Page 30 - 12th Annual Long Island Imagine Awards Program

Innovation

Kim M. Kubasek, Chief Executive Officer Beth Fiteni, MSEL, Managing Director
Developmental Disabilities Institute Green Inside and Out
99 Hollywood Drive, Smithtown, NY 11787 Long Island, NY
(631) 366-2900 | www.ddiny.org www.greeninsideandout.org
Since 1961, Developmental Disabilities Institute (DDI) has provided compassionate, personal care Green Inside and Out’s Mission is to empower and educate consumers about better alternatives
to meet the emotional, therapeutic, educational and vocational needs of children and adults with for low-environmental impact living. Purpose: Without a clean environment, life on earth,
autism and other developmental disabilities. Founded by parents of children with developmental human or otherwise, is unsustainable. Green Inside and Out seeks to educate people on how
disabilities, DDI now serves more than 1,500 children and adults in sixty-five sites and homes best to protect themselves and the environment through their daily choices, for the benefit of
across Long Island. DDI recognizes that everyone has unique needs, abilities, and dreams and all. We primarily focus on two main issues- toxins and waste reduction.
deserves every opportunity to live a rich and meaningful life. With a workforce of people inspired
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by purpose , DDI provides the highest quality standards of individualized services from expertly About 12-15% of LI’s residential solid waste is food scraps. It currently goes to incinerators
trained, caring and competent staff. but could instead be used to create compost to improve local soils. To address this issue of
food waste, through a public/private partnership, Green Inside and Out and the LI Organics
DDI’s Adult Day Services Greenhouse Project is a transformative approach to enhancing physical Council worked with the Town of Riverhead to successfully carry out a Food Scrap Recycling
and emotional well-being, while fostering DDI’s budding retail enterprise Bits & Bites. An inclusive Grant project funded by the NYS Pollution Prevention Institute. Launched in Riverhead in
and therapeutic environment for individuals of all abilities, the Greenhouse produces organic May 2023, this project was unique in that it was the first municipal food scrap drop off site
crops that are distributed to DDI residences, sold at community events, and this year, to our on Long Island, though numerous similar projects have been created upstate and elsewhere.
neighborhood deli. With 75% of adults with autism unemployed or underemployed, the vocational Residents can now bring their food scraps to the site and the Town converts them into compost.
aspect is critical in developing skills from gardening to sales and creating employment opportunities. We published project signage and related factsheets in Spanish to make information accessible
DDI’s Greenhouse Projects envisions establishing a community-supported agriculture business, to the Spanish-speaking community. Since then the project has converted about 2,000lbs of
contributing to food banks, and continuing to raise awareness of the significant impact of people food scraps per week into compost, which enriches soil and avoids emissions of methane, a
with developmental disabilities. potent greenhouse gas. We hope to pursue other LI Townships to help them establish similar
composting projects.

Mike Rosen, Chief Marketing Officer Michael Kitakis, Executive Director
Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc.® & America’s VetDogs® Spirit of Huntington Art Center
371 East Jericho Turnpike., Smithtown, NY 11787-2976 2 Melville Rd, Huntington Station, NY 11746
(631) 930-9000 | www.guidedog.org | www.vetdogs.org (631) 470-9620 | www.spiritofhuntington.com
For more than 75 years, the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc., based in Smithtown, NY, The Spirit of Huntington Art Center believes creative expression ignites a passion in individuals of
has trained and placed guide and service dogs to provide independence, enhanced mobility, and all ages and abilities that transforms their lives. Within our Community Arts Center we offer the
companionship to people who are blind, have low vision, or other disabilities. Its sister organization, innovative ArtWORKS program, where students receive personalized training with skills and
America’s VetDogs, was established by the Guide Dog Foundation in 2003 to provide specially knowledge in digital art and design courses that can lead to gainful employment and personal
trained service, guide and facility dogs to veterans, active-duty military, and first responders with expression.
physical and emotional disabilities, such as PTSD. The Guide Dog Foundation and America’s
VetDogs are independent 501(c)(3) national not-for-profit organizations serving clients from Working with computer graphics and the Adobe suite of programs beyond traditional art
across the United States and Canada. It costs more than $50,000 to breed, raise, train, and place courses, students progress towards creating marketing and branding work such as logos,
one assistance dog, but the Guide Dog Foundation and America’s VetDogs provide its services brochures, event programs, video clips and newsletters, with marketing support and social
completely free of charge to the individuals it serves. The organizations rely on contributions from media management for a roster of in-house clients. Our program includes both classes and
generous individuals, corporations, service clubs, and foundations to fund its mission to serve internships focused on experiential learning with real companies. ArtWORKS offers courses in
people with disabilities, helping them to Live Without Boundaries . Each organization is accredited digital art, computer graphics, and video along with projects for over 12 nonprofit organizations
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by both the International Guide Dog Federation and Assistance Dogs International. Learn how to such as Vanguard Benefits, RISE Life Services, AHRC, Audubon at Great South Bay, and
Apply, Volunteer, and Donate at GuideDog.org and VetDogs.org or call 631-930-9000. Northport Symphony Orchestra. With unemployment rising over 85% for young adults of
differing abilities, ArtWORKS offers real-world workplace applications through experiential
learning that students can use for their personal portfolios and industry media. Students acquire
the hard and soft skills for supporting non-profit clients with social media management,
marketing and advertising, learning to turn concepts into real work product. In this structured
environment, students develop self-confidence through teamwork and collaboration, refining
their communication skills so important in the workplace today.

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