the employees if they heard about what George Bush did to celebrate his 90^th birthday, and let them know that he jumped out of an airplane! She then shared with the group that she knows other aging folks that are headed into their 90’s too, but are more likely to be celebrating their 90^th  birthday sitting in a wheelchair with lots of disease to deal with. She told the group that it’s all about tipping the scales towards feeling so great you could jump out of an airplane and not towards having a body full of disease. 

Dr. Katey told the employees that fitness is the key! She highly recommended a book called Younger Next Year for Women (there is one for men, too!) Live Strong, Fit, and Sexy - Until You’re 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Ledge, M.D. which explains a lot about what we can do to turn back our biological clocks.  The book talks about how, when we work out regularly (even just a little bit), our bodies create chemistry in our blood that can repair other inflammation and damage that can occur when we eat fatty and unhealthy foods.

 

 

Dr. Katey said that even if we try to do 2-3 days of a combination of cardio and weight training exercises, it will tip the balance from decay to growth! We should find the best time for our lifestyles to get that exercise in. Everyone is different, but if we can remember to take the first step and get out “feet on the floor”, our bodies will be able to handle stress better and fight off disease much more quickly.

Final thought: Being proactive with our health is cheaper and easier than being reactive!

Thank you, Dr. Katey, for another motivating talk!

Introducing Tim Balser and B.A.S.S!

Marrakech is proud to announce Tim Balser, a consumer in Marrakech's Young Adult Services program, has developed a new business called B.A.S.S, which is short for Balser Asperger’s Syndrome Services!

Tim, Founder and President of B.A.S.S, is a 24 year old entrepreneur who has Asperger’s Syndrome Disorder, or ASD. He is a graduate of Franklin Academy in East Haddam, CT and Chapel Haven in New Haven, CT. Having a lifetime of first hand experience and successfully overcoming many of the personal challenges Asperger’s Syndrome brings, Tim had the inspiration to create a program that provides tips and strategies on working with someone who has ASD.

His hope is that, by using his ideas and integrated approach to care, friends and family members will be able to better cope with issues they may be experiencing with their loved one with ASD.

Please see Tim’s Introductory Letter below!

If you are interested in hearing more about Tim's services, he can be reached by phone at (203) 868-9084, or via email at timothyjohnbalser@gmail.com

We congratulate Tim and wish him the best of luck on this exciting new journey!

Tim's Introductory Letter

Hello and welcome to Balser Asperger’s Syndrome Services or B.A.S.S, for short! I am very pleased to work with you as is my multidisciplinary team of colleagues (known as my Advisory Panel), and would like to take this time to announce some exciting features of our program, as well as inform you of upcoming events. Whether you are new to the world of Asperger’s Syndrome and related disorders, or an expert I hope you enjoy this letter, and even consider joining me on this journey to improving the lives of people with ASD’s (Autism Spectrum Disorders).

First, let me introduce myself. I, Timothy J. Balser have Asperger’s myself, am nearing 23 years old, and have successfully completed (via graduation) two Asperger’s Syndrome programs. One is Franklin Academy of East Haddam, Connecticut and the other is Chapel Haven in New Haven, Connecticut. However, I had the inspiration (not to mention almost 23 years of firsthand experience) to create a program for families seeking a more 1:1, individualized approach or those seeking one that is closer to home, not to mention cost-effective. I am the Founder and President of B.A.S.S. and I am confident and hopeful that my team’s integrated approach to care will make a profound impact on you and your family member or friend with ASD/Asperger’s lives. Outside of work, I enjoy socializing with friends and family, and including my long-term girlfriend who also has an ASD, Allison (or Allie Pellet, travelling the world (especially to Aruba!), playing Wii and board games, cooking, reading and writing, and cheering on my beloved New York sports teams! Look for more information on our staff as we move forward with this exciting endeavor!

You may be asking yourself what can B.A.S.S. provide for my family member or friend? Great question! What I hope people served by B.A.S.S. will take from this experience, is: A positive outlook, increased knowledge in the field of Asperger’s, and most importantly, tips and strategies to work with your ASD friend, family member, student, etc. Many of the members of my outstanding team are close personal friends of mine, who ever since I’ve known them, are amazing people, not to mention tolerant, caring, accommodating and most of all, PATIENT with me, and for that I am eternally grateful, and they even have the willingness to assist in any way possible to make B.A.S.S. as successful as it can be.

I look forward to giving this presentation, as well as being of assistance and answering any questions you may have.

Yours truly,

Timothy John Balser
President and Founder of Balser Asperger’s Syndrome Services

P.S. If you so desire, my email address is: timothyjohnbalser@gmail.com or you may also call me on my cell phone at (203) 868-9084 to spark a conversation about this exciting opportunity, as well as to schedule a face-to-face meeting if you’d like to know more about Asperger’s or myself.

36 Hours to GiveGreater to Marrakech!

Beginning May 6, Marrakech is participating in The Great Give 2014, the premiere online giving event for nonprofits in the Greater New Haven region!

For 36 hours, your charitable donation will make us eligible for thousands of dollars in grant prizes when you give to us through giveGreater.org. The drive starts tomorrow at 8am and runs until Wednesday at 8pm.

Please visit www.giveGreater.org anytime during the 36-hour giving drive, search for Marrakech and click “Donate Now” or click on this link: https://thegreatgive.org/#npo/marrakech to go directly to the Marrakech donation page.

Marrakech will be competing for various matching prizes, including most money raised, greatest number of individual donors, and greatest number of new donors. Your donations will go a long way in helping us to provide quality services to the people we support.

The 36-hour giving window begins tomorrow, May 6th, at 8:00am and ends at 8:00pm on May 7th. Please take this opportunity to continue your support of Marrakech; give what you can, and please spread the word!