By lhambrick, on December 22nd, 2011
LBSA just wrapped up its first quarter of monthly respite care events and is planning for the next three months!
 Craft Bags  Card-making Activity  Winter Scene Activities this month included holiday card making with potato prints, stamps, collage, and more. We also decorated a wintery scene with snowmen; read winter and holiday time books; and played winter-themed games. At the end of the evening, everyone left with personally decorated bags full of cards and other creations that could be used for gifts over the holidays.
The primary purpose of these events is to provide respite relief for parents with children who have developmental disabilities.
If you haven’t already, sign up your child to receive personal invites in the mail and RSVP each month in advance; and remember to fill out and turn in the enrollment form before arriving. Knowing in advance exactly who who will be attending and their individualized information allows us to prepare by recruiting enough volunteers for one-on-one participation, and to plan a safe and fun evening for all.
Anyone interested in volunteering at our respite events or for other respite services can contact us via email.
Here’s the winter quarter schedule of respite events:
Friday, January 20 from 4-6:30
Saturday, February 18 from 3-5:30
Saturday, March 31 from 3-5:30
By Janet McCorkell, on November 30th, 2011
Click on this link to view the 2011 Gala Catalog !
By Jane Fenton, on November 20th, 2011
1. Would You Like To Fly in a Beautiful Balloon? Meet “Sunny Daze”!
Experience a thrilling yet strangely peaceful ride for 6 on this fabulous hot air balloon with local pilot Mark Spanier of Webster. Your tour will be followed by a traditional Champagne toast. Our friends who have
experienced this can’t say enough about it: “ My wife is afraid of heights, and she LOVED it! It feels very safe and very exciting at the same time. If you’ve ever wondered what it must be like to be able to fly, this is it!”
Donated by Mark and Sandy Spanier and co-sponsored by Countryside Animal Hospital & Kennels.
Click here to see the world from Sunny Daze’s viewpoint!
2. Original Mural-Sized Painting by Laura Baker School Students
Created as a music therapy project, this 4′x6′ composition is all you need to break winter’s icy grip. it’s a spring-y celebration of all of our favorite things! Reflect on the seeds, flowers and gardening tools and feel your heart come alive. Perfect for a corporate
setting as a conversation piece.
3. 4-alarm Fire Party!
Who hasn’t dreamed about riding on a firetruck as it races to the scene? You can live out that fantasy, complete with real firefighters with this auction item. Be it a children’s birthday party or a bachelorette soiree, our local firefighters will team up with your party as they arrive, sirens blaring, to take you the long way to the firehouse where you can have a tour and some pizza.
By Jane Fenton, on November 20th, 2011
1. East Side Neighborhood Walking Architecture Tour with Dinner for 10: 
Have you ever wondered about the variety of homes in the Laura Baker neighborhood? Join Carleton College professor of History and American Studies Clifford Clark, author of “The Amercian Family Home” on a walking tour of this fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the homes and the history of the families who have lived there. Wrap up your evening at the lovely home of Frank and Sandy Grazzini, who designed their new home in the style of the neighborhood, and enjoy a gourmet dinner prepared by Chef Charles of the Northfield Golf Club. Your guests will include Clifford Clark and the Grazzinis, plus you and 6 of your friends.
2. Tea (for up to 6) with President and Mrs. Poskanzer, and a tour of Nutting House. 
You have always admired Nutting House from the outside. Now is your chance to tour the house and have tea with President and Mrs. Poskanzer.
Nutting House was built in 1888 for the family of John Claudius and Calista (Morse) Nutting. Contemporary newspaper reports referred to the house as “one of the finest in the city.” It was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, due to its status as the only remaining example of a brick home of this size and period in Northfield. With an exterior faced in cream brick trimmed with red sandstone, beveled glass and stained glass in various windows, gingerbread-style porches, pocket doors, and extensive use of various hard and soft woods throughout the interior of the home, it has long been regarded as a treasure in Northfield. The house was given to Carleton College in 1970 by the Nutting family.
3. 10-Course Gourmet Dinner prepared by Ed and Anne Lundstrom, with YOUR choice of wines from their private wine cellar.
 Gather your favorite foodie friends for an experience you will never forget at the elegant home of Ed and Anne Lundstrom, founders of famed “Fermentations” restaurant. You and your guests will be picked up by Top Notch Transportation and whisked away to this lake home in the deep woods for a 10-course meal prepared especially for you, with each wine course chosen by YOU. Ed is more than happy to assist you with choices, he asks only that you reserve the “grandchild” bottle. Don’t worry- there are at least 500 to choose from. Ed and Anne truly understand the link between food, wine, and the occasion created when people gather to enjoy each other. Value: priceless.
4. Bon Appétit Catered Dinner
An impressive, intimate dinner for 6-8 customized to your guests’ palates and cooked in your home.  A team of highly skilled chefs
will help you plan and customize a dinner party, beginning with an hors d’oeuvre reception followed by dinner and dessert. The menu will be filled with creativity and freshness, cooked in your home and
served. This item does not include alcoholic beverages. Value: $2400
By Jane Fenton, on November 18th, 2011
Vacation Getaways:
1- Design a south-of-the-border getaway your way! How about a beautifully appointed hillside or oceanfront villa in Los Cabos, Mexico These one-bedroom timeshare villas accommodate up to four guests. Reservations may be made for any week of the year, based on availability.
Value: $3,000
2. Or how about a rustic up-north expereince? Enjoy the perfect nature retreat …. a 4 day/3 night cabin vacation just “up the shore” from Grand Marais, MN! This cabin sleeps 4. Activities nearby include skiing – both kinds, fishing: brook trout, steelhead, kamloops, lake trout, small mouth bass, and walleye, berry picking, mushroom harvesting – in season, wildflowers, bird watching, canoeing, hiking, Boundary Waters and many State and national parks, close to golfing, shopping & restaurants. Dates must be mutually agreed upon with donor.
Donated by Mike Hero & Marie Westerman
3. Or 4 nights in a Stunning Architectural “Cabin” weekend in Hayward, Wisconsin: Your entire family will enjoy a memory-making weekend at this very private, breathtaking lake home with stunning views tucked away just 10 minutes from downtown Hayward, Wisconsin. This immaculate home and grounds features 5 bedrooms and 3 baths, sleeps 12.
With crystal clear lakes for water sports and fishing, and miles of trails for riding snowmobiles, ATVs, cross-country skiing, hiking, and off-road/on-road bicycling, this area is buzzing with activity year-round. The Hayward, Wisconsin Area also has a unique selection of golf courses that will make a memory for any skill level golfer!
4. Is a weekend up north at a beautiful resort more to your liking? Explore the many offerings of the breathtaking Lost Lake Lodge in the Brainerd Lakes area. You could enjoy a 2-night stay for up to four of rustic luxury, gourmet meals for both breakfast and dinner and innumerable offerings for entertainment and recreation. “It’s like ‘On Golden Pond’ with the most amazing gourmet meals,” gushes one frequent customer we know. Donated by Rebound Hospitality. 
By lhambrick, on November 14th, 2011
 Laura Baker Services Association will be hosting its second Monthly Respite Care Event this Saturday, November 19 from 3:00-5:30 PM. Children and youth with developmental disabilities are invited to participate in theme-based group activities, while parents and caregivers receive a few hours of respite relief.
 The theme this month is Story Time. We have many activities planned including book-making, puppets, silly songs, and stories from some classic children’s books–all taking place in Millis dining hall, which will be transformed into a cozy living room setting.
To ensure a fun and safe environment with individualized care, parents and caregivers are encouraged to fill out an enrollment form in advance and bring it with this Saturday.
Snacks and drink will be provided. If there are any special dietary needs, please contact FSS staff at the email or phone provided below. Please feel free to contact us with any other questions or concerns.
There is a $5/child cover charge.
fss (AT) laurabaker.org
507-301-1841
By lhambrick, on September 29th, 2011
LBSA Family Support Services is hosting a Meet & Greet this Friday, September 30, 6-7:30 PM. We welcome families and children to join us for a short evening with activities and information about FSS programming and our fall schedule. Staff and select volunteers who will be organizing and participating in our monthly respite care events will be present to greet families, and a tour of our facilities will be given. Snacks and drinks will also be provided. There is no charge for the event this Friday.
 Be part of the conversation! We are very excited about starting our fall schedule of monthly respite care events. The idea for these monthly events was developed after meeting with families and community members at a forum we hosted in May. Since then we have set growth goals for FSS: 1) host monthly respite care events; 2) provide regularly scheduled respite services; 3) and offer a crisis bed when permitted. Read a profile of our FSS programming in the Northfield News.
We intend these monthly events to be a symbolic but also significant addition to services for families who have children with developmental disabilities. We hope our commitment to providing these monthly events signals the start of something new and the promise of more services which address the needs of area families.
 Currently available at Monkey See, Monkey Read! And furthermore, we encourage individuals and groups in the area to become involved in growing a network or circle of care meant to support families, by volunteering and committing through acts which facilitate community integration.
For those of you who would like to support FSS programing with a monetary donation, you are welcome to visit the LBSA homepage to donate online. Or with your donation of $4 or more, you can help fund programming and receive a coloring book that we produced and which is available downtown at Monkey See, Monkey Read.
By Ashley, on May 24th, 2011
By Jane Fenton, on April 29th, 2011
 Be part of the conversation!
On Wed., May 4, we are hosting a community conversation about the needs and challenges the community faces in supporting families raising children with developmental disabilities. Free trained childcare, snacks and drinks provided. 6:30-8:30pm in the senior center dining room at the Northfield Community resource Center on Jefferson Drive.
By jennyp, on January 7th, 2011
On Friday, January 14 at 7 p.m. the Laura Baker Choir will sing at the annual “Arts for Martin” event at ARTech. Several groups will gather to perform, reflect, and celebrate the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Attached is the program note about the piece our group will share:
“This Little Light of Mine” is known not only as a familiar gospel hymn, but as a piece of American folk music which eventually became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. This arrangement, written by the Birmingham (AL) composer Ken Berg, presents a slow, lyrical melody in contrast to the more familiar version, and seems a fitting piece to reflect upon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy. Light serves as a metaphor in many respects, and who better to exemplify shining his light than Dr. King? While illuminating racism and the desperate need for equality and peace in our world, his own life served to remind us of how to gracefully walk in that light.
Like any group of people, the Laura Baker Choir has its light to shine, too. Comprised of singers with various abilities and often hidden challenges, the group is privileged to share their gifts in the spirit of today’s event.
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Newsletter Interested in receiving our newsletter by email?
Email jan@laurabaker.org with the Laura Baker Newsletter Request in subject line and then leave your email address in the email.
Our Mission Laura Baker Services Association's mission is to respect the life choices and dreams of people with developmental disabilities and help them reach their goals.
211 Oak Street
Northfield, MN 55057
507-645-8866
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