No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks

“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”
James Allen

 

A little over a year ago the world changed.  It changed for all of us, and it changed for New Danville.  The fear of the uncertainty and how it would affect those we serve and our agency at times became overwhelming. 

Knowing what an important role our agency plays in the lives of so many, yet not knowing if it would continue to exist.  And yet, here we are today: standing strong for our clients, our families, and our community.

And so, it is time to return thanks and say “Thank You” to all of you. Thank you to all of you for your emotional support and prayers that gave us the drive to not give up; to all of you that assisted with financial donations that helped us “keep the lights on.”; to all of you that brought care packages to our residents keeping their spirits high; and, to our volunteers at Jazzy Junque that rolled up their sleeves to keep our store open. Thanks to the generosity of our New Danville family and our community, we are beginning to make plans for an even brighter future. 

I look forward to all of you joining us in our journey.

We look forward to keeping all of you informed through our new monthly newsletter.

Introducing Dion McInnis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Danville has 2020 vision, that is, a clear view of the future thanks to the challenges and successes of 2020. One of the clear needs to be met was that of hiring New Danville’s first-ever development director. Dion McInnis joined the team on March 17.

“We did well in 2020, despite the challenges the year brought us,” New Danville’s President and CEO Eva Aguirre said. “From it, we saw the need to become even stronger in the areas of branding, marketing and fundraising. I am very pleased that our board approved the hiring of our first-ever development director. We are fortunate to have found someone with extensive experience, an empathetic heart and storytelling prowess to create a robust fundraising and marketing office for us.”

Dion McInnis brought with him decades of experience in the areas of fundraising, community and alumni relations, publications and public relations, communications and more for universities, a museum and a national health organization. Also a lifelong writer and photographer, he said, “I have always strived to celebrate and empower others in my vocational and avocational pursuits. New Danville’s motto of ‘Live, Learn, Work, Grow’ captured my attention immediately. I look forward to celebrating everyone involved with New Danville’s programs in myriad ways and to garner increased support to help provide programs and services to our Wranglers.”

Eva highlighted the many successful fundraising events New Danville has had over the years and the focused work of the dedicated board. “We have had much success and look forward to the future with the seeds that our team, volunteers and board leaders have planted for us over the 16 years New Danville has been in service.

 

We are pleased to introduce Live, Learn, Work and Grow: Wisdom from Under the Windmill, an inspiring, motivational, immediately useable presentation by Dion McInnis, development director.

Bring this to your organization, association, business or group; everyone’s life can be better with the 15 nuggets of wisdom for living discovered at New Danville.

Contact Dion at Dion.McInnis@NewDanville.org to book the presentation for your event.

From farm to table…well, almost

From farm to table…well, almost. New Danville Wranglers have been busy growing various vegetables in the recently re-started aquaponics program. The “Freeze of 2021” took a toll on the fish used in the program (luckily the plants were fine!), even though they were in our heated greenhouse. Our operation is back in business, and one of the first products to make it to market is basil that is grown here. We sell the basil at our re-sale store, Jazzy Junque that is located in the south end of Outlets at Conroe. Store staff members tell us that the basil sells fast!  We look forward to making more of our herbs and vegetables available as the program expands.

“Farm to table” usually refers to fruit and vegetables that are sold directly by the producer to the purchaser. With the rise of farmer’s markets and co-ops, the opportunities for consumers to buy fresh produce directly from the farmers are increasing.

Thanks to the volunteer efforts of many, spearheaded by Mike Bodmand, and the Montgomery County Master Gardeners (MCMG), New Danville was able to begin growing vegetables in an aquaponics set up in our greenhouse. MCMG’s aquaponics group was interested in expanding their skills, and setting up a near-commercial scale system in New Danville’s greenhouse provided a perfect opportunity.

We hope to be able to scale up enough with aquaponics and outdoor gardens sufficiently enough to attend nearby farmers’ markets in the future. 

A special thanks to the MCMG Aquaponics Group construction crew for their time and talents: Mike Cooley, Fred Nash, Jason Hayes, Theresa Gunlock, Steven Lumbley, Ginny Bodman and Mike Bodman.

 

Computer classes are very popular at New Danville

 

Computer classes are very popular at New Danville, providing our Wranglers with basic computer skills, new ways to communicate and share guidance on social interactions, and much more. We love it when we hear, “Now my family will let me use the computer at home,” or, from someone who disliked math class, “Can we have more worksheets today?”

We’re going to have some more great news regarding the use of computers and iPads thanks to a recent contribution in an upcoming newsletter.

One of our Wranglers, Colt, said he likes best about the class is that he is learning how to type faster and now he has his own computer at home.
According to Direct Service Professional (DSP), Melissa Varney, she uses computers to pull up visual aids and lessons for almost all the classes she teaches, not just the basic computer skills class. “I have Wranglers who were unable to write their numbers but have now learned addition and subtraction…because I had a computer to help guide them. Before math class I was told ‘it is too hard I can’t do that… I don’t want to be in this class.’ Now when they come in they ask me ‘how many worksheets am I going to let them do.’ It is amazing.”

Remembering Donna

“Sometimes people come into your life for a moment, a day, or a lifetime.  It matters not the time they spent with you but how they impacted your life.” 

Nothing better describes Donna Senecal. 

It is with great sadness to report that after a long illness, Donna Senecal passed away on May 12th, 2021.

Donna will always be remembered in our hearts at New Danville, and her contributions were many, but the 2019 Memory Book that she created was a beautiful labor of love.  She perfectly captured life at New Danville in a way that came from her heart and she will forever be with us.  

In the News – June 2021

 

News from local media and external sources, please follow the links to read the entire articles

 

 

We are proud to be one of the designated charities for The Woodlands Charities’ October Into the Woods Halloween Party and Fundraiser. You can buy tickets here; please remember to designate New Danville as your charity of choice.

 

New Danville Shares Gift of Appreciation with Community

 

 


Wranglers Rack Up Awards at Montgomery County Fair and Rodeo