Wendell Foster's Forever a Difference Maker Gala & Auction, presented by Boardwalk Pipelines, is happening on September 21st at the Owensboro Convention Center! This elegant evening is most known for our live and silent auction, and this year we have even more exclusive trips, experiences, and memorabilia for our guests to bid on. Many of the auction packages you know and love are returning, along with some new and fresh items that are sure to make this an exciting night of bidding! Thank you to our generous item donors who have made this iconic event possible for 20 years and counting! We are forever grateful for your support!

(1) The chicks started their journey in an egg incubator. (2) Our feathered friends began to hatch! (3) The chicks bring smiles to everyone's faces.

You might have heard that we recently welcomed some new residents to Wendell Foster...and these residents happen to have feathers and wings! Our Farming and Homesteading class successfully hatched four baby chicks using an egg incubator. The class is offered to residents in the Intermediate Care Facility (ICF), and covers a variety of topics, such as raising livestock, growing crops, and making handmade household items.

Ashley Luke, a Person-Centered Specialist at Wendell Foster, started the class earlier this year to educate our residents on the hard work of farmers and their families to feed our local community. Ashley said that in a society where we can easily make a Walmart run to get anything we need, she wanted residents to understand where our food actually comes from. The class started with a small garden behind Cottage C, where they planted tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, basil, and parsley. The class then used the fresh vegetables grown in the garden to make homemade salsa. They even planted strawberries, and were delighted to start picking strawberries in the patch.

Ashley was ready to take the class a step further with a new project: hatching baby chicks. Having raised chickens herself at home that she purchased as chicks from Rural King, Ashley was curious to see if the Farming and Homesteading class could repeat the process used by the hatchery that her chicks came from. After purchasing the required supplies (including an egg incubator), the waiting game was on to see if the eggs would hatch! It can take around 21 days for eggs to hatch, and on the 20th day, our first egg hatched. As word spread around campus about the arrival of our new feathered friends, people from every department gathered to watch the chicks emerge from the eggs. The excitement was contagious, and everyone wanted the chance to hold the new baby chicks. "The residents absolutely love the babies!" said Ashley. "They always want to hold the chicks and pet them, and they love having the chicks placed on their chests so they can hop around." Out of six fertilized eggs, four chicks hatched and were named Steven, Omlet, Wendell, and Foster.

Now that the chicks have hatched, residents in Farming and Homesteading are learning how to properly care for the chicks. They have learned how to feed and water the chicks each day, and how much warmth the animals need to survive. The chicks stay under a heating lamp for a determined amount of time each day to simulate the warmth they would receive from a mother chicken. The chicks will also stay in a brooder for up to six weeks, which is a contained box where the chicks can sit under the heating lamp, receive their food and water, and be protected from the outside world while they are still growing. Once the chicks start to receive their adult feathers and lose their soft, fluffy feathers, they will be ready to leave the safety of the brooder!

Ashley says the sky is the limit for the Farming and Homesteading class, and she can't wait for their upcoming projects. They've recently tried their hand at soap-making and homemade ice cream, and they plan on making homemade beef jerky, butter, and buttermilk. The class also wants to try canning pickles! Stay tuned for more updates on our exciting Farming and Homesteading adventures, and the growth of our chickadees!

Back-to-school season is in full swing, and Wendell Foster's Aktion Club felt inspired to give back to our dedicated, local teachers! Did you know that teachers restock supplies in their classrooms using their own funds? With this in mind, started the Lucky Five Teacher Supply Giveaway, a chance for five lucky teachers to walk away with $150 worth of classroom supplies! Any K-12 teacher in the Owensboro and Daviess County area was eligible to enter, and the amount of entries was enormous! Nearly 150 teachers in the community entered the giveaway, and that made it hard to choose just five winners...so Aktion Club chose TEN! Members were honored to present the winners with their supplies at the August Aktion Club meeting, just in time for back-to-school! Way to go, Aktion Club, for making learning possible for students in our area and helping teachers feel appreciated for all they do!

Thank you to all who entered the Lucky Five Teacher Supply Giveaway, and congratulations to our winners! ✂️📚📏

Pictured: Aktion Club with a few of our winners from the Teacher Supply Giveaway!

Participants in Wendell Foster's Day Training Program had the unique opportunity to practice their creative talents, while also supporting our local United Way. Hailey Neal, Volunteer Coordinator at Wendell Foster, applied for the opportunity for participants to paint a bourbon barrel lid for the second annual Barrels of HeART event, presented by United Way of the Ohio Valley. The event was a part of United Way's 75th Anniversary Diamond Celebration, where attendees bid on barrels and barrel lids designed by local artists in the community. Proceeds from the auction benefitted United Way and their programs. We were thrilled to be chosen as a local artist for a barrel lid!

Day Training's next step was to decide on the art for the barrel lid. "We wanted to create something that reflected the state of Kentucky, so we chose to paint our state flower, the goldenrod," explained Hailey. "The goldenrod is known to represent love, friendship, and perseverance which align with our values at Wendell Foster." Once they decided on their inspiration, they started painting their artistic masterpiece! The finished product symbolizes the beauty of Kentucky and the heart of Wendell Foster's mission. We are so proud of Day Training for their hard work on this beautiful barrel lid, and for using their time and talents to benefit others.

Day Training participants posed proudly with their finished barrel lid!

The Wendell Foster Recreation Team threw an epic block party this past month, and it was a day to remember! The sun was shining, the grills were sizzling, and laughter filled the air as residents and staff came together for an afternoon of pure fun. Everyone enjoyed delicious grilled food, exciting yard games, refreshing lemonade, cotton candy, and snow cones. The dunk tank was a "splashing" hit, and the temporary tattoos added an extra touch of flair. It was a perfect day of community and celebration! Also, a huge shoutout goes to our friends at Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline for volunteering and making the day unforgettable! 😎

We're soaking up these last few moments of summer! See what we've been up to ⬇️:

1. Grill-master Corey took advantage of a sunny day to grill some yummy New York strips.

2. Day Training participants met firefighters from Owensboro Fire Department's Station 1.

3. Megan took relaxation to the next level with an in-home spa day- complete with face masks!

4. Andrew and Bobby enjoyed a warm afternoon at Smother's Park.

5. Lonnie cooled off at Horse Fork Creek Park's spray park on the hottest day of the year.

6. Josh is still loving his trips to the animal shelter, and wants to remind everyone to "Adopt, don't shop!"

About Wendell Foster

For over 75 years, our focus has been to provide children and adults with disabilities with the tools, education, therapies, and support to reach their dreams and potential.

As a leader in serving those with disabilities, we provide more than 65,000 services annually through multiple programs.

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